Jersey County Democrat

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Jersey County Democrat, 1895-1946

March 10, 1898

CHAPPELL REUNION
     The farewell reunion of brothers and sisters of John B. Chappell, late of Poplar Grove, Illinois, was held at the residence of their sister-in-law, Mrs. Minerva Chappell. Mr. Chappell is 91 years of age and is on his way to Riverside, California to pass his remaining days with his youngest daughter, Mrs. Jack Dougal. All of the surviving members of the family were prsent except Mrs. Mahala Buckles of Newbern, aged 68, who lives upon the Chappell homestead and who has been an invalid for several years. John B. Chappell is 91, Lucinda Lofton of Ladonnia, Missouri is 76, Solomon Chappell of Bunker Hill is 75, Israel Chappell of Carlinville is 73. Mrs. Thirza Noble is 69.
     The hostess, assisted by her daughters, Mesdames Will and Prentis Noble, and her niece, Mrs. Theodore Dodson, made the day a joyful one for the venerable guests. The guest of honor was led to the dining room by his grandniece, Fay Noble, a fairhaired little girl of 8 years. At each plate was laid a bunch of violets and a pretty souvenier in the form of a booklet in which was written a character sketch of the person named. A quartet of little girls, grandnieces of the guests, Theo Dodson, Pearl, Merle and Fay Noble, sang sweetly the Doxology, and grace was signed as follows: “Bartholomew Chappell was born February 7, 1783; Grace Green, his second wife born in 1790. Seven children were born to them, five of whom are living. There are 42 grandchildren and 78 great-grandchildren. Of Grandfather’s first family I know little, but from the family Bible record I find there were six children. Of these, John is the only one living. Of the second family, Ephraim and Richard are absent in body, but perhaps present in spirit.
     “As a memorial of this reunion, I have prepared a souvenier for each one that in years to come it may bring to you pleasant memories of today. You have been separated so many years and some have lived so far away, you can scarce believe you were all rocked in the same crib, fed, clothed, petted and paddled by the same loved parents. John has always lived farther from home than any of the others and as the old saying goes, the bird must try its wings to leave the home nest. So Uncle John now thinks to take the advice of Horace Greeley to “go west and grow up with the country.”
     The Chappell homestead, situated in this county comprises 400 acres, which are still in the family’s possession. The land was bought by Bartholomew Chappell in 1833, soon after his arrival in this country from England. It was bequeathed by him to his daughter, Mrs. John Buckles and his youngest son, Richard Chappell, husband of Minerva Chappell.

Jersey County Democrat, December 29, 1898

LETTERS FROM OUT-OF-TOWN FRIENDS. One of Uncle Sam’s Volunteer Engineers.
Camp Fornance, Macon, GA.
Mr. J. M. Page
Jerseyville, Ill.
DEAR SIR:
     As I have not written to you for a long time I thought I would let you know that the 3rd U. S. Volunteer Engineers are still in existence. We are camped about two miles from Macon at camp Forance, which was named after Captain Forance, of the 13th U. S. Infantry, who died from wounds that he received in the Battle of San Juan, Cuba.
     We have a fine camp here as it is a sandy soil, and it never gets muddy, which is much to our advantage, for this is the rainy season down here, and it rains about four days out of the week. We had a nice day Thanksgiving and we had a fine turkey dinner in our company, which was more than some of the other companies had.
     We are enjoying the best of health, Bert Smith is getting so fat that he can hardly walk and as he is now the Colonel’s orderly he is having quite a nice time.
     I think that I will close for this time. I still remain, Yours truly, Walter Grafford

Jersey County Democrat, December 5, 1918

THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC IN JERSEY COUNTY. Health commissioner Atchison is his monthly report to the State Board of Health, states that 324 cases of influenza were reported to him and Mayor Shepard during the month of November, and that there were 16 deaths from the epidemic during the first months. He informs us that the first case reported here was on the 3rd of October and there were 41 cases during the month. He also reported to the State Board that he estimated that at least 250 cases of influenza had not been reported during the past two months, which if correct, would bring the total number of cases for the past two months up to about 700 cases.

