Semi-weekly herald., 1910-10-13

father, master The first court ever
held In the county. sat at the Avery
house, and Mr.. Avery seems to have
bad prominent part in the county's
history. He surveyed the town site oil
Clinton. now prosperous little city in
Henry county.
Little Susan had six brothers. al
large and lively, who managed 10 spoil
their two sisters as much as possible
The subject of our sketch grew up
into a tall slender girl. with dark
brown eyes, olive complexion, and
beautiful hair, glossy. abundant and
naturally curly, and with the blue
black tint OF ravens wing,
AT the age OF Ii she was married 10
Franklin II. Eddins, prosperous
young merchant, of Virginia descent
and settled in Bates county at the
county seat. town called Papinville.
| Mr. Eddins and his partner did large
business, their store being the last
Quitting place for the plains to the
| west. Their goods were shipped up
the Maraisdescynes river from Boon
Vile, Ky.
-Four children-all girls--were born
of the union. Two OF these died in
childhood, and Mrs. Regina Faris OF
this city and Mrs. T. o. Smith of Clin
| ton, Mo-, are left TO mourn 4 devoted
mother. On Jan. IS, 1861, Mr.. Ed
dins died. His company did n big
the books of the store at the time oi
| his death.
Troublous times for his young widow
| followed. The war broke out and Mis-
souri, suffered fearfully. Mr. Eddin's
partner was shot down in cold blood
| by masked men as he stood one even
| ing in the door of the store. Later
the store itself, with all the ware
houses and buildings and the mill
owned by the firm, as well as every
| thing the buildings contained, We're
| burned. Such were the fortunes OF
war. Nothing was left to Mrs. Eddins
| and her children but the empty lots
| or which the property had stood. Even
| the deeds to these We're destroyed.
| She took refuge with her own family,
| at that date residents of Clinton. OF
that large family but one brother,
Judge A. C. Avery of Clinton. is now
living, although there are many de
scendants. Mayor H. F. Avery of Colo
rado Springs, the enthusiastic sup
porter of commission form of gov
eminent, is a nephew of Mrs. Roberts
On June &c, 1867, Mrs. Eddins was
married again to W. II. Roberts, Rev
James de la Vergne performing the
ceremony The latter died in Durango
some years ago at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. f. o. Price, for some
years a much-loved teacher in the Du
range schools and since deceased.
In 1870 Mr.. Roberts moved his fam
lily to Portland, but returned in a cou
pie of years TO Clinton. Two daugh
ters. Estelle, afterwards the wife OF
Frank Conner of this city, and Pear
who survives her parents, came to Nj
and Mrs. Roberts.
The family came to Durango in 1891
Mr.. Roberts engaging in his business
as photographer, being associated
ith Frank Conner, later his son-in
law. In the fall of 1891 Mr.. and Mrs
.oberts and their younger daughter
retu nd to Clinton, and took up theii
residence on their ranch near the
town. In 1898 they sold their Clin
ton property and came back to Du
range to remain permanently.
Some three years ago Mr.. Roberts
died and since that time his wife's
health failed and she took very little
interest in life. She was a beautiful
wife and mother, with rare sweet.
ness of nature that refused to be
soured or embittered whatever hap
pened. Possibly she never expressed
| ii that way, but she was a firm be.
lever in the ultimate good for all
| mankind. So loving spirit was not
| confined in expression to her immedi
ate family, but was reflected in kindly
deeds to every one crossing her path
way. 1t seemed, years ago, to one
| motherless girl, that Mrs. Roberts
heart was big enough to take in the
| whole world.
The secret of this woman's influence
through her long life and which still
goes on, though she has removed to
another plane, may be stated in a few
| words. She loved much" We know
no higher compliment or greater
praise. When we say that, we have
said ALL
For no priceless jewel or radiant
beauty of race or form may make "a
| woman half SO fair as loving spirit
One may be lost and the other fade
but love is as eternal as God himself
for God is love. In these days when
heart hunger is far too common, and
men and women are restlessly seeking
they know not what, to trifle it's pangs
the presence of one like our friend just
passed, in her unseliish interest and
love for all mankind, is blessing
l Al.