Rowan Co. NC OBIT:  William Asbury Penry

Submitted by Janet ISLEY Price <johnprice@home.com> 


                           PENRY, William Asbury
                                      
   Jamestown Press
   Jamestown, (Boone County) Indiana, Friday, 6 May 1898
   page 8
   
   A NOBEL LIFE SPENT
   
   Suffering Short and Passed Away Peacefully and Painlessly
   
   This community was much surprised Monday when the word came that
   Ashbury Penry was dead, and especially was it a great shock and
   surprise to his brother here and his many friends. Just one week and
   two days previous he had left here in his usual health, having spent a
   week here visiting his brother Samuel and old friends, which visit he
   and Samuel said they had enjoyed more together than for many years.
   Leaving here he went to Indianapolis to stay with his daughter there
   for a while, but on the day he left he got wet in the rain and tis
   supposed he took his death cold from that, as on Wednesday, 27 April,
   four days later, he took sick and on Friday was compelled to take to
   his bed, and on Snday morning , 1 May, at 4:30 o'clock he passed
   peacefully away in the presence of his daughter, Mrs. William Randal,
   and family, at 323 West Maryland Street.
   
   William Asbury Penry was born in Roan County, between the forks of
   Adkins Rivers, North Carolina, 1 February 1818; died in Indianapolis
   (Indiana) 1 May 1898; age 80 years and 3 months.
   
   About two years previous to leaving his birthplace his father died,
   and on 1 March 1831, he with his mother and two brothers- Samuel and
   Daniel- left there and moved to Clairmont County, Ohio, on the Ohio
   river. There he and mother and Samuel lived together in one house and
   Daniel, who married before leaving North Carolina, lived in another.
   After living in Clairmont County 17 months the three moved to Union
   County, Indiana, and wintered there in the years 1832- 1833, then
   moved to Hendricks County, Union township, on 19 August 1834. There he
   married Susan Davidson 7 May 1846, and to them were born one child
   before moving to Jamestown (Indiana), which child died young. Moved to
   Jamestown in the year 1848, where nine children were born and reared-
   Mary, Emaline, James, Elizabeth, Sarah, Maggie, George, Nancy and
   Frank, seven of whom survive him, James and Nancy being dead. On the
   12th September 1876, his wife departed this life. Remaining single two
   years he married Rachel Johns, widow of Joseph Johns, after which he
   moved to the country, two miles northwest of town, and lived on her
   farm until January, 1894, when she died. Then in May 1894, he broke up
   housekeeping and went to live with his daughter Maggie and son George
   at Terre Haute, and from that (time) on lived alternately with his
   children there and at Hartford City and Indianapolis until his death.
   
   At the time the Big Four railroad was built, which was then the
   Indianapolis & Crawfordsville line, he kept the largest boarding house
   in town, the house now owned and lived in by Miss. Lyde Pratt, at the
   time boarding many of the men who helped build the rail road. And
   before the road was compleated it went into the hands of a receiver,
   and the men not being able to get their pay kept Mr. Penry from
   getting his board bills for five years afterward. This broke him up
   and he had to go out of business.
   
   While Asbury was on his last visit here he and Samuel had their
   photographs taken together, which is very much prized by Samuel as a
   touching token of remembrance. Samuel was much moved at the unexpected
   death of his brother, and he is now the only one left of that family.
   
   The deceased was sick only four days, passing away in the faith of the
   Redeemer. He was a kind, gentle father and husband and pleasant,
   inoffensive neighbor. He was a member of the old Methodist Church. His
   brother Daniel preceded him in death in the year 1847 and his mother
   in 1872, the latter's age being 82 years.
   
   Funeral services occurred at the old cemetery here, Tuesday afternoon,
   the remains arriving on the 12:39 train from Indianapolis, immediately
   on arrival of which the Free Masons of this place took charge and
   conducted a very impressive service at the grave. He was a charter
   member of the F. and A.M. order of this place, only one which John
   Troutman- now survives.
   
   Among those who attended the funeral were Emaline Randel, a daughter,
   and her husband; Mrs. Randel's son Charles, Mrs. Randel's daughter Ann
   Larsh, a widow; Maggie Davidson, a daughter, and her daughter Pearl
   and son Harry, al of Indianapolis; Mrs. Elizabeth Maines, a daughter,
   of Hartford City; George Penry, and a little son of Terre Haute, all
   of whom accompanied the corpse; and Mary Dickerson and husband of
   Waynetown.
   
   ( Note from Janet ISLEY Price, I have typed this up as written, only
   adding parentis to some corrections. I am not related to this subject,
   I just typed it up as a service to others)

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         This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
         Archives by:  Janet ISLEY Price <johnprice@home.com> 
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