Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1922-01-05
Mrs. Sarah j. TOmDkins

Mrs. Sarah j. Tompkins
Sarah j., daughter of Lloyd and
Julia Keith, was born near Harper's
Ferry, w. Va, April Is, 1884, where
she lived until about six years old,
when her parents moved, by stage
coach, across the mountains and
west on the National Pike to what is
now Richland. o., on the pike in
Belmont county. Her mother died
when she was but nine years old,
leaving her to keep house for her
father and take care of very young
child. They afterwards lived in
Morristown, where Sarah met and
on Aug. 8, 1849 married Benjamin
Tompkins, jr., whose parents had
also come west to Belmont county
from Virginia. Here two daughters
were born to them, Mary Cunning
ham and Emma Tompkins, both now
deceased. In 1854 she came with
her husband and children from Nor
ristown, by boat from Wheeling to
McConnelsville, then beehive of
industry with it's packing houses,
! Touring mills, woolen mills, salt
! furnaces, cooper shops and excellent
| boat service. Here Mr.. Tompkins
occupied large frame property op-
posite the old Shepard mill and
packing house, conducting general
store and boarding house, his wife
assisting and also doing the baking
for store and bOarders.
| The Civil war coming on, Mr..
Tompkins enlisted and was in Com
lpany E, 18th Regiment, o. v. L.,
with James Hartzell, Joseph Brown
and others. Failing in business dur
ing the war period and following, he
was lock tender until the day of his
death, March 20, 1893
Many and hard were the trials of
this brave mother who with five
children, one being an infant, to
provide for, during the war, drove
the wolf from the door and succeed
ed in keeping body and soul To-
gether, but not without the children
having to go bare foot one winter.
Mrs. Tompkins was the last of
her fathers family. At the Tomp-
kins reunion, last August, she was
Ipresent and quite stirring for a lady
of 88 years and since had said that
she wanted to attend again next
year. Mrs. Tompkins' husband was
first cousin of Hon. Cydnor B. Tomp-
kins, father of Hon. Emmett Tomp-
kins of Columbus, aud was a brother
of Edward of Penn township and
Lewis of Belmont county, now all
deceased.
Surviving her are her sons, Win
field S. and Theodore F., and her
daughter Anna, wife of L. e. Miller,
all of McConnelsville. Her daugh-
lters, Mary Cunningham, Emma
Tompkins, and Alice Deedrick all
are deceased. Eight grandchildren,
ia great grandchildren and three
great great grandchildren survive
her
Mrs. Tompkins was always inter-
ested in church work, but had not
been able to attend for about two
years. Her eyesight had failed 80 she
could scarcely read or write, but
with great difficulty she read her
large print Bible until the end. She
had been faithful member of the
McConnelsville M. E. church since
1882, having been a member of the
M. P. church here prior to that, and
of the Christian church in Belmont
county. She was also a member of
Phil Sheridan Post W. r. c..
The neighbors were all very kind
during her last illness, especially
those living on either side of her
home, for which the family ex
presses appreciation and thanks.
Mrs. Tompkins died Dec 27,1S21,
and was buried Dec. 80, Rev r. o.
McRae officiating and using the text
found in End Timothy 4 and 8,
(the words of Paul. Il have fought
ia good fight" otc. Mrs. C. H. Nor
iris sang "The City Four Square,"
and quartet-Howard Barnes,
Richard Bell, Frank Gray and Harry
Betz. sang SOFTLY now the light of
day" The pail bearers we're Theo-
dore, Winfield and Dean Tompkins,
Alonzo Hanson. and Everette and
Harry Miller d. n. T.
NOTICE