| Newspaper | Cassville Republican |
|---|---|
| Date | Feb 27, 1896 |
| Headline | Married a Life Time James C. and Martha Wethers [sic] United for Nearly Three Score Years and Ten |
| Text | Uncle Jimmy Wethers [Weathers] may never reach the century mark, but one thing certain, he is running Death a strong race and his hale old wife is keeping well up. Their average age is 90 years, but on the 9th uit.? Mr. Wethers [sic] preached 91 until October 15. Mrs. Wethers [sic] passed the 80th mile post in her journey. Though so aged, Mr. Wethers [sic] had never had a photograph taken and the THE REPUBLICAN wanted one. On the 10th the writer went to Ash Township, where Mr. Wethers [sic] lives with his son, Thos. B. and gained his consent to "sit" for a photograph. For the first time in two years he left the house and sat in the bright sunshine that our readers might know how the oldest couple in Barry County look. Mrs. Wethers [sic] was harder to find. Though making, her home at her son Allen's, the serious illness of a son of Mr. Anderson, over a half mile away touched sympathies and the study old lady had walked there to reader assistance. To see her walk about, one would doubt that had it been twice as far she would have walked it easily. The interesting couple are natives of Sumner County, Tennessee, where they were born Jan 9, 1804 and Oct 15, 1806, respectively, some twenty miles from Gallatin, on the Cumberland River. In 1820, they removed to Warrick Co., Ind., where they lived until May 10,1843, when they stated for the Sunny Southwest, arriving at Cassville June 22, 1843, at which time there was but one family here living in a log house. Cassville wasn't the county seat then, for court was held at Mt. Pleasant near Pierce city and Barry County was as large as some of the eastern states. The land was not sectionized [sic] in those days but Mr. Wethers [sic] bought where Washburn now is and followed his trade as a blacksmith. He made the first tuning plow ever made in the county, taking as a pattern one bought from Illinois by Charles Heddrick. Of the early settlers he has pleasant recollections of Thos. Keet, after whom Keetsville, now Washburn, was named, the "McClure boys" and Judge Cureton, who used to keep store and hauled his goods from St. Louis and Van Buren. Their milling was done at the old Williams Mill below Cassville, which now exists only in the memory of the oldest settlers. In 1844, when James K. Polk ran for president, there were about 27 votes cast at Washburn. A part of 1853 and 1854 was spent in Indiana, but in the latter year they returned. A cow and calf, if good brought from $5 to $7; good horses were worth $20 to $30; sheep 50 cents; calves $1. to $1.50; wheat brought 37 1/2 cents to 40 cents a bushel and corn a dime. Dressed pork was worth a cent a pound and all the hogs one wanted could be bought for 50 cents, and salt 2 cents a pound. Mr. Wethers [sic] remained in Barry County until 1862, when he joined Capt. Dixon's company under Price and Jo Shelby as regimental blacksmith in Co. Hunter's regiment. He was with Price when he made his last raid in Missouri. He says he thought the war an unjust one but to get out of the way of bushwhackers, who got everything he had, he joined the southern army and remained with it until 1865. Of their five boys, Allen M. joined the Union army and Doc (Alexander L.) Steve and William went into the Confederate service with their father. The other son, Thos. B., was too young for service and remained near Washburn. Mrs. Wethers' [sic] maiden name was Yarber and she was marred to Mr. Wehers [sic] by Squire John Durham, which also came to their county and was buried at the Prairie Church some thirty years ago. She is the mother of ten children, of whom nine are living, the oldest being 67, the youngest 46. She can count 64 grandchildren and 56 great-grandchildren. Mr. Wethers [sic] is the only living one of his generation but can no longer vote the Democratic ticket as was his want during all his life until 1888, when he cast his last vote. He has retired from politics as from an active part of life. Research Note: The family spells their name Weathers and not Wethers as in this article. James Charles Weathers and Martha Yarber were buried at Hickman Cemetery. She died May 16, 1899 and he died July 7, 1896. They were married Jan 30, 1827 in Summner Co., TN. Their son Allen M. Weathers married Florence Russell, daughter of Milo Butler and Unice Mariah (Haddock) Russell. Unice was a daughter of Zachariah and Chloe (Albritton) Haddock. |
| Resource | State Historical Society of MO Microfilm |
| Submitted by | Donna Cooper |
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