Biographies

David McKee Douglass was born and raised in York Co., Pens. and was married to Rebecca Kilgore in York Co. Pens.

Of their ten children born only four are now living, Jane Ellen, Mary Martha, James Lemon, and Sarah Amanda.

While living there father worked on the Susquehanne river for several years running a raft. I was very small when leaving there 18 mo. old-when leaving there and settling on a farm in Henderson Co., Ill. 1/2 miles from a small town called Biggsville. My father bought a nice farm and done the farming. Also raised lots of cattle and sheep and hogs and when ready for market Mr. Dave Rankin an old settler would buy them and ship them, then father would buy more. In that way he made money and had plenty of everything. Those days people didn't no anything about ottomobeals, radios, phones, electric washing machines, used ellbo grees, no washing powder, no electric lights, the coil oil lamps was good enough them days.

When I was twelve yrs. old we had a sale and started out in 2 covered wagons for Mills Co., Iowa. Was on the road 6 weeks and it rained for 6 days and nights but we slept in our wagons. Up early in the mornings-make a fire and hang our good old coffee pot on a stick and across the fire and place a few other things and was on our way for another hard days trail and so on everyday till we reached the little town called Strahan where my sister Mrs. Stockton and husband lived on a farm.

My father bought 160 A of land joining then on the north and built us a nice too story house and barn and plenty of out buildings that one needed on a farm. My mother's health failed in a few years so that he sold the good old home to a man called Gipe and bought a nice resadince in Hastings, Iowa lived there several years. When my mother passed away my father lived three years later and passed away. Both were stricken with paralyses and gone to a better world where there's nothing but joy and happiness. Both belonged to the Methodist Church living a Christian Life til there health failed that they couldn't go. Was laid to rest in the Emerson cemetery where my dear bro. was laid beside them. A sister passed away in Goodland, Kansas and was buried there beside her husband, Mr. Krow.*

*There is another line that is partially erased but I cannot make it out. The above was copied exactly as it was written. The original copy was written in pencil and has smeared and faded with age and handling. June 30, 1985 copied by Donna Husk.

Note: Sarah Amanda Douglass was born 8 September 1858 in York Co., PA so in 1860 they left PA and moved to IL. In 1870 they moved to Mills Co., IA Rebecca Kilgore Douglass passed away 16 February 1893 in Omaha, Douglas Co., NE and David, 1 May 1896 in Hastings, Mills Co., IA Sarah Amanda Douglass married William Franklin Hannah 3 May 1875 at the age of 17. She died 31 October 1946 in Omaha, Douglas Co., NE at the age of 88 years.

Source: Abstracts of the Oquawka Spectator, by Virginia Ross, Ross Research, Gladstone, IL Family of Rebecca Kilgore Douglas - Henderson County, Illinois Rebecca Kilgore Douglass This article is written by Sarah Amanda Douglass Hannah. It was found in the treasures of Nellie Rebecca Hannah by her daughter Mina.