Thus a newspaper obituary writer determined Miss Eliza Hamilton's seventy-year life be summed up by reading her brothers' obituaries that had appeared there earlier. Her "died" notice was published February 16, 1900 in the Greensburg Standard, Indiana newspaper.
Miss Hamilton was sister to Cyrus and Thomas Hamilton, early prominent pioneers to Decatur County Indiana. I posted information about them in 2010. My ongoing investigation of the Hamilton/Morgan connection has been greatly helped by the obituary collection nicely indexed and available from the Greensburg, Decatur, Indiana County Library. Thank you so very much to the folks at Gene Alogy!
Obituary, Cyrus Hamilton,
[August 27, 1879, Decatur News]
Cyrus Hamilton was born July 14, 1800, on McBride’s creek, in Burbon (now Nicholas) county, Kentucky; was married to Polly McCoy on the 22nd of February, 1822, and with his wife and his brother James E. and family, left the home of his boyhood to find, and found a new one in the then unbroken wilds of this county. On the 11th of March succeeding they arrived at the locality since so well known as their hospitable homes, where both made a permanent settlement, and which has been their home ever since. In March of last year he was seized with disease of the kidneys and bladder, from which he was a terrible sufferer, with only fitful relief, until Tuesday last. (August 19th) about 1 o’clock when death came to his relief.
Of the many early settlers of this county few have been better known to their citizens—for more actively and [illegible] connected with her moral and social development. A Christian man—one of the “Sandcreek” (Kingston) Presbyterian church; an ardent temperance man, and a radical abolitionist, from the very inception of those movements, he assisted in the organization of these societies throughout his section of the country, —addressing the people thereon wherever he could get listeners.Though not an orator—not so much as a ‘speaker’ —he was a fine talker, and never failed to interest those who would hear him—though often his remarks feel upon prejudicial ears and he had to wait long for the fruits of his sowing. Those ears, however, and he lived to rejoice in the end.
Mr. Hamilton came of a long lived race. In the years 1822 and 23 his mother, widow with four sons and eleven daughters emigrated to this country; four were then married, the others single; all but one lived till just past middle age and four of the daughters—Mrs. Sally Donnel, Mrs.Minera Donnell, Mrs. Jane Lowe and Miss Eliza Hamilton—and three of the sons James E., Thomas and R. M., are still living. Mother Hamilton lived to up in the seventies and the two sisters and a brother who settled here lived to a still greater age. Cyrus was the father of six children and about twenty five grandchildren, and he was the first death in his own or his children’s families.
For forty-seven years and seven months lacking three days, “Uncle Cyrus and Aunt Polly” had traveled the path way of life together, whether sharring its joys, together buffeting its misfortunes. He has been called home, she, bowed by age and disease, can tarry but a short while ere the winged messenger shall call for her. Funeral services were held at Kingston on Wednesday afternoon, and attended by a large concourse of relatives and personal friends of the deceased; sermon by the pastor, A. T. Rankin. —Standard.
These Hamiltons are family to Garrard Morgan's sister Mary "Polly" Morgan who married R. M. [Robert Marshall] Hamilton mentioned above.
My own great great grandmother Eliza Ann Hamilton Morgan, married to Garrard Morgan, doesn't yet appear to be connected to these Hamiltons. Both groups immigrated to Indiana from Nicholas County, Kentucky. Eliza Ann is the daughter of James Hamilton, who is the son of John Hamilton.
Thus far I haven't found any Roberts mentioned in that family ancestry. Decatur County, Indiana information about Robert Marshall Hamilton, indicates he descended from a line of Roberts.
Hmmm! Much still to do.
