Obit of Tucker, Charlotte - Kiowa County, Oklahoma Submitted by: meili416day 19 Dec 2010 Return to Kiowa County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/kiowa/kiowa.html ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::Hobart Cemetery--Hobart OK Originally Posted at: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.oklahoma.counties.oklahoma/3259.3/mb.ashx The Kiowa County Star - Review Hobart, Oklahoma Thursday, June 1, 1939 Page 1 COLORFUL PIONEER FIGURE LOST IN DEATH YESTERDAY Mrs. Charlotte Tucker Dies At Roosevelt At Age Of 92 Years. Mrs. Charlotte Ingersoll - Tucker, colorful pioneer figure who, with other members of her family, has played a prominent role in the history of the west, died at 4:45 Tuesday morning at her home at Roosevelt. Mrs. Tucker, who was 92 years old on April 11, had lived on many other frontiers before coming to Kiowa county with her husband, the late Captain Henry H. Tucker, and their children in 1901. She had been in failing health for a number of years and was in a coma for several days before her death. Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at Roosevelt with burial in the Hobart Cemetery beside the graves of her husband and daughter, Charlotte. The Tucker family was one of the very first of the early day settlers in Kiowa county. The settled on a homestead a half mile north of the Gladson school house and built the first claim "shanty" in that area. They helped organize Gladson district, the first school in which was taught by their daughter, Charlotte, who became ill later that year and died. Mrs. Tucker also helped organize the first Sunday school and church in the Gladson district. Born in McHenry county, Illinois, April 11, 1847, she was the last member of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland Ingersoll who with eight children journeyed westward over the old trails which lead from the city of Chicago to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in the year of 1859. At that time, western Missouri and eastern Kansas were engaged in border warfare over the problem of slavery. The Kansas Red Legs and the Missouri bushwackers headed by Quantrill and other raiders of those days were in their prime. Abraham Lincoln and Douglas the "little giant", staged one of their famous debates in the country schoolhouse near Crystal Lake, Illinois, and Mrs. Tucker, then a child begged her father for the privilege to attend. This rare chance was denied her because "it was not a fit thing for a little girl to attend public meetings" in those days. Later, in days of her childhood at Fort Leavenworth, she attended the public schools and David Josiah Brewer who later became chief Justice of the United States supreme court, was her teacher. Among her classmates were the Cody children, one of whom, William, later became famous as "Buffalo Bill" the plainsman and Indian scout. During the Civil War her father entered a Kansas regiment as did two of her brothers. Her mother died while the men were on the battle lines and it was two years before the news of death reached the front. Following the war, the family moved to the Saline and Solomon valleys of Kansas at a time when Indian raids were a frequent thing along the western edge of the frontier. An Ohio settlement was made at Salina and among those in the colony was Captain Henry H. Tucker who in later years married Charlotte Ingersoll. During one entire winter in the Solomon valley, the Ingersoll family, along with the 16 other families composing the settlements, was protected by a log stockade fort. During all of the days of thrilling events on the old frontier, Mrs. Tucker was often threatened with danger but always said she was not afraid. Her brothers, who were scouts censured her for the chances she took as she rode across the prairies for many miles alone in pioneer days. She was an expert horsewoman in days of her youth, a schoolteacher, public orator and writer. In the early days of the Woman's Suffrage Movement, she was tutored by Susan B. Anthony and Colonel Anthony, the famous editor of pre-Civil War days. Among the many interesting incidents in her life, Mrs. Tucker often told her friends of attending a theatre in Fort Leavenworth where John Wilkes Booth was the star actor. During the winter of 1860, Booth was with a repertoire company that played the military city. Her husband who died in 1908, was an Indian scout and was a first lieutenant of Co. B, 143rd Illinois, in the Civil War under Colonel John P. St. John. It was after the Indian war while he was helping organize schools in Ottawa county, Kansas, that he met Charlotte Ingersoll, teacher of one of the first schools. They married in 1870. Nine children were born to them, six of them still living. Two of the Tucker sons, Dudley R. and Howard A. Tucker, were publishers of early day newspapers in Hobart and Roosevelt. The latter is now a freelance oil news writer and has been in Kiowa county for the past two weeks covering the oil developments here. It was by him that most of the information concerning Mrs. Tucker's interesting career was furnished. Surviving sons and daughters include H. H. Tucker Jr., of Dallas; Howard A. Tucker, William L. Tucker and Mrs. Susan E. Boles of Oklahoma City; Dudley R. Tucker of Pauls Valley and Miss Marian I. Tucker of Roosevelt, who lived with her mother. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Kiowa County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/kiowa/kiowa.html