Margaret Ann THORLTON b. 4 Dec 1809 , , Tennessee, USA d. 17 Dec 1906 Jacksonville, Greene, Indiana, USA: An Armstrong & A Heffernan

1809 - 1906 (97 years)

Personal Information | Notes | Sources | All | PDF

Name	Margaret Ann THORLTON [1]
Born	4 Dec 1809	, , Tennessee, USA [2]
Gender	Female
Name	Phoebe
Died	17 Dec 1906	Jacksonville, Greene, Indiana, USA [2]
Buried	20 Dec 1906	, Greene, Indiana, USA
Buried	Address: Oak Grove Cemetery Greene County Greene County, Indiana
Person ID	I10869	An Armstrong & A Heffernan
Last Modified	8 Feb 2014

Father	John THORLTON, b. Abt 1785, , , Pennsylvania, USA , d. Abt 1837, , Clay, Indiana, USA (Age ~ 52 years)
Mother	Nancy ALEXANDER, b. Abt 1786, , Washington, Virginia, USA , d. Aft 1830 (Age ~ 45 years)
Married	24 Aug 1807	, Knox, Tennessee, USA [3]
Family ID	F4240	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family Lewis Pettit LETSINGER, b. 19 Mar 1811, , Knox, Tennessee, USA , d. 16 Feb 1878, Jacksonville, Greene, Indiana, USA (Age 66 years)

Married 27 Sep 1831 , Knox, Tennessee, USA [1]

Children

	1. Nancy Marinda LETSINGER, b. 29 Jun 1832, d. Deceased
	2. John Calvin LETSINGER, b. 13 Apr 1834, d. Deceased
	3. William Marion LETSINGER, b. 10 Apr 1835, d. Deceased
	4. Phillip Jasper LETSINGER, b. 8 Oct 1836, , , Kentucky, USA , d. 17 Sep 1862, Antietam, Washington, Maryland, USA (Age 25 years)
	5. Robert Thornton LETSINGER, b. 27 Dec 1838, , , Tennessee, USA , d. 1847, , , Indiana, USA (Age 8 years)
	6. Eliza Jane LETSINGER, b. 1839, d. Deceased
	7. Phoebe Adaline LETSINGER, b. 24 Apr 1840, d. Deceased
	8. James Blair LETSINGER, b. 21 Sep 1841, , , Tennessee, USA , d. 7 Jul 1864, Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia, USA (Age 22 years)
	9. Alexander Mayo LETSINGER, b. 2 Dec 1842, , Greene, Indiana, USA , d. 2 Sep 1864, , Cobb, Georgia, USA (Age 21 years)
	10. Lewis Ensley LETSINGER, b. 26 Apr 1844, d. Deceased
	11. Henry Adolphus LETSINGER, b. 7 Nov 1849, d. Deceased
	12. Harvey Wilson LETSINGER, b. 28 Nov 1855, , , Indiana, USA , d. Deceased
	13. Massa Margaret LETSINGER, b. 28 Nov 1855, , , Indiana, USA , d. 28 Nov 1855, , , Indiana, USA (Age 0 years)

Last Modified 6 Dec 2008

Family ID F4239 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Notes

THE BLOOMFIELD NEWS, VOL XXX., No. , Page 4, Col. 1, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana, Friday, December 21, 1906,
"OBITUARY-Letsinger.
Mrs Margaret A. LETSINGER, the oldest citizen of Greene county, with the exception of Aunt Susan Cavins, of this place, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Phoebe WARRICK, a short distance south of Jasonville, Monday afternoon, at 3 o'clock after having rounded out almost a century.
She was born in Tennessee, December 4, 1809; died December 17, 1906; aged Ninety-seven years and thirteen days.
In 1834 she and her husband, Lewis LETSINGER, who passed away many years ago, came to Indiana, which was then almost an unbroken wilderness, and settled not far from the present town of Clay City. After residing there about three years they came to Greene county and entered a tract of land a short distance south of the present town of Jasonville and there they continued to make their home the remainder of their lives.
Soon after coming to Greene county her husband went back to Tennessee to dispose of their possessions in that state. Taking advantage of Mr. Letsinger's absence a neighbor determined at possession of the tract of land on that the Letsingers were living but which they had not yet entered from the government. Hearing of his intention, Mrs. Letsinger, true to the pioneer spirit, borrowed $50 from neighbor, hurriedly mounted a horse and started alone through the wilderness to the government land office at Vincennes. She arrived there secured the necessary papers, paid the land agent for the forty-acre tract and had just gotten outside of Vincennes on her way home when she met the neighbor just going into town. She had gone on and their home was secured.
At an early day she and a neighbor woman went on horseback to Terre Haute to take their wool to have it carded-one of the first steps toward supplying the family with clashing.
Her health was always excellent but during the last few years she had become quite feeble as the result of her great age and for the past few months had been almost helpless. She never would have a physician called, and in the pioneer days she acted as a physician for the entire community, dispensing her simple home-made remedies and would often go for miles at night in response to a call from the sick.
In the latter years whenever the family thought she needed his attention a physician was summoned but he always went under the pretense of making a social call.
She was a woman of unusual intelligence and remained in possession of her mental faculties until the very end. For the past several years she had been almost totally blind. She did not grow old in spirit but always took a lively interest in all the inventions and improvements that make for progress and never lost interest in what was going on in the world.
She was a devout Christian, having been a member of the M. E. church since an early day. Hers was a truly christian life of the highest type, putting into practice in her daily life the precepts of the Master in who she had unbounded confidence. Her influence for good was incalculable and will not perish. She was charitable always dividing her means with those in need and was surprised by no one in acts of hospitality. Pioneer preachers-circuit riders-always found at her home the heartiest welcome.
Six of her eight sons enlisted in the Union army and fought bravely for their country during the Civil war--and three of whom never lived to return home. One was killed in the battle of Antietam, one fell before Atlanta, a third died in a hospital near Atlanta, two others were wounded in battle and the remaining one almost died of starvation in Andersonville prison. Her home sheltered a multitude in war times, including the wives and children of her sons who were at the front.
She was the mother of thirteen children-eight sons and five daughters-all of whom, except two, reached maturity and of whom four sons and two daughters survive. The surviving daughters-Mrs. Phoebe WARRICK and Mrs. Marinda GIBSON, of Jasonville, cared for their mother during the last years of her life and lovingly ministered to her every want. The surviving sons are Harvey W. LETSINGER, of Bloomfield; Lewis E. and Henry A. LETSINGER, of Jasonville; and Calvin LETSINGER, of Middletown.
She is also survived by thirty-one grandchildren, over sixty great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
The funeral services were held at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning from the M.E. church at Jasonville, conducted by Rev. J. D. CRANE, of this place, in the presence of a large assemblage of relatives and friends who had gathered to pay the last tribute of respect to one whom in life all had loved and honored, and the remains are tenderly laid to rest in the cemetery at that place."

Sources

[S169] Donna's Family, Brown, Donna.
[S461] Obituary, Margaret Thorlton Letsinger, (http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/o/w/s/Floyd-L-Owsley/GENE5-0004.html?Welcome=1064417066).
[S480] Owsley, Floyd L, (http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/o/w/s/Floyd-L-Owsley/index.html).