number of years ago in the Douglass, Butler Co, Kansas museum, I found a small sheet of paper that appears to be contemporary to the date upon it. It says:
Mcconnelsville
Morgan Co OhioGeorge W Fisher to
Drusilla P Fouts
By Rev John Bierd
on sunday at ___ [three letter word - six?] o'clock
in the morning at the
Brides parents
Drusilla was 19 when she and 20-year-old George married. Sometime between their wedding and the 1845 birth of daughter Sarah, they moved from Ohio to Iowa. They appear together on census records in Iowa for the years 1850, 1856, 1860; then in Missouri in 1870. They had at least 5 children (there’s a big gap between child 3 and child 4).
George Fisher died in 1872. Drusilla continued to live in Missouri with her son George who died in 1886, leaving a wife and three children. Drusilla may have continued to live with her daughter-in-law since the children were young, helping to care for them.
n 1992 I found Drusilla’s obituary in that wonderful Douglass Museum.
---date written in: July 17, 1910 "Death of Mrs Fisher"
On Sunday afternoon last, at 3 o'clock, Mrs Drusila Fisher, the aged mother of Mrs Evaline Farnsworth passed away, after a long season of failing health incident to extreme age. Mrs Fisher was born in Bethany, Brook county, Va, September 10, 1821, being 88 years, ten months, and seven days old at the time of her death. July [27th is written over the printed date], 1840; she was married to George W Fisher. To this union was born two sons and three daughters. The two sons and one daughter had preceded her to the other shore and her husdand [sic] went before her thirty eight years ago. A number of years ago she came to Douglass to reside with the family of Dr Taylor, Mrs Taylor being her daughter. With them she removed to Carthage, Missouri, and resided there until after the death of Mrs Taylor, and then came to Douglass, and has been with her sole surviving child, Mrs Farnsworth, until death came to take her forward. At the age of 20 she made profession of faith in Christ, and lived the Christian life for the period of a long life time. For some months her health had been failing. First a dangerous condition of the heart afflicted her. Then she suffered a stroke of paralysis. Last Thursday she sustained a second stroke from which she never rallied. The funeral was held from the house, Monday afternoon, conducted by Neal Overman, minister of the Christian church, and the body was laid to rest in the Douglass cemetery. She leaves one daughter, 16 grandchildren, thirty-two great grandchildren, and three of the fourth generation. She also leaves the memory and example of a life of industry and faithful duty.
Drusilla is buried in Douglass Cemetery, Douglass Twp, Butler Co, Kansas
George and Drusilla’s oldest daughter, Martha Evaline, married George W Farnsworth, my great-great-great uncle. Evaline and George Farnsworth lived in Sherrill Twp, Licking Co, from 1870 to 1883 when they moved to Kansas.
This information from microfilm of the Douglass Tribune, Jan 6, 1888 - Dec 26 tells more of the travels of Drusilla:
--Friday, November 16, 1888, Upper Muddy:
--Friday, April 5, 1889, Upper Muddy:
The gist of it is this:
Application of Drusilla Fisher of Missouri, County of Texas; on this 1st day of August 1889, . . . personally appeared Drucilla P Fisher, aged about 68 years . . . who makes the following declaration . . . that I am the mother of John S Fisher, who died at New Hope, Iowa, on the 20 day of Jany AD 1867 [sic], of disease while he belonged to Company I, 36th Iowa Vols. That he left neither widow "his wife died", nor child or children under sixteen years of age surviving him; that I was married to George W Fisher, the father of said son, at McConelsville, Ohio, on the 27 day of July AD 1841. That George W Fisher died at Licking, Mo, on the 8th day of July 1872. That I was partly dependent on said son for support. . .That my place of residence is Licking, Texas Co, Missouri
The Department wrote back asking for further information on John’s death and it was quite a while before Drusilla began to receive the pension. In the meantime, she moved to Kansas and a request was sent for her new address:
July 5, 1893, Jno W Morris, Washington DC
Dear Sir, Mrs Drucilla P Fisher's address is Douglas, Kan at which place you can address her. Yours, C B Taylor / Drucilla P Fisher, mother of John S Fisher, Co I, 36th Iowa, No 402,109
Wagon Trip, Year 1866, from Bellair, now Numa, Iowa, to Mendota, Missouri
Record by George W Fisher
Feb 11 - Sabbath morning, clear bright day. We started from Appanoose County this morning to go to Lawrence County, Missouri. We arrived at Melvin Knapps and Uncle J B fifteen minutes before three o'clock. We came about 12 miles today, started this morning at ten o'clock, it is about seven o'clock now.
