Ruhama Busby Obituary Published in Hillsboro Journal Monday, January 14, 1934
MRS. BUSBY, BUTLER PIONEER, DIES AT AGE OF 97 YEARS
Funeral Services Will Be Held Tomorrow Morning
Mrs. Ruhama Busby, pioneer resident of Butler whose life spanned nearly a century, passed away quietly at 2:30 Sunday morning at the home of a son, William Busby in Witt. Her age was 97 years, eight months and eight days.
Mrs. Busby has been a resident of Butler for 42 years and for a good many years, since about 1920, had made her home with a son, James A. Busby in Butler. A few years ago she went to Witt to make her home with the son who lives there. Four months ago she fell and the shock of that injury to one of her years proved more than she could endure. She became gradually weaker until the end came early yesterday morning, with relatives in this locality at her bedside.
She had had a facial carcinoma for years but this did not cause her death. She had withstood every ailment until the fall a few months ago and physically was a remarkable woman, as she had to be to attain that age. She was rather active up until the time of her fall, although both sight and hearing had began to be impaired. A woman of large frame, she was one who had spent every year of her active life in hard work, much of which was spent for others. Many of those who knew her recall the countless times when she saddled a horse and rode many miles to officiate at the birth of a child or to care for the sick.
Told Much History
It is recalled that years ago, when she lived alone in Butler, women would come for miles to spend the day at her house and would bring dress material with them, expecting her to design it, cut out the patterns and have the dress made by the time they were ready to return home in the evening. In the days when her children were being reared, of course, she served a household in an age when women spun and wove and made all of the family's clothing from the first step to its completion.
With the death of a few persons of this age in Montgomery County, a large part of the history of early days as it could be recalled by a living person, passed into the realm of the unknown. This is particularly true in speaking of Mrs. Busby, whose ability to recall the past was especially rare.
She never bored younger persons with tales of the past when she had any doubt that the subject was not interesting but, given an audience which she knew was genuinely ready to hear of a day which now seems like fairly lore, she would relate the incidents of her girlhood with wonderful ability. Few persons in the county had the ability to make the past live as she did and could a writer of even average ability taken down the things she had said and imprisoned them in a notebook, he might have been able to have written a very interesting history of a life which embraced virtually a century of time.
Her father was a school teacher in the early days. She used to recall that on his way to school, going miles along a blazed trail through the woods, he used to set his traps for wild turkey and then find his game as he returned from school. That was in a day when few persons knew how to make bread and when the breast meat of wild turkey served the same purpose. One sets this down in almost unbelief as he sits facing a modern manufacturing plant which turns out various kinds of bread with the precision of a chemical institute.
She recalled when nobody had buggies, when an age came along when only the very rich had them. She remembered when matches were unheard of and when the only fire families had was made with flint and steel and when the coals were saved with the utmost care, sometimes being carried for many miles to light a fire at the home of a neighbor.
A Large Family
Mrs. Busby was Ruhama Waggoner (the name since has been shortened to Wagner) and was a daughter of Milton L. and Lucina McDuffy Waggoner who were natives of Kentucky but who were living in Rush county, Indiana, when she was born. She grew to womanhood there, learning by means of what she saw and heard in her own community and being wed to Francis Marion Busby in that community January 16, 1856. His forebears, too, had come west into Kentucky, of which state his parents were natives. All of their children-there were seven-were born in the Indiana community except the youngest of them.
In the fall of 1874 the family came west into this part of Illinois and settled in the Butler community. Here the children were reared and here they made places of importance for themselves in the communities which they accepted as their homes. A number of them spent many years in Butler and two sons, Elbert Busby, who for many years as Big Four station agent there and who now is retired on a pension, and James A. Busby, manager of Farmers' Store in that place.