AT EMERGENCY HOSPITAL.
     There were sixteen patients in the Emergency Hospital Tuesday afternoon, and one more was taken there that evening. The number was up to twenty, was reduced to fourteen then raised to twenty-one. Monday, five were discharged. Wednesday, nine were discharged, so that eight are being cared for now.
     Mrs. Anderson and Miss Anonsen, trained nurses, and Miss Salle, a volunteer of the student nurse reserve, from Chicago headquarters of the Red Cross, and Mrs. Mayme Murray and Mrs. Mary Schulte of this city are looking after the needs of the patients, who are receiving scientific care and medical aid. It is a large task for these nurses and deserving of the greatest appreciation.
     It is the unanimous opinion of the Jerseyville physicians that the Emergency Hospital is a splendid thing and the only method of caring for the sick in a practical efficient manner, during such an epidemic. The benefit a permanent hospital would be to Jerseyville is brought home to our citizens in a most convincing manner in such a time as this.
     When the situation was at its worst, Geo. M. Seago volunteered his services to Chairman Becker of the Red Cross, who made him chairman of a committee to find means for combating the epidemic. The other members of the committee are C. M. Hanes, B. H. Bowen, P. M. Hamilton, Owen Cunningham and Drs. Bohannan and McBrien, as advisors. Mr. Becker called a meeting of this committee, of the physicians of Jerseyville and of members of the Council of Defense, and at this meeting, the establishment of the Emergency Hospital was decided upon as the only way to care for the sick in an efficient manner. The Presbyterian parsonage which was vacant pending the erection of a new dwelling was volunteered for the purpose, and is a splendid temporary quarters as it has furnace heat, bath and lights. Miss Nell Bowman, chairman of the Hospital Supplies Committee of the Red Cross, and her assistants canvassed the town for supplies, and enough linens, beddings, etc., was given to supply the demand twice over. Cots and beds were set up and Jerseyville merchants assisted materially. Mayor Shepard telegraphed the State Board of Health for aid and the nurses mentioned above were sent to Jerseyville. Supplies of staples are furnished by Supervisor J. T. Hanley, and the local chapter of the Red Cross is backing the project. The committee in charge was assisted by K. T. Nelson, Gus Christy and Doug Davis in moving patients, etc.
     The hospital has been doing practical work for three weeks and the epidemic now seems to be on the decline, locally. Only one death has occurred at the hospital, and many of the patients have been very critically ill. All connected with its establishment and maintenance are deserving of the community’s gratitude for all have worked hard.

Jersey County Democrat-News, Friday, May 31, 1946

Dabbs Reunion At Rosedale Sunday. The twenty-ninth annual reunion of the descendants of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Dabbs was held on Sunday at Rosedale. A potluck dinner was enjoyed at noon. Those present were Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Dabbs, Mr. and Mrs. Pearl Dabbs, Mrs. Rosa Wedding, Mrs. Cora Spangle, Mrs. Edward Weule, Jessie Lewis, Ernest Lewis and children, Virgil Fryman, Mr. and Mrs. James McCarthy and children, Arthur Dabbs and son, Bobby Lee, and Orvil McGrew of Jerseyville; Mr. and Mrs. Bert Dabbs and daughter, Miss Sylvia Mae, of Grafton; Roy Schallenberg of Brighton; Mrs. Charles Cappell of Delhi; Mrs. Emma Danielson, Mr. and Mrs. William Abbott of Alton and Mr. and Mrs. John Winters and son, Paul, Greenville.

Family Gathering At Pere Marquette. Mr. and Mrs. Leo Franz and sons, Mrs. Ernest Dabbs and children, Wesley Franz and son, Mrs. Floyd Highfill and children of Grafton, Mrs. And Mrs. Hubert Mourning and children of Kane, Mr. and Mrs. George Grizzle of Rockbridge, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Bailey and children of Alton, and Miss Ethel Marie Grizzle of Jerseyville enjoyed a family dinner at Pere Marquette Park Sunday.

Contributed by Marty Crull.

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