MRS. ANNIE WATERS; NO 10 “RALLS COUNTY TIMES” JUNE 29, 1900 On the 28th day of November 1805, in St Charles County, Missouri, Mrs. Annie Waters was born, and thought to be the oldest native-born Missourian living today. She has lived through the administrations of every President from Jefferson down and hopes to see W. J. Bryan elected. Her maiden name Hostetter and she was the fifth child of a family of thirteen children all of whom are dead save this venerable lady and two brothers, namely Enos Hostetter, living at Carrollton, MO. and Gabriel Hostetter, living at Frankford, Pike county. Her father was a native of Maryland and lived to be 74 years of age. Her mother was from the Blue Grass State and lived to see 75 years. Her Maiden name was Keithly (Keithley) and those worthy citizens of this name residing in Ralls County are related to her. In 1798, Isaac Hostetter, her father and two other families left Kentucky and sailed down the Ohio River to its mouth, then up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to St. Charles County. This long and dangerous trip was made in a pirogue, or canon, 60 feet long, dug by the three men out of a popular tree found on the bank of Licking River. True, it was a rude sailing craft, but it brought the three families and their little belongings though in safety. The Hostetter family remained in St. Charles County until 1819, when they removed to Pike County, setting on a farm east of Frankford. This Farm was afterward bought by the youngest child Gabriel and by him lately sold to his son, Roe Hostetter, who now resides there. Her father’s house was “meeting” place for many of the eminent preachers of those days and there Alexander Campbell, Duke Young, Sandy Jones and others often preached the gospel to anxious listeners. That house was always open for preaching, song and praise, and many a sin-sick soul found within its plain old walls that “peace which passeth all understanding.” John Mallory, a wandering schoolmaster, taught her to read and write. In September 1821, she was married to Jacob Roland, by Parson Jackson, an eminent Baptist preacher, and at once went to housekeeping in the rude cabin this young couple called home. She was less than sixteen years of age, but a stout county lass, with a purpose to do her whole duty in the new relation. In the Spring following her departure from the parental roof, the little cabin and all it contained was destroyed by fire and thus completely out of doors and their few gathering gone, she returned to her father’s house, while the stout young husband went forth with axe in hand to build another home. In the summer of 1826, during a meeting conducted by Rev. James Campbell, a Cumberland Presbyterian preacher, she joined the church of that name. During her stay in Pike county, three children were born to this marriage, namely, Enoch, better known as “Squire” Roland, who married Martha A., daughter of Parson Timothy Rogers, a Baptist minister, in Pike county. The second child Elizabeth, is the wife of John Wilson, a resident of Saverton Township and the third child was James M. named for James McBride, a friend of the family and an able Christian preacher in his day. This son James died a few years ago. In the Spring of 1828, Jacob Roland and his little family came to Ralls county and resided a short while in the home Roland Keithly (Keithley), in Saverton township, then moving to a place of their own, one mile north of Bailey Ford, on Salt River. They lived there for some time and six other children came into the home to-wit: Isaac Roland, now retired and living at Vandalia; Samuel living near Spalding this county, Enos, decreased, Mary C., single and living with her sister, Mrs. John Wilson, living in Center township and Davilla, wife of James K. Ely. This latter name is a very popular one in the Glascock family of this county and this daughter was named for Mrs. Davilla Glascock, mother of our friends Thos and Hopson Glascock. In October 1836, the Christian church at Salt River was organized by Elder Sandy E. Jones. A meeting had been in progress for some time at the residence of Roland Keithly (Keithley) and at its close, an organization was effected– Mrs. Roland becoming one of the number of good people who formed the congregation at that place and today she is the only one of the original members this side of the Golden City. All these years she has maintained her youthful profession in Christ and has never missed attending church when able to go. While in St. Charles county Isaac Hostetter aided in the building of forts, which were often the only means of saving the “settlement” from the depredations of the Indians. For this and other services in the Indian War, he was regarded as a very worthy and honorable citizen and the self-same goodly traits of character are found today in all his numerous descendants throughout Pike and Ralls counties. The farm Mr. Roland opened up in Saverton Township was a very fine one. A dense forest of timber of all kinds had to be cleared away before any planting could be done. But in time the clearing widened