The Sallie Perry Stewart in this newspaper article, published in 1938, is my great-great grandmother:
96 YEAR OLD, WHO CAME TO TEXAS IN 1849, HAS NEVER OWNED A COOK STOVE OR SEWING MACHINE, MADE A DRESS, DONE A LAUNDRY OR USED LIPSTICK by Maud Green
As the spring of 1938 goes down the steps of time, it adds its share to the blurred memory and sight of a tiny white haired woman who is now living in the winter of life, and drawing into the shadow of the century mark on life’s highway. But the many years have not taken from her a vivid recollection of her childhood days and an intense desire to return to the state of her birth.
This “little old lady” Mrs. Sally Catherine Stewart, celebrated her ninety-sixth birthday last Dec. 19. She is probably the oldest living resident in West Texas. Although she has lived almost a century, she has never owned a cook stove or a sewing machine. She has never done a laundry or made a dress, and today she recalls how she used to powder her nose with corn-starch, and vows probably one of the reasons she has lived so long is because she “never used a lip stick.”
Sally C. came to Texas when she was eight years old. She was born in Montgomery, Ala. in 1841 and as she sits in her favorite chair, she talks constantly of Montgomery with a childish humor that keeps her listeners in an uproar. She tell of a little boy she remembers who told a friend that he “lived in the rhuburbs of Montgomery” he meant suburbs but got his words mixed up.
Her father was related to Marshall and Ruf Perry, famous Indian fighters of early Texas days. The Perry family came to Texas in 1849, in the days when crossing the Mississippi meant almost a week on ferry boats. There were 13 children in the Perry family. A rather peculiar fact about these 13 children is that Sally Catherine was the middle one and she is the only one of them alive today. The Perrys were accompanied by their grandmother who made her home in Texas with them. This grandmother lacked a few months of being one hundred years old when she died.
Marshall Perry met the new comers on the Texas side of the river and conducted them to their home in Bastrop County.
In 1863 Sally Perry was married to John William Stewart. Mr. Stewart was a Texas Ranger and served in various parts of the state for over 10 years. The Stewarts made their home in Burnett, with him spending most of his time in the service on the Mexico border. Mrs. Stewart is now drawing a pension as widow of the Texas Ranger. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. John Stewart. Of these five children the oldest and youngest are now all that are living. They are B. C. Stewart, 73, Divide, with whom she now lives, and Bill Stewart, 63, of Roscoe. Mr. Stewart died in 1873 just 10 years after his marriage to Sally Perry. His death occurred on Aug. 19, which was the ninth birthday of his eldest son, B. C.
During the time Mr. Stewart served as a Ranger he worked under Captain Chris Bitix,famous leader of the Texas Rangers. His work included a close check on Indians and at one time a group of 300 of them were arrested near Austin and sent back across the border into Oklahoma. Mrs. Stewart talks of the time the Indians, “such a big bunch of them” were camped near her home.
Sally Catherine has not been out of the state of Texas since she came here in 1849 and has lived in Nolan County since 1896. Her son, B. C. Stewart, and his family settled near Valley Creek which is about 15 miles from their present home at Divide. Most of the traveling she did in early days was in an ox cart.
In all her 96 years she has seldom been sick enough to need a doctor. When she was 74 years old, a doctor was called just to be sure it was smallpox she had. She has owned one pair of glasses during her lifetime and they were soon thrown away and she proceeded to read without them. She read constantly until the past few years, and she still reads headlines and is very fond of pictures.
Mrs. Stewart had been a member of the Church of Christ for over 68 years. B. C. Stewart (you remember he is 73 years old) says one of his earliest remembrances is how frightened he was when his mother was led into the water to be baptised. She continued her church work until a comparatively short time ago and she still talks about the Bible and wants each radio program to be some kind of religious service.
This lovable nonegenaran is still in exceptionally good health and talks with a sense of humor that is somtimes breath-taking. She has always eaten anything she fancied and has not yet formed the habit of pampering her appetite. She has a will of her own as was shown when asked to have her pictures made. “What do you want with my picture” she asked “We’re not going to raise a garden.” After a bit of persuasion she decided it really would be fun to have her picture made.
She has 28 grandchildren, 51 great grandchildren, and seven great-great grandchildren. They are living in various parts of the west.
And so the little white haired woman sits in peace and comfort and dreams of days that used to be. When she heard talk of the Perrys and their Indian fights, she remarked that “Those Perrys were rip-tearers,” and that she was mighty proud that she was a Perry. “If I were young folks, I’d go back to Montgomery,” she says dreamily. “I can still remember the walks I used to take and the fun I used to have.”
My great-great grandmother (my maternal grandfather’s paternal grandmother) omits a key fact about her husband, John William “Buff” Stewart, the Texas Ranger. I’ll write about Buff next week. I wish I had the photograph that is mentioned in the article.
