Person:Mary Arnold (139)

http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~hyde/hall/JosephHall.html#JosephHall

"Mary Elizabeth Arnold was the eldest daughter of Elijah and Prudence Arnold. She was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, 1819. She attended school at Clarksburg [Harrison Co., WVA].

"One day while at her home in Jacksonville, about the noon hour, she crossed the back yard, carrying a large butcher knife in her hand, on her way to inspect the cutting of a big fat juicy ham. Just as she reached the center of the yard a deer jumped the garden fence. She struck at it with her knife but only succeeded in wounding it. Not to be outdone she ran after it. The deer crossed the yard, leaped the fence into the road, and made for the river. On reaching the other side it attempted to jump a stake and rider fence, but the lofty rider prevented too much and the noble king of the forest was left hanging by his hind feet. By this time Elizabeth, still holding the knife, arrived on the scene, and promptly "struck the deer." When once asked by an inquisitive niece "Why, Aunt Liz, where did you stick it?" she replied, "In the neck, of course." Long after the dinner hour had passed her brothers returned home from their unsuccessful hunt, to find a huge stag hanging in the back yard. To the day of her death Elizabeth Arnold retained the antlers of "her hunt." She never tired [of] relating her thrilling experience to her young relations, and to one young great-niece in particular [I assume Mary Prudence (McClellan) O'Hara, author of the sketch.].

"About 1844 she was married to Joseph Hall, a brother of John Strange Hall. They settled at Bushes Mills, on the land given Elizabeth by her mother [Prudence Jackson Arnold]. Joseph Hall was Postmaster at Bushes Mills from June 15, 1854 to June 17, 1862. He was a farmer. Died at his home on ___ [2 Feb 1885]. Some years later Elizabeth Hall laid off a town and her brother, William Arnold, gave it the name "Roanoke" after Roanoke, Virginia. She died October 1, 1907, at her home in Roanoke, and is buried in the family burying ground [on the hill in back of the old Hall Homestead. The graves of Joseph and Elizabeth Hall were later moved to Forest Lawn Cemetery, Weston, Lewis Co., WVA before Stonewall Jackson Lake flooded the area.]."[74]
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74. Document about John Jackson and descendants originally written by Col. Jackson Arnold and added to by Mary Prudence (McClellan) O'Hara and possibly others, pages 36-37. Found in HCPD Library.

4 Oct 1907 -
Mrs. Mary Elizabeth, widow of Joseph Hall died at her home at Roanoke, Lewis County, on Tuesday morning Oct. 1, 1907, at the advanced age of 87. She was a sister of the late George J. Arnold, William E. Arnold and Porter M. Arnold and John G. Arnold, Mrs. Catherine Hall, Mrs. John S.[Strother] Fisher of Buckhannon and Mrs. Henry Brannon. She leaves surviving her the following children, John Hall of Richmond, VA, Mrs. Anna Ramsey of Manchester, Ohio, Mrs. Mary Jones of Canada, Mrs. Helen Clark of Kansas and Mr. George W. Hall, of this county, with whom she spent her declining years and who faithfully ministered to her unto the last. Her youngest son, Charles, died some years ago in the west. Mrs. Hall passed many years in widowhood. In early life she united with the Protestant Methodist Church and always lived a consistent Christian life. She was a devoted and faithful wife and mother and a kind neighbor and her death though it came in the ripeness of age will be deeply lamented by her family and acquaintances. Her name through a long life was one of high respectability and she left it untarnished. She was a woman of strong mind and character. Her last years were years of suffering incident to old age, but she bore under it in peaceful composure and often expressed resignation and readiness to depart from her earthly tabernacle, so frail, so worn with years.

But when the sun in all his state - Illumed the eastern skies - She passed through glory's morning gate - And walked in paradise.