Nicholson - Clarinda Rose
Source: Crawfordsville Journal May 12, 1910 pg. 1 c. 7
Ladoga - May 12 - This morning at the home of her son, James Nicholson, shortly after midnight the spirit of Mrs. Clarinda Nicholson, aged mother of Israel and the oldest citizen of Montgomery County, passed away from the effects of cancer of the face, a disease which has made her its victim for the past month or more. If she had lived until the fifth of next July she would have reached the ripe old age of 101 years as she became a centenarian last July. Until very recenly Mrs. Nicholson has been in excellent health and until the very last she retained her memory and could talk most interestingly of the early history of the county. Though well on toward the advanced age of 101 before she was stricken with her fatal illness, she was up to that time as spry as a woman of 70 and only last year on her birthday, when she was living with her granddaughter, Mrs. Ed Hendrick of Darlington she had planned to spend the day at the Crawfordsville fair ground, where the Elks' lodge of that place was holding their big celebration and only the rainy inclement weather prevented her making the tirp to the county seat in an automobile. When Mrs. Nicholson came to Crawfordsville there were only 2 log cabins and a store of the same rough material. She helped her husband make a living in those hard times, when money was so hard to get in those early pioneer days and besides, did her share and more in the battle to raise a family of 7 children, three having d. in infancy. She, like all the good mothers of those days, passed through many hardships. Clarinda Rose Nicholson was born near Chillicothe, Ohio July 5, 1809. When 11 she moved with her parents to Jackson's Mills, near Cincinnati . She was married to Joseph Nicholson of Cincinnati on October 16, 1829. After living in Cincinnati a short time, they moved to Liberty, Indiana, where they lived until October 1840 at which time they moved to Crawfordsville, settling on the old Tyler farm, near the old Blair pork house, which is now inside the northwest part of Crawfordsville. Eleven children were born to this union, 3 dying in infancy and one daughter dying in her teens; two sons died last fall only 7 hours apart, one of whom, Joseph Nicholson was killed by a Northwestern traction car east of Crawfordsville while on a load of logs. The other, Samuel Nicholson died in the South near the same time. These two, as well as another brother, Elihu Nicholson, were old veterans of the Civil War. Mrs. Nicholson said the greatest sorrow of her life was experienced when her 3 sons, the youngest only 15 shouldered their muskets and went to war. Joseph Nicholson, her husband died Jan 15, 1872. Up to the time of his death he was one of the best known blacksmiths in Montgomery County. A sister of Mrs. Nicholson died only a few years ago at the age of 97. While in her girlhood days Mrs. Nicholson learned to spin and weave, both in linen and woolen goods. 34 grandchildren have been born, 26 of whom are living, as well as 38 great grandchildren and two great, great grandchildren. Mrs. Nicholson was a consistent member of the First Baptist church in Crawfordsville and had been for more than half a century where she was always welcome because of her warm smile and pleasant word for others. The body will be taken overland on Friday morning to Crawfordsville for burial. The services will be held at the First Baptist Church at that place and will be conducted by Rev. J. Frederick Rake and the interment will take place in the Masonic Cemetery there in the family lot by the side of her husband and the six children who passed over the brink of the grave before her last call came. kbz