The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-04-27
OLDEST WOMAN
In THE COUNTY
Navarro Lady Iasses Away at
the Age of 80 Years.
HER CHILDREN ARE AGED
Lived While Some Of the signers of the
Declaration Of independence We're
still Living Interesting
History.
Special to News Democrat.

HtstOrys
Special to News-Democrat.
Navarro, April 25.-Mrs. Mary Giles
pie Swan died last night at 10 o'clock,
at the age of 9S years, after an illness of
3 weeks with paralysis The funeral
will be on Friday morning at 10 o'clock
at the U. B. church. Interment at the
Navarro cemetery.
Mrs. Swan was born during Jeffer-
sons first administration, and in the
midst of Napoleon's greatest brilliancy.
She lived contemporary with most of
the signers of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, and she recalled the faces
and figures of many of them; she re-
membered the day on which Lafayette
came to America on invitation Of con-
gress; could speak from personal
knowledge of conditions which prevail
ed during four American wars; she wit
messed the public execution of John Fun
ston, the postboy murderer, executed in
New Philadelphia during the winter Of
1885; she fed John Bachtel, Stark
county's first murderer. who called at
her home few hours after he had kill
ed his wife, and she was instrumental
in his capture by giving explicit direc-
tions as to his whereabouts to the au-
thorities, and in addition to all this, as
Is hardly necessary to say, her wonder
full memory could bring up countless
hundreds Of other events and occurren-
ces, many characteristic Of the process
Of development which has converted
the unbroken wilderness into the fair
land today rightly known as Gods
country" Mrs. Swan had experiences
with Indians and wild beasts; in a word
she suffered all the hardships and pri-
vations which were the common lot Of
the early pioneers.
The date and place Of Mrs. Swans
birth are Sept. 10, 1902, and what was at
that time Hamshire county, Va. There
she resided until 1918, when she went to
Pennsylvania, remaining in that state
for two years. In 1920 she accompanied
friends to Ohio, visiting points where
now stand Steubenville, Richmond, JEFF
ferson, New Rumley and New Phila-
delphia. In New Rumley Mrs. Swan
and her friends took lodging in the only
building which marked the settlement,
which subsequently became the birth
plce of the famous General George A.
Custer. While in the vicinity of New
Philadelphia, Mrs. Swan remembered
distinctly Of having seen Big Foot, the
desperate Indian of the Tuscarawas,
afterwards slain by Poe.
During the same year in Ohio, Mrs.
Swan, or, rather, Mary Gillespie, was
married to Nicholas Swan. They re-
sided near Wooster, Wayne county, un-
til the fall of 1922, when Mr.. Swan took
his young wife to a new home near Mt.
Eaton. Here they lived for IS years,
in 1910 moving to Sugar Creek township
Stark county. Ten years later (S5O)
the husband and father died. In Sugar
Creek township Mr.. and Mrs. Swan
conducted tavern, house Of excellent
reputation, and the most famous in
these parts at that period. Mrs. Swans
father and James G. Blaine's mother
were brother and sister. She loved her
famous cousin dearly. Mrs. Swan was
a devout Christian, and rested in abid-
ing faith in Jesus. She was delightful
conversationalist.
Mrs. Swan was the mother of ten
children, one of her sons, Edward Swan,
of Salt Lake City, being a millionaire.
Three of Mrs. Swans sons fought in the
war of the rebellion. Several of them
went west in early life, though none
have had quite the good fortune of
Edward who is famous throughout the
west as cattle king. His ranch is the
creates in Utah. In consequence Of the
early departure Of her sons, Mrs. Swan
lived for many years alone in the old
homestead, not coming to Navarro un-
til 1888. She resided here with her
youngest daughter, Mrs. Lower.
Six of the ten children born to Mr..
and Mrs. Swan are living. She was the
grandmother of forty-four children, the
great grandmother Of of ninety-two,
and the great-great grandmother of
six children. The following are the
names of her children with their ages:
Kitty rs, Eliza "a, Esdras 70, Jasper
20, Melissa 6S, Edward 66, Lilburn 65,
Nancy 81, Enos 61, Mary Ann 50 years.
At the time Of her death Mrs. Swan
was the oldest woman in Stark couptu