The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-06-20
IS LIVING
At AGE OF lOI
Mrs. Nancy Harsh of Hopkins, Mo-,
Never Wore Glasses and Was
1o1 Years Old This
Month.
ENJOYS PERFECT HEALTH
Remembers the First Railroad Train
In 1886 and Many Other Things
Of the Days of Long
Ago.

Many Keokuk people know the Hon
J. B. Harsh of Creston, prominent il
banking and political circles, a former
member of the state senate. His
mother also has friends and acquaint
ances here. His mother is a marvel
GUS woman. She celebrated her 1OOtl
birthday at Creston last year. In per
feet health, and she is as we'll and a.
happy today as she was last year a
this time. A Hopkins correspondent
has the following:
Not to wear glasses and enjoy per
| feet health at the age of 101 years is
the fortune Of Mrs. Nancy Mckee
Harsh, who, upon June IA, cele
brated the anniversary of her birth
Mrs. Harsh lives with her daughter
Mrs. Edward Donlin, near here, and
! in her own words, she is content te
live and to be happy with the plain
| joys of living" To her life holds a
fullness much Of which she declares
has come to her since she was ninety
years old.
Mrs. Harsh comes of family that
has been long-lived She is the last
of five sisters, all of whom passed
the ninetieth milestone Her moth
er lived to be ninety-two years old
Her father, however, died when she
was young girl
Mrs. Harsh was born June IA, 1910
in Mercer county, Pa. She is OF
Scotch English extraction. Shortly af.
ter her birth her father took up a
grant of government land in Mercer
county and amassed considerable
wealth. Later the family removed to
Washington, Pa Fifty-one years ago
Mrs Harsh came to Creston, Iowa,
where she maintained her own home
until about five years ago when she
came to Hopkins to make her home
with her daughter.
Mrs Harsh has seen the develop
ment and success OF many inventions
of today which we regard as neces-
sites, but which were in her time
thought the height of luxury. She
we'll remembers when the first train
made it's appearance in 1886. The track
ran along the James river near Balti-
more for a distance of about twenty
miles.
The newspaper were full of the
matter at the time" she said. II
we'll remember my first train ride.
1t occurred in 1860 when we came
from Princeton, Ill, to Ottumwa, Ia
Wy.
sylvania sometime before, making the
journey overland My health had been
poor and we had decided to come to
the then far west. We, my four sons
and one daughter, had settled in Bu-
reau county. A short time later We
removed from there to where Creston,
Iowa, is now situated. However, there
wasn't any town there then.
Among the other more notable i'm
provements that have taken place dur
ing my lifetime are the telegraph and
telephone. AS each of these came
they were first used with reserve and
their inventors for time scoffed at.
Mrs. Harsh also remembers when
the first cook stove came into use.
1T was made to be sent to mission
aries in Africa" she said. Before that
we had used huge Dutch ovens, built
out of doors When baking was to be
done we built a large fire within the
oven to heat the bricks. The fire and
ashes were then removed and the cake
or bread was placed inside and left to
bake"
In my youth people We're great
In fact they spent most
of Sunday in church We went at 8
o clock in the morning and took our
dinner. The morning service began at
that hour and lasted until noon. Then
there was an intermission during
which everyone spread his dinner in
the church yard There was no mer
riment however. This was part or
the service ana had to be observed
with solemnity At 2 o'clock preach
ing began again and it lasted until 5
o'clock There was also a service in
the evening at which everyone was ex-
pected to be present. In those days
women had no part in the church at
fairs and such things as church socials
were unknown"
Mrs. Harsh has three sons and one
daughter now living. They are: j. B.
Harsh, president of the Creston, Iowa,
National bank; A. F Harsh, a cattle
raiser, who lives at Lowell, Neb.; P.
j. Harsh farmer residing near Eu-
gene, Ore; and Mrs. Edwad Donlin of
Hopkins, with whom she makes her
home.
Last year Mrs. Harsh celebrated her
centennial anniversary at the home OF
her son in Creston Friends from all
parts of the country gathered at the
home to assist in the Celebration and
many were the messages expressing
hope of continued health and pros
perity to this interesting woman who
is still able TO contribute so much to
the welfare and happiness of those