Marilla Andrews
Mrs. Marilla Andrews, one of the most remarkable women of Richland County, celebrates her 93rd. birthday Monday at Butler, Richland County, says the Shelby Globe. Mrs. E.S. Gilmore and Mrs. Will Price of Shelby, are granddaughters and Walter Wilson and James Hissong are grandsons. Mrs. Marilla Andrews came to Richland County with her parents when she was only three years of age and they settled on the farm which is now owned by the county and upon which is built the Richland County Infirmary. Her parents came to Richland County from Vermont and she has been a resident of the county for about 90 years. She married Thomas Andrews, who was the first postmaster at Butler and was justice of the peace in that little village for years. He was widely known over the county in his day and is still remembered by many of the citizens of the county, having been dead only about fourteen years. She and her husband were the first members of the Methodists church at Butler. Through all these years Mrs. Andrews has been faithful, although she lived a quarter of a mile from Butler, every Sunday morning she walks to Butler to attend church services. She can remember anything that happened during her younger days but cannot remember occurrences of recent date. She can carry on a good conversation for a woman of her age and is really very interesting to talk with. When Sunday comes she lays aside her sewing with the remark that the Lord does not want his people to work on Sunday. During the week if her relatives think she is working too hard, they sometimes hid her sewing. This provokes her as she does not want to rest and as soon as her sewing disappears she goes to bed and declares she is sick. When her work is restored to her she will get out of bed at once and go to work again. She has not been sick much during her entire life except the last two years. Mrs. Andrews lives with her daughter, Mrs. Sherman Huston, near Butler.
From Bellville Messenger: 14 August 1903, Vol. 11, No. 32
A BRIEF HISTORY Of Mrs. Marilla Andrews (nee Pollard). In the state of Vermont, in the village of Berkshire, on August 10th., 1810, was born the subject of this article. Her parents names were Mr. & Mrs. Silas Pollard. Little is known of the early life of Miss Pollard and her parents while they resided among the hills of New England, where they lived until the year 1813, when they decided to leave their native clime and seek a home in the west, Ohio being their desired location. Elsewhere in this issue will be found an article giving a more complete account of the Pollard family and two other families who came with them from Vermont to this state to seek new homes for them and their families. During the year 1814 they arrived at a point in north western Knox County where they remained for one year, and then took up a new location in Richland County on a piece of land 4 miles north east of Mansfield now known as the Garrison farm. When 19 years old on January 22nd., 1829 she was married to Thomas B. Andrews, in Mansfield, Ohio. In the early spring time of 1829 the above couple commenced keeping house in Mansfield, in the house afterwards known as the Phoenix Hotel, in the fall of 1829 removed to Knox County, Ohio, and in the spring of 1831, removed to Fredericktown, Knox Co., O., and on the 15th. day of November, 1833, the day after the falling of the stars, removed to Worthington Township, Richland County, Ohio, and settled on the south-east quarter of section 19, township 21, of range 17, where they continued to reside until the death of Mr. Andrews which occurred Thursday, Feb. 28, 1889, and where Mrs. Andrews continued to reside until her death which occurred on August 26th., 1903. Mrs. Andrews was the mother of 11 children, 6 of whom are living and were present at her funeral. Those living are Anna S., Emeline M., Harriet A., Lettita H. [sic.], Allen P. and Lovina A. Those dead are Moses S., Cynthia M., Marilla P., Sarah E. and Thos. B.A. Of this family there are 218 descendants as follows: 11 children, 68 grandchildren, 121 great-grandchildren and 18 great-great grandchildren. Mrs. Andrews became a member of the M.P. church of this place when it was first organized in 1852, and was one of the charter members. During all her many years of earthly life she remained true to her faith and a member of the church of her first choice until her death. Few persons ever live to see what Mrs. Andrews was permitted to observe in a life of 93 years which composed a period of time when the advancement of civilization was recording its greatest strides. A story indeed could she tell, of the changes that took place one after another, from the time she started with her parents in a covered wagon from the pine hills of Vermont, to seek a home in the wilds of Ohio, in the advanced years proceeding nineteen hundred. If one will stop a few minutes and think back, to the time of her childhood days up to the time of her death. An idea can be gained of the great improvement in the advancement of the world and historical events that transpired during this time, much of which she was an eye witness. During the early part of her life, Mrs. Andrews, was not quite so healthy and rugged as in later years, but was never sick but little, during her long and busy life. Up until the last few weeks of her early career, she spent a greater part of her time piecing quilts, and was never satisfied unless she could be at work. Her last sickness was of only a few days duration, and on Wednesday night about eleven o'clock, August 26th., 1903, mother Andrews passed peacefully away to a final rest after a long and useful life of 93 years and 16 days. The funeral services were held at the M.P. church on Saturday, Aug. 29th., at two P.M., which was attended by a large concourse of friends and neighbors among whom were the following: Mrs. A.J. West, Edon, Ohio, Mrs. Cynthia Hoadley, Edon, Ohio, Mrs. L.A. Hurd, Garrett City, Ind., Mrs. James Hissong, Shelby, Ohio, Mr. Charles Andrews and family, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, Mr. Walter Wilson, Shelby, Ohio, Mr. Al Andrews, Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Frank Garrison and wife; Miss Anna Garrison; Mr. Bert Dawback and wife; Mrs. Ann Yarger and son; Mrs. A.B. McClellan; Mr. W.A. McCready and family; Mrs. Mary Severns; Mrs. Albina Scott; Mr. T.B. Myers and Mr. L.A. McCready; of Mansfield; Mr. Geo. Staley, Perrysville, Ohio, Mr. Charley Myers and wife, of Newark, Ohio, Mr. Chester Meyers, Garrett City, Ind.
From Butler Times: 05 September 1903, Vol. XI, No. 6