Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-02-08

the words Of "Our Father, which art in heaven"
Abraham Lincoln's career began at the
knee Of Nancy Hanks Lincoln, his mother 1t
was she who taught him to read from an old
Bible he came to know so we'll, who told him
the stories in Aesops fables and helped him
to study tho Kentucky Perceptor."
It was she who taught him the letters OF
the alphabet and first trained his hand to
>c::.wl them. 1t was she who instiled IN him
Il hatred Of slavery and by her own gentle
loneliness inspired regard and estaQ0 ene
women which lasted throughout his ltAr
Nancy Hanks Lincoln, one o. tho js1Feae
presidents historians declares, was beoop
shou:dercd thin-breasted, sad-at times mis-
crab,e" a gentle kind accomplishing wom-
en-. who=c life had been of hard labor,
with few enjoyments, and who died before her
prime This was Nancy Hanks Lincoln, who
lay on her deathbed, tired and worn, her face
wan. her thin, bony hands clasping those of
nire-y ear-old lad whose deep-sunk eyes were
filled with tears, and who, when he later be-
came "a liberatOr of race Of men," declared:
"All that I am Or ever hope to be l owe
to my mother. Blessings on her memory
From his mother Lincoln once told his
friend and law partner, William H. Herndon,
he believed he Inherited his power Of analy-
sis, his logic, his mental activity and his am
bition. Her memory remained WITH si:s. one
of the dearest things Of his life-"a noble type
of good, heroic womanhood'
Nancy Hanks was five years old when her
harerts sold their farm in Virginia and went
pioneering westward toward Kentucky. Nancy
was the youngest of a family of eight chill
dren. Her father was Joseph Hanks and her
mother Nancy Shipley, daughter of Robert
Shipley. Nancy was born February 5, 1874.
The journey westward was perilous one,
and it is said Nancy was stolen by Indians
while her parents were on the way Roads
were bad; In fact, there was only a footpath
through the wilderness, where passed the long
procession of women and children on horse
back, men trudging behind driving the
vans.
Picture to yourself the procession, de-
scribed by Justice Robertson-"through pri-
yations incredible and perils thick, thousands
of men, women and children came in success
sive caravans, forming continuous streams OF
human beings, horses, cattle and other dOmes-
tic animals, moving onward along lonely
and homeless path to wild and cherries
land.
Cast your eyes back" he continues ION
that long procession OF missionaries in the
cause of civilization; behold the foot,
with their trusty guns on their shoulders driv-
ing stock and leading pack horses; and the
women, some walking with pals their
heads, others riding with children In their
laps and other children swung in baskets on
horses, fastened to the tails of others going
before; see them encamped at night, expect
ing to be massacred by Indians; behold them
In the month Of December, in that memorable
season of unprecedented cold called the hard
winter travelling two or three miles day."
And imagine little Nancy Hanks, spindly-
legged and golden-haired, shivering as she
snuggled under blankets, pursuing the road
of the pioneers. In the child who was to
become the mother of Abraham Lincoln was
now developed courage and perseverance
which was to be inherited and which after
ward marked one of the greatest of men.
The family settled in Washington county,
Ky., in winter. Hard work confronted them,
even privation. Trees had be be feed, log
cabin built and shelter erected for the stock.
Little Nancy, with her sisters, Elizabeth
and Polly, helped their mother, cooking and
sewing and preparing the rude home, while
the brothers, Charles, Joshua, William, Thorn
as and Joseph, went about with the father.
clearing the land for cultivation in the spring.
They hunted animals and hshed in the cold