John Milton Moore
Nancy E Vaughan
John Milton3 Moore (Isaac2, Mordicai1) was born
1880 Census residing in Bird,
1886 Residing in Knob Noster,
Children of John Milton Moore and Nancy Ellen Vaughan.
I.
Sarah R 4 Moore, born
and died
II. Twin
to Sarah Moore, born
February 29, 1904 in Jacksonville,Morgan County, Illinois
IV. Amanda J
Moore, born
V. William James Moore, born
Letter
The following is a letter written by Ida Lila
Roberts to a relative before Ida died. She was raised by John and Nancy Moore
when her mother died. She loved her grandparents tremendously and preferred to
be called
My very-dear Mary,
I promised to tell you how there came to be a Moore Rug Company, and how, in the course of years, the "Pop" of Dennis, and Linda, and Tommy, and Mark came to be IT. And to send you an appreciation of its founder which I wrote long ago. I hope you will understand it for what it is: an accurate, if loving, sketch of one of the finest women I ever knew. She met misfortune without dismay, made a beautiful life for her family, and left us a great heritage. You and I, Mary, have reverent regard for our forebears, and we appreciate their part in making us what we are. If I did not know this to be true, I should not send this to you.
In
1861,--the year our tragic Civil War began,--John Milton Moore was married to
Nancy Ellen Vaughan in Carlinville,
It is much more puzzling to guess how he came by the given name of the great English poet, John Milton. Was it "Paradise Lost" or "Paradise Regained" that his mother thought of when she named him?
In about
the year 1871, John, a farmer, received a severe cut in the knee from a
corn-knife. This accident is said to have accounted for his long
invalidism. Such an injury could have caused extensive infection; I
have often wondered if infantile paralysis might not have been a complication.
In any event, he was completely paralysed from his waist down, almost wholly
confined to his bed; on certain occasions he was in a wheelchair, but he
was never comfortable there. Thus bedridden, he became the care of his
wife for the rest of his life. And, what care she gave him! In that
year, he and
I have seen the site and foundation of the house in which they lived. It was a timberland belonging to someone else. There were probably three, or at most, four rooms: a large room serving as living room, kitchen, Grandfather's bedroom, and Grandmother's weaving room, plus 2 or 3 other small rooms.
These courageous people thus undertook to provide for themselves by weaving rag carpets: Nancy weaving, John winding the shuttles and doing everything possible with his large, strong arms, -- (even to switching the youngsters, who were ordered to go out, cut their own switches, bring them and "themselves" to the bedside!) The girls hurried home from school each day to sew a specified poundage of rags before they could go out for play. My Aunt often told me that they worked so hard and so fast that they would bend to close to their work, thus often pricking their little noses with the needle! John belonged to the Dunkard religious denomination, andthe long-bearded men and plainly-dressed women often gathered in that room for religious services. They had their Maundy Thursday feet-washing service there. And John was known as the counsellor among them, as well as for the whole countryside. In return, how good they were to the family! The root cellar was always filled in the autumn with apples, potatoes, canned goods, etc. So: the family grew up and gradually found their own mates and homes.
In 1884, Celia
Ellen Moore and James Reilly Roberts, (my mother and father), were married and
established their home in
It was
not long thereafter when John Milton and Nancy followed to make their residence
in
I do not
know when Will opened his own weaving shop, copying his mother's
occupation. It was first located on
How the business evolved, you know perhaps better than I. Demands changed. Hand-weaving disappeared. Cleaning, mattress making, etc., etc., took its place. With six boys and a daughter to rear, Uncle Will decided to go into the dairy business, thus keeping the "young-uns" busy and out of mischief. Then John took over the business.
And so:
it descended into your hands, Eldridge, and you know the rest. This is
the reason your husband knows how to do everything (almost!), Mary.
This
reminiscence I jotted down long ago. It is of my saintly grandmother, who
cared for grandfather, (an invalid unable to leave his bed for more than 36
years,) raised their family of four fine children, and made the living for them
all by weaving rag carpet and rugs. When I knew her, of course, her
children were all married, and I was one of the younger of the grandchildren.
