ARTELIA RONEY DUKE Artelia Roney grew up in Haw River, NC, one of the children of John Roney and Mary Trollinger Roney. She was known as "the prettiest woman in Alamance". After his first wife died, Washington Duke met Artelia at a church revival meeting. He married her in 1852 and they moved to his homestead in Orange County. The couple had three children, Mary Elizabeth, born in 1853, Benjamin Newton, born 27 April 1855, and James Buchanan, born 23 Dec 1856. When Sidney, Washington's son by his first marriage, contracted typhoid fever, Artelia brought him to her parents home in Haw River to care for him. In spite of her efforts, Sidney died on 10 Aug 1858. Artelia herself was taken by the fever 10 days later and was laid to rest in the Trollinger cemetery. She was only 28 years old. Mr Duke never married again. Artelia's sisters, Betty and Anne, went to Durham to help Washington Duke raise the children. After the Civil War, Washington Duke founded the tobacco business that became the largest in the world. The family business expanded into electricity and Artelia's sons became millionaires. Years later Ben and "Buck" Duke decided to use some of their family fortune to build memorials to their parents. They arranged to have Trinity College renamed Duke and built the Duke Chapel in honor of their father. For their mother they chose to enclose the entire Trollinger cemetery with the striking granite wall that is among the most unique monuments in the state. Sacred to the memory of Artelia Duke Daughter of John and Mary Roney wife of Washington Duke Born June 28, 1829-Died August 20, 1858 ==== NCORANGE Mailing List ==== Larry Noah - lrnoah@bigfoot.com - Listowner - NCORANGE mailing list Orange Co, NC USGenWeb site is at http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncorange List archives are at http://lists.rootsweb.com/~archiver/NCORANGE-L/97/