Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-11-14
rom the Raleigh
Is LEU1&ssAM,


and for many years one of the best
known ana most universally popular
landladies in the South, krcathed her
last, after months of suffering, earlyon
Saturday morning, Nov. 8, 1873.
She was the eldest daughter of the
late William Hilliard and his wife
Lucy Walker, who removed from
Granville county to Chapel Hill in the
year 1917. The family was of good
stock and widely connected. The Sc
gurs and Pannels of Virginia, the
Oteys of Tennessee, and the Jeffreys
and Hilliards of this State are all of
kin according to the kindly Southern
fashion which loves to claim cousin
ship within even distant degrees.
Miss Nancy was born in Granville
county, October II, 17SS, and had
therefore just completed the S5th year
at her death. Her life has been mainly
spent in Chapel Hill, and in close con-
nection with the University in its best
days, as maintaining in good style for
many years its principal boarding
house, numbering from 100 to $50 dali
ly boarders, besides the transient COM
pany OF large hotel Here with I'M
firing industry and energy she accu-
mulated a competent fortune, dispens-
ing an overlooking hospitality and Sc
curing the good will aud respect OF all
who knew her. A warm hearted, i'm
pulsive and cheerful woman, always
stirring, and With something to say to
every body, ready to scold or to laugh,
or to sympathise, open-handed to a
fault, sanguine il disposition, shrewd
III her Judgment Of people and rarely
ut fault, yet prudent in speech, it is
certainly much to say of her that in a
long and public life, brought daily into
contact with al sorts and conditions of
! men and women, Miss Nancy made no
enemies, but attracted to herself in an
! unusual degree the cordial liking of
! all classes, high and low, rich and
! poor.
The etof her popularity was that
she liked everybody as far as she
! could, and where she could not, she
said nothing. She rejoiced III her
neighbors' prosperity and shared heart
/ lily in their troubles. Never happier
! than when she was getting up fishing
) party or Christmas frolic with par
! ty OF young folks, or preparing for a
! big Commencement" yet she would
lay aside all her work to put on Ter
! bonnet and hurry down 20 Gov. SWANS
/
/ might have fallen under awful " facul-
! ty" censure "Oh he is such little
j fellow" she would say, land SO young.
nothing hnt :. boy, ID don't send him
away. Then perhaps she would hurry
! home to ill n tea-waiter with the best
! on her abundant table, to send an in
valid neighbor this being her con-
! slant practice rs long as she had any
| thing to send.
! 1t is pleasant 10 know that III the
evil days that iell upon her at the close
, of her life, when poverty and intir1nity
pressed heavily upon her, and dark
ened her old age. she still found gen
/ erous amt unsclih friends to stand
! by her side and render the last services.
! Her greatest pleasure was to see an
/ " old student and recall the
old days and the old prosperity. She
/ often said she only wished TO sec the
! University restored, and the right
: sort, OF people at work in it once
lnor"- Those old friends at distance
who remembered her and sent her sub
stantiai tokens OF it, may congratulate
! themselves now, and may be assured
, that the cup oi cold water WAS re-
coivCd with gratitude, and will not go
unrew&rdcd even III this world If all
who honestly owed Miss Nancy had
honestly paid her, there woui,, have
been 10 need Of gifts. Her last cohcr-
ent words before the long sleep settled
upon her ISearied eyes were Of love
for her kind brothcr-in and de-
voted nurse through months Of help
less intirmitv, Mr. Benton UtIey.
and for her sister, and for everybody
mingled with prayers fuT mercy TO
Him whose ears are ever open, and al
expression Of ler trust in Christ for
her salvation. May the earth Ito light
! " OH hoG ono" warm and GORGEOUS
! breast. &. 7. :.
Chapel Hill. Nov. Sth, 1873.