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!.....E97.0103.06 SKU 18(3)84 Skinner, David A For several years she had been in feeble health. The declension came with the increasing years. In July of the past year she suffered a slight stroke of paralysis. From this affliction she had never recovered sufficient strength to enable her to leave her bed. A few days ago she developed suddenly pneumonia. Rapid and appropriate treatment was given immediately. But the aged body in its depleted condition refused to respond to the remedies administered. The earthly life of Mrs. Matilda D. SKINNER had been lived. Her mission here was done. And so, on the morning of Tuesday, January 16, 1917, as the hands of the clock marked half-past ten, the redeemed spirit of this Christian woman slipped out of the fallen temple in which for more than four-score years it had made its home, and went away to be with God. The subject of this sketch was born February 14, 1832. The place of her birth was New Brunswick, New Jersey. When a girl of fourteen years she went with her parents to Illinois, locating about sixty miles from Chicago. This was before the construction of modern railroads. Often she was heard to remark that business trips to the Lake City were made in that early day by members of the family in wagons. In 1884, 17 years after the death of her husband, she broke up housekeeping, and since then has been living with her children, most of the time having been spent with the son in whose home she was staying at the time of her decease. Matilda D. SUYDAM was the name of this good woman before her marriage to Charles D. SKINNER. The date of their wedding was February 12, 1851. The event occurred in DeKalb county of Illinois. Of their union seven children were born. Of this number five are still living, one son and four daughter. They are S. B. SKINNER of Harrisonville, Mrs. Johanna PARK Of Lake View, Washington, Mrs. Mary KEYES of Manchester, Iowa, Mrs. Sarah J. DICKINSON of Earlville, Illinois, and Mrs. Etta M. Green of Valejo, California. She is survived by one brother and one sister who reside in the old home community in the state of Illinois, Simon B. SUYDAM, and Mrs. Maggie Weston. Also she leaves behind sixteen grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, numerous other relatives, and a large circle of friends. Sister Skinner was a devout Christian. For at least half a century she followed in the footsteps of the Master. The ministry she gave her Lord was humble, yet sincere. To her religion was a practical thing. It found easy expression in her domestic life. As she used her hands in miscellaneous tasks she wove into her products of toil the Spirit of the Christ. Many samples of her handi-work are now in the possession of her children. It was her joy in the days of her strength to minister to the needs of those she could help. Her life will continue to inspire and gladden in hallowed memory the hearts of those who knew and loved her. Very early in life she united with the M.E. [Methodist Episcopalian] church. In this faith she lived and died. A short service was held at the residence of S.B. SKINNER, two miles northeast of Harrisonville, Wednesday morning at 10 oıclock, by the Rev. Geo. C. MONROE, pastor of the First Baptist Church. The body was then taken to the Missouri Pacific train and started at 11:54 to the old home back in Illinois, accompanied by the son. The funeral will be preached in the church which she was a member, and burial will be made in the family cemetery. Geo. C. MONROE. (The above from the newsclip collection of Rev. Geo. C. Monroe, preserved by the historical society of Harrisonville, Mo.) In reference to the mentioned trips to the ³Lake City² the following is from The Past And Present of LaSalle County, Illinois published in 1877. (Note that Matilda was born in 1832.) The principal market in 1836 was Chicago. Settlers would start away from home with the expectation of being gone a week or more. If it was an ordinary load only one yoke of oxen would be required, if large two or even three were employed. The provision box was an invariable accompaniment, and the old coffee pot held a favorable position. The coffee was prepared at home, tied up in a little sack, and retained in the utensil until the strength was exhausted. By force of circumstances, the young men of those early days became adept in the simpler culinary arts. When arriving at a camping place at night, the oxen would be turned loose to graze, with a bell upon their necks, or picketed out with a stake and rope. Many a chase of ten or twelve miles, or even more, to find the oxen, will come to the mind of the early settler as he reads these lines. Then, having cooked and eaten their supper, they would roll themselves in their blankets and sleep, if the mosquitos would permit. When they first left home they perhaps would be alone for the first dayıs travel, but after that there would be quite a train, each wagon slowly plodding along through the grass, sometimes, knee-high, sometimes above the top of the wagon, and followed by a cloud of mosquitos as large as a swarm of bees. These trains often numbered a hundred wagons before they reached Chicago. From the ³Widow Berryıs² (twelve miles out) into the city was always swamp, often the water was knee-deep. Whenever a slough was to be crossed it was an item of considerable interest who should get out safely. Should anyone be so unfortunate as to get his wagon fast in the mud, or get ³sloughed,² as it was called, the others would unhitch from their wagons and draw him out. ... Selling their wheat for what they could get, they would load up with lumber and return. Many a house in the early days was constructed from lumber obtained in this way. Speaking of building, calls to mind the remarks of one of the pioneers to the writer. Pointing to a little old house back of his residence, he said: ³I sawed nearly all the lumber out of logs for that house with a whip-saw, drove every nail, made every joint at night, my wife holding the lantern to see to work by.² Prices were materially different at that time than at the present. Wheat brought from thirty to forty cents, and at extremely rare intervals, sixty cents. Eggs three cents per dozen, butter ten cents, cheese five cents, corn ten cents, occasionally fifteen, oats ten, sometimes fifteen cents, potatoes ten cents, pork $1.50 per hundred, sheep $1.00 each, work horses $50.00, milch cows $8, $9, and $12, according to quality, four-year-old steers $16.00, farm laborers 50 cents per day, and letter postage 25 cents. Many of the early settlers were compelled to allow their letters to remain in the office some time before they had money enough to take them out. One of them remarked to the writer, that at one time, he had a letter in the post office for over a month, and could not get sufficient money together to take it out. At last he succeeded in trading the postmaster four bushels of wheat for it, and thought he made a good trade, so extremely anxious was he to hear from home. (The Past and Present of LaSalle County, Illinois. Chicago: H.F. Kett & Co., Cor. 5th Ave. and Washington St. 1877. pp. 194-195)