Votaw, Jennie Simmons Mrs. Jennie Votaw, at the age of 96, is one of Portland's most interesting women, still enjoying life, and taking an active interest in modern improvements. Her mind is keen, hearing good, but her eyesight is not the best. However she can read all except fine print. She is a vital part of the early history of Jay County, one of the courageous pioneers that made this county what it is today. Her memory is remarkable and she can relate hundreds of interesting stories of pioneer days when this section was a wilderness. She has seen fine farms and cities hewed out of the rough timber, seen the corduroy road replace the trail through the swamps, the gravel road replace the corduroy, the paved road replace the gravel, and the ox team relegated to the past for the modern automobile.
Mrs. Votaw was born in Randolph County. Her father, James Simmons, was born at Richmond. Her mother was Avaline Hawkins, a member of one of the very first pioneer families, her mother being a daughter of John J. Hawkins, the first white man to be buried in Jay County. She was married in 1866, to W. C. Votaw, the first of James Votaw's children, another pioneer, and they came to Jay county in 1867. She has been a resident of Portland for nearly 70 years. At the time of Abraham Lincoln's election to the presidency she was 18 years of age. She well remembers the campaign when Lincoln ran against Buchannan and tells of students of Liber college going to the Votaw place and building a huge float, 100 feet long to use in a Lincoln rally at Union City. The float was drawn by a number of yoke of oxen.
Portland Daily Sun, Centennial Edition, Jay County, Indiana; September 21, 1936
Buried in Green Park Cemetery