I have called her--
The Beloved Weaver
I see her now, my gentle grandmother, Nancy Vaughan Moore, working at her great old-fashioned loom. Before the mighty frame of hand-hewn walnut, -- high and seeming to fill half the cubic space of her sunlit weaving room,-- she sits at her work, tossing the shuttle, pulling the battern, and shifting the reeds. I hear the "Bat! Bat!" and the clanking of treadles, --treadles worn into little smoothe hollows where her feet countless times have pressed them down. Her bench, too, is worn to silk-like smoothness from the long years of her sliding in and out. I almost feel I am with her again as I see her busy with forming a new web. Gradually and with meticulous exactness she fills the reel from the improvised spool rack against the wall. Then comes the rewinding from reel to beam, and the tedious "tying in," Inside the loom she sits, tying, tying, one thread and then another until all are joined to the remnant of the old warp, and ready to be pulled through the hettles and the reed. There, on that smooth board, we sometimes sat together; there she taught me the unforgotten "weaver's knot."
Long years she wove. Necessity drove her to her task; love and thankfulness made it a pleasant task for her. Uncounted yards of rag carpets, numberless little rugs; every strand of the rag tossed on its shuttle by her worn, but soft, well-groomed hands. At her work she wore, as always, her ankle-length and ever-neat calico "wrapper." Her wavey hair, which never grayed, was parted in the middle and coiled in a firm "bun" behind. I never saw her hurry. Interruptions same, but she met them easily, gently, and worked on.
Then, one day the hand that had so longed worked the familiar loom was suddenly stilled forever. No decline, no lingering illness; just a quiet lying down to sleep. The Beloved Weaver had finished her work, and the weaving was done.
But the fabric that was woven? was it only carpet and rugs? Or, when the whole was unrolled and reversed, was it not a tapestry of rare beauty? It was a life supremely fine in spiritual texture; rich in reverence, love, confidence, calm thankfulness, tireless service, great faith. The text which was used at her memorial service was the work of Jesus: "She hath done what she could."
Ah, Beloved
Weaver, let us walk in your way! Let us do, day by day, what we can to
bring love and beauty into a world which needs it so urgently!
NRR
John Milton
Moore died at the family residence
Besides his
wife he is survived by three children, Mrs. Henry Hammond and Will J. Moore,
both of this city, and Mrs. Henry Burton of Virden, Mrs. James Roberts, a
daughter preceded her father in death three years ago. There are also three
sisters surviving. Mrs. R. P. Womac of Girard, Mrs. J. M. Vaughan, Carlinville,
and Mrs. J.S. Buckley of
The funeral
services will be conducted Tuesday morning at
1870 Macoupin
Co Census places Nancy E. 35 wife of John. Occupation weaver.
Parents both from
Heart Disease Causes Death
Mrs Nancy E. Moore Found dead Wednesday Morning at Home in North East Street
Death
entered the home of Mrs. Nancy E. Moore of
Tuesday evening
Mrs Moore and her granddaughter attended an oyster supper at the home of
William Roberts, a relative residing on
Owing to the
unusual conditions existing the death was reported to Coroner G. V. Skinner and
upon his arrival he empaneled a jury consisting of T. H. Rapp, foreman; J. W.
Breckon, D. W. Osborne, Michael McGinnis, W. L. Shibe and F.U. Correa, who
heard the testimony of Mrs Ida Roberts, J. R. Roberts, Lila Roberts and Dr.
Edward Bowe. Dr Bowe testified that he had known the deceased for several years
and that for the past few years she had been in declining health. In his
opinion the death of Mrs Moore was due to heart disease or acute cardiac
vascular sclerosis. From the testimony adduced the jury rendered a verdict that
death was due to heart disease.
Nancy E. Vaughn
was born 67 years since in the state of Tennessee and while yet a child came
with her parents to Macoupin county, where when a miss in her teens she was
united in marriage to John M. Moore, who preceded his wife in death about five
years ago. To this marriage were born four children, three of whom are living
and are Mrs. Sarah Barton, Mrs. Amanda Hammand and William J Moore all of whom
are residents of this city. One daughter, Mrs J. R. Roberts preceded her in
death. Besides those above mentioned the deceased is also survived by a brother,
James Vaughan of Carlinville and her granddaughter, Miss Lila Roberts of this
city.
Mrs Moore was a member
of Central Christian Church and a consistent Christian woman who was held in
high esteem by all who knew her and her relatives will have the sympathy of
many in their affliction.
Funeral serviced will
be held at the residence at
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