The eldest child, Miranda, who married Moses Murphy, is deceased, having passed away in 1898. Elbert Busby was the next eldest and then came Emma, wife of Jonathan N. Oppe who lives in Shattuck, Oklahoma, Anna, who is Mrs. Bert Newcome, was until a number of years ago a resident of the Ware's Grove community but now lives in Alturas, Florida. James A. Busby is the youngest but one in the family. Benjamin Otis died in 1883 at the age of eight years.
There are 15 grandchildren living, 34 great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren. The grandchildren are well known. These are Maud Walbolt of Waterville, Ohio, Mae Wesenberg of Toledo, Ohio, Fern Turner, wife of R. K. Turner of near Butler, Marion Sammons, wife of Gus Sammons of near Butler, Herbert Pope of Shattuck, Oklahoma, Ruhama Balsh of Folette, Oklahoma, Lavina McCarter of Shattuck, Oklahoma, Vernon Busby of Taylorville, Audie Holmer of near Witt, Gail of Witt, Muriel of Witt, Dr. C. M. Boyd of Hillsboro, Mrs. Gwendolyn Loucks, wife of Paris Loucks of Dallas, Texas, Leland Busby, merchant in Litchfield, and Evelyn Parmenter, wife of Lester Parmenter, who is an instructor in the Butler school.
One of a family of eight children, Mrs. Busby is survived by one brother, James Waggoner, 84 years old, who lives in Rush County, Indiana, near the old homestead.
Methodist for 89 Years
The Busbys first lived in Christian county, on a farm between Nokomis and Taylorville, for a number of years before moving in the Butler community. They lived for a short time in Litchfield. Mrs. Busby had been a resident of Butler since 1892. Her husband passed away January 8, 1910 and for a number of years she lived alone in Butler, in a house which stood on the site of the present J. W. Osborn home.
When she was eight years old, Mrs. Busby became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and her membership of 89 years may be one on which no other person in the state could boast. She was for many years a member of the Methodist Ladies Aid Society.
Funeral services will be held at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning at the Methodist church in Butler, which was her request with the Rev. John E. Evans of the Methodist Church here and the Rev. Ezra Keller of the Lutheran church here officiating. Interment will be made in the Ware's Grove cemetery.
MRS. BUSBY, BUTLER PIONEER, DIES AT AGE OF 97 YEARS
Funeral Services Will Be Held Tomorrow Morning
Mrs. Ruhama Busby, pioneer resident of Butler whose life spanned nearly a century, passed away quietly at 2:30 Sunday morning at the home of a son, William Busby in Witt. Her age was 97 years, eight months and eight days.
Mrs. Busby has been a resident of Butler for 42 years and for a good many years, since about 1920, had made her home with a son, James A. Busby in Butler. A few years ago she went to Witt to make her home with the son who lives there. Four months ago she fell and the shock of that injury to one of her years proved more than she could endure. She became gradually weaker until the end came early yesterday morning, with relatives in this locality at her bedside.
She had had a facial carcinoma for years but this did not cause her death. She had withstood every ailment until the fall a few months ago and physically was a remarkable woman, as she had to be to attain that age. She was rather active up until the time of her fall, although both sight and hearing had began to be impaired. A woman of large frame, she was one who had spent every year of her active life in hard work, much of which was spent for others. Many of those who knew her recall the countless times when she saddled a horse and rode many miles to officiate at the birth of a child or to care for the sick.
Told Much History
It is recalled that years ago, when she lived alone in Butler, women would come for miles to spend the day at her house and would bring dress material with them, expecting her to design it, cut out the patterns and have the dress made by the time they were ready to return home in the evening. In the days when her children were being reared, of course, she served a household in an age when women spun and wove and made all of the family's clothing from the first step to its completion.
With the death of a few persons of this age in Montgomery County, a large part of the history of early days as it could be recalled by a living person, passed into the realm of the unknown. This is particularly true in speaking of Mrs. Busby, whose ability to recall the past was especially rare.
