St. Clair County Obits

MARY FRANCES QUISENBERRY RAGLAND

Clinton MO - Died, in this city, Saturday evening, May 24th, 1884, Mrs. Frances Ragland, widow of the late Nathaniel M. Ragland, and old and highly respected citizen of this county. Mrs. R. was a native of Kentucky, having been born in Winchester, Clark county, March 17th, 1810. When she was but a child her father met with a tragic death at New Castle, Ky., and her mother dying soon after this event, the little orphan girl was kindly cared for in the home of her grandfather, whose name was Thomas, and a relative of Gen. Geo. H. Thomas, who was a distinguished officer in the Federal army during the late war. At the age of 21, she was married to Nathaniel M. Ragland, of Clark county, Ky., and in 1832 they emigrated to Missouri, which had been admitted into the Union as a state only ten years before. Mrs. R. lived to see her adopted state come up from a territory to one of the first in the great commonwealths of the American Union. Her life reached over three-fourths of the present century, a century by far the most stirring and important to the Christian era. She belonged to a generation of noble women, who contributed largely to the building up of this new and growing state, in intelligence, morality, Christianity and material prosperity, and in fact everything which goes to make up a well regulated society. Mrs. R. first located in Fayette, Howard county, and after a residence there of only a few years she removed with her family to Monroe county, where most of her children were born. While living in Monroe county she became a Christian, and united with the Christian church in Paris. In 1847 she changed her residence to Cooper county, where she lived until 1854, when the family came to Clinton and occupied a residence which stood near the ground which Judge Dorman's store room now occupies. This was one door west of the residence of the late Col. Andrew M. Tutt, once a distinguished citizen of this county. In 1856, her husband having bought four hundred acres of land only two miles north of town, the family moved on to this land, and at once began to open up a farm. This was made a most desirable place, and later greatly increased in value, and was sold to the late Aaron Land in 1868. After this Mrs. R. again moved with her family to Clinton and made the beautiful home on East Jefferson street, which she occupied till her death. She was one of the original members of the Christian church in this city, which was organized in the court house in 1855. Mrs. Elizabeth Connor, nee Bozarth, is now the only surviving member of this original congregation living in Clinton. Those who knew Mrs. R. in her palmy days will remember that few ladies were better informed in the Bible than she, and in fact few preachers could surpass her in quoting and applying the teachings of Christ and the apostles. Her devotion to the cause of Christ was only equaled by her devotion to her family. Although to her friends and family always bright and cheerful, yet her life was a peculiarly sad one. While but a child she was bereft of father and mother; while moving from Kentucky to Missouri, her first born died in her arms, and was buried beneath the roses in the soil of Indiana. Her oldest, as well as her favorite child, James Harvey Ragland, went to California in 1853, when only nineteen years old, and on his homeward voyage was lost at sea. He had crossed over the Pacific ocean from San Francisco to Panama, crossed the Isthmus and took passage at Aspinwall on the ill fated steamer, Central America, bound for New York City. The vessel had favorable winds, clear skies, and calm seas from Aspinwall to Havana, where she anchored Sep. 8th 1857. The morning of the 9th dawned clear and bright, the vessel weighed anchor, spread her sails to gentle winds past out of the port and soon gained the open sea. When near the outer edge of the Gulf Stream and five hundred miles off Cape Hatteras, the vessel encountered a terrific gale and was lost will all her cargo and most of the passengers and crew. Few of the five hundred and seventy-five persons on board were saved and those generally women and children. The Central America was a U. S. Mail steamer and was carrying the California Mails, it was commanded by Captain William Louis Herndon, of the U. S. Navy, who greatly distinguished himself at the time of the disaster, by gallant and meritorious conduct. This good man who went down to death, while standing at his post, was the father of the late wife of President Chester A. Arthur. This was one of the greatest disasters that ever happened upon the high seas. Mrs. Ragland's husband and daughter both died in the distant South, where they had gone with her for their health. Their deaths followed each other in such quick succession that the father and the daughter might have met on the "stygian brink," Mrs. R. has been an invalid for over three years. The funeral which took place on Monday was largely attended. There was placed on the casket a large and beautiful star of white roses sent by the ladies of the Christian Church, Carthage, MO., of which her son, Rev. N. M. Ragland is pastor. The sermon of Rev. Mr. Plattenburg was most eloquent, beautiful and impressive. All her children were present at the funeral with the exception of Capt. Jno. M. Ragland, who lives in St. Clair Co., and could not be reached by telephone.