Don't know if you have ever seen this.
If not, I thought you may find it of interest.
Sherry Jones Ryan
San Diego
bandbinns(a)aol.com
ONE HUNDRETH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO MARY WESTFALL ROLL
Mary Westfall Roll, a former resident of Wingate, Indiana,
Reaches Her One Hundreth Milestone and Celebrates The Occasion
by: J. C. Gregory, her grandson
All the citizens, in the middlewest part of our country, knew Mary Westfall
Roll, affectionately known as "Aunt Polly," who for many years lived here, and
who for seventy two years was a member of the Pleasant Hill Christian Church
at Wingate. Aunt Polly went West several years ago, and last Saturday
celebrated her one hundredth birthday at Minneapolis, Minnesota. The following
article appeared in the Minneapolis Sunday Times.
"The one hundreth birthday anniversary of Mary Westfall Roll, was celebrated
at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. S. C. Hayes at 3005 Bryand Avenue
South. The rooms were appropriately decorated with wheat heads and ripened grain;
and loads of roses, asters and carnations were brought in by the guests. Over
one hundred and fifty called to greet the vererable hostess. Thirty-four of
the one hundred thirty-three decendants of the old lady were present, many of
them coming from distant states. At noon the guests were called to order and
Mrs. Roll was seated in State in a new oaken chair upholstered in green
leather, one of her birthday presents. J. C. Gregory of St. Louis, Missouri, a
Grandson, addressed the assembled guests. In part, Mr. Gregory said, "Grandma
Roll, kinfolk and friends: The occasion of our coming together is an unusual
one, celebration of a centennary birthday, and to many of us it has a deep and
thrilling interest, in this wonderful nineteenth century. Mary Westfall Roll
has enjoyed the privilege and distinction of extending her span of life
through the full one hundred years. As far back as I can remember, it was quoted in
our family that "Aunt Polly" Roll, as she called herself, intended to live to
be one hundred years old. To those of us who remember the vigor and energy
she displayed in her middle life, it is not surprising that she has fulfilled
her promise. Often have I heard her relate that on her fiftieth birthday she
spun her dozen cuts of yarn, set a blue dye, and in the evening walked three
miles to church. That walk was over unimproved roads in central Indiana, a
region that at that time was heavily timbered.
Born Mary Westfall in Dayton, Ohio, in a log cabin, the first white child
born in this city, and in a region infested by wandering Indiana. She
experienced the deprivations, dangers and inconveniences of pioneer life. Her early
experiences occured at a time and under conditions which required people to do
for themselves, whether they wanted to or not. They grew their own wool,
sheared, scoured, carded, spun and wove it. They raised their own flax and carried
it through every stage of manufacture, from the field to the homely, but
serviceable garment of homespun. Even their bread was made by pounding corn into a
course meal on a hominy block until civilization so progressed that by going
50 miles on horseback, through the wilderness, they could reach a primitive
grist mill with a bag of grain. There to have the grain ground into meal.
Their cattle, hogs and poultry and forests filled with wild game, supplied
abundant animal food and wood. And the woods also furnished them with honey and
sugar, fruits and nuts. They lived like Lords and Peasants in one. Independent,
rich in the profusion of all the necessities of life. Their log cabin embowed
in beauty and filled with love and laughter where they dwelt on puncheon
floors or on the bare earth. They rocked their babies in an ax-made sugar trough
and eked out their furnished (sic) by the skin of beasts. They had oiled
paper for glass in their single-paned windows.
In 1822, soon after Mary Westfall married John Roll, they moved to Montgomery
County, Indiana, making the trip here on horseback still in the frontier,
among savage beasts, and no less savage men. They reared their family, and when
the youngest was an infant in arms, the husband and father, at the age of 34,
heard the call of Israel to turn aside in the shadowy land.
The undaunted mother kept her children together and reared them in the manner
and respect of the times and people. At the same time, amid all her duties,
spared so much time and effort in visiting and caring for the sick and
afflicted, that the name of Aunt Polly Roll is cherished in that region up to the
present generation. Few of whom have ever seen her.
As her children grew up and married they removed, one by one, still westward,
still on the frontier, into Illinois. And, of course, the Mother now became,
many times, a Grandmother, followed them. Twenty years ago when some of them
talked of moving to Dakota, "Granny" laid down the law with the bark on it
and said, "I've been on the frontier nearly all my life, and I am not going to
endure any more of it. If you young ones want to go to a new country, you may,
but I'm going to stay here. She meant it at that time. But when all the
children and grandchildren went to Dakota, Granny was with them. On the
monotonous terrain of what is now South Dakota, near Pierre, she settled and proved up
a government claim after she was eighty-five years old. Now after so much
hardship, she is rounding out her century amid the comforts of this beautiful
city. And as she is entitled to 90 years more of life to make up for the
hardships of the frontier we, her decendents and multitude of friends, hope to see
her journey a long, long way into her second century amid happy conditions.
Notwithstanding her hardships, it has been Grandmother Roll's privilege to
live through a golden century indeed. She says that almost everything on earth
which is of much value, has been invented, thought out and wrought since she
was born. Now on this centennial birthday we, your decendents, scattered
throughout nearly one third of the States of the Union, together with friends have
gathered together a small testimonial of our esteem. This golden purse
contains one hundred and ten dollars in gold coin. One gold coin for each year of
your age and ten percent to grow on. It is a gift, dear Grandmother, which
typifies the love your children and friends bear you, and the wish that your
precious life may be prolonged many years, and may grow in beauty and comfort
until you shall have attained unto the golden perfect peace of God toward which
every child of his is tending. In this gift and those accompanying it, this
chair, this cloak, and other articles, every decendent is represented, those who
have gone before as well as those living. Some decendents have contributed
more, some less, but all are represented. The total number being one hundred
thirty-three."
Resolutions of appreciation were read at the Christian Church at Pleasant
Hill (Wingate) with which Aunt Polly Roll has been connected for 72 years.
A letter of congratulations was read from the Historical Society of Dayton,
Ohio.
An interesting original poem was read by Mrs. E. J. Newcomb.
Robert Harper, who is 101 years old is guest of honor due to his 101 years.
He sat beside the venerable hostess. Mr. Harper arose to the occasion and
proposed marriage to Mrs. Roll, who responded, "Widowers have been my greatest
trouble for the past sixty-five years, but I have kept them at a distance, and I
can't afford to break my record.
Group pictures were taken of Aunt Polly and her decendents to the number of
34, by Mr. Hays, her son-in-law.
Other sums of money and gifts, innumerable to mention, were among the
offerings.
A picture of Aunt Polly Roll over the name of Mary Westfall, is hanging in
the log cabin where she was born in Dayton, Ohio, owned and operated by the
Historical Society, who sent a letter of congratulations.