McIntire - Martha Harris
Source: Crawfordsville Journal & Review, Saturday, Jan 17, 1931
Mrs. Martha Elinor McINTIRE, 98, one of the oldest residents of western Indiana died at her home 1206 W. Main Street at 11 o'clock Friday night. Death followed a serious illness of only four days and was due to the infirmities of old age. Mrs. McIntire, who was known by hundreds of Montgomery County residents as Aunt Martha had an exceptionally wide acquaintance. She had lived in the county since she was 4 and had grown up with the country. She was born near Fincastle, Botetourt Co VA on April 21, 1832, the daughter of Thomas E. and Elizabeth Harris. Two years later she was taken by her parents to Preble County, Ohio where a small white settlement already had been set to. Two years later, in 1836, her parents decided to migrate farther west. They left Ohio in covered wagons with several other families.
The Harris family located on a farm about a mile north of what is now New Ross. The place where they established their residence had no roads the path being marked only by a trail blazed on the trees of the thickly wooded country. Having no home of their own, the Harris family lived in the little one-room log cabin owned by Thomas Bratton until they could build a cabin of their own out of the timbers cut and hewn from the forest about them. Mrs. McIntire's father began clearing his farm at once and in a short time had quite a large tract under cultivation. He rapidly rose to eminence among his fellow settlers and in 1855 was elected to the Indiana State Legislature. Two years later he was reelected for a 3rd time. Mr. Harris taught school in the winter time and tended his farm during the spring and summer months. Mrs. McIntire who was the fourth of 9 children and last to survive was married to Thomas Jefferson McIntire on April 23, 1868.
Mrs. McIntire was of an extremely cheerful and jovial disposition, always seeing the bright side of life and always ready to give a helping hand and cheery word to anyone in trouble or sorrow. She became a member of the Primitive Baptist Church in 1891, being most active in the work of the church. She was a regular attendant at services until her advancing years made it impossible for her to do so on account of her failing hearing and sight. She was fond of reading the bible, spending many hours during the latter 70 years reading over its pages. She was extremely well versed on the Bible due to the many times she had reread its passages. The survivors are a half sister, Jennie Hendricks of Flora, Indiana; two nephews, Frank Harris of Waveland and Charles Harris, New Ross and two nieces, Martha E. McIntire of New Ross and Viola Carroll, Garfield. The passing of the aged woman has brought sorrow into the hearts of her hundreds of friends who knew her as one of the most interesting persons in the county. Short funeral services will be held at Hunt & Ratcliff Funeral Home, N. Grant Ave, Monday afternoon at 1 o'clock. The remains then will be taken to the New Ross Methodist Church where services will be held in charge of Elder John Sparks. Burial will take place in Pisgah Cemetery; the body will lie in state at the Hunt & Ratcliff establishment until time for the funeral services. - typed by kbz