Adaline Hitch

The following is an obituary for Adaline (Hitch) Hobbs (probably from a Louisville, Illinois newspaper of February 1936 - copy sent to me by Mrs. Milli Dold on September 8, 2000)

Adaline Hitch, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hitch, was born April 23, 1839, an a farm near Georgetown, Brown Co., Indiana, and died February 3, 1936. In 1853 at the. age of 14, she came with her parents in a prairie schooner to Clay Co., Illinois, stopping for a few days at the home of Enoch Moore, land agent, living on what is now the Sumner Hayes farm. After a few days Mr Hitch bought forty acres of Henry Scheller, now the home of Wm Lynn. In. 1856 Mrs. Hitch died leaving the care of the household upon young Adeline.

She was married to Levi Hobbs, September 29, 1857, to which union were born two sons Harold and Orlean, who died in early childhood, and four daughters, Mrs. Eva Hayes, Mrs. Lunda McQueen, Miss Dollie Hobbs and Mrs. Mabel Jenner. Within a few days after the death of Mrs. Hobbs, Mrs. Hayes passed away. Mrs. Hobbs also had four grandchildren, Hobbs Hayes, deceased, Mrs. Sara Morelock, Lloyd Jenner, Dorothy Auld, and five great-grandchildren. Mrs. Hobbs, who lived to the ripe old age of almost 97 years, saw generations come and go, waiting through nearly a century, watching from the dawn of a scientific age to the marvels of the present, when time and space are coming under man's dominion.

A wonderfully rich and full life was hers. She passed slowly and gracefully across Life's stage and now sleeps peacefully with the noblest of all the ages. Mrs. Hobbs had a large circle of friends who enjoyed her subtle wit and wonderful memory which she retained to the last. The funeral was.held Thursday, February 6, 1936, at the Louisville Christian Church, Rev. C. L. Doty officiating. She having united with the Disciples of Christ at Louisville, Ill. in 1858. Burial in Jenkins Cemetery by the side of heir husband who preceded her to the Great Beyond in April 1903.

The following was sent to me by Milli Dold in September 2000. It is a first-hand writing of Adaline (Hitch) Hobbs from about 1931:

The following was written by a great-aunt of Ella Barker Thompson, grandmother of Mildred Dold

A Story of my Life By Mrs. Adaline Hobbs

I was born in Brown County, Indiana in 1839. My father came from Delaware. His name was John Hitch, and my mother's name was Ameley Jenkins. They settled down among the hills, cleared up a farm, cutting down trees, beech, poplar and oak, cutting them into lengths, then the neighbors helped to roll them in to piles. This was called "log rolling". The women came to help with the dinner. There were chickens with their legs crossed and every good thing to eat. There were no saw mills then, and not much work of any kind in the hills. They made hickory chairs and hauled them to Indianapolis for the Senate, the wagons being drawn by big horned oxen.

There were no churches in the country but they held meetings at the farm houses and all stayed for dinner. one day some men came to our house from Kentucky, said they had,heard there was gold along the creek called "Bean Blossom" that ran through our land. I think there were six men and they had the machinery to dig with. They were there about two weeks, the gold is there but in small particles and they did not get rich. After they went away I took a tin pan and went down to the creek to wash gold. I made me a pen from a goose quill and picked out the little bits of gold. I had quite a lot in a bottle and would show it to people. One day I missed it so that was the end of my gold digging.

When we killed a beef we made candles out of the tallow. We had moulds that made four candles. We had a sugar camp and made sugar and molasses. When I was nine years old my parents told me I must go to school; they bought me a primer, the first lines in it were:

My bird is dead said Nancy Ray, My bird is dead I cannot play

I started to school but did not like,the teacher and went home. The schools were not so strict then as now. The land was rich and would grow any kind of grain. Wheat and oats were cut with cradles, raked up in bundles with rakes with long handles, the teeth made of wood.

When- I was sixteen years old my mother died, no one at home but father and myself. I had to stop school. I did not know how to work but I put my books away f or I saw something had to be done. It was lonesome for me. I loved to read. One day I was sitting on the porch reading when a young man called to see me; he asked what I was reading, but I did not (?) so he did not stay long and I wondered what he came for. Time and years rolled on. He soon married a lovely girl but she did not live long and in a short time he found another helpmate.

I began to see I was getting old. I married a mate. Then life began in earnest. I tried to do my part of the work all the way down and up, caring for the sick and doing the best I could. I have four lovely girls that are dear to me. My companion died and I was left alone.

In after years this same young man I spoke of first came to me and said "We are both old but will you marry me?" I said "No, too late". He looked at me with love and pity, tears running down his cheeks, and said "I feel I can't live very long" and soon died.

He said "I will leave you five thousand dollars in a sealed envelope, call and get it". His relatives broke the will. I did not get it, but I think I know who did. Love is a funny thing, but we can't do without it. And now I am just waiting in my little home place for the end to come.

Your loving mother, Adaline Hobbs

Note: The above biography was written by my dear mother in her 91st year for my birthday remembrance. L.H.M. (ed. Note - L.H.M. is undoubtedly Lunda Hobbs McQueen)

Adaline married Levi Hobbs, son of Jesse Hobbs and Betsy (?), on 29 Sep 1857 in Clay Co., IL.^{1 2} (Levi Hobbs was born on 24 Mar 1837 in IL,^{6 7} died on 22 Apr 1903 in Clay Co., IL ⁶ and was buried about 25 Apr 1903 in Jenkins Cemetery, Harter Twp., Clay Co., IL.)