River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-02-09
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streams And when spring came they dug the
hard, stony ground and planted wheat and
corn.
Thus four years passed-four years of hard
toll and hard living-and then Joseph Hanks
died Not long afterward the mother, worn
with TOLL followed the brothers and daugh-
tiers married, and Nancy, left alone, taken
in by her Aunt Lucy-a sister of her mother,
who had married Richard Berry. This home
was happy one and Nancy grew up cheerful
and pretty.
When Nancy's father died he left a will. It
is still the records of the Bardstown clerks
Office, and as will be seen, Nancy was the
proud heiress Of one heifer, pet called Peidy.
The quaint will, which probated May IA,
1893 runs:
I'm the name of God, Amen. l. Joseph
Hanks, of Nelson county, state of Kentucky
being of sound mind and memory, but weak
in body and calling to mind the frailty of all
human nature, do make and demise this my
last will and testament in the manner and
form following, to wit:
Item: ] give and bequeath unto my son
Thomas sorrel horse called Major. Item:
l give and bequeath unto my son Joshua one
gray mare Bonny. Item: I give and bequeath
unto my son William one gray horse called
Gilbert Item: 1 give and bequeath unto my
son Charles one roam horse called lobe. Item:
1 give and bequeath unto my son Joseph one
horse called Bald. Also the land whereon
now live containing one hundred and fifty
acres.
Item: give and bequeath unto my daugh-
ter Elizabeth one heifer yearling called Gentle.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter
Polly one heifer yearling called Lady. Item:
1 give and bequeath unto my daughter Nancy
one heifer yearling called Peidy. Item: I give
and bequeath unto, my wife Nanny all and
ward to be equally divided between all my
children 1t is also my wish and desire that
the whole Of the property first above be-
queathed should be the property of my wife
during her life"
Here, too can be found record of the seed
which budded so nobly in Joseph Hanks
grandson. Joseph Hanks, unlike most of the
pioneers. owned no slaves When Nancy
Hanks later married Thomas Lincoln they
bought no slaves and never owned any.
Nancys life while she lived with her Aunt
Lucy was happy She grew into young miss
of unusual beauty and became the belle of the
countryside. She learned to read and write,
and considered exceptionally accom-
plished When she married Thomas Lincoln
she taught him to spell the letters of his name
There are but few and meager descriptions
of Nancy Hanks One learns that she was
slight of figure, that her hair was pale golden.
almost faxen and her eyes were blue Her
wit was nimble.
Suitors thronged the parlor of Aunt Lucy's
farm But Nancy lost her heart to none; she
laughed gaily at their protests, parried their
importunate proposals with jest and was so
good natured, so mirthful and funny about it
that all remained her friends.
Nancy often went to the farm of Joseph
Hanks, at Elzabethtown, where she saw her
cousin Thomas Lincoln. Thomas was car
penter, and if the records are true, the best in
the country for many miles.
He not only hacked and hewed and chiseled
wood with skill, but he did what none others
had succeeded in doing -chiseled his way into
the heart of Nancy.
Thomas Lincoln had a varied career. He
was strong as an OK, temperate in his habits
an attendant at church and was bitterly op-
posed to slavery. Both he and Nancy agreed
in that. The couple entered into marriage
bond on June r. 1906 On June IA the couple
were married by a Methodist preacher, the
Rev. Jesse Head, who besides being clergy
man, was editor, country judge and car
penter.
And a wedding it was-with merrymakng
and feasting. There were present the Nit