Person:Teressa Driver (1)

The Birth Family of Teressa Driver

Teressa Driver was the daughter of Thankful Davis and Thomas Driver. She was the fifth child of six known children. Her father moved the family first from Ohio to Noble County, Indiana by 1824. Thomas Driver and his wife and their two sons, Samuel and Isaac, moved along the Oregon Trail in August 1853 to Oregon where he and the two sons later died. Teressa's mother died somewhere on the Oregon Trail during the family trip.

Teressa Composed a Song

AEH-MN-339 adds that Theressa composed a song which was sung at all old settlers' meeting. It had five or six verses, one of which was:

"The wilderness was our abode

. Full fifty years ago

And, if good meat we choose to eat

. We shot the buck or doe

For fish used to hook the line

We pounded corn to make it fine

On Johnny-cake our ladies dined,

. In this new country."

Teressa Driver Bourie's Obituary

Bourie, Teressa (Driver) died at her home in Ligonier Jan. 4, 1889. She was the wife of Dr. D. P. Bourie, aged 68 years 8 months and 22 days. She was born April 20, 1820 in Wapakoneta, Ohio, near Piqua. Her family moved to Defiance, Williams County, Ohio, afterward to Fort Wayne, and finally in Oct. 1833 they moved to what is now Noble County, but at that time, with the territory now forming LaGrange County, was called Magoconouck, an Indian word signifying "Big Squaw." The family located about four and a half miles east of Wolf Lake, at a place known as Gulliver’s Defeat" and so-called because a mail carrier named Gulliver, whose route was from Fort Wayne to Chicago and traveled on horseback, was attacked by the Indians at this point and lost his horse. Although he escaped with his life and delivered his mail all right, his victory, in some way, was construed into a defeat. In October 1836, Noble County was organized and the county seat located at a place called Sparta, situated on the Fort Wayne and Goshen Road about four miles southeast of Ligonier, and it was there that Dr. Bourie procured his marriage license on March 1, 1837 from Mr. Wesley White, who at that time was clerk of the court. The marriage took place at her father’s residence, the ceremony being performed by Mr. Knowles, a justice of the peace. Dr. Bourie at this time kept a store at a point just below the forks of the Elkhart River, two and a half miles east of Ligonier. About one mile east of there, John Knight, a local Methodist preacher, kept a "tavern", and at his house the infare or wedding festivities were held. There were seventy-five couples present, and the entertainment comprised everything that was good to eat and drink and that at that day was obtainable. After the feasting came the dancing, which was continued without intermission until daylight dispersed the merrymakers. The venerable Mr. Gideon Schlotterback furnished the music for the party, he being at the time the best performer on the violin in this part of the county, and it is worthy of note that he is still hale and hearty and only a couple of weeks ago was one of the nimblest dancers at the Old Settlers’ Ball. Dr. Bourie and his wife then settled down to business, and for half a century continued to live at the location above mentioned. About fourteen years ago they moved to Ligonier. They had four boys and ten girls. One of the boys, William, keeps a grocery store in Ligonier; the other one, Wesley, is a clerk for Messrs. Sheets & Wertheimer. Of the daughters, one, Addie, is married to Mr. John Biddle, a stonemason; the other one, Della, the youngest, is the wife of Mr. John B. Hoff, photographer now residing in Angola. Heavy, Dr. Bourie says, was the loss of the ten children he buried, "it was but a drop in the bucket" as compared with the great affliction he has now met with in losing his spouse. Funeral took place Sunday from the Christian Church. Burial, Ligonier Cemetery. + 1-4-1889

Teressa Bourie's Memorial Marker

A photo and memorial page for Teress Driver Bourie can be found on the Find-A-Grave website[[1]]