Person:Sarah Rinehart (5)

CENTENARIAN SUCCUMBS AT WALTON TODAY ---MRS SARAH RHEA --102 YEARS OF AGE IS DEAD AT THE HOME OF DAUGHTER ---MRS. CROCKETT Mrs. Sarah Rhea, Cass County's oldest resident, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Frank H. Crockett, in Walton at 1:00 this morning, she was 101 years, 11 Mo., and 17 days of age. She was born in Preble Co, Ohio Jan 1, 1821. Although the woman had been helpless since August 1921 as the result of a fall which caused the fracture of a limb, she had not been in a serious condition until a few hours before her death. Mrs Rhea has been a resident of Cass Co many years, she and her husband having been one of the earlier day farmers of Tipton Twp, The husband died 21 years ago. The elderly lady remained a resident on the farm until 13 years ago when she moved to Walton to make her home with her daughter, Until a few years ago she took an active part in the community of Tipton Twp., The deceased is survived by 8 children, 39 Grand children, and 11 great grand children. Her children are Mrs. Martha Tolen, Arch Rhea, Mrs, Lydia Grove all of Logansport, Mrs. Mary McCumber of Oregon, Mrs. Sarah Crockett of Walton, A.S. Rhea of Deer Creek and R.K. Rhea of Texas. The funeral will be held at the home of Frank H. Crockett in Walton on Wed. afternoon at 1:00 conducted by Rev. Walter Stinebaugh of that place, burial will be made in the Mason cemetery at Young America. [Pharos tribune --Logansport, Ind Dec 4, 1922] submitted by Linda York

(Research): BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH HUNDRED CANDLES ON IT Grandmother Rhea blows out the Blazing tapers one by one. In the village of Walton Woman known in Cass And Howard celebrates hundredth birthday

"The Kokomo people, Mr and Mrs. O.C. Gard, 201 S. McCann street father in law and mother in law City Judge C. H. Wills, yesterday had the interesting and unusual experience of attending an anniversary dinner in which there were 100 candles on the birthday cake. The celebration was in honor of Mrs. Sarah Rhea, a Cass co pioneer and was held at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Frank H. Crockett, the village of Walton, 15 miles NW of this city. Mrs. Rhea an aunt of Mr. Guard. Mrs. Rheas' maiden name was Sarah Rinehart. She was born in Preble county, Ohio Jan 21, 1821. She was united in marriage with Robert K. Rhea in 1840. they came to Indiana locating in Cass Co in 1855. Mr. Rhea died in 1901, He sleeps in the Masonic cemetery in Young America. Mrs. Rhea is Known personally to nearly all the families in the southeastern part of Cass county and the Northwestern part of Howard County Despite her extreme age she gets around unassisted. Yesterday, she walked to the dinner table unassisted, refusing escort with the laughing statement that she had been getting to her meals without help for a hundred years and she wasn't going to start her second century by leaning on someone else on the way to her anniversary feast. Her mind is in excellent condition, her memory being particularly accurate. Her hearing is but slightly impaired and her eyes are still so good that she still does crocheting without the use of glasses. she enjoyed her hundredth anniversary celebration very much. Throughout the day and evening there was a constant procession of callers. Old acquaintances from far and near called, offering their congratulations and wished her many more anniversaries. In the afternoon, all the schoolchildren of Walton gathered in front of the home where the celebration was under way and serenaded the venerable woman. In acknowledgement , of their thoughtfulness she stepped out onto the porch and gave them an old fashioned curtsey and a brief word of thanks. She met the exertions incident with the celebration with fine strength and spirit. She kept herself composed and well in hand throughout it all, and when evening came made no complaint of fatigue. She expressed gratitude that she had been privileged to live so long, favored with fine health and practically unimpaired faculties and said that Heaven had been particularly good to her all along the way. She has been a member of the German Baptist church for nearly 70 years and has never failed to find consolation in its simple faith. 9 children were born to Mrs. Rhea. Of these, 8 are living. A son Frank Rhea, died in Joplin Mo only a few years ago. She has 38 grand-children, 57 great -grand children and 8 great great grand children. 4 generations of her family were represented at the anniversary dinner. Mrs. rhea was born when James Monroe, fifth president of United States, was serving his term. She was married when Martin Can Buren, the 8th president was in office. She can remember when Andrew Jackson, in 1828, defeated John Quincey Adams for re-election to the presidency and she became a bride in the year when William Henry Harrison conducted his famous log cabin and hard cider campaign. The men of her family affiliated with the Democratic party from her girlhood, but last November, when Mrs. Rhea cast her first vote, she put it in for Harding, the Republican nominee. When one of her sons jokingly asked why she did that, she replied that she had become impressed that the country needed a change. She seemed to have caught the popular trend pretty well, even if she was approaching the century mark. It is a wonderful thing to have lived 100 years. It is an experience that comes to very, very few. And it is more wonderful to have lived the last 100 than it would have been to have lived any other 100 in history. the world has gone faster and farther in that last 100 years than it ever went before. To have been a witness to its development and transformations and all its other titanic activities, is indeed a thing to distinguish one. What a retrospect good old grandmother Rhea must have! What myriad memories must be hers! What reflections must come crowding into her mind when she reviews it all ! One can but wonder what was in the loveable old lady's thoughts at the moment when, one by one, she blew out the 100 candles of her birthday cake."

1.   UNION COUNTY INDIANA LIBRARY. (<a href="http://www.union-county.lib.in.us/GenwebVA4mile/rinehart.htm">UNION COUNTY INDIANA LIBRARY</a>).
2.   Linda crockett york. (<a href="http://www.gencircles.com/users/york/">linda crockett york</a>).
3. ↑ ED23
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