Frederick County MD Archives News.....Mrs. Susan Stage - Masters & Mrs. Mary Baird Masters Both Centenarians April 20, 1905 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/md/mdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Rosalie Sommer rosaliesommer@comcast.net January 13, 2007, 9:41 pm The Cambridge Jeffersonian, Cambridge, Ohio April 20, 1905 MRS. SUSAN STAGE-MASTERS CAPTION under two column drawing of portrait Born January 13th 1800 at Jersey City, New Jersey. ----- Cambridge, Ohio, is perhaps the only city of its size in the state if not in the country, that can lay claim to two citizens who have long passed the century mark of life's journey. These women bear the same name, yet they are not related, nor have they ever seen each other. They are Mrs. Susan STAGE- MASTERS, aged 105 years, and Mrs. Mary BAIRD-MASTERS, 102 years old. They are remarkably active, their minds are clear and memory very good. Both are able to move around their homes without the aid of canes, both can read and write, the latter doing so without using glasses. The fact that they bear the same name bas caused confusion in the minds of the newspaper readers as it was not generally known that there were the two. It was to clear up this mystery and to publish a correct account of the lives of these two centenarians that a Jeffersonian reporter called on the two ladies. Mrs. Susan STAGE MASTERS was a daughter of Cornelius and Hannah STAGE, and was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, January 13th, 1800 She makes her home for the most of the time, with her daughter, Mrs. David CRAMER, No. 164 Bainey avenue, West Cambridge. When she is not at the home of Mr. and Mrs. CRAMER she resides with another daughter, Mrs. Nancy E. STILLIONS, who is about 90 years of age, in Washington, O. It was at her daughter's home that the reporter found her. Mrs. Susan MASTERS, despite her one hundred and five years and three months, is surprisingly active, being able to walk from room to room without the aid of a cane and frequently slips away from the house for a walk and breath of fresh air. But Mrs. CRAMER does not permit her mother to go out unaccompanied if she can help it, as her eyesight and hearing are failing. She is able to take part in conversations and likes to talk of the scenes of long ago when she was young. When asked the date of her birth she said: "Remember, young man, you are taking down the age of a young woman." When she was about nine years old her parents moved from Jersey City, N. J,. to a farm near Antrim. Some years later they moved to Sandusky where her mother died. Her father died in Jersey City having moved back there after the death of his wife. Mrs. MASTERS was married at the age of fifteen years to Benjamin MASTERS, who died in 1850, aged 65 years. She is the mother of ten children, three daughters and two sons are dead. The living are Henry MASTERS, of Middlebourne: Benjamin MASTERS, of Londonderry: Wm. MASTERS, of Terre Haute, Ind.; Mrs. Margaret HENRY and Mrs. Nancy E. STILLIONS, both of Washington, O. Mrs. STILLIONS is about 90 years of age, Benjamin known as the baby of the family is about 51. She has spent nearly all of her life in Guernsey county, living at Middlebourne, Washington. Fairview, Antrim and this city and has always enjoyed good health She very distinctly remembers the cutting down of trees and building of the National road. When she first came here Guernsey county was a wilderness- Wolves, bears, panthers and wild cats destroyed their cattle unless they were constantly watched. The women in those days did not belong to clubs but spent their time during the day in weaving, spinning flax and making clothing for themselves and other members of their families as well as to trade and sell and their amusement was dancing. She said- "I remember working all day many a time with my spinning wheel and then going five or ten miles to a neighbor's house where we would dance all night, and she smiled as she added, 'We had the most fun in the world in those days." She spoke of attending the Pennyroyal Reunions and hopes to be able to do so this year but expressed the fear that the trip would be more than she could stand. She remembers when her parents removed from Jersey City to near Antrim. The trip had to be made in sleds and she remembered meeting many Indians as they traveled. The picture given above is a very correct one of this remarkable woman. --------------- Mrs. Mary BAIRD-MASTERS, the second of Cambridge's centenarians, was born in Hagerstown, Frederick county, Maryland. March 29th, 1803, and is as strong and active as many women much younger. Her mind is remarkable clear and memory very good. She reads and writes without the aid of glasses and has no false teeth. She has until this week made her home with her daughter. Mrs. Calvin DOBBINS, No. 1110 Gaston avenue. Mrs. DOBBINS is moving to Zanesville this week where she will make her future home and her mother is now living with another daughter Mrs. C. B. JACKSON, and family on South 12th street. It was at the home of Mrs DOBBINS that the reporter met her. 12th street. It was at the home of Mrs. DOBBINS that the reporter met her. She enjoys very good health generally, but on the day the reporter visited her she was suffering with the toothache. She said she could remember distinctly incidents of the war of 1812 in which her father was a soldier. Her parents died during the great cholera epidemic. Her father at the age of about 92 years. She could not recall the age of her mother at the time of her death. When still young her parents moved from Maryland to Wheeling. She remembers the trip and arrival at Wheeling. Mrs. MASTERS is a devout Catholic. Wheeling was then but little more than a wilderness and there were no Catholics there. The people bad heard of the arrival of Catholics and ------------- PHOTO HERE CAPTION MRS. MARY BA1RD—MASTERS. Born March 29th 1803 at Hagerstown, Md. ------------ hurried to greet them. After inspecting the new arrivals and, as she said, being satisfied that Catholics did not have horns on their heads but were like other human beings, they were welcomed. She also remembers the first steamboat on the Ohio river and its arrival at the wharf at Wheeling, but she could not recall the name of the boat. The boat's arrival created great excitement. The citizens all turned out to see it. They hardly knew what to think of it and when the whistle was sounded many were frightened. Mrs. MASTERS remembers the building of the National road and passed through this city in the great fourhorse coaches a number of times on her way from Wheeling to Somerset, O., where she was graduated by St. Mary's Catholic Seminary. General Andrew Jackson was her cousin and she attended a grand ball given in his honor at Wheeling. She danced that evening with Gen. Jackson. She could not recall the date of the ball. She was married at Wheeling to Nathan MASTERS, who died August 15th, 1887, at Waverly, W. Va. After their marriage they moved from Wheeling to Marietta, then to Zanesville and then to Waverly. Mr. MASTERS was a chairmaker. She reads everything, newspapers, advertising circulars thrown in the door and her prayer book. She frequently goes out on the streets for a walk and sometimes attends services at St. Benedict's Catholic church. When she wants anything she insists upon getting it herself. "Time enough." she says, "to help me when I get old." Her great desire is that she may be permitted to visit the place of her birth before she dies. She is the mother of eleven children. Mrs DOBBINS and Mrs. C. B. JACKSON live in this city; John MASTERS in Bridgewater, Pa.; James MASTERS in Moundsvllle, W. Va.; George MASTERS in Appleton, Cali., and Henry MASTERS address is unknown. It is not known whether the others are living or not, all trace of them having been lost. These four sons mentioned above all served in the Union army, John and Henry being members of the 18th Ohio regiment. Mrs. MASTERS has twelve greatgrandchildren. The above picture of Mrs. MASTERS was taken last fall. 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