The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-08-17

and even feeds the chickens In the farm yard,
but for some months has not ventured far
from the house A short sickness this sum-
mer occasioned great anxiety to her friends,
but she has wonderful vigor for one Of her
age and soon recovered. She insists on pre-
siding at table and pours ont the tea with
old fashioned grace, and is never known to
get the milk and sugar in the wrong cups,
which can't I've said for some good ladies not
quarter of her age
The same glasses that Mrs. Fillmore began
10 wear when failing eyesight required them
are still used 10y her, fact in which she
takes great deal of pride. She can still
read, and it is part of her daily routine to
read her Bible The volume in her lap in the
picture above is a Bible left to her by her
husband. Parson Fillmore Her hearing is
very good.
When dressed for company she wears a
black silk dress, a lace cap, and her gray hair
is brushed smoothly back and tied In knot
at the back Of her head.
A popularity about her is that although
she can remember incidents that happened
fifty or seventy-flve years ago, her mental
record of recent events is rather hazy. The
old house In which she lives was built, 1t is
said, in 1873, the year after Buffalo was
burned That was six years after her husband
arrived in Clarence and began expounding in
the wilderness the doctrines of the Methodist
Episcopal church. He walked all the way
from Oneida to Clarence. She followed him
six months later.
Mrs Fillmore was born in Waterbury,
Conn. in 1857, and lived for while in Oneida
county.
Though she has lived more than IA century
and is the same age as the constitution of the
United States, she has never ridden on the
cars. never heard the electric click of the
telegraph instrument, and the quick Hello
lo-lo" OF the modern telephone is to her but
curious hearsay
After living a few years in Clarence Mr..
and Mrs. Fillmore removed to Buffalo, after
ward returning to Clarence. When Buffalo
was burned by the British in the war of 1879
they fed from their home. After the scare
was over they returned and were overjoyed to
find that not a bit of their property had been
injured
One of the notable events in early Buffalo
history witnessed by Mrs Fillmore was the
hanging Of the three Thayer brothers, who
were executed on the same gallows June II,
1925. 1t was estimated that there were from
20. 900 to &c, 600 spectators Of the execution
Rev. Gleson Fillmore was called on to preach
to the multitude, which he did about an hour
before the hanging.
| Rev. Mr.. Fillmore was for fourteen years a
pastor and for twenty seven years presiding
elder He built the first church in Buffalo.
In was 25x35 feet, and the work of building
occupied forty-eight days. When he was
| 4 al.~A bad
Methodists in the United States; when he
died the number had increased to 5000. 600.
He officiated at 200 weddings, and so it might
be said that in more ways than one he en-
couraged tho propagation Of Methodism
Once in the early days minister who was
a guest at the Fillmore house heard an un-
earthly bowling in the woods near by,
What is thatT he cried, alarmed.
st is nothing" replied Mrs. Fillmore,
quietly; lit is only wolf concert"
"Millard has done we'll" Gleson Fillmore is
remembered to have said, referring to his
cousin, the president, "but he would have
done better il he had been Z Methodist
preacher"
Mrs. Fillmore's maiden name was Lavina
Atwell She was converted to Methodism at
the age of II, and was married near Utica to
Mr.. Fillmore when she was %,
"She is a true Methodist" says her pastor,
Rev. Isaac Harris, of Clarence. She in
dorses the old doctrine, and often puts to
shame those who are younger. | have seen
her put To rout even ministers who have be-
come possessed with the modern spirit She
gets down upon her knees to pray
She reads half dozen newspapers Il week,
but her Bible is her chief companion. She
gives $40 year regularly to the support of
her church Maggie Friens, a faithful ser
want, who has lived with Mrs. Fillmore for a
score of years, takes good care of her and is
greatly attached to the wonderful old wo-
man. Philip Lout, a God fearing man, who
also fears and loves his mistress, has for
about the same length Of time looked after
the farm.
You may expect to live II long time yet, v
observed reporter recently 10 Mrs Fill
more.
.'Till the Lord calls, she replied resting
her hand upon the Bible at her side, and
through the myriad seams and wrinkles OF
her fine old face there shone a radiant look
that sprang from more than earthly joy.
A. f. RICHMOND.