Family Reunion - Mother Young, Crawford County, Illinois

This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by:
Sue Jones
<suezque@frsb.net.net>

     
Argus, Oct 8, 1883

A family reunion - Mother Young
     
On Sunday, Sept. 16th, the friends of Mother Young met at the old homestead,
near Morea, where, forty years ago, she settled in Crawford County and where
she still resides, to congratulate her on this, her 80th birthday. At the
table were seated sixteen persons who had passed the fiftieth milestone on
their journey home.Yet it seemed that "The old roof tree was broken and
gone, and loved ones were scattered or sleeping low, and but a few left of
ye olden times." Her maiden name was Sarah Gogin. When she was but two years
old her parents left Cape May, N. J., crossed the wilderness in wagons to
Wheeling, VA, bought a keel boat, and floated down the Ohio river to the
"Old Red House," a noted land mark at Columbua, five miles above the then
village of Cincinnati. In 1824 she married Robert Young, and in 1836 they
emigrated to Illinois and bought the farm where she yet lives. In 1844 he
died, leaving her with six small children to care for. Having invested all
their means in land, she had but little to rely on, but she toiled on and
hoped on as only woman can, and succeeded by great hardship in holding the
family together. She well recollects the time when she baked her corn dodger
on a board, and the children ground the buckwheat in a coffee mill. Today
she presides at a table crowded with all that could be asked for, surrounded
by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends, about forty
in number. She is the mother of seven children, four living and three dead.
One son, Robert S., marched to his death under the flag of his country, and
lies buried at Scottville, KY, remembered by all as a worthy young man. She
stands at the head of a famiy numbering in all fifty-four persons, thirty-
four still living. At the age of fourteen she joined the Methodist church,
and for sixty-six years has been a working member, and she yet attends
nearly all the meetings held. Her house has always been open to any one in
want or distress, and a soldier always found a welcome at her fireside.
Truly it may be said of this "Pioneer," Mother Young, "She hath done what
she could." At the parting hour, Aaron Young and his family sang the "Old
Homestead," and Rev. Mr. Reeder read a psalm and offered an appropriate
prayer for the family thus met to honor the old mother in Israel. As we took
her by the hand and looked at the bent form and feeble manner, we felt that
we, her brothers and sisters, would soon be gathered to the chambers of
repose, and that these younger ones should occupy our places, tread our
paths, and bear the cares and burdens we lay down.
     
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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by:
Sue Jones
<suezque@frsb.net>