The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-07-30
! one HUNDRED
YEARS OF AGE
clark County, Mo-, Woman Celebrated
Centennial Thursday at He'
Home Near the Town of
Neeper.
WAS BORN IN KENTUCKY
Has Never Seen an Electric Light o.
street Car or Ridden in Train,
Steamboat or
Automobile.

July 9th was the Tooth birthday
anniversary of Mrs Cynthia Hodges,
widow of Reuben B. Hodges, who
lives with her son, Joshua l. Hodges,
Of near Neeper, Clark Co., Mo.
CYNTHIA Hodges was one of seven
daughters born to Robert and Anna
(Crawford) Creath. She was born in
Kentucky, July ~, 1911. Her parents
moved to Ripley county, Indiana while
she was quite small and her mother
died soon after At the age of -
years she united with the Christian
church and she has lived a life of con.
slant devotion to her Savior and the
cause ever since.
In 1926 she married Reuben b.
Hodges. Five children were horn to
them, two of whom died in infancy.
The oldest child, Mrs. Margaret
(Hodges) Rodgers, who was born Feb.
10 1928. is yet living and is making
her home with her son, the editor of
the Wyaconda News. She is past SO,
and is very feeble, and to see her, one
could hardly believe that her mother
was yet living.
In 1864 Reuben B. Hodges moved
from Indiana and settled on the farm
near Neeper, where he died in 1888,
at the age of SO years. He was an
ordained elder in the Christian
church and was instrumental in or
ganizing the church at Neeper, which
of nh, ~
the county. After the death of her
husband, Mrs Hodges and her daugh,
ter, Anna Jane, continued to live on
the old homestead, but after the
death of this daughter, June 16, 1907
she made her home with her only son
Joshua Hodges, who lives on an ad
joining farm.
Grandma Hodges knew nothing Of
the Injuries of the country. She was
one Of the pioneers of both Indiana
and Missouri and experienced tht
hardships, the reverses, the priva
tions, and the disappointment of the
early settlers. She was raised on :
farm and spent her whole life on
farm and knew nothing of city life
She saw this great country plunged II
four long and bloody wars and saw
the emblem of liberty, the Stars ant
Stripes, come forth from every con
flict, with victory emblazoned upol
its folds. Her grandfather was :
commissioned officer in the Revolu
tionary war and her son was pri
vate in the Third Iowa Cavalry, il
the war of 1861.
Grandma never saw an electro
light, or street car. She never rod
on railroad train, a steamboat or II
an automobile. She never was al
forded an opportunity to atten'
school but was taught in childhood
to read and write, and she enjoye
the days and years God gave her. q
we'll, perhaps. as many who are SUI
rounded with wealth and luxury. An
while many sorrows have crossed he
heart, she never became discourage
or unfaithful The family altar wa
always a source Of great comfort t
her and she ever lived close to he
Savoir. And now, on her one hur
dredth birthday anniversary, she ca
repeat from memory many chapter
from the Old and New Testamen
scriptures. While time has dimme
her eyes and mind, yet the happening
of her childhood days are fresh in he
memory and she can recall event
that transpired when James Madiso
was president of the United States.