On the 17th of October at her home, in this county, where she had lived seventy-eight years of her life, Mrs. Elizabeth Ruff Mitchell departed this life about four o'clock in the morning, age 100 years, one month and eighteen days. She was a South Carolinian by birth, but came to Georgia when a little child.

She was born August 10, 1812, joined the Methodist Church at 13 years of age and, hence, at her death bed, had been a continuous member of the communion for 87 years, very likely reaching the distinction of being, at her death, the oldest member of that denomination on earth. She lived under the administrations of twenty-four of the twenty-seven presidents of the United States - all but Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Mrs. Mitchell was the mother of fifteen children, nine of whom survive her. He descendants numbered at her death about four hundred people, reaching to one of the sixth generation. It was a custom of many of her descendants to annually meet at the old homestead and hold a reunion, when the aged matriarch greeted her loved ones with joy and pleasure followed by a feast of good things.

As old age came on Mrs. Mitchell began to lose her eyesight, and for many months she was blind, and her hearing also became greatly impaired. She seemed to never lose interest in religion and was pleased to have the Scriptures read and the Songs of Zion sung and the voice of prayer uttered in her home. When some eighty years old she, with trembling fingers and dimming eyesight worked the letters and words of the Ten Commandments on perforated cardboard, suing threads of different colors, making a very pretty and useful ornament. This she had framed and requested that when her funeral occasion arrived that this work should be carried along with her body to the church and left there as a present from her. And this was done.

Her funeral was preached at Williams Chapel M.E. Church, South, October 18th, in the presence of a large concourse of people, including many of her relatives, friends and acquaintances. The sermon was from the text in the 90th Psalm, "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" and was delivered by her pastor Rev. W.O. Butler of the Stockbridge circuit, assisted by Rev. W. Jones of the Jonesboro circuit.

Thus ends the earthly career of a good woman, who served her day and generation by the will of God and fellowship, amidst the tears and sympathy of relatives, friends and acquaintances, awaiting the voice that shall wake the dead on the resurrection morn.

Her Pastor,
Rev. W.O. Butler

(NOTE: I do not know if this was from an obit that was printed in a newspaper, or exactly what was its origin. What I have is an old piece of paper with the information typed on it. It was a great treasure to my grandmother, Eddie Ollie Lee (BURKS) CRAWFORD, the daughter of Elmina MITCHELL and Joshua Jonathan BURKS and the granddaughter of Elizabeth (RUFF) MITCHELL. - M. Knight)

Submitted by Marylee Watson Knight Thanks for sharing your family with us!!