Feb 12 - We traveled about eighteen miles today, and put up at Mr Dillener, one mile from Unionville, Putman County, Missouri. We passed through Cincinnati, Iowa, crossed two creeks, the Shoal and Black Bird. I walked all day, it commenced snowing about half after two o'clock, it is about seven o'clock now.
Feb 13 - 1866 - Noon - stopped about nine miles south of Unionville, Putnam Co, Mo. We passed Unionville this morning. We passed through Jackson Corner and put up at Mr Brannens, and it is snowing, is like smoke, it quit snowing about 10 o'clock, and the wind raised and it turned very cold, the coldest day we have had.
Feb 14, 1866 - We are still at Mr Brannens, a waiting for better weather, it is about 11 o'clock.
Feb 15, 1866 - We travelled 22 miles today, and passed through Linneus and Laclede and stopped five miles south of Laclede.
Feb 16, 1866 - We crossed the Missouri River today, and stayed 12 miles south of Brunswick. We traveled 15 miles today.
Feb 19, 1866 - We traveled 22 miles today and stayed alnight 10 miles south west of Marshall, we passed through Marshall.
Feb 20, 1866 - We ovanted. [?]
Feb 21, 1866 - We passed through Brownville today and stopped 15 miles from Sedalia.
Feb 22, 1866 - We started today, one mile south of Sedalia and stopped about 14 miles form Sedalia, and put up at Mr Kimbles.
Feb 23, 1866 - Friday morning, very cool morning, it rained some last night and is sleeting this morning. We are laying up a waiting better weather. The ground is freezing some. It is eleven o'clock now and blustering looking day, twelve o'clock and still freezing.
Feb 24, 1866 - We started from Kimbles and we traveled about 15 miles today, and encamped five miles from Warsaw, on a rocky ridge, clear and the ground froze hard enough to bare up the wagon.
Feb 25, 1866 - We traveled 13 miles today, and passed through Warsaw and crossed the Osage River in a Ferry boat and encamped at the edge of Pumley Tar Bottoms. We passed over rough roads today. Traveled over hills of the Ozarks, in Mountains. It still keeps clear.
Feb 26, 1866 - We crossed the Plumley Tar Bottoms and traveled 20 miles today.
Feb 26, 1866 - Weather clear, we find pleasant roads, we traveled 20 miles today, encamped on Bear Creek.
Feb 28, 1866 - We arrived Isome today, in Lawrence County, Mo. Found plenty of rocks and came 22 miles today.
March the first 1866, cloudy today and looks like rain. McGuire and I went over to Breedens and got a load of corn and hauled a load of wood, and went a hunting and fishing in the afternoon. Late in the evening still cloudy.
March the 2nd 1866 - Fornoon went a hunting and about half hour came back and shelled five pecks of corn. Went a hunting again and killed one squirrel, one rabbit. It is one o'clock, went a fishing, back and wrote part of a letter.
March 3rd 1866 - Went and helped chop two loads of wood, then went to John's Mill, came back and helped haul two loads of wood, went a hunting, so ended this day.
ps. 258 miles on this trip.
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Drusilla Fisher's Diary of Trip in 1870
May 16, Monday, Left Moulton, Appanoose County, Iowa at half past ten, arrived at Coatsville between one and two, fed the horses, and eat dinner, came to Glenwood in the evening, and one mile south, went in camp for the night, after crossing the rail ten times, supper is spread, having ham, chicken, cookies and light bread, butter and sugar and coffee.
May 17 - A nice morning, I slept in camp the first time in my life, breakfast is over and we are ready to start on our journey, came through Queene City about 10 o'clock, camped for dinner on a stream south, gathered greens for supper. Crossed r. r. 12 times, after dinner passed Greentop, crossed r.r. 3 times, went in camp on a creek at 4 o'clock, within 4 miles of Kirksville. Cooked greens, eat them, spread tent. Evaline done washing. Mosketoes plenty, all well and ready for bed.
May 18 - Nice morning, breakfast over, ready to start, came in Kirksville as the bell rang for school in the Christian Seminary, eat dinner on the prairie, camped early, turned horses loose, two run about half a mile before caught. (very tired) Storm threatening. Crossed r.r. 5 times today, here comes the train rushing by like a hericane, we are in camp by a water tank, supper of bread, butter, boiled eggs, molasses, sugar, rice, meat and coffee. Already for the storm.
