News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-06-16
Death of Mrs. Electa Kennedy


as Grandma Kennedy, died at he
home in Healdsburg Tuesday evening
June 1st.
For many days Grandma had bee
lingering in the shadow land" and
was known that the wonderful life spa
of over los years that had been accorded
her was about TO terminate.
! There was nothing for those near ant
, dear to her to do but to quietly walcl
and wait. That she held out as long al
she did was remarkable. For days sht
had been unable to take further nourish
ment and her condition was comatose.
She was undoubtedly one of the
Oldest women, and as such had been her
aided in the public press from time te
time throughout the world. Her re.
markable life span was figured by a
long list of world events. And almost to
within few weeks of the close of her
life she had been what might be termed
"hale and hearty" aud had done her own
household work. On her 103d birthday
she baked the big birthday, cake and
automobile riding with her old friend,
DR.. j. R. Swisher, who attended her right
up to the last, was one of her delights.
The kindly, little old lady, who died
June LIST, was known and loved by hun
dreds upon hundreds of friends. She
was good woman and her life had been
devoted to deeds of kindness for relatives
and friends.
At the age of 102 years she was initi-
ated into membership of Sotoyome Chap
ter of the Eastern Star in Healdsburg, and
year later, during the session of the
Grand Court of the Amaranth in Santa
Rosa she motored down to this city and
was initiated into that order in the pres
ence of the delegates to the Grand
Court from all over the State.
Grandma" Kennedy was born in Der
by, VT, January 30, 1910, of British an
cestry, her father Noble and her moth
er Coates. OF their eleven children,
Electa was always considered the puny
one, and they often despaired of her grow
ing up to womanhood. Yet she outlived
them all.
While young woman she taught
school until she married James Kennedy,
April %, 1886. They had two sons,
George and Charles. During the early
part of her life she resided in each of the
New England States except Rhode Island.
When she was thirty-two she had poor
health and was ordered to go to a fer
ent climate by an eminent physician,
who said she had conumption. SO in the
year 1S43 her husband accepted a ISL
ton as mechanical superintendent in
Mexico to erect cotton mill.
Leaving her two little sons with her
parents, she went with her husband to New
York, where they met others engaged to
go out to Mexico, and started on their
long, hazardous trip. Embarking on
schooner, they reached their destination
after nineteen days of hardship. From
Tampico, Mexico, they travelled by mule
back 400 miles to San Bias, on the OPP
posite coast. aud thence by.brig to Mala-
chadel, where they were met by Don |
Manuel Inego, for whom the mill was to |
be built.
With coach and six mules, in old pos
tlion fashion, they went to Guymas.
There they remained for three years.
Their cook stove was great curiosity to
the natives. "Grandma" was the first
white woman to be seen there.
After the first battle was fought be-
tween the United States and Mexico, at
Matamors, they left Mexico with party
of fifteen Americans, travelling by mule
back across the deserts, enduring
the most terrible hardships one could
imagine, choking of thirst, passing
through colonies of rattlesnakes and en-
Apache Indians who had been
scattered by United States troops from
the main tribes, until they finally reach
ed Santa Fe. From Santa Fe they travel
ed with Dan Clark, who was carrying
dispatches to Independence. They re-
turned to Vermont and arrived there in
1916.
In 1852 Mr.. and Mrs. Kennedy and chill
iren began their long journey across the
plains by"prairie schooner" to California.
Upon arriving in this State they settled
On the Feather River at place called
Michigan Bluff, where "Grandma" kept
/ hotel and cooked for fifty men without
my help. One of these men was the late
Col. Leland Stanford.
Grandma" Kennedy came to Sonoma
county in 1854 and had remained here
,ver since. Those who survive her are
me son, George, eleven grandchildren,
welye great grandchildren and five great
,reat grandchildren. She took five grand
children and cared for them for eight
'ears when she was seventy years old.
For number of months prior to her
leath Mrs. Carey Meyer lovingly minis
cred to her relative.
Mrs. Kennedy loved to recall the early
Incidents of her life recounted in the
sketch. She had a wonderful
memory for people and events
The funeral took place at her home in
Iealdshurp Thursday lima 2 and tho | ,