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A Short Account of Our Mother Eliza Smith by Sarah T. Smith I have thought many times I would be glad to give a more definite account of our dear mother but have put it off from time to time until now in the 67 year of my life, I feel that my own faculties are very liable to become weakened and if I do any thing it is time to begin. It seems to me that she had more than usual ability. Her perceptive powers were very bright, so quick to notice things out of the commonway. Although her opportunities in an educational way were very limited,she did not stand still and think there was nothing further she could do,she was a great reader and had a good memory, therefore graphic in her description of what she had seen, heard of read. It was a greatpleasure to me in my child hood days to hear her relate the experiences of her early youth. She was the daughter of Samuel and Asenath Starbuck, was born in Belmont county Ohio. Is seems from her accounts that her parents moved from Belmont to Logan county when she was but a few months old. Her mother in writing to her folks after their removal asks them to excuse her writing as little Aliza is on her lap jabbering away. The motherwas very lonely longed for her own home people. In those days that part of Ohio seemed a long distance from Barnesville. There being no public conveyance their visits were not frequent and postage was so expensive that few letters were written. I think about two years after theymoved to those parts another little girl gladdened their home whom theycalled Sibbilla. Our grand mother had an aunt living still further west whowas intending to visit in Belmont county in a short time and grand motherwas to go with her but e're the time came, she was called to that bournefrom which no traveler returns. She must have died with short sickness, it seems the husband waited to send the sad tidings until the aunt went.It must have been a terrible shock to them to receive such news just whenwe suppose they were anticipating the joyful meeting and loving embraceof the daughter and sister. Then her father (Stephen Hodgin) and hersister Amy made preparation to go after the little children; they drovethrough in a wagon, found the children stopping with one of the neighbors andso well contented that mother had no notion of changing their situationfor a home among strangers so crawled away under the house to get awayfrom them, greatly distressing their aunt Amy; but when morning came she thought better of the plan and went without further trouble. When they started their father went apiece with them, after he turned backmother said, "I expect my father is crying now." She told me that he came to Belmont county to see them about a year afterwards but soon after that he married a second wife and it islikely the cares of a young family took his time and drained his purse. Although he lived until after mother was married, she never saw him no more. Since her death we found a scrap of a letter he wrote in reply to one father had written him asking his consent to marry his daughter.He seemed to regret her prospect of marrying any one as he hoped to haveher with him for a time but as it was to be, he was glad that it was noother than David Smith's son. From accounts the little children were much attached to one another. I do not know how old Sibbilla was when she climbed on a chair toreach something she wanted and fell back into a tub of hot water, scaldingher so badly that she only lived a few hours. Poor mother this was a heart rending and I may say life long grief to her, even in her great age if she heard of any one getting burned it seemed to bring her own trouble fresh in her memory. She continued to live with her grand parents until grown, soon after she was eighteen she married and as I have said, lived with fatherover 56 years. She was spared to us more than ten years after he was gone. She died the eleventh day of second month 1901, aged 84 years, 3months, and 21 days. May we not hope there has been a reunion of the young mother, the little sister, our precious mother and dear father in the home notmade with hands eternal in the heavens. (Typed in January 1992 by Dan Treadway. I have endeavored to maintain Sarah Smith's spelling and punctuation. Sarah Smith's 67th birthday was on September 13, 1904. We may suppose this account was written during the year following that day. The records of Stillwater meeting show that Elizabeth Starbuck was born August 20, 1816, and that Sibilla Starbuck was born December 10, 1819 and died February 1, 1824. The aunt Amy mentioned seems to have been Amy Hodgin, born June 10, 1800.)
Karl-Heinz
Böttcher
