The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Dear Editor,
I am not a subscriber to your paper as I live in Houston Texas, but I have recently found your on-line edition.
I have found the "Moments in History" to be interesting and in fact it was most useful to me when I came upon your November 13, 2002 issue.
The Bacon family that the piece related to happened to be my ggg-grandparents Silas and Chloe Bacon and my gg-grandfather Franklin Bacon. I had been unable to determine the parents of Franklin other than that his mother's first name was Chloe.
All the information in the piece was new to me (with exception of names of 3 sons) and filled in a large piece of family history.
Henderson County has a lot of my family history centered there.
I wish to express my appreciation to you for publishing this piece.
Harold Shull
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Moment in History
Married in 1820 Silas and Chloe (Wait) Bacon of New York State came to Henderson County on Sept.13, 1837.
This was before the county was organized and the Black Hawk War had just recently been concluded.
Mr. Bacon entered 160 acres of federal land and began farming. Alas, tragedy struck and he died in 1841 leaving his wife and five children.
Frontier women were tough and with the help of three sons, 17, 14 and 7 years of age, she endured.
Two daughter joined their father in 1844 and now Mrs. Bacon was left with her three sons, Alonzo, Franklin, and Ransom to work the land and carry on.
This staunch pioneer woman survived; in fact, she lived a long life finally going to her reward in 1870.
Well done, brave and faithful mother!!
Thanks!
Dear Editor,
Just wanted you to know that in searching down a Fawley relative from the turn of last century ... A.F. Fawley, I came across him mentioned on your achived graphic of 1916 ... He was a state attorney in your area but was born and raised in Ohio (where I was lived for many years) ... he is my Grandmother Helen Roberts' uncle. Just more to add to the story for my children ...
Thanks so much!
Rick Roberts
Allen County - Scottsville HS AP Biology, Genetics, Computer Science and Fastpitch Softball
"Never neglect to cultivate your mind while in youth, in the grand work you are now laboring with ... and prepare to meet old age without dismay."
By request of you Friend and Teacher - P. H. Shaffer, 1886 ... on a post card of Reward of Merit to my great-grandmother Aggie (Anges Jane Cochran Fawley) at Harwood School, Harwood (Ohio) when she was ten years old. I lived the first six years of my life in her home and she lived to be 91.
Dear Editor:
Scientific advances, the extension of life and changes in our social patterns have combined to create a new role in our new Century: caregiving. Today, in Illinois, more than 2 million people have assumed this role. They are responsible, both directly and by long-distance, for the care of ailing spouses, siblings, parents, friends, adult children who are disabled - and grandchildren.
It's the new conversational theme that pops up in almost every setting. If you are over 40, I imagine that you have been part of a conversation about caregiving this very week. And I will go on to wager that you or someone you know is performing this demanding task right now.
Caregiving changes everything. Plans for retirement are scuttled. Social activities are abbreviated. Budgets are threatened. Rest and privacy are sacrificed. But the worst part, I have observed, is the social isolation. For years, we have known that strong social ties are positively correlated with high morale, particularly among older people. Social activity is also strongly related to physical health. And this is why an inordinate number of caregivers fall ill.
If you are a caregiver, please understand that you are not alone. The Department on Aging has set up a network of support and information that is aimed to make this role easier to handle. Please call the Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 (Voice and TTY). Say you read this letter. Ask for help.
If you are not a caregiver, please call a caregiver you know and thank that person for their dedication. Ask what you can do, - or better yet, do something that you know will be helpful. Caregivers need our support.
Sincerely,
Charles D. Johnson, Dir, Ill. Dept. on Aging