until many broad acres surrounded the home and contributed in abundance all they needed. In the work of clearing away this forest the young wife helped by burning brush while her husband wielded the axe. In the spring of 1852, Mr. Roland moved to a farm 4 miles south of Madisonville, in Jasper Township, now owned by Noah Hendrix. Here he lived until his death, which occurred in July 1854. During a heavy rain he went out in his yard to bring in a mowing scythe and with this on his shoulder to place it in a shed, he was stuck by lightning and died from the effects of the shock some ten days. Four years after the death of Jacob Roland she married Elder George Waters, father of Judge Nimrod Waters, of this city. Mr. Waters in his young life had been a soldier in the War of 1812, later he was a preacher in the Christian church. For his war service, Aunt Annie draws a pension from the Government. Mr. Waters died in 1869. After this event she went to live with her son Isaac at Vandalia and in 1889 changed her home to that of her daughter Elizabeth and Mary, in Saverton Township, where she now resides. Aunt Annie clearly remembers the New Madrid MO., earthquake, 1811. She says the earth fairly trembled, roofs of cabins fell in and backlogs in the fireplaces rolled out on the floors in many places as far north at St Charles. About her home in latter county the red man roamed at will and was a frequent visitor at her father’s house. On one occasion a brave borrowed her father’s gun and keeping it longer than expected, he gave up as gone, but in a day or so after, the Indian, true to his promise, bought the fowling piece back with profuse thanks for its long use. On being asked by the writer how those early settlers were provided with lights, tableware and other articles of every day use, said: “Oh we had grease cups with home made wicks for light, before we got to making candles. The fire was kept all the year round in the fireplace and if it went out we would go to a neighbor for a shovel full of live coals. If the neighbor was out too or far away, we always had a flint rock and piece of steel, with these and a little tow or piece of spunk, we soon had fire again. As for dishes the settlers mostly used made out of lead. My father gave six dollars for a half dozen pewter plates and these were our Sunday dishes. Once in a while a peddler would come around and mould the medal ware into new designs. Some men in every neighborhood would make rude jars and crooks out of clay, but they were not the smooth polished articles we buy today. When I was a girl I paid nine dollars for a new leghorn hat. It had a large front and by getting a neighbor to re-shape and bleach it every year or so, I had a good new hat for six or seven years. The bark of trees furnished us material for nearly all the coloring we needed for the clothing we wore and the other goods we made. Father was a great beekeeper and always had a good supply of the best honey. He made the hives out of shucks platted and formed into cone shape. Our salt mostly from the lick at Spalding Springs. We had our grinding done at the Matson mill on the slough east of New London and the little trading we did with the outside world was when a boat would land a Saverton.” While we talked with this good mother Israel and noted her eventful history, she was humming the tune of a favorite hymn. On being asked to name some of the hymns she loved to sing in her youth, replied: “Oh, I love them all and especially ‘O, happy children who follow Jesus,’ ‘Am I a soldier of the Cross,’ ‘When the roll is called up yonder,’ I love to sing, but ain’t much good to carry the tune any more.” On this point the many church goers in the places where she has worshiped all these years remember well her rich and melodious voice a she carried her part in the singing. In the art of coloring home-made goods she was considered an expert, and was in great demand by her neighbors far and near to show them her processes. She has forth-two living grandchildren, seventy-five great-grandchildren and five great great grandchildren. Her hearing is remarkably good and until this spring she read her Testament with ease. She goes about her home unaided by cane or other help and has a splendid appetite. She sleeps well and says she never had a doctor to see her in sickness. Of cheerful and happy turn, she enjoys life as well as she ever did. She realizes that the Good Master has lengthened out her to exceeding number and is ready to cheerfully pass over the Jordan when the Father calls. A more happy and trustful soul would be hard to find. Her faith in Christ is as fixed as the stars and her feet are to tread the streets of the New Jerusalem. Such in brief is the life of “Aunt Annie” Waters, now approaching her ninety-fifth birthday. That she may reach it and others still to come we sincerely hope, but should she fall asleep before, the memory of her long useful and zealous Christian life will live many years to come.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 02:21:15 +0000
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