The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-04-08
Wife of Richest Man.

Wife OF Richest Man.
Laura Celestia Spelman Rockefel-
ler, wife of John D. Rockefeller, who
died recently, was born in Wads-
worth, Ohio, of well-to-do New Eng
land parents on September 9, 1889.
She was her husbands junior by two
months. AS a child she lived in
Wadsworth, in Burlington, Ia; in
Akron, Ohio, where her father, Har-
vey B. Spelman, achieved a compe-
tence in the dry goods business, and
later in Cleveland. In the Grammar
school at Cleveland she met John
Rockefeller when they were Is years
old.
Rockefeller was a country boy.
She was the daughter of one of
Cleveland's leading citizens. His
home was a little farm house; hers
one of Cleveland's handsome resi-
dences. His associates, outside of
school, were mostly farm hands and
country boys; hers were talented folk
of affairs drawn to her fathers hand
some home, for her father then was
member of the Ohio legislature, a
public-spirited citizen interested in
philanthrophies and a man of many
activities. Notwithstanding other
differences the awkward youth and
the city girl had in common a love
of study and simple tastes, and they
became fast friends.
Laura Spelman's school mates
knew her as quiet, studious girl
who would rather read a good book
than to go to the theatre; as devout
church-goer and as a girl who was
always we'll dressed in good taste,
avoiding extremes and seeking SIM
plicity. She was intensely practical
and home-loving. At high school she
caused some surprise by taking not
only the prescribed course, but book
keeping and other commercial studies
little pursued by young women in
those days.
There seems to have been little
sentimentality in the friendship be-
tween Miss Spelman and young
Rockefeller, but for ten years each
was the others best friend. During
the days of Rockefeller's early man
hood, when he saw his hopes of a
college education fade away, and soon
thereafter when he tramped the
streets of Cleveland for weeks in a
seemingly hopeless search for work,
she encouraged and cheered him.
Soon after he had established himself
in his first place-as bookkeeper at
$500 a year-she left Cleveland to
complete her education at Worcester,
Mass. She returned when she was
20 years of age and taught in Cleve-
lands public schools. Her first class
was the A grammer grade in the
Brownell Street school, now known
as the East Fourteenth Street school.
And she renewed her friendship with
young Rockefeller.
In 1862 Miss Spelman, described
by her superiors as splendid dis
ciplinarian and a perfect teacher, be-
came assistant principal of the
school. Rockefeller, absorbed in
business, took the books of his firm
to her of an evening and together
they would go over his affairs. Both
of them were interested together in
church work, too; she as a Congre-
gationalist. he as a Baptist: and
| neither ever attended a dance or the
| theatre.
Young Rockefeller prospered be-
yond his fairest hopes. AS soon as
! he felt that he could ask her to be-
come his wife he did so. They were
married on September s. 1864. the
eve of her 18th birthday. and start
| ed to keep house in little two-story
| brick residence on one Of Cleveland 5
side streets. Upon her marriage she
became a Baptist and to her religion
and her home she devoted her en-
tire time.