Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1932-01-13

10 look back over Its niles ana tell
what happened around the correspond
ing date of this issue, half century
ago. We hope to make this regular
weekly feature. If it does nothing else.
it will call to mind people and events
of that day that should be interesting
TO the present generation. We hope
our readers will find it interesting and
that it will make the Times more eag-
erly sought and read-Editor.)
Deaths Wilson. In this town,
January 7th, Mrs. Hannah Wilson,
aged SO years.
Money. Near Greenspring, Janu-
airy 9Th, Lavinia, only daughter of
William II. and Mary 2. Money,
aged is years.
Mrs. Ann Denny, aged los, dies
at Woodlawn: On Thursday last,
January 5th, at am, death, with
his silent foot, entered the portals
of "Woodlawn," the residence of
George w. Cummins, near this
town and bore thence to the Par
adise of God, the spirit Of her who
for nearly twenty years had been
the households most precious and
highly cherished treasure Mrs.
Ann Denny. Mrs. Denny was born
at Leipsic, Kent County, Del, on
January l, 1878, and consequently
had Just entered her 105th year,
and though she had seen so many
years, she died not Of old age, but
Of a cold of several days duration,
which developed into congestion Of
the lungs. Mrs. Denny was born
in the days when our heroic fore
fathers were SO nobly struggling
for that blessed liberty which we
now enjoy. Thus she was older
than the government under which
we live and her childhood was
spent in the days when our public
men were noted for that purity of
life for which she herself was SO
distinguished. She was the daugh-
ter of Emanuel Stout and Mary
Griffin, his wife, and the sister of
the late Judge Stout, of this coun-
ty. During her childhood the fam
lily attended the old Presbyterian
Church which formerly stood Just
south Of this town, and she was
baptized therein in her infancy.
We may mention as a pleasing in
cident of her childhood that she
and many others gathered in Will
mington to greet General Wash
ington as he passed through to his
first Inauguration as President of
the United States; and when the
Great Man came opposite to her,
attracted probably by that sweet
ness of expression which was al
ways hers, he stopped, took her in
his arms and kissed her. In early
womanhood Mrs. Denny became a
member of the Society of Friends
and continued her connection
Herewith until she went to Join
the Great Society of Friends of
Christ which is above. On the
10th day of October 1897, Ann
Stout was married to William
Denny a prominent farmer and
highly respected citizen of this
vicinity. About the year 1914 Mr..
Denny removed to New Garden
township. Chester, county, Pa,
where he died on February II,
1916, leaving his widow, then only
thirty-eight years old, with seven
children, all minors, to rear and
educate. They had in all nine
children, three Of whom survive
their mother. William Denney left
his widow moderate fortune,
which time proved could not have
been left in wiser hands, for she
so managed it as to be able to ed
ucate her children at our best in
stitutions of learning and to graft
fly their every reasonable desire.
After the death of her husband,
she moved to Wilmington for the
purpose Of educating her children.
Having accomplished that object
she returned to her native county.
She built the dwelling on Wood
lawn, the present residence of
George. w. Cummins, and resided
there with her daughter Sarah I'M
til 1852, when she again moved to
Wilmington. Having resided there
a few years, she and her maiden
daughter went to live in Philadel-
phia, where she continued to re-
side until the death of that daugh-
ter in 1864, since which time she
has been a member of the family
Of her son-in-law George w. Cum
minis. Here in the midst of loved
and loving she was the center of
attraction and the light of the
household. Mrs. Denny was a most
remarkable woman in every sense
Of the word: remarkable for her
Physical constitution, which en-
abled her to attain such great age
with strength but little diminish
ed; more remarkable for the vigor
of her mind which she retained I'M
impaired to the last moment of her
life, and her memory being clear
as to events of each successive
year that had rolled over her; and
most remarkable of all for her