Boynton, Eliza

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FORMER COUNTY WOMAN NEARS CENTURY MARK

Submitted by Peggy A. Wells

Mrs. Eliza Boynton Celebrates Her 99th Birthday Mrs. Eliza Boynton, who formerly resided in Lawrence county and who taught school at Haverhill, recently celebrated her 99th birthday anniversary. After leaving this vicinity Mrs. Boynton took up residence in Salem, Ohio, and later in Illinois.

A story concerning her birthday December 14 is taken from the Decatur, Ill., newspaper as follows: Mrs. Eliza Boynton of Salem, reached her 99th birthday Monday, Dec. 14. A family reunion was held with a birthday dinner in honor of the occasion Sunday in Delmonte Boynton’s home with all her children and grandchildren present. Mrs. Boynton and her husband moved to Illinois from Ohio in 1857 and settled on a farm 5 miles east of Salem where she lived continuously 65 years. Moving to Salem about ten years ago. Her husband died several years ago.

Mrs. Boynton is a well preserved kindly woman, optimistic, and has a cheery word for everyone. She likes to relate incidents of the past. She said there were no roads when she moved here in 1857 except the Vincennes road. Travel was mostly by stage coach, and mail was carried that way. Deer and other wild game were plentiful, farms were one wide area with no cross fences, and when they came to town they just drove across farms to the Vincennes road. The little log school house where she taught school when she was a girl is still standing near Haverhill, Ohio, and she hopes it will stand one more year as she hopes to reach her 100th birthday. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Her four children living are: Miss Ida Boynton, of Salem, Ellis and Delmonte Stevenson, Loren of Ruleville, Miss.

Ironton Tribune, 21 December 1931, Monday, Page 3.