She never bored younger persons with tales of the past when she had any doubt that the subject was not interesting but, given an audience which she knew was genuinely ready to hear of a day which now seems like fairly lore, she would relate the incidents of her girlhood with wonderful ability. Few persons in the county had the ability to make the past live as she did and could a writer of even average ability taken down the things she had said and imprisoned them in a notebook, he might have been able to have written a very interesting history of a life which embraced virtually a century of time.
Her father was a school teacher in the early days. She used to recall that on his way to school, going miles along a blazed trail through the woods, he used to set his traps for wild turkey and then find his game as he returned from school. That was in a day when few persons knew how to make bread and when the breast meat of wild turkey served the same purpose. One sets this down in almost unbelief as he sits facing a modern manufacturing plant which turns out various kinds of bread with the precision of a chemical institute.
She recalled when nobody had buggies, when an age came along when only the very rich had them. She remembered when matches were unheard of and when the only fire families had was made with flint and steel and when the coals were saved with the utmost care, sometimes being carried for many miles to light a fire at the home of a neighbor.
A Large Family
Mrs. Busby was Ruhama Waggoner (the name since has been shortened to Wagner) and was a daughter of Milton L. and Lucina McDuffy Waggoner who were natives of Kentucky but who were living in Rush county, Indiana, when she was born. She grew to womanhood there, learning by means of what she saw and heard in her own community and being wed to Francis Marion Busby in that community January 16, 1856. His forebears, too, had come west into Kentucky, of which state his parents were natives. All of their children-there were seven-were born in the Indiana community except the youngest of them.
In the fall of 1874 the family came west into this part of Illinois and settled in the Butler community. Here the children were reared and here they made places of importance for themselves in the communities which they accepted as their homes. A number of them spent many years in Butler and two sons, Elbert Busby, who for many years as Big Four station agent there and who now is retired on a pension, and James A. Busby, manager of Farmers' Store in that place.
The eldest child, Miranda, who married Moses Murphy, is deceased, having passed away in 1898. Elbert Busby was the next eldest and then came Emma, wife of Jonathan N. Oppe who lives in Shattuck, Oklahoma, Anna, who is Mrs. Bert Newcome, was until a number of years ago a resident of the Ware's Grove community but now lives in Alturas, Florida. James A. Busby is the youngest but one in the family. Benjamin Otis died in 1883 at the age of eight years.
There are 15 grandchildren living, 34 great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren. The grandchildren are well known. These are Maud Walbolt of Waterville, Ohio, Mae Wesenberg of Toledo, Ohio, Fern Turner, wife of R. K. Turner of near Butler, Marion Sammons, wife of Gus Sammons of near Butler, Herbert Pope of Shattuck, Oklahoma, Ruhama Balsh of Folette, Oklahoma, Lavina McCarter of Shattuck, Oklahoma, Vernon Busby of Taylorville, Audie Holmer of near Witt, Gail of Witt, Muriel of Witt, Dr. C. M. Boyd of Hillsboro, Mrs. Gwendolyn Loucks, wife of Paris Loucks of Dallas, Texas, Leland Busby, merchant in Litchfield, and Evelyn Parmenter, wife of Lester Parmenter, who is an instructor in the Butler school.
One of a family of eight children, Mrs. Busby is survived by one brother, James Waggoner, 84 years old, who lives in Rush County, Indiana, near the old homestead.
Methodist for 89 Years
The Busbys first lived in Christian county, on a farm between Nokomis and Taylorville, for a number of years before moving in the Butler community. They lived for a short time in Litchfield. Mrs. Busby had been a resident of Butler since 1892. Her husband passed away January 8, 1910 and for a number of years she lived alone in Butler, in a house which stood on the site of the present J. W. Osborn home.
When she was eight years old, Mrs. Busby became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and her membership of 89 years may be one on which no other person in the state could boast. She was for many years a member of the Methodist Ladies Aid Society.
Funeral services will be held at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning at the Methodist church in Butler, which was her request with the Rev. John E. Evans of the Methodist Church here and the Rev. Ezra Keller of the Lutheran church here officiating. Interment will be made in the Ware's Grove cemetery.
