Adams-Paulding County OhArchives Obituaries.....Smalley, Margaret (Wisecup) December 25, 1914 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ohfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ralph Cokonougher rcokon@hotmail.com September 14, 2006, 3:32 pm From an old newspaper clipping without a date or name of newspaper. "Margaret Wisecup, daughter of Joseph and Phoeba Wisecup was born Oct. 16, 1853; departed from this life on Christmas day, Dec. 25th, 1914, aged 61 years 2 mo. 9 days. She was united in marriage to Willis Smalley, June 1873. To this union were born 5 daughters and 3 sons; 1 daughter and one son preceding her to the better world. She leaves a husband, 2 sons and 4 daughters to mourn their loss, besides 13 grandchildren, 2 sisters, and 1 brother. In 1905, she united with the Mt. Zion U.B. Church, of Grover Hill. In her death the church has lost a loyal member; the home a true wife, mother and sister. Her life has been one of blessings to those who knew her. Surely heaven has become dearer and richer by the entrance of such a life within its portals. Farewell, thou mother, darling wife, Basking in the brightness of everlasting life. May thou, in peace untold, From all harm, safe in the shepard's fold. The funeral services were conducted at the home by Rev. Northdraft. The body was laid to rest in Syloan cemetery, four miles west of Chelsea." Additional Comments: The following account was told by Mary E. (Wisecup) Cokonougher to her children and grandchildren. Isabel Skidmore Wisecup was Mary and Margaret Wisecup's stepmother. Joseph Wisecup Sr. was their father. Proba Frost was their grandmother. Mary and Margaret Wisecup felt that their stepmother, Isabelle Skidmore, was one of the meanest women who ever lived. She did not care for her stepchildren and treated them poorly. Whenever Joseph had to leave the home on business, Isabel would refuse to allow Margaret and Mary to eat, and consequently, they were forced to go hungry for long periods of time. When Proba Frost, the children's grandmother, learned of their plight, she arranged to feed the children without Isabel's knowledge. Each day, Isabel sent Mary and Margaret to a far off spring to fetch a bucket of water, with one getting a bucket in the morning, and the other getting a bucket in the evening. Twice a day the children's grandmother put food into a pail and hid it in the bushes near the spring. As the girls came along to do their chore, they would hunt for the pail and find it. In that way, each got at least one badly needed meal a day. Joseph had to leave on business quite often. One time when he had to leave, Isabel strongly protested his leaving, and they got into an argument. Joseph told his daughter Margaret to go to the barn and saddle his horse. Isabel ordered her not do so. Once again, Joseph told the girl to saddle his horse, and she did as she was told. Joseph then left and went about his business. As soon as he was gone, Isabel cut a switch from a yellow rose bush in the yard and whipped Margaret with it. The switch still had the thorns on it, so the girl bled profusely. By the time Joseph returned, the blood had dried so hard and so thick that he had to soak Margaret's dress from her lacerated body. It was plain that the two girls could no longer live with their stepmother so Joseph took them to their grandmother Frost and asked her to care for them. They both lived with her until Joseph's wife Isabel died. Mary then lived again with Joseph. Margaret continued to live with her grandmother until she was a fully grown adult. When Proba Frost died, Margaret and Mary Wisecup each inherited 20 acres of land from her estate. Both sold the land. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/oh/adams/obits/smalley617nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ohfiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb