Stillwater Valley Gazette

August 24, 1871

CHILDRESS, MRS. PHEBE - In Canton, Ohio upon Sabbath morning last, August 6th, at the residence of Samuel Cross, Mrs. Phebe Childress, aged 88 years, 5 months and 4 days. The deceased was the widow of the Rev. Thos. Childress, D. D., a highly useful clergyman of the Baptist denomination. During a period of 46 years the departed shared the labors and trials of her husband, and by her remarkable energy and strength of character, contributed not a little to his great success. She was truly his sympathizer and helper in his great work as Christ's ambassador. But not only is the deceased to be remembered, and spoken of, as one who had so much to do in aiding to shape, especially the religious character of our State, but also because of her birthplace and kinship. She was born in London County, Va., February 22, 1783, 6 1/2 years, as will be observed, after the Declaration of Independence. Her home was within sight of that of the father of his country. Her mother's maiden name was Margaret Washington, an own cousin of George Washington. Her father was a brother of Commodore Perry, the distinguished American, who, in the War of 1812, fought so bravely on Lake Erie. Thus on both the father and mother's side, she was connected with the principal actors in the Revolutionary War, the facts of which she loved so much to recount. But she has passed away--one more of the remaining ones, who were born in the times when our government was just beginning to live. Little did the citizens of Canton know, that upon Monday afternoon, the body of so aged a person, and of one so nearly related to our first President, was laid away in our cemetery. Honored we indeed are, in giving burial to a saint, so advanced in years; and honored, because, among our dead, is one who will continually remind us of the debt of gratitude we owe to the patriots of the revolution. {The above, from a Canton (O.) paper, is inserted at the request of friends in this vicinity.--Ed. Gazette}

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