Ruhama Busby Obituary Published in Hillsboro Journal Monday, January 14, 1934
MRS. BUSBY, BUTLER PIONEER, DIES AT AGE OF 97 YEARS
Funeral Services Will Be Held Tomorrow Morning
Mrs. Ruhama Busby, pioneer resident of Butler whose life spanned nearly a century, passed away quietly at 2:30 Sunday morning at the home of a son, William Busby in Witt. Her age was 97 years, eight months and eight days.
Mrs. Busby has been a resident of Butler for 42 years and for a good many years, since about 1920, had made her home with a son, James A. Busby in Butler. A few years ago she went to Witt to make her home with the son who lives there. Four months ago she fell and the shock of that injury to one of her years proved more than she could endure. She became gradually weaker until the end came early yesterday morning, with relatives in this locality at her bedside.
She had had a facial carcinoma for years but this did not cause her death. She had withstood every ailment until the fall a few months ago and physically was a remarkable woman, as she had to be to attain that age. She was rather active up until the time of her fall, although both sight and hearing had began to be impaired. A woman of large frame, she was one who had spent every year of her active life in hard work, much of which was spent for others. Many of those who knew her recall the countless times when she saddled a horse and rode many miles to officiate at the birth of a child or to care for the sick.
Told Much History
It is recalled that years ago, when she lived alone in Butler, women would come for miles to spend the day at her house and would bring dress material with them, expecting her to design it, cut out the patterns and have the dress made by the time they were ready to return home in the evening. In the days when her children were being reared, of course, she served a household in an age when women spun and wove and made all of the family's clothing from the first step to its completion.
With the death of a few persons of this age in Montgomery County, a large part of the history of early days as it could be recalled by a living person, passed into the realm of the unknown. This is particularly true in speaking of Mrs. Busby, whose ability to recall the past was especially rare.
She never bored younger persons with tales of the past when she had any doubt that the subject was not interesting but, given an audience which she knew was genuinely ready to hear of a day which now seems like fairly lore, she would relate the incidents of her girlhood with wonderful ability. Few persons in the county had the ability to make the past live as she did and could a writer of even average ability taken down the things she had said and imprisoned them in a notebook, he might have been able to have written a very interesting history of a life which embraced virtually a century of time.
Her father was a school teacher in the early days. She used to recall that on his way to school, going miles along a blazed trail through the woods, he used to set his traps for wild turkey and then find his game as he returned from school. That was in a day when few persons knew how to make bread and when the breast meat of wild turkey served the same purpose. One sets this down in almost unbelief as he sits facing a modern manufacturing plant which turns out various kinds of bread with the precision of a chemical institute.
She recalled when nobody had buggies, when an age came along when only the very rich had them. She remembered when matches were unheard of and when the only fire families had was made with flint and steel and when the coals were saved with the utmost care, sometimes being carried for many miles to light a fire at the home of a neighbor.
A Large Family
Mrs. Busby was Ruhama Waggoner (the name since has been shortened to Wagner) and was a daughter of Milton L. and Lucina McDuffy Waggoner who were natives of Kentucky but who were living in Rush county, Indiana, when she was born. She grew to womanhood there, learning by means of what she saw and heard in her own community and being wed to Francis Marion Busby in that community January 16, 1856. His forebears, too, had come west into Kentucky, of which state his parents were natives. All of their children-there were seven-were born in the Indiana community except the youngest of them.
In the fall of 1874 the family came west into this part of Illinois and settled in the Butler community. Here the children were reared and here they made places of importance for themselves in the communities which they accepted as their homes. A number of them spent many years in Butler and two sons, Elbert Busby, who for many years as Big Four station agent there and who now is retired on a pension, and James A. Busby, manager of Farmers' Store in that place.
The eldest child, Miranda, who married Moses Murphy, is deceased, having passed away in 1898. Elbert Busby was the next eldest and then came Emma, wife of Jonathan N. Oppe who lives in Shattuck, Oklahoma, Anna, who is Mrs. Bert Newcome, was until a number of years ago a resident of the Ware's Grove community but now lives in Alturas, Florida. James A. Busby is the youngest but one in the family. Benjamin Otis died in 1883 at the age of eight years.
