orphaned grandson and several slaves. Here she remained until after the Civil War when the slaves were made free, at which time she sold the farm and removed to Louisiana, Pike County, Missouri. She afterwards removed to Jonesburg, Montgomery County. Here she died on the 1st day of February, 1890, at the age of nearly ninety-six years.

All of her life she was possessed of great physical and mental strength. Within a few hours of her departure she was in full possession of her faculties and within that time gave minute directions as to her funeral. The following was taken from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat of February 2, 1890:

MRS. NANCY R. DYER

(Special dispatch to the Globe-Democrat)
Jonesburg, Missouri, February 2, 1890.-
At ten o'clock last night there died in this
place a woman who had lived to a remark-
able age- Mrs. Nancy R. Dyer, widow of
Hon. David Dyer, formerly of Henry
County, Virginia, at the age of 95 years, 8
months and 4 days. She was the mother
of twelve children-five sons and seven
daughters -seven of whom survive her, viz:
Capt. James C. Dyer, of Warrenton; Mrs.
Sallie A. Mason, Mrs. Jane Wyatt, Mrs.
Elizabeth Ball and Mrs. Matilda Foreman,
of this vicinity; Mrs. Louisa B. Carstarphen
and Col. D. P. Dyer, of St. Louis.

Mrs. Dyer came with her husband and
children to Missouri in 1841, and settled near
Troy, Lincoln County, Mo. Her husband
died three years later, leaving a large family.
She leaves surviving her seven children,

sixty-four grandchildren, 165 great-grand-
children and six very great-grandchildren, a
total of 242 descendants living. She sur-
vived five of her own children and thirty of
her grandchildren. The total descendants
living and dead of this aged woman are 277.
Mrs. Dyer possessed a mind of extraordi-
nary vigor, and up to the last moment of her
existence she was in full possession of her
faculties and gave the most minute direc-
tions as to the disposition of her remains and
the division of her effects. Her husband
was a soldier in the war of 1812, and served
subsequently with distinction in the House
of Delegates and Senate of the State of Vir-
ginia. Mrs. Dyer lived under the adminis-
tration of every President of the United
States from Washington to Benjamin
Harrison, and her life has therefore been co-
extensive with the establishment and growth
of the United States. She will be buried on
Tuesday next in the old family burying
ground in Lincoln County.

As above stated, she left surviving her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and very greatgrandchildren to the number of two hundred and forty-two. Prior to her death, thirty-five of her descendants had died. The grand total of descendants living and dead numbered two hundred and seventyseven. In all the years of her long life, she performed faithfully and well every duty imposed upon her.

"The greatest lives are those to duty wed,
Whose deeds both great and small are close-
knit strands of unbroken thread

Where love ennobles all."

This is not intended as an eulogium of father and mother, but as a brief recital of facts bearing upon two lives that were most happily joined together. They were God-fearing and God-loving Christian people, and tried hard to "do unto others as they would have others do unto them."

In early life each of them professed religion and became members of what was then and now known as "Primitive Baptists." They were consistent members of the church, and died in the faith. The old song so dear to them embodied in the refrain their belief and hope.

"And I shall see Him face to face,
And tell the story saved by Grace!"

II

BOYHOOD IN LINCOLN COUNTY

Farm Life in Missouri - First Impressions of Slavery - The Block-Religion on the Frontier The Pioneer's "Good Times"-Master and Slaves.

I was but six years old at the time of my father's death, and consequently my recollections of him are very vague. My mother was very ill when he died, but recovered her health in a few weeks' time and assumed the duties and shouldered the burden that had fallen upon her. Remaining with her in this new but now desolate home, made so by the death of the master and the great disaster caused by the flood, were six children, James, Jane, Elizabeth, Louisa, Matilda, and myself. The six older children, namely, George, Joseph, Mary, Martha, John, and Sarah, were married and in homes of their own. James and Jane did not remain long after the death of my father, but married and moved away. This left the four younger children, three sisters and myself, at the home with our mother. The neighborhood was sparsely settled, as said elsewhere, there being not a mile of railroad in the State, and the closest point to a navigable river, the Mississippi, was sixteen miles.

There was one water-mill and one "horse-mill" in the neighborhood. The water-mill ran only two or

three months in the year, and then only as the waters of Big Creek furnished the power. This mill would grind wheat and corn, but the flour made from the wheat was bolted by hand. The "horse-mill" was located some six miles from our home and the power used at that was two horses attached to a sweep. The burden of taking the grain to the mills and bringing back the meal and flour, most generally fell upon me after I reached the age of twelve years.

The family consisted of mother and four children and seven or eight slaves. My father made a will in which he gave to each of his eleven older children one or two slaves and certain personal property. To my mother he gave the place and seven or eight negroesone man, three women and two or three younger slaves. This property was to be hers during her lifetime and at her death to vest in me, the youngest child.

On the farm were cultivated corn, wheat, and tobacco. Tobacco was the staple principally relied upon to furnish the means necessary to buy family supplies. However, in addition to the tobacco, some wheat, bacon, oats, poultry, butter and eggs were sent to market and sold. St. Louis, sixty miles away, was then, as it is now, the market for that section of the State. It took five days to make the trip, two in going, one day in St. Louis and two to return. After I reached fourteen years of age, the marketing for the succeeding four years fell upon me. Only two or three such trips were made in the year. In the winter I stood upon the streets in St. Louis and sold turkeys, geese, ducks, and chickens, and with the proceeds of such sales bought sugar, coffee, molasses,