Possession was taken and improvements began. In the bottom the growth was large sycamore trees-on the hill big oaks with some hickories. The sycamores were felled, cut in pieces, rolled together and burned and the land made ready for cultivation. On the high land oak trees were felled, cut to the proper length, hewn on two sides and built into houses for a residence and other purposes on a high hill that overlooked the bottoms. The residence was composed of four large rooms and was two stories in height. A stone chimney was built between the four rooms (two below and two above) with a fireplace in each. The roof was made of boards cut and split by hand and the interstices or cracks between the logs were filled by a mortar composed of earth, straw and lime. In addition to this most pretentious dwelling, other buildings were erected in close proximity,- houses for the negroes to live in, smoke house, kitchen, etc., etc. Everything seemed to be moving along happily and well; clearings were made, stables and fences built and improvements of a substantial character were to be seen on all sides; prosperity apparent everywhere. But, alas, after three years of unremitting toil and the endurance of hardships only known to the pioneer, there came the great flood of 1844, a flood of a magnitude hitherto unknown and which has never been equalled since. The creek (Big Creek) was not only big in name but big in fact. Practically all of the improvements made on the bottom lands were swept away, together with the ungathered and ungarnered crops. This unfortunate disaster left the owner, the courageous master, practically where he began three years before. In time this could have been righted by hard work, but there was a greater misfortune to follow a misfortune that could not be remedied. The waters of the great flood receded, but over the land that had been deluged there lurked the insidious, treacherous and deadly malaria. This hideous monster got within its coils both the master and the mistress — caught the devoted husband, the just and patient father, the considerate master, and the loving wife and mother. After weeks of pain and struggle, the master closed his eyes in death on the 8th of October, 1844. He was buried on the hill near the house he had built, and there for more than three quarters of a century his ashes have reposed. The wife and mother, after a long illness, finally recovered her health. The departure of the husband left the burden of family government, the new and strange home, the care of children, their support and education upon her who had been to him sweetheart and wife. This heavy burden she took and carried during a widowhood of forty-six years, with a courage and loving fidelity that justly entitled her to be crowned a "Spartan mother." During the years of her widowhood she directed the work of the farm, provided for the comfort and education of her children as best she could with the meagre opportunity that the neighborhood furnished. One by one they married and left the "mother-nest" for homes of their own. Finally in the autumn of 1857, the youngest of her children, the writer of these notes, went to Bowling Green, Pike County, Missouri, to study law in the office of Hon. James Overton Broadhead. She was left on the farm with an 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) Mrs. Dyer came with her husband and sixty-four grandchildren, 165 great-grand- 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, 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, |