Elizabeth Ann Hancher, daughter of Rev. William Hancher and Sarah Knicely, was born in Blountville, Sullivan Tennessee. Her father was a prominent Lutheran minister of the Zion Lutheran Church in the county. Elizabeth married Alfred Gray May 7, 1833 in Blountville, Sullivan Tennessee. To this union, fourteen children were born. Thirteen children reached adulthood. This couple removed from Tennessee in 1835 and settled in New Boston, Mercer, Illinois. They later removed to Polk township, Jefferson, Iowa. Their youngest daughter Susan Malinda cared for her mother. They lived next door to each other in Brighton, Washington, Iowa. Susan and Elizabeth would have tea in the afternoon.

Brighton Enterprise, Saturday Dec 4, 1909 Page 1 Col 2

Miss Elizabeth A Hancher, born Aug. 4, 1816, at Blountville, Sullivan County, East Tennessee died November 26, 1909 at Brighton, Iowa at the home of her daughter Mrs. C. L. Walker, age 93 years 3 months and 22 days. Her grandmother Knicely lived to the age of 102 1/2 years. Her father, the Rev. William Hancher was a Lutheran minister in Tenn., for 64 years and never accepted any remuneration for his labor.

She married Alfred Gray, May 7, 1833. Ten sons and three daughters who lived to manhood and womanhood were born to this union. Her grandchildren now number one hundred twenty-five, her great-grandchildren one hundred thirty-six, and her great great great grandchildren twenty-four. Marriage continued sixty six and a half years. Her husband died October 13, 1899, age 87 years 9 months and 21 days; also two sons and one daughter preceded her to the other shore.

United with the Christian Church 37 years ago at Abingdon, Iowa. Short funeral service at the home, after which the remains transferred over the Rock Island RR to Batavia, where funeral services were conducted by Rev. Danial Holder at 2 p.m. November 29th and her body tenderly carried by kind friends to the cemetery where it was laid to rest by the side of her husband.

Present were her two sons, I.B. Gray and wife of West Plains, Missouri; Levi H. Gray of Greenfield and one daughter Mrs. A. M. Gray of Trenton Missouri; and seven grandchildren, Harvey Gray, Mrs. Bessie Dixon, Mrs. Minnie Bennett, Diamond Gray, Rulie, Mayme and Guy Walker who came to pay their last respects to Dear Grandmother Gray.

(The obituary omitted the names of Rev. Charles Walker and his wife Susan, who cared for her. Also, the obituary does not mention the infant daughter born in 1850 who did not survive.)