Defiance County Pioneers - Margaret Wilcox

"DEATH OF PIONEER LADY

Mrs. Margaret Wilcox Passes Away

Eloquent Words Uttered in Her Praise

Margaret Fee was born in Gallia county, Ohio, November 11, 1823.  She was one of 12 children.

In 1830, the family moved to a farm bordering the St. Joe river, northeast of Edgerton, afterward known as Denmark.  

The father took sick and died while on the way to the new home and the widow was left with this large family to battle with the trials of pioneer life in the wilderness of a wild,new country.

On March 23, 1842, Margaret was united in marriage to Alfred W. Wilcox with whom she shared the joys and sorrows of life until the year 1893 when it pleased the Lord to remove her husband by death.

Their union was blessed with 10 children, three sons and seven daughters.  

On Tuesday evening, September 28, 1909, when this mother had reached the ripe age of 85 years, 10 months and 17 days, she peacefully fell asleep.  Of her 10 children, only 5 survive her: Mrs. Celeste Amaden, John Wilcox, Mrs. Lucina Lehman, Mrs. Ida Cleveland, and Mrs. Emma Crary.

The parents and all the brothers and sisters of Mrs. Wilcox had preceded her in death.  She, herself, lived, however, to see the fourth generation of descendants.  But her one great-great granchild died about two years ago.  The other descendants that survive are 14 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.  

Mrs. Wilcox was a resident of Milford township for more than 67 years, and was respected and loved by all who knew her.  She was a faithful wife, a devoted mother, a true friend, and kind neighbor, and she will be greatly missed among her neighbors and friends. 

The funeral was held at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Crary, Thursday forenoon, October 1, conducted by Rev. D. F. Helms, of Hicksville...  Four very appropriate selections were sung by a selected quartet.   Mrs. M. M. Farnsworth of Hicksville, and Dr. Hathaway of Edgerton, paid touching tributes to Mrs. Wilcox and Miss Hathaway read by request a very fitting poem.  The body was laid to rest in Forest Home cemetery."

www.findagrave.com

 In an unusual circumstance, the funeral sermons given by both Mrs. Farnsworth and Dr. Hathaway were included with the obituary, making it quite a lengthy piece.  Included here are parts of both sermons, just because they give more information about Margaret Wilcox, and give us a better understanding of her life.

From Mrs. Farnsworth, a friend and neighbor of 48 years:

"She took up the cares and responsibilities of life at a very tender age.  All along the way she was called to mourn for loved ones, a father, brother and sisters, children and husband, and as they went away, she could but think of the immortality of the future.

She came to northwestern Ohio before the Indians left it.  She knew and endured for the younger generations all the hardships of pioneer life.  With the conveniences and luxuries of the present (1909), we can hardly imagine her life in the forest.  She was familiar with the sight of bears, wolves and panthers.  The Indians with tomahawk and scalping knife often came to her mother's home.  She one night slept on a brush heap within a circle of burning brush heaps which kept the howling wolves at bay.

In her childhood, schools were unknown in this section.  Her young girlhood was spent in graduating herself in general housework, sewing, spinning, knitting.  In her teens she married Mr. William Wilcox who had bought a farm in Milford township and erected a cabin for his bride.  There she came to bless and beautify his home, and there as the days and years went by, with hard toil...

She was anxious for settlers to come in, knowing all these things enhanced the value of property and the interest of her children...  She once said to me, 'Mrs. Farnsworth, I don't think we are greedy money makers, but William and I want to save enough so our children can have a good start for comfortable homes.  We don't want them to work as hard as we have done.'"

And from Dr. Hathaway:

"...I became acquainted with the deceased in 1865, about forty-four years ago, and have been her physician ever since.  She has told me of her early pioneer life.

Emigrating to this country at seven years of age, about 1830, when this country was a dense forest...  When she would be out a little late traveling on horseback, from one settlement to another, keeping music and time while the broken reflection of the moon would glimmer between the tree tops, showing her the trail.

Her father died on his way back from entering land for their future home.  The family was thrown upon their own resources, and her life was a hard one until she married her husband, William Wilcox, in 1843.  He was a giant among giants, a physical force, mind and body.  He was one of the best friends I ever had.  Want and penury never looked her in the face after her marriage.  She did her part; he did his.  They earned and saved and became wealthy.  She has had, since I knew her, all the modern conveniences, and enjoyed them..."  

 Source: Obituaries: Pioneers of Northwest Ohio, Volume 1.  Carma Rowe Estate (Johnson Memorial Library).  No date.  p. 207.

 Copies available at Defiance Public Library and Hicksville and Sherwood branch libraries.