Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-07-11
An Active Nonagenarian.

Editor Sentinel To-day your correspon-
dent interviewed one of the oldest inhabi-
tants in this section of Montgomery county,
John T. Hoyle, of near Boyd who has been
held in the highest esteem by the leading
citizens for four score and ten years.
On April last Mr.. Hoyle passed into his
ninetieth year. He is a retired miller, and
is now living in the old homestead where
he was born ninety years ago. full of vigor.
walking erect. with perfect health. quick in
step. alert in mind free conversation
alist, and wonder in this community.
Very few days that he does not walk three
miles and back to a nearby store to pur-
chase some groceries for his aged wife,
70 years old, who lives with him in the
old home directly opposite the home of his
son, Smith Hoyle, who succeeded his father
twenty-odd years ago in the old mill which
was built one hundred and twenty-odd
years ago. While remodeled. there still
remains in it much of the old framing that
was placed there over century ago by
Mr.. John T. Hoyle's father. George Hoyle,
who died over fifty years ago. Mr.. Hoyle's
mother was a Miss Childs and came to
this county in the early part of 1900 from
the Eastern Shore of Maryland and settled
in Montgomery county To Mr.. and Mrs.
John T. Hoyle were born four sons, Smith
Hoyle, a prominent miller here; W. Jason
Hoyle, merchant at Olney; Maynard, a
merchant at Derwood; Sterne L., carpen-
ter at home; three daughters, Mrs. Cora
White, at Norbeck; Mrs. Alice Duvall, near
Germantown and Mrs. Sallie Mossburg.
who died few years ago. The remark
able agility of Mr.. Hoyle is so much COM
mented upon in Montgomery county that
he receives many visitors from different
sections. He is an eager talker, chews
tobacco. in which he has received so much
consolation, he says. all his life. seldom
sick, and an eager reader of the different
papers, keeping himself well-posted on the
topics of the day.
When asked if he had served in the
Civil War. he replied that he had not, but
was drafted in the early part of the war
by Col George Dawson and taken to Eli
colt City. Md. where on account of tempo
rary disability was discharged and was
never again drafted. He was then forty
years old
Mr.. Hoyle was Southern sympathizer.
When talking of the war he said. Wasn't
the reunion of the Blue and the Gray at
Gettysburg one of the most inspiring things
of persons life. This must have been a
grand affair. wish could have been
there. The great good that this has done
to show other nations what strength we
have Our being reunited is something to
make them think about. No North, no
South. no East. no West is fine
Mr.. Hoyle in early life started to study
medicine under DIR. Dawson, near Dawson
vile. 70-odd years ago. After some months
of this study. he gave it up and took his
fathers mill. which he ran for forty-odd
years. His uncle, John Hoyle. was a local
preacher of the Baptist faith and preached
seventy-five years ago in the old home
where the subject of this sketch is now
living.
His father George Hoyle, owned slaves
at the latter part of his life. and at his
death they were sold off by his widow.
j. W. W.