This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: RobertLJackson29 Surnames: BINGHAM, CAIN, HOLTSCLAW, LETSINGER, PHILLIPS, STALCUP Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties.greene/9963/mb.ashx Message Board Post: THE BLOOMFIELD NEWS, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana, Thursday, March 1, 1934, Volume LVIII, Number 18, Page 1, Column 4, 'AGED PIONEER RESIDENT DIED HERE MONDAY-Expired At Home of Daughter, Mrs. Reed Letsinger, On Monday Night [Transcribed on April 20, 2008 by RLJ from a digital photo of the original newspaper on file in the Greene County Historical Society Archives.] With that calmness and serenity in which she had met life's problems and faced its emergencies, Mrs. Lydia Jane PHILLIPS passed from this mortal life into life eternal Monday evening at seven o'clock. On account of her frail body weakened by years of ill health she had left her own home to spend the winter in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Reed LETSINGER, where her death occurred. Lydia Jane HOLTSCLAW was born on a farm in Center Township, Greene County, Indiana, September 23, 1857; died in Bloomfield February 26, 1934; aged seventy-six years, five months, three days. She came of sturdy stock. She was a daughter of William and Elizabeth (STALCUP) HOLTSCLAW, - (Continued on-Page Six, {Columns 4 & 5}) - AGED PIONEER RESIDENT DIED HERE MONDAY-(Concluded from Page One) - early residents of this county. Testing his patriotism her father had an experience that did not come to a great many men of this county-he was a soldier in the Mexican and Civil War. He is remembered as a plain outspoken man with the sturdy qualities of a pioneer. On her mother's side was Hance STALCUP-her mother's father-whose name is inseparably connected with the early history of this county-a typical pioneer who, braving the dangers of the wilderness, came into this county with the first settlers and accumulated wealth, if acres made wealth, for he came into possession of large stretches of land, including the greater part of what is now known as the "American Bottom." He was unusually well educated for his time and was one of the first surveyors in this county. Into her father's home were born seven children, two of whom died in infancy, and only one of whom now remains. She is Mrs. John BINGHAM, of Fresno, California. The others, besides Mrs. PHILLIPS were Mrs. Sarah CAIN, the mother of Orval and Roy and Elva CAIN, of Bloomfield, and Newton and Jasper HOLTSCLAW, the latter, whose death occurred a few months ago, was almost a lifelong teacher of Greene County. Her early education was obtained in a country school. Later she attended the Greene County Normal schools in Bloomfield, and for one term she was a student at the Central Normal School, which was then located at Ladoga but is now at Danville. The marvelous change which came in her lifetime in the physical comforts of travel is well illustrated in her experience in leaving home for that term of school. Her father started with her brother Jasper and herself to Bloomington to take the train for Ladoga. They found the roads so bad that they could not make the distance from their home in Center Township to Bloomington that day and they were compelled to stay of night at a farm home. She has frequently pointed out that home, still standing, in which she believed they spent the night. May a time in recent years she has sped away by motor in perfect comfort to Bloomington in less than an hour. Her education was obtained for a very definite purpose. She and her parents were of one mind-she should have a career, she would spend her life as a teacher. Carrying out this purpose and with high hopes in the autumn of 1878 at the school at Cincinnati she set out upon what she believed was her life work. She taught one term. Plans went awry. A new chapter of an old, old story was written in her life. That influence which from the beginning of Time has caused multitudes to abandon careers and will continue throughout all the generations to come to cause other multitudes to give up cherished plans had come into her life. Love took a hand. Love recognizes no obstacles. Early that school year she met a young merchant of Cincinnati-John Asbury PHILLIPS by name, six months younger than she, and without realizing it they formed an attachment that deepened. Recently on Valentine day with her face radiant with joy as her member took her back to those days when troubles have ! wings and when the only worth0-while things are dreams and fancies and plans, she said to her daughter: "Fifty-four years ago today my courtship really began. On that day my friend made a trip all the way to Bloomington to get me a Valentine. Then I knew he cared.' In a short time the school term closed and a few weeks later, April 20, 1879, they were married, and went to housekeeping at Cincinnati. Later they removed to Solsberry, then to Hobbieville, and then to a farm a short distance northwest of Hobbieville where they continued to make their home until their removal to Bloomfield. At all of the places, even on the farm, Mr. PHILLIPS owned a store and prospered. Before leaving Cincinnati at tragedy came into their