Clark County Clipper, June 21, 1928
CELEBRATES 80th BIRTHDAY
A social event took place in Ashland yesterday, which was not only a very
pleasant affair but had an interesting historical background because it brought
together so many of the pioneer settlers of Clark county.
This social affair took place at the home of Mrs. Elmina C. Daily in Ashland
where a large number of her friends gathered to help her celebrate the eightieth
anniversary of her birth. It was planned as a surprise on Mrs. Daily and it was
carried out successfully. Her children and their families and her old friends
and neighbors gathered at her home between ten and eleven o'clock Wednesday
morning, the children and friends providing a bountiful dinner.
The day was delightfully spent in feasting and reviewing the many interesting
happenings of the pioneer days in the Lexington neighborhood where the Dailys
and their neighbors settled in the eighties.
With Mrs. Daily the other special guests of the day were a group of women who
came to Clark county in the years of 1884, 1885, 1886 and 1887. We give below
the names of these guests with their ages and the year they arrived in this
county.
Mrs. Elmina C. Daily, 80, Oct. 23, 1886.
Mrs. W. H. Towner, 80, Oct. 1884.
Mrs. Viola G. Rice, 84, 1884.
Mrs. Louisa Biggs, 80, Oct. 1887.
Mrs. Elizabeth Kennedy, 66, Oct. 1887.
Mrs. James Morrison, 73, Oct. 1886.
Mrs. Ella Zane, 72, Oct. 1886.
Mrs. Samuel Hughs, 77, Nov. 1884.
Mrs. Mary I. Brown, 67, Nov. 1884.
Mrs. J. M. Vallentine, 67, June, 1885.
Mrs. Lulu Stephens, 66, May, 1885.
Mrs. Rogers, 75.
Mrs.. Morrison, 71, Dec. 1884.
Mrs. Sarah Ann Easterday, 59, March, 1885.
Mrs. Mary Lou Zimmerman, 70, April 3, 1885.
All the above settled in Clark county on the dates indicated, except Mrs.
Kennedy who came to Decatur county, Kansas, in 1887, thus becoming a pioneer
Kansan. Mrs. Rogers, one of the older guests, is a resident of Kentucky.
It is interesting to observe that the total ages of these fifteen women is 1,
087 years, making them an average of 72.466 years old.
Other members of the family and friends who were present were:
Mr. Frank Daily and family.
Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Rinker.
Mr. and Mrs. William Moore and children.
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Daily and children.
Mrs. Wm. E. Foncannon.
Mrs. Ida Murphy.
Mrs. Schell Foncannon.
Mrs. Thomas E. Cottle.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Freeman and daughter.
Mrs. Grover Carter of Protection.
There were forty three in all who partook of the feast and pleasures of the day.
If all the history of these families who were represented at the Daily home
yesterday pertaining to their activities in Clark county as pioneers and abiding
citizens could be written it would make many interesting volumes.
Mrs. Daily, who was the guest of honor for this occasion, arrived with her four
children in Clark county on October 23, 1886. Mr. Daily had preceded her to
this county in March of that year to take up the homestead and prepare a home
for Mrs. Daily and the children, the youngest of which, Charlie, was not yet a
year old. Mr. Daily selected as his homestead a quarter in Lexington township
and built his house one mile west and one fourth mile north of the old Lexington
town site. The Daily family remained residents of that township for many years,
Mrs. Daily coming to Ashland to make her home in 1917, Mr. Daily having passed
away before that time. The family prospered and now own many acres of choice
land in Lexington township.
It was an inspiration to see these pioneer mothers grouped together on the big
porch in front of Mrs. Daily's home. All of them had experienced the hardships
and privations of pioneer life, yet, as they sat there yesterday surely they
must have realized that their efforts have not been in vain, for truly they had
taken an important part in building this western empire of the plains. They
deserve rich rewards and no honor can be too great to bestow upon them. May the
sunset of their lives glow with the golden rays of happiness and contentment.
Contributed by ~Shirley Brier~ November 1, 2005.
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