There are 15 grandchildren living, 34 great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren. The grandchildren are well known. These are Maud Walbolt of Waterville, Ohio, Mae Wesenberg of Toledo, Ohio, Fern Turner, wife of R. K. Turner of near Butler, Marion Sammons, wife of Gus Sammons of near Butler, Herbert Pope of Shattuck, Oklahoma, Ruhama Balsh of Folette, Oklahoma, Lavina McCarter of Shattuck, Oklahoma, Vernon Busby of Taylorville, Audie Holmer of near Witt, Gail of Witt, Muriel of Witt, Dr. C. M. Boyd of Hillsboro, Mrs. Gwendolyn Loucks, wife of Paris Loucks of Dallas, Texas, Leland Busby, merchant in Litchfield, and Evelyn Parmenter, wife of Lester Parmenter, who is an instructor in the Butler school.
One of a family of eight children, Mrs. Busby is survived by one brother, James Waggoner, 84 years old, who lives in Rush County, Indiana, near the old homestead.
Methodist for 89 Years
The Busbys first lived in Christian county, on a farm between Nokomis and Taylorville, for a number of years before moving in the Butler community. They lived for a short time in Litchfield. Mrs. Busby had been a resident of Butler since 1892. Her husband passed away January 8, 1910 and for a number of years she lived alone in Butler, in a house which stood on the site of the present J. W. Osborn home.
When she was eight years old, Mrs. Busby became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and her membership of 89 years may be one on which no other person in the state could boast. She was for many years a member of the Methodist Ladies Aid Society.
Funeral services will be held at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning at the Methodist church in Butler, which was her request with the Rev. John E. Evans of the Methodist Church here and the Rev. Ezra Keller of the Lutheran church here officiating. Interment will be made in the Ware's Grove cemetery.
MRS. BUSBY, BUTLER PIONEER, DIES AT AGE OF 97 YEARS
Funeral Services Will Be Held Tomorrow Morning
Mrs. Ruhama Busby, pioneer resident of Butler whose life spanned nearly a century, passed away quietly at 2:30 Sunday morning at the home of a son, William Busby in Witt. Her age was 97 years, eight months and eight days.
Mrs. Busby has been a resident of Butler for 42 years and for a good many years, since about 1920, had made her home with a son, James A. Busby in Butler. A few years ago she went to Witt to make her home with the son who lives there. Four months ago she fell and the shock of that injury to one of her years proved more than she could endure. She became gradually weaker until the end came early yesterday morning, with relatives in this locality at her bedside.
She had had a facial carcinoma for years but this did not cause her death. She had withstood every ailment until the fall a few months ago and physically was a remarkable woman, as she had to be to attain that age. She was rather active up until the time of her fall, although both sight and hearing had began to be impaired. A woman of large frame, she was one who had spent every year of her active life in hard work, much of which was spent for others. Many of those who knew her recall the countless times when she saddled a horse and rode many miles to officiate at the birth of a child or to care for the sick.
Told Much History
It is recalled that years ago, when she lived alone in Butler, women would come for miles to spend the day at her house and would bring dress material with them, expecting her to design it, cut out the patterns and have the dress made by the time they were ready to return home in the evening. In the days when her children were being reared, of course, she served a household in an age when women spun and wove and made all of the family's clothing from the first step to its completion.
With the death of a few persons of this age in Montgomery County, a large part of the history of early days as it could be recalled by a living person, passed into the realm of the unknown. This is particularly true in speaking of Mrs. Busby, whose ability to recall the past was especially rare.
She never bored younger persons with tales of the past when she had any doubt that the subject was not interesting but, given an audience which she knew was genuinely ready to hear of a day which now seems like fairly lore, she would relate the incidents of her girlhood with wonderful ability. Few persons in the county had the ability to make the past live as she did and could a writer of even average ability taken down the things she had said and imprisoned them in a notebook, he might have been able to have written a very interesting history of a life which embraced virtually a century of time.