lives. That experience is a striking reminder of how great has been the advance in medical skill within the period of one lifetime. Their first-born, a little daughter, Jesse Ora, twenty-months old, became very ill. Its body was red as a flame. It was midsummer and the physician immediately diagnosed the case as heat and without prescribing any other remedies told the young mother to take it out-of-doors where it would be cooler. She did, and the little thing died almost in her arms. It had scarlet fever. Two other children came into their home. Wendell Lester, who died in 1919, and Leona Etna, now Mrs. LETSINGER, who alone survives her mother. The family removed to Bloomfield in the later months of 1895 and this continued to be their home the remainder of their lives, except for a brief period spent at Irvington. There they built a beautiful residence intending to spend there the remainder of their days. But all the comforts and culture and charm for which that Indianapolis suburb is noted could not wean them away from the old time friends and associations back home-and they returned to Bloomfield and immediately built a substantial home. Her husband died April 16, 1921, leaving a large estate, and the well-deserved reputation of being one of the shrewdest and most successful business men in the history of Bloomfield. Mrs. PHILLIPS took great delight in the Wednesday Reading Club of which she was a charter member, and she held her active membership till the end. The club members agree that all of her papers prepared for the club were done thoroughly and with great care. And her responses to the club roll calls were especially fresh and interesting. When a girl in her teens she was converted in a meeting at the Ridgeport church and united with that church. Her conversion was marked by a definite experience which she remembered with pleasure to the end of her life. For upwards of sixty years she was a member of the church, choosing the Methodist Church when one was found where she lived, but she was broadly tolerant in her nature and always had the kindliest feelings for all churches. In her various removals she made it a rule to transfer her membership immediately to her new home. And it was one of the rules of her life that she would go to church the first Sunday after her arrival at her new home. She was very happy in her church life. She loved its worship services; she loved its people and its social life and was rarely missing from its family dinners and social gatherings. She rallied her strength to go to church to see the recent pictures of the Holy Land, which she enjoyed very much, and all of which she saw, except the final evening. She could not sing, but she loved music, and with an open hymnal she followed the lines while the congregation sang. It was she who when this church was rebuilt seven years ago, donated the pipe organ and had it installed. When word went out to her that the church was cramped financially she responded generously. Her faith was deep and abiding and rested upon the Rock of Ages which to her was a real as these church walls. She was neighborly in spirit; she bridled her tongue; she was charitable toward the faults of others; she kept the Commandments 'from her youth up.' Her frail body took her many times to the hospital, she was patient. She traveled four times to California, but her home-coming always was a great joy. The devotion between her and her five grandchildren-Catherine, John Robert, Richard and Elizabeth LETSINGER-was mutually tender and beautiful. The whole spirit and tenor of her life touching her faith in immortality and her thoughtfulness of others is tenderly expressed in the familiar lines of Tennyson: 'May there be no moaning of the bar, when I put out to sea. I hope to meet my Pilot face to face when I have crossed the bar.' The funeral services were conducted from the M. E. church Wednesday afternoon, with Rev. M. A. FARR and Rev. Elmer ST.CLAIR, officiating. Interment in Grand View Cemetery. The out-of-town relatives attending were: Mrs. Ward BARLEY, of Palestine, Illinois; Mrs. Frank PHILLIPS, Fillmore, California; Mrs. Clyde YOHO, Mrs. Mary YOHO, and Mr. and Mrs. J. O. HUMPHREYS, of Bloomington; Rev. and Mrs. Elmer ST.CLAIR, of Spencer Mr. and Mrs. Oscar DAUGHTERY, of Jasonville; Mrs. Ella WEBSTER and Mrs. Emma BYNUM, of Lyons; Miss Catherine LETSINGER of New York City; John LETSINGER, a student of DePauw University. - Link to the Obituary of her mother, Elizabeth Ann (STALCUP) HOLTSCLAW [1830IN-1906IN]: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties.greene/2914/mb.ashx - Link to the Obituary of her father, William HOLTSCLAW [1826KY-1911IN], a Mexican War Veteran: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties.greene/2476/mb.ashx - Link to the Obituary of her brother, James Newton HOLTSCLAW [1852IN-1925IL]: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties.greene/4232/mb.ashx - Link to the Obituary of her daughter, Leona Etna (PHILLIPS) LETSINGER [1881IN-1957IN]: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties.greene/6206/mb.ashx - Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. 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