Wednesday, January 23, Elizabeth (Mahan) Dougherty celebrated her one hundredth birthday at the home of her daughter, Mrs Wesley Slaight, near New Market, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, a great grandchild, other relatives and friends. Grandma Dougherty possibly has the distinction of being the oldest woman in Iowa and came to Taylor county when the land was still owned by the Indians, in the fall of 1843.
[A sumptuous dinner] was served and in the center of the table was a huge birthday cake upon which burned one hundred candles. Despite her age she retains her mental faculties remarkably.
She was born in Orange county, Indiana, January 23, 1818 and celebrated her one hundredth birthday at the home of her daughter Caroline M. Slaight, Wednesday of last week, with 70 relatives and a number of friends present.
The subject of this sketch is the widow of Gideon Dougherty deceased who was a brother of Abner Dougherty who lived west of town, and the daughter of Peter and Mary Reed Mahan.
She was married to Gideon Dougherty in Lawrence county, Indiana, June 9, 1840, and in the fall of 1844 moved with their family to Taylor county, Iowa, making the journey with ox team and being on the road three weeks.
The first winter was spent in Taylor county, Iowa, living in a tent while a small log cabin was being constructed. The next fall, 1845, they moved to Page county, Iowa and purchased a claim of Isaac Stout on which some improvements had just been made including a log cabin. This track of land and log cabin still remains as the property of the estate, which at one time composed over 500 acres, but was divided up among the children and now consists of 29 acres lying three and one half miles southwest of New Market.
Her husband died May 6, 1885, and left to their union eight living children: William S., Samuel, Robert, Martha E. Hembree, Peter, John W., James B. and Caroline M. Slaight.
A daughter, Sarah Jane, having died prior to their father.
[part of paragraph missing]the two older children, William S. and Samuel came from Indiana with their parents and Robert was their first child born in Taylor county September 28, 1845, the remaining children having been born in Page county, Iowa at the old homestead.
The surviving children are: Robert Dougherty of Clarinda, Peter and John W. Dougherty of New Market, James B. Dougherty, whose home adjoins Bedford on the west, and Caroline M. Slaight, living on what was part of the old home place and with whom Mother Dougherty makes her home.
William S. and Samuel Dougherty and Martha E. Hembree have followed their father into the world beyond.
Five children, thirty-two grand children, sixty-one great grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren, survive with their many connecting links scattered over the counties of Page and Taylor counties and distant states as a reminder of this old Pioneer Mother, who came here at the very beginning of the settlement of this state, with Indians and wild game in abundance, before a foot of land had been entered from the government in these counties, when wolf skins and coon skins were the currency of the country, when the nearest post office was Savannah, Mo. and letter postage was 25 cents payable in advance or upon delivery of the letter and who endured the hardships and privations of pioneer life, but with a clear mind, but a frail body, was able to meet her many friends and relatives and sit for a family picture on her one hundredth birthday.
Her children present were: Mrs Wesley Slaight, Robert Dougherty, Peter Dougherty, John Dougherty.
Grandchildren present were: Myra Abbott, Bertha Goudie, Jess Dougherty, Geo Dougherty, Lon Dougherty, Maud Abbott, Alice Thomas, Myrtle Peterman, Claude Slaight, Orval Slaight, Blanche Ellison, Carrie Thomas, Minnie Pace, Garve Dougherty, Ona Dougherty, Mrs John Abbott.
Great grandchildren present were: Paul Goudie, Elsie Goudie, Geo Goudie, Helen Goudie, Marjorie Goudie, Floyd Dougherty, Audry Smith, Leta Wamsley, Edna Thomas, Goldie Thomas, Gladys Thomas, Robert Lewis Abbott, Clarice Peterman, Ruby Peterman, Gladys Peterman, Buryl Peterman, Ivan Peterman, Ralph Dougherty, Ray Dougherty, Darlene Slaight, Harold Ellison, Robert Dougherty.
Great grandchildren: Helene Rose Smith.
Other friends and relatives present were: Alva, Jonathan, Frank, Agnes, Jim and Una Dougherty, Alice Crosson, William Hembree, Bert Peterman, Floyd Ellison, Ira Thomas, Earl Wamsley, Lewis Abbott, Gertie Dougherty, Albert Thomas, Charles Pace, Ethel Slaight, Fred Goudie, Nora Dougherty, Nan Dougherty, Mrs J.H. Miller, Mrs Miles Shores, Mr Miles Shores, Porter Duncan, John Harris and Will Lake.