Mathias Moore Carter's obit from the Keokuk County news dated 01/03/1933 Keokuk County's oldest resident, M.M. Carter, who lived between Ollie and Tick Ridge, died last Friday in an Ottumwa hospital at the age of 102 years. For more than 85 years, Mr. Carter has been a resident of this state and the greater part of this time he has lived on the Keokuk County farm on which he lived until his death. This farm, which the pioneer homesteaded to become its owner, is now the home of one of Mr. Carter's four daughters, Mrs. Elma Ruggles, where he spent the last few years of his life. Mr. Carter came to Iowa from Ohio, crossing Illinois and Indiana in a covered wagon and ferring across the Mississippi to take his claim in this virgin country. Iowa was then just a new state, only two years admitted to the union. When Mr. Carter came to this state, James Polk was president of the United States, but it wasn't until James Buchanan's contest for the presidency that the early resident of this county cast his choice for president. Although he gave up active participation in the duties of the farm nearly fifteen years ago, Mr. Carter maintained a keen interest in it's management. During his last few years, he enjoyed going on nice days to see the stock and to wander over the ground where he made a comfortable living for nearly three-quarters of a century. He took much pleasure in walking to the top of the hill, from the present location of the house, to the spot where the "old house" was located, which is now marked by two solitary trees. He was married in 1853 to Miss Lizzie Ashcraft, who die within a year after they were married. For nearly fifteen years, he lived alone and in 1865 he was married again, to Miss Nancy Jane Thomas, another girlfriend of his youth. The couple became the parents of five children, four of whom are living; Mrs. Eldora Northup and Mrs. Ruggles living on adjoining farms between Tick Ridge and Ollie, Mrs. Rose Ellis of Ottumwa, and Mrs. Artie Coughlan of What Cheer. There is also an adopted son, Thomas Carter, who lives near Richland. Mr. Carter's funeral was held Sunday afternoon from the Holiness Chapel, northwest of Ollie and interment was held in the Van Orsdall Cemetery. In charge of the funeral was Mrs. James Terrell of Ollie. Serving as pall bearerswere six grandsons of the pioneer Keokuk County man. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Fields/6746/ http://members.tripod.com/dunderwood/ormanindex.html