I made a rather awesome discovery today that I just had to share. It is related to my maternal 2nd great grandmother, Susan Elinor (Templeton) Kephart, wife of Alexis Elihu Kephart. She was born in 1859 in Milan, Rock Island County, Illinois; and she died in 1927 in Wellston, Lincoln County, Oklahoma.
Nellie, as she was often called, was a proud farmer's wife and a very talented woman. She won prizes for her canning and gardening abilities, including $75 in Gold in a contest she won in 1911. She did sewing and quilting and many other things that women of her era were apt to do--lost arts in today's world. One other thing she often did was write poetry. I have been fortunate enough to find many of her poems, because they were often published in her local newspapers. As I occasionally sift through newspaper archives, I will often search for 'Kephart,' hoping to find more news of this awesome woman.
As someone fascinated with the Titanic, today's find was particularly awesome. It is a poem that Nellie wrote in tribute after the Titanic's sinking. It's a wonderful poem so I couldn't resist sharing. I had to piece it together since it was split into two columns in the newspaper, you can still read her thoughtful words. You may need to click on the image to make it larger though.
I love finding things like this, especially since I have always felt a strong connection to this woman--even though I never met her. Her love of writing poetry was passed down to my grandmother, then to my mother, and to me as well. Nellie was the best at it though. I love finding her carefully crafted and thoughtful words from so long ago. Every time I find a little echo of her like this, I so wish I could travel back in time to meet her. At the very least, I am thankful to be one of her descendants.
