Sarah Frances Cackley, daughter of Benjamin and Frances Cackley, was born on the Alleghaney Mountains in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, Jan. 7, 1828, and died at the home of her daughter in Vernon Township, Van Buren County, Iowa, Jan. 31, 1917, aged 89 years and 24 days. She was the last survivor of a family of 12 children.

Her parents emigrated to Jackson County, Ohio, in 1835 and resided there until the death of her father in 1844; her mother then moved to Gallio County, Ohio, where she resided until she moved in 1850 to Van Buren County, Iowa.

She was married to H.M. Parish of Lee County, Iowa, Dec. 4, 1854, and they lived a few years in Van Buren County, Iowa, moving to Clark County, Mo., in 1861, and residing on the same farm until the death of the husband Nov. 15, 1900. She still lived on and managed the farm until failing health compelled her to leave the home and go to live with her children.

She was the mother of eight sons and two daughters; two sons died in infancy; the oldest son, Linneas, died in February, 1879, and those living are Alpheus and Roswell of Clark County, Mo.; Ellery of Promise City, Iowa; Armon of Sterling, Col.; Emmilius and Mrs. Anna Searight of Granger, Mo.; and Mrs. Frances Fitzgerald of Van Buren County, Iowa.

She leaves to mourn their loss 7 children, 24 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.

She was converted and united with the Methodist Church when young and later changed to the Baptist Church and was baptized by Rev. Samuel Pickard Nov. 19, 1865. She lived a consistent Christian life from the time of her conversion and always took a great pleasure in reading her Bible, reading the great Book of Books through 50 times.

Mrs. Parish was a pioneer school teacher. She taught in all 18 terms. Nine terms of 3 months each in Ohio at $6 to $8 per month, 4 terms of 3 months each in Lee County at $10 per month, 4 terms in Van Buren County, one term was at the Ward School House in Vernon Township at $6 per month,, one at Bear Creek at $12 per month and paying $1 per week for board. All the terms were 3 months and each 3 months had 65 school days except the term at the Ward School District which was 72 days for $18 and boarding at home. Mrs. Parish said she was very fortunate to have education enough to teach school as she could only get $0.75 per week for house work. The text books used in those days were McGuffeys Reader, Ray’s Arithmetic, Elementary Speller, Morse Geography, Pineo and Harvey’s Grammar.

They did not have the Spencerian or vertical system of penmanship at that time but Mrs. Parish taught writing in her schools when the scholars could find quills for her to make the pens to write with. Her school teaching was from 1846 to 1855. She only had 18 months schooling before she began teaching. The text books she had to study when she started to school were the Elementary Speller and the New Testament but later had the English Reader and McGuffeys Reader. Rays Arithmetic was used in the schools only a short time before she quit teaching.

Source; Iowa Rankin and Jenny Matheson newspaper clippings