Person:Catherine Smith (95)

1880 U.S. Census shows Catharine, age 56, living in Peru, Miami Co., IN, as a widow. Occupation noted as dressmaker. Catherine Smith married Samuel Shively. Two children were born: Mary R. and Samuel. The father died when Mary was 19 months old and Samuel a few weeks old. Catharine never married again. She raised her two children through her own efforts. She studied nursing and millinery. She invented a bleacher to use in millinery . Got it through the patent office at Washington. Soon after the Civil War ended she left Ohio and went to Peru, Indiana, where she lived until 1884, when she came to Kansas with Mary and her family. (From notes of Eva Thomas Dowell,1961) Catharine was a nurse in Pratt County from 1884 to 1895. (From notes of Eva Thomas Dowell) Received U.S. land grant for E 1/2, Sec. 15, R15, Twp. 29 (Springvale, KS) on May 3, 1892. Obituary Mrs. C. W. Shiveley was born in Wayne Co., Ohio, November 2, 1823. She was converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in Wooster, Ohio, at the age of 16, and remained a member of that church the rest of her life. She was married to Samuel Shiveley in 1845, and two children were born to this union, Mrs. B.F. Thomas of Pratt, and Samuel Shiveley of Swayzee, Ind, both of whom survive her. Mrs. Shiveley was left a widow at the age of twenty-five, with two small children to raise. She moved to Reserve, Ind., in 1865, where she resided until 1884, when with her daughter's family, Mr. and Mrs. B.F. Thomas, she moved to Pratt County, residing in Springvale township and in Pratt continuously since. Mrs. C.W. Shiveley was a devout christian, a kind mother, grandmother and friend. On account of her extreme age she was getting quite feeble, but no alarm was felt about her condition until Tuesday she began to complain some with stomach trouble. Dr. Douthart was called, but her complaint seemed beyond control. She sank rapidly and lost consciousness Saturday noon. She seemed to suffer no pain and was willing to go. She passed away at 9:30 a.m., Sunday morning, at the age of 85 years, 10 months and 17 days. The funeral services were held at the M.E. Church in this city Monday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, Rev. McCormick preaching the funeral sermon, and the remains were laid to rest in Greenlawn cemetery. (Pratt (Ks) Union, September 23, 1909)