Eliza Ruth Calvert

Eliza Ruth Calvert was born on July 9, 1830 in Noble County, Ohio to Rezin Calvert and Nancy Cotton. She married George H. McCandless on August 30, 1855 in Hiramsburg, Ohio.

George and Eliza had five children before George enlisted in the Civil War:

1. Mary Matilda on May 8, 1856

2. John Calvert on March 2, 1859

3. Emma Lucretia on November 14, 1860

4. Clara Alvaretta on March 8, 1862

5. Sarah Adeline on November 1, 1863

All were born in Hiramsburg, Noble County, Ohio. George enlisted as a Sergeant on May 2, 1864 in the 161st Regiment, Company H, Ohio Infantry (also known as the 93rd Battalion of the National Guard Unit), which consisted of 850 men. Eliza cared for her children, ages 8, 5, 4, 2, and 1 until her husband was honorably discharged in September.

In the spring of 1866, the Calvert and McCandless familes began their journey from Hiramsburg, Noble County, Ohio to Freeman, Cass County, Missouri. Eliza was pregnant during this long journey, and she gave birth to a son,

6. William Alexander McCandless on July 13, 1866.

She and George had three more children while in Freeman, Cass County, Missouri:

7. George Elmer McCandless on November 30, 1868

8. Albert Lee McCandless on August 14, 1872. Not sure if Albert actually existed--he does not show up on any census records during his supposed lifetime.

9. Cleo Amanda McCandless on November 2, 1874

In August, 1873, George and Eliza began caring for their three orphaned nieces, Elizabeth C. Trimmer, Nancy Trimmer, and Sarah G. Trimmer, after the death of Eliza's sister Rumina and her husband. They cared for the girls until 1876 when they were sent back to family in Ohio.

In fall of 1877, the family moved to Antrim in Stafford County, Kansas from Missouri. George died on October 16, 1886. Their son Albert died about 1888 of typhoid fever.

Eliza died on April 5, 1916 in Rose Valley Township, Stafford County, Kansas.

Eliza Ruth Calvert McCandless died in Rose Valley Township, Stafford County, Kansas the day before the weekly newspaper printing, so she ended up with two obituaries. The first, very brief article appeared in the St. John Weekly News on April 6, 1916, titled "Death of Aged Lady," and it reads:"Grandma McCandless, one of Rose Valley township's most highly respected ladies, died at 4:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The funeral services will be conducted from Antrim Methodist church tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock and burial will be in Plano cemetery. Grandma McCandless would have been eighty-six years of age, had she survived until the coming July. Obituary has been promised for next week."

The second appeared in the St. John Weekly News on April 20, 1916. Titled "Eliza Ruth McCandless," it reads: "In our last issue we promised a more extended mention this week week of the death of Mrs. Eliza Ruth McCandless, who died last week in Rose Valley township at the home of her daughter Mrs. N.C. Adams. Complying with our request a friend of the family has handed in the following. Mrs. Eliza Ruth McCandless, or as she was known by almost everyone in the Antrim neighborhood where she had lived so long, "Grandma" McCandless, passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. N.C. Adams, in Rose Valley township, Wednesday, April 5, 1916. Taken with a stroke of paralysis about two weeks before, she suffered much and felt that her time had come to go to the Better Land. She was born near Hiramsburg, Ohio, July 9, 1830, and had she lived until the coming July, would have been eighty-six years old. August 30, 1855, she was married to George H. McCandless and ten years after moved to Missouri, where the family lived until 1878, when they moved to Stafford county, Kansas. The country was very new at the time and it was from her that the post office got its name--Antrim. She, with her husband, endured many hardships incidental to pioneer life, but with their energy, thrift, and careful management, brought up their large family who have all done well and made their mark in the world. Her husband's death occurred in 1886, and for nearly thirty years, she made her home with her children, where she was always a welcomed guest. Besides her five daughters and three sons, she is survived by twenty-two grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, most of whom were present at the funeral."

Ted McCandless, Eliza's grandson, tells of a rosebush Eliza brought with her to Antrim from Missouri. In the Stafford County soil the flower flourished and spread, and root-stalk starts were given to others. Ted's mother, Lula, received one of them and that same red rose was still flourishing in 1955 on their farm.

NOTES:

Birthplace is confusing, because of the history of the area: "Noble county was formed from the surrounding counties in 1851. Hiramsburg was named for its founder, Hiram Calvert [Eliza's uncle]. The survey was made by John F. Talley Nov. 5, 1836. The original plat contained 20 lots. An addition was made by the same proprietor in 1838 and another in 1858. Before this date, Hiramsburg would have been part of Morgan county." Source: 1887 History of Noble County, Ohio by L.H. Watkins.

More About ELIZA RUTH CALVERT:

Burial: 1916, Rose Valley Cemetary, Stafford County, KS

Cause of Death: stroke

Medical Information: 86 years old at death

Places Lived: Bet. 1865 - 1878, Missouri

Places Lived (2): Aft. 1878, Stafford County, Kansas

More About GEORGE MCCANDLESS and ELIZA CALVERT:

Marriage: August 30, 1855, Hiramsburg, Noble County, Ohio

1880 Census, York Twp., Stafford County, KS

Source Citation

"United States Census, 1880," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MF5P-98S : accessed 26 May 2012), Eliza Mccandless in household of George Mccandless, York, Stafford, Kansas.