Citation: The Indiana GenWeb Project, Copyright ©1997-2007, Montgomery County Website http://ingenweb.org/inmontgomery/

Montgomery County, Indiana USGenWeb Project

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Jolly "Uncle Ike" Hale

Crawfordsville Journal and Review 2-1-1932

Wingate, January 31 - Jolly "Uncle Ike" Hale, 91 year sold Negro who refused
emancipation after the internecine strife of 1861-65 freed the colored race of the fetters of slavery, died at the home of his
beloved, "Massa" WS Hayes, north of here Saturday evening at 5:18 o'clock.  The beloved Negro fought through the Civil War
with members of the Hayes family and of the termination of the bitter conflict refused his freedom.  He went to Illinois from
Tennessee with the Hayes family and later tot his vicinity, when an uncle of the local resident decreed on his death bed that
his faithful servant be given a good home.  "Uncle Ike" was the only Negro in this vicinity and universally liked and
respected.  Always jovial, the elderly colored man endeared himself to many local people during his 25 year residence in
this vicinity.  Because of his advanced age, little is known of the early life of the former slave.  He is believed to have be!
en married once in Nashville, Tenn where he was born and grew to manhood.  The elderly colored man was sick only two
weeks before death came.  Physicians pronounced his death due to infirmities of old age.  "Uncle Ike" was buried Sunday
afternoon at 3 o'clock in the Methodist cemetery here, after services had been held at the home of Mr. Hayes in charge of
Rev. AW Smith, local Methodist minister.  

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