O'Neall - Ellen
Montgomery County, Indiana Jamestown Press, Friday, 27 Sept 1901 pg 3
Mrs. Ellen O'NEALL, 90 years old, widow of Abijah O'Neall, died at her home in Yountsville last Saturday. She was the mother of 11 children, only 4 of whom are living. She and her husband settled in the wilderness and endured all the hardships of the pioneer days. They were also severely persecuted and threatened by the Knights of the Golden Circle during the Rebellion and it was thought Mr. O'Neall's efforts that the order in that neighborhood was broken up. Mr. O'Neall d. in 1874.
(Thanks to Janet Isley Price, who is NOT a relative of this person but who has been a blessing sending me many obituaries for these pages).
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 27 September 1901
Ellen Hall was born Sept. 15, 1811, in Warren County, Ohio, and was one of fourteen children born to Thomas and Elizabeth Hall. The only survivor of this large family is a brother, Thomas Hall, of Crawfordsville.
In her seventeenth year she was united in marriage to Abijah O’Neall, and their loving companionship continued till his death, June 9, 1874, at Yountsville. To them were born eleven children, Kelly O’Neall, of Tippecanoe County; Annie Maxwell, Sam’l O’Neall, Mary Kenyon, Thomas O’Neall dying in infancy. Martha Hargrave, who preceded her mother to the spirit world a few short weeks ago; Rhoda McClellan, Howard O’Neall, William Q. O’Neall, Sylvia Russell and Sarah Myers. Of this family only four survive, Kelly, Howard, William Q., and Sylvia. The grandchildren number twenty four and of great grandchildren she leaves twenty three.
She had lived the allotted time for man and a full score of years beside, being six days more than ninety years of age at the time of her death.
When she came to this county with her husband, it was one vast unbroken wilderness with here and there a settler’s cabin, and all the trials and privations of pioneer life were suffered by them. They settled near the Snyder mill site at Yountsville, and the first grist mill was erected and managed by Abijah O’Neall, who also conducted a general store in the little village in connection with farming pursuits, and it made a busy time for the young wife to care for the necessary help and her growing family. The home became a favorite stopping place for all strangers, and the hospitality there dispensed alike to preacher and peasant will never be forgotten. Later the mill and the store passed to other hands, and the farm, a large one, was given more attention. The commodious brick house in which she died was erected in the early forties and there she, as presiding genius, reared her family, saw them all settled in life or laid to rest, and then peacefully passed away on Saturday, the 21st inst., from the complications incident to old age.
She was a member of the Universalist Church while the organization had a church in the village and afterward united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which she was a consistent member to the day of her death.
She exemplified in life all the Christian virtues, triumphantly passed the open portals of the mysterious beyond, and leaves to us a most precious and hallowed memory.
ELLEN HALL O’NEAL
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 4 October 1901
Again we are called upon to record the death of an old citizen. At the home in Yountsville on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the age of ninety years and six days, Grandmother O’Neall slept peacefully away. It is not the desire of the correspondent to give a biographical sketch of this sweet mother, because we know that will appear elsewhere in this issue of the paper, but we wish to add our testimony to the sterling virtues of this Christian woman. One of her striking characteristics was her intense loyalty to her country during the late Civil War. She organized and was president of what was known as the Woman’s Relief Corps, whose purpose it was to raise funds for the benefit of wounded and disabled soldiers and thousands of dollars were raised and sent to the front. We are told that she would sit up late at night after all the other members of the family had gone to bed and make lint to bind up soldiers’ wounds, from linen table cloths made by her mother’s own hands from the raw material, and given to her when a girl. She was deeply concerned as to the assassination of our beloved President, and had her son go often to the telephone to get the latest news.
The funeral was held at the old homestead on Monday afternoon, and marked respect was shown her by the large concourse of neighbors and friends present to pay their last respects. She now rests from her labors. Peace be unto her.