Her father was a school teacher in the early days. She used to recall that on his way to school, going miles along a blazed trail through the woods, he used to set his traps for wild turkey and then find his game as he returned from school. That was in a day when few persons knew how to make bread and when the breast meat of wild turkey served the same purpose. One sets this down in almost unbelief as he sits facing a modern manufacturing plant which turns out various kinds of bread with the precision of a chemical institute.
She recalled when nobody had buggies, when an age came along when only the very rich had them. She remembered when matches were unheard of and when the only fire families had was made with flint and steel and when the coals were saved with the utmost care, sometimes being carried for many miles to light a fire at the home of a neighbor.
A Large Family
Mrs. Busby was Ruhama Waggoner (the name since has been shortened to Wagner) and was a daughter of Milton L. and Lucina McDuffy Waggoner who were natives of Kentucky but who were living in Rush county, Indiana, when she was born. She grew to womanhood there, learning by means of what she saw and heard in her own community and being wed to Francis Marion Busby in that community January 16, 1856. His forebears, too, had come west into Kentucky, of which state his parents were natives. All of their children-there were seven-were born in the Indiana community except the youngest of them.
In the fall of 1874 the family came west into this part of Illinois and settled in the Butler community. Here the children were reared and here they made places of importance for themselves in the communities which they accepted as their homes. A number of them spent many years in Butler and two sons, Elbert Busby, who for many years as Big Four station agent there and who now is retired on a pension, and James A. Busby, manager of Farmers' Store in that place.
The eldest child, Miranda, who married Moses Murphy, is deceased, having passed away in 1898. Elbert Busby was the next eldest and then came Emma, wife of Jonathan N. Oppe who lives in Shattuck, Oklahoma, Anna, who is Mrs. Bert Newcome, was until a number of years ago a resident of the Ware's Grove community but now lives in Alturas, Florida. James A. Busby is the youngest but one in the family. Benjamin Otis died in 1883 at the age of eight years.
There are 15 grandchildren living, 34 great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren. The grandchildren are well known. These are Maud Walbolt of Waterville, Ohio, Mae Wesenberg of Toledo, Ohio, Fern Turner, wife of R. K. Turner of near Butler, Marion Sammons, wife of Gus Sammons of near Butler, Herbert Pope of Shattuck, Oklahoma, Ruhama Balsh of Folette, Oklahoma, Lavina McCarter of Shattuck, Oklahoma, Vernon Busby of Taylorville, Audie Holmer of near Witt, Gail of Witt, Muriel of Witt, Dr. C. M. Boyd of Hillsboro, Mrs. Gwendolyn Loucks, wife of Paris Loucks of Dallas, Texas, Leland Busby, merchant in Litchfield, and Evelyn Parmenter, wife of Lester Parmenter, who is an instructor in the Butler school.
One of a family of eight children, Mrs. Busby is survived by one brother, James Waggoner, 84 years old, who lives in Rush County, Indiana, near the old homestead.
Methodist for 89 Years
The Busbys first lived in Christian county, on a farm between Nokomis and Taylorville, for a number of years before moving in the Butler community. They lived for a short time in Litchfield. Mrs. Busby had been a resident of Butler since 1892. Her husband passed away January 8, 1910 and for a number of years she lived alone in Butler, in a house which stood on the site of the present J. W. Osborn home.
When she was eight years old, Mrs. Busby became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and her membership of 89 years may be one on which no other person in the state could boast. She was for many years a member of the Methodist Ladies Aid Society.
Funeral services will be held at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning at the Methodist church in Butler, which was her request with the Rev. John E. Evans of the Methodist Church here and the Rev. Ezra Keller of the Lutheran church here officiating. Interment will be made in the Ware's Grove cemetery.
Inscription
His wife
Family Members
Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