May 19 - All right this morning, storm went around north, cloudy and cool this morning, breakfast over, ready to go, horses lively as kittens. (Noon) Men are plowing corn, blackberries are in bloom, we passed through Atlanta about noon, halted mile out of town eat dinner, fed horses, then came on within 1 mile of Macon, pitched our tent, after crossing r.r 7 times, it is beginning to rain. Here comes a little darkey from town with a carriage full of little girls, now supper is ready.
May 20 - Rained a nice shower last night, pleasent to travel this morning. Now we are in Macon, stopped to get a shoe put on at a darkeys shop. Here comes a negro woman with a bucket on her head. Dinner on a prairie by a school house. Large orchard, peach trees full, not many apples, today we saw potatoes 6 inches high, peas knee high, was in bloom, pinks and roses in bloom. Tonight we are encamped on a prairie in the edge of a beautiful grove, about a mile from Moberly. Can hear the cars every few minutes. Passed through Jacksonville today.
May 21 - Looked very much like rain this morning, but passed around. Came through Moberly about breakfast time, saw 8 engines while there, saw 20 cars in one train. Dinner in a fence corner in the shade of a tree. Came through Rennick and Sturgeon today, saw a Catholic Church at Sturgeon. Encamped in an old yard belonging to a man that has been on the railroad 7 years, we intend to stay here over Sunday.
May 22 - Sunday - 'Tis very warm today, but we have nothing to do but eat, sleep and read. There is a sunday school and meeting by the Christian denomination 1 mile from here, we would liked to have went if we could. Had several calls today and many questions to answer, has been very dry weather here this spring. While we were eating supper the clouds gathered up and began to rain, which made us gather up in a hurry and run to the house, some of us will sleep in the house tonight, some in the wagon. Looks rainy yet, alls well as common. We have got into the seed tick region, we are in site of Centralia, which is 7 miles east, no timber in sight east.
May 23 - It began to rain this morning about the time we were ready to start until we reached Centralia, saw a turn table there. Came on to Mexico arrived at 5 o'clock by town clock, camped in the south edge of town. Mexico is stuffed with rebbledom. Supper over, had bread, coffee, crackers, dried beef, boiled eggs, butter, molasses, and raw peaches, today, large as my thumb. All in bed but me, am writing by the campfire, the clock strikes nine. I saw the graves of soldiers that Anderson killed while they were on the cars sick.
May 24 - We left Mexico before six this morning, passed through Concord before noon, came to Fulton at five, went half a mile south and camped in a bottom, saw more negros than white folks today. Had buttermilk for supper, have plenty greens, chiefly polk.
May 25 - Started early this morning. Road very dry and dusty, some big hills today. Passed through Bloomfield before noon. Crossed the Missouri on a steam ferry boat at 4 o'clock, landed in Jefferson City, saw the Capitol and State prison and National cemetery, with flag of our country floating high above. Encamped tonight on the Moro, intended to fish some.
May 26 - Was cloudy all day today, crossed the Osage at nine o'clock on a flat boat, at Castle Rock, a little town named from a high ledge of rock with high peaks, on the banks of the river. Bought fresh fish, 5 ct a pound, encamped on a small stream.
May 27 - This morning we traveled 10 miles, passed but one house, we walked up and down hills and picked strawberries, stopped for dinner, bought some warm biscuits from an old lady in the woods. Several bad hills today. The wagon tire got the small pox. We are encamped on the Gascanade River, and we went to the Galarmes Patch and got some roots for the baby. It is 18 miles from here to Rolla. I am alright, I write a word then pick off a tick - good night.
May 28 - Crossed the river this morning, with the team, water ran over the axel tree, could see bottom all the way, traveled 12 miles, stopped for dinner, got buttermilk from an old darkey woman. Had milk, bread, butter, and sugar for dinner, reached Rolla about 4 o'clock, but did not find any Fishers there as we expected. Got two letters, which told us to go 4 miles south of Licking, where we would find him. Camped 1 mile south of town, the next thing is supper.
May 29 - Encamped at Licking, Mo, Texas County, we thought we could reach our journeys end but could not, we traveled 18 miles before dinner, after dinner 16, reached Licking at dark.
May 30 - We started for Jasper Williams's this morning, met Pa on the road to Licking, it was about 10 o'clock when we reached here. We are in a cabin with out floor or loft, will stay here until they can get in to their own house.
t is a hundred years this month (July) since Drusilla died and I’m in the town and county in Missouri where she and George last lived together. George died in July 1872. They were married July 1841. July seemed to be a notable month for them.
Drusilla lived 31 years with George and 38 years without him, making her home with her children after his death.
