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April 11, ism—Dispensation to i your Margaret cor nett and HalB. Cornett: 1951. Stella Bavlesschange hall and change meetings to second Tuesday “ because fire damaged our hall.”January 15. 1945—Returned to Wilma Walker and Otto E. Blum.and Roy J. Hamilton; 1952, Elda Kromat and Emil Kromat; 1953,Granddaughter of Late Lewis Wells.Now 83. Reveals Intimate DetailsOf Wells. Keyes and Thing FamiliesIntimate details of Wells, Keyes and Thing families, prominent In the early history of Du Quoin, are revealed in the following letter from Mrs. Rezilia Wells Thing, 8011 Elmerson Place South San Gabriel, California.Mrs. Thing, now 83, is a granddaughter of the late Lewis Wells. Her family was well acquainted with that of Chester A. Keyes who with Isaac A. Metcalf platted the present city.Mrs. Thing’s letter follows:'‘Your letter asking information about the Wells, Thing, and Keyes families came to hand in yesterday's mail and I will try to remem* her what I have heard aboutLlchurch needed a fund for repairs|J and Mrs. Holden gave the first!*! ice cream social ever held in Keyes City Park to help raise money. People came for miles around to attend. The church cleared $200.00. Church work has always been a great source of satisfaction to Mrs. Holden.Grandfather Fountain organ! -vtrold\IfI\them.“I had a letter on Monday from Ruth Kimmel.“Let me first introduce myself. I, Rezilia Wells, was the daughter of Leonard-Bates Wells and Susan Heroid, marrie’d Nov. 3, 1S66. My brother, Carl, was born July 6, 1868, and I, Feb. 1. 18T0. We lived about 2la miles south west of Du Quoin.CIVIL WAR HERO‘Father was a Civil War veicr* an, rising from a private in Co. C. 8ist regular 111. volunteers to 2nd lieutenant at close of the war. *“I know nothing of any help to you about my Grandfather Lewis,other than he lived south of Du Quoin and was nearing his 100th birthday when he passed on to a better world. As far as I knosv all of their children were born in Perry county. Their mother, Grade Taylor Wells, I have been told, named Du Quoin from an Indian diief. i believe that Grandfather Weils may have been originally from North Caro, lina.“As far as the history of the Wells home, south of town, I have little information regarding that. It was built perhaps in the late 40s or early 50s by, 1 think, Damon Thing, who with his brother, Truman, had settled in DO Quoin or nearby. I believe they came from New Hampshire. He had two sons, Joseph Luden and Charles Edward. Father bought the place from William Glass in the fall of 1881 or 1882. NAME WAS CHANGED“As far {is concerns the name Thing, everybody knows as(concerning the change is, many years ago, someone, I don't know who, changed the name from Hogug.“Now as regards the Keyes family 1 know less than what you have found out by the records and talk to the old citizens, although there is no one living who Knew Chester Allen Keyes. It has been many years ago since they came to Du Quoin and built the brick house on Division street and the one on the street theschool house is on, (don’t remember the name).“They were wealthy then. They chartered a car and brought ail their house furnishings to St. Louis. They came from Chile-eothe, Ohio, they had only one son, Chester Alien, Jr. He must have'been a grown lad for I have heard that he attended Oberlin College. T don't know in what year/ His mother said that he was a sickly baby. She having no nurse for him, carried him every day to * woman who blTd lost her brbe, for her i nurse him. How my oarents became acquainted with her I don’t know. It dates back when I was quite young, and lasted until her death.AIDLD BY FRIENDS“Year by year saw her means dwindling a w a y until real poverty had overtaken her, and she was losing her home. Father went to some of the old citizensto a ’ for funds to build her a♦hou south of town. The ones he contacted were Judge Willard W.J1, Henry Horn, Q. S. Smith, the Popes, and Braddy Skinner.Mrs. Keyes was very lonely. Her only companion was a brownmuch about that as I. All I know rat-terrier named “Tippie”, whomshe kept until he died of age.DIES IN POVERTYThe house that was built for j her on land of Judge Wall’s, perhaps now on the fair ground-site, was only 1i mile from our house. She would come with her bucket to carry milk home. She was always “loaded up” with gooseberries or strawberries, garden truck and at “hog killing time” with choice meat for which she always thanked mother and said Chettie was so fond of everything.She died in poverty and again father asked help to give her decent burial. My parents were her oldest and best friends. After her death Chet and his companions built a cabin in the woods down on “Little Muddy’’ and he passed away there.Mrs, Keyes maiden name was Harriet Elizabeth Mi Ilea*. She was English. 1 seem to recall her being born in England and having lived there. She was a lovely gentle woman despite her poverty.t 'to not know who Miss Julia Keyes was.Now a little bit family. As I have father’s war record orable one. He was of Vicksburg, hadsevered, ind wasdeath. His friend, Haney Young, the drummer boy of the regiment, grabbed the severed windpipe,holding it, and thus stopping thebleeding. That was on the 22nd day of May, 1863, and he lived49 years to a day, passing awayat our San Diego home May 22, 1912.Chas, E. Thing and I were married Febl 7, 3888. We have two daughters and one grandson, now 30 years old. My husbandpassed away to a «higher expression of^life, Jan. 8, 1933.“I hope that you get a little good from this rambling letter. Would like to hear more about the “big time” Du Quoin has been having. Ruth wrote that it was quite an affair.I am 831 years old. It is over 55 years since I lived In DuQuoiiv- Rezilia Wells Thing.”I(imore of my said before, was an hon-in the battle his windpipe bleeding to
Newspaper Details
Du Quoin Evening Call
Du Quoin, Illinois, US
Sat, Sep 19, 1953
Page 35
Full Page
Clipped by
Darren H.
USA 17 Jan 2021
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Du Quoin Evening Call
