Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-11-02
MRS. MCKERCHER
PASSES AWAY
Story of Her Life Reveals Much of
Romantic and Historical
Interest

in Perthshire, Scotland. Dec. 21, 1881
and died in Lancaster, Wis, Oct. 25
| 1922, at the age of 80 years, 10 months
and days.
She came to America alone in 1862
to meet her betrothed, Daniel McKer.
cher, who had left Scotland for this
country four years before She re
! fused to go when he did because he1
mother, then an old woman, needed
her care. After her death she re-
manned two years longer to minister
to her father and an older unmarried
brother. Sixty years ago, letters
were rare things, people writing only
when they had something to say.
When Mary Maxwell was able tc
leave Scotland to come to America to
met her betrothed, she wrote him,
telling him, when she would sail. the
! name of the boat, and the place of
landing. There was not doubt in
her mind but what he would be at
Quebec, the designated place, to meet
her.
After dangerous voyage she land
| ed at Quebec, but no one met her.
| There she was; stranger in a strange
land-not relative, not even a
friend in this vast u. S. Without a
| fear she started to go to New Ulm,
Mimi, where her lover had a farm
and where he was making home for
her. Her faith in him never wavered,
because she knew he had not received
her letter.
Meanwhile the Civil War was rag
| ing here and the Sioux Indians were
on the war path and had attacked the
| little village of New Ulm. Daniel Nc
| Aercher was in the thickest of the
fray, having had bullet shot through
| his hat. He had received no letter
from his betrothed and was ignorant
| Of her having left Scotland and of be-
! ing IN this country. She got as far
West as Detroit, but was unable to
| proceed further on account of Indian
| depredations which made travel alb
5clutely unsafe She then went back
| TO Hamilton, where lady lived whom
| she had met on shipboard, and through
her obtained employment. She wrote
home to Scotland telling of her plight,
but did not complain, neither did she
even dream of returning to the old
! country even while she thought she
was alone here
The home people formed the con-
| Meeting link, wrote to her telling her
of the safety of her lover, wrote to
| him informing him of her arrival in
this country. They did not meet till
| November and then it was on the
street of Hamilton early one Sunday
| morning. Can more tender meet
ing be imagined?
They were married the following
| March and lived in Hamilton, till the
| sall Of 1864 when sha moved with her
husband and baby daughter to Pc
| Waukee, Wis. In the spring of 1866
she moved to Centralia and lived there
until sixteen years ago when she went
TO live with her oldest daughter.
/ When she moved to Centralia she
came by stage from New Lisbon and
stopped at the old Commercial House
| AS soon as possible she went to keep
ing house and obtained rooms with
| Mrs Ernestine Fontaine. A friend
s4l'p p was formed between the two wo-
men which was broken only by death
| Her next move was into a little
house which stood on the bank of the
Wisconsin River a little north of the
T. E. Nash home. From here she
went to the home on Grand Avenue
now occupied by her son. She lived
here for nearly forty years and watch
ed the city grow up to her home. From
a wilderness without a house nearer
than where the C & n. w R. R. depot
stands to the Green Bay R. R. cross
ing. Indians were common, camping
right up to the very fence and then
| making night HIueuuS Will Iu0iT y6lIS
Her husband died in July 1875 leaving
her with three small children to be
raised and educated. Without q
thought of shirking her duty she
bravely faced her task and did he1
best, which was always good. AS a
mother she had no superior, as a
neighbor she was ever ready to lend
helping hand being willing to give
freely of herself whenever need pre-
sented itself. Few lived near her who
at some time did not receive help dur
ing times of trouble and many there
were who could rise up and call he1
blessed" She leaves to mourn her
loss three children: Mrs. Kate Mills
of Lancaster, Mrs. Mary Dolan and
Dan McKercher of Wisconsin Rapids
also seven grandchildren and five
great-grandchildren. Of her might
be truly said as of the Apostle Paul:
!, | have fought good fight, l have
finished my course, I have hept the
Faith and henceforward there is laid
up from me crown Of Righteousness