Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-06-02
NUPT|AL RECORD
EASILY BROKEN
KANSAS COUPLE LIVE TOGETHER
FOR SEvENTY-FouR
YEARS.
HUSBAND NEVER REMAINED
OUT AFTER DARK AND GAM
BLEED ONLY TWICE.


Atchison, Kan, May ga man OF
remarkable record died near Lancas-
ter few days ago. Jefferson Grags
lived to the ripe old age of 95, and &
few days before death claimed him he
celebrated mis- seventy.fourth we'd
ling anniversary. He was probably
the most beloved and respected
among his neighbors Of any man who
ever lived in northeast Kansas This
olo man chung to life SO tenaciously
that his death caused an unusal
shock, for he was up and doing until
the very day OF his demise.
But the record which stands out
unique and unusal is the fact that
Jefferson Gragg leaves a widow to
whom he had been married over "a
years. 1t is doubtful if, any other
couple in the United States lived to-
gether so long. Jefferson Gragg was
native of Tennessee, and when
boy his father and mother moved to
Clinton county, Missouri.
whom he was married at the age OF
20. His wife was two years his jul
Nor. He was a father before he was
old enough OF vote, and the babies
came in such rapid succession that
there were Is in ALL The first seven
We're girls, and when girl after girl ar
rived Mr.. Gragg displayed fortitude
which history does not credit to the
Car.
In 1855 the Graggs moved to Leay-
enworth county, Kansas, and in 1857
they removed TO Atchison county,
where Mr. Gragg pre-empted one
hundred and sixty acre homestead, ON
which he lived until his death, few
days ago. There were many dark days
for Mr.. and Mrs. Gragg, for, in adj
dition to the privations of pioneer
life, scarlet fever attacked the child
ren and within ten days four were
laid away in the cemetery. But they
tried in way to make up their loss
by raising five children belonging to
others, and in this way 20 children
were always counted in their family
Jefferson Gragg and wife were ex-
ponents of the simple life, to which he
always attributed their many years
together Neither was ever in thea
ter Or at a dance and neither ever
stayed up after ten O'Clock at night.
ar. Gragg was not away from his.
n -,
| married life. He was never away
from home after dark except when.
hunting stray cattle or attending a.
church business meeting, and the
widest dissipation OF his life was
at wood chopping, at which the women
quilted, and all stayed for supper, and
We're home by dusk. More than
seVenty-five years ago he went to q
circus at Liberty, Mo, but it was to
the afternoon performance. He never
believed in persons being out after
dark.
Mr. Gragg gambled twice in his life
when, IN spirit of wild recklessness,
he bet dollar of horse race, and
| -" hONVi LOiu d ne III BUSINESS
transaction.
he heard that a man boosted that
he could cheat the eyes out of Jeff
Gragg. The next day Gragg sold him
a horse with bad blemish, repre-
senting it to be a perfectly sound
animal. He later returned the money,
telling the man that he had made the
sale 10 prove that he wasn't so smart
as he thought.
lie never played a game of cards
In all his life. When he wanted to
amuse himself he would take hymn
book and sing some Of the familiar
gospel songs taught him back in old
tennessee. Gragg's only illness in all
these years, barring the infrmities of
cid, was dyspepsia, and he had suf-
! Tered with it for IS years.
| Gragg was a great admirer of his
wife. On their recent seventy-fourth
wedding anniversary he told a little
| company of friends who had come to.
wish them more years of welded
lie, that his wife was the prettjest
and sweetest woman in all Missouri
"nen ne married her, and that to him
lhese charms had never faded, but
mad grown in beauty, love and affec-
ton they neared the end of life,s
Journey.