Daughter of Charles P. and Elizabeth (Skeggs) Norris.
1st marrried Unknown Rhodes.
Obituary from: The Anderson Daily Bulletin, Anderson, Indiana, 24 January 1922, p. 1.
Gresham Death Ends Romance of Civil War
Phillip Thomas Gresham, 83, Former Local War Veteran was Wounded at Battle of Gettysburg.
Married Nurse who Took Care of Him in Illness--Wife supported Husband while He was Invalid--Tables Turned Later in Live.
With the death of Philip Thomas Gresham, 83, at his home in Lapel yesterday afternoon, a romance covering more than sixty years culminated and his aged companion who has not walked a step for more than eighteen years together with a daughter, Mrs. Nellie Thomas are left to mourn his loss. Mr. Gresham, who was a cousin to Walter Q. Gresham, Secretary of State under President Cleveland, was born and reared among the hills of Harrison county and at the outbreak of the Civil war was one of the first to enlist in the Union army. At the battle of Gettysburg he was wounded and it was thought he would lose his right leg. He was taken to a field hospital and his nurse was a young widow, Mrs. Rhodes formerly Susan Norris and a daughter of Charles Norris one of the pioneers of Stonycreek township. Their association in the hospital grew into love and when the war was over they were quietly married at Mitchell, Ind.
Wife became Milliner
The soldier husband owing to his wound was an invalid for the first fifteen years of their married life and the wife opened a millinery store to support the small family. With the passage of time and with the best surgery of that day, Mr. Gresham gradually recovered from his wound, although he walked with a limp until the day of his death. They later moved to Huntington [Huntingburg], Ind. where they lived for many years and came to Anderson about twenty years ago, and lived for five years on West Fourth street. Later they moved to Lapel where Mr. Gresham spent the remainder of his life. It was there that the tables were turned and the invalid of their early married life became the protector of his companion who for fifteen years has moved only in a wheelchair. Mrs. Gresham was for years the only wife of a civil war veteran in Madison county, who drew a pension because of her own war record.
The end came peacefully for Mr. Gresham. He had been to the post office for the mail and had handed his companion a paper. A few minutes later when a neighbor entered the room he was found dead in his chair. Coroner Rinne was called and pronounced death due to apoplexy. The funeral will be held at the M.E. church tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 and burial will be in Brookside cemetery.
Willard Thomas, rural mail carrier is a son-in-law. Jefferson C. House, county superintendent, is a nephew of Mrs. Gresham, and B.K. Hersberger of Anderson, is a grand nephew.
∼Age: 90 years, 3 months, 26 days
Widow
Residence: Lapel, Indiana
Husband: P.T. Greshaw
Father: Charles Norris, born in Maryland
Mother: Elizabeth Skeggs
Daughter of Charles P. and Elizabeth (Skeggs) Norris.
1st marrried Unknown Rhodes.
Obituary from: The Anderson Daily Bulletin, Anderson, Indiana, 24 January 1922, p. 1.
Gresham Death Ends Romance of Civil War
Phillip Thomas Gresham, 83, Former Local War Veteran was Wounded at Battle of Gettysburg.
Married Nurse who Took Care of Him in Illness--Wife supported Husband while He was Invalid--Tables Turned Later in Live.
With the death of Philip Thomas Gresham, 83, at his home in Lapel yesterday afternoon, a romance covering more than sixty years culminated and his aged companion who has not walked a step for more than eighteen years together with a daughter, Mrs. Nellie Thomas are left to mourn his loss. Mr. Gresham, who was a cousin to Walter Q. Gresham, Secretary of State under President Cleveland, was born and reared among the hills of Harrison county and at the outbreak of the Civil war was one of the first to enlist in the Union army. At the battle of Gettysburg he was wounded and it was thought he would lose his right leg. He was taken to a field hospital and his nurse was a young widow, Mrs. Rhodes formerly Susan Norris and a daughter of Charles Norris one of the pioneers of Stonycreek township. Their association in the hospital grew into love and when the war was over they were quietly married at Mitchell, Ind.
Wife became Milliner
The soldier husband owing to his wound was an invalid for the first fifteen years of their married life and the wife opened a millinery store to support the small family. With the passage of time and with the best surgery of that day, Mr. Gresham gradually recovered from his wound, although he walked with a limp until the day of his death. They later moved to Huntington [Huntingburg], Ind. where they lived for many years and came to Anderson about twenty years ago, and lived for five years on West Fourth street. Later they moved to Lapel where Mr. Gresham spent the remainder of his life. It was there that the tables were turned and the invalid of their early married life became the protector of his companion who for fifteen years has moved only in a wheelchair. Mrs. Gresham was for years the only wife of a civil war veteran in Madison county, who drew a pension because of her own war record.
The end came peacefully for Mr. Gresham. He had been to the post office for the mail and had handed his companion a paper. A few minutes later when a neighbor entered the room he was found dead in his chair. Coroner Rinne was called and pronounced death due to apoplexy. The funeral will be held at the M.E. church tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 and burial will be in Brookside cemetery.
Willard Thomas, rural mail carrier is a son-in-law. Jefferson C. House, county superintendent, is a nephew of Mrs. Gresham, and B.K. Hersberger of Anderson, is a grand nephew.
∼Age: 90 years, 3 months, 26 days
Widow
Residence: Lapel, Indiana
Husband: P.T. Greshaw
Father: Charles Norris, born in Maryland
Mother: Elizabeth Skeggs
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