Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Jennings, Nancy (Dodge) 1915
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net May 21, 2011, 9:10 pm

Ionia Daily Sentinel, 20 Feb 1915

The subject of this obituary sketch Mrs. Nancy F. Jennings was born in the city 
of Rochester, state of New York, 86 years ago, the 1st day of December last.  
In 1844 she came to Michigan with her parents, David and Ruth F. Dodge, who 
settled on a farm he had bought in Long Plains in the then township of Lyons.  
In 1846 that portion of Lyons was set off by itself and organized into a new 
township and named Ronald.  William Jennings, who afterwards married Nancy had 
already settled there, was elected its first supervisor.  It was here that Mr. 
Jennings met Miss Dodge and they were married when she was only in her 17th 
year.  Their married life was particularly happy.  There Mrs. Jennings became 
the mother of seven children, three of whom survive her, Mrs. Frank Jennings, 
now of Nashville, Tenn., Minerva Sunderlin of Spokane, Wash., and her namesake, 
Nancy, the wife of Fred Mason of this city.  There are also two brothers and 
two sisters, Rev. A. W. Dodge, St. Louis, Mich., Rev. David Dodge, Berkeley, 
Cal., Mrs. Jennie Hoyt and Mrs. Ruth Newland also of California.  The eldest 
son, Charles enlisted as a soldier for the U.S. in the war of the rebellion and 
while in that service died in the state of Arkansas.  Another son, David 
married the daughter of Calvin Rice, so long and well known to the pioneers of 
Ionia.  David afterward removed to Sturgis in this state where he died a few 
years ago.  The eldest daughter, Fanny married Judson Bentley, who for a time 
was in trade in Ionia with William Jennings, but afterward removed to Virginia, 
where he now resides and … [unreadable section] …  himself enlisted into the 
same service, but it was too severe for him – his health failed and he was 
honorably discharged for permanent disability and was returned to his home and 
his family.  Years afterward, while residing in Ionia, he died from the effects 
of that military service.  Thus this woman gave both her husband and eldest son 
to our country because of that cruel war.  Because of this double loss it was 
laid before the committee on pensions in the house of representatives in 
congress and they promptly returned a bill for her relief recommending its 
passage.  The bill passed both house and senate without objection but was 
vetoed by President Cleveland and she for the rest of her life left to the mild 
provision of the ordinary pension laws.  Since the death of her husband, Wm. 
Jennings she has resided in this city.  During the last three years she made 
her home with Mrs. and Mrs. Fred Mason where she has been cared for with 
tenderest and most watchful affection.  Mrs. Jennings was a living proof of the 
claim that traits of character are hereditary.  Come of a stock, which in an 
unbroken line back to 1624, have been markedly religious.  She in her early 
girlhood while in Rochester experienced religion of the good old fashioned kind 
from which she never fell away.  When the Disciple church was organized at 
Woodard Lake, Mr. and Mrs. Jennings joined it and were for years very active 
members.  With their removal to Ionia, they joined the Christian church here 
and old members will testify to their faithfulness.  Both made the bible their 
only infallible rule of faith and practice.  Too much cannot be said of the 
sincerity of her religious life or of her faithfulness and affection as a wife 
and mother.  She lived her life and did well her part in it until sun-setting 
of the 14th inst., she quietly entered into her heavenly rest and now has the 
reward of a well-spent life.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/j/jennings12198nob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/

File size: 4.1 Kb