Peter Ford -- In January, 1908, it was the privilege of the writer to stand by the grave of the oldest man who ever lived in Whiteside. He was laid to rest in the Catholic cemetery at Tampico. It is a regret never to have met the veteran, and hear from his own lips the incidents of a career that started with the last century. Some of his younger neighbors who knew the old gentleman well, have given the writer various reminiscenes of their intimacy. Henry Pott and his brother-in-law, Henry Flock, ran a threshing machine, and frequently did work for Peter, on his farm. It was in the days when horse power was used. They had a pair of fine horses which they attached to the machine, the farmer furnishing the others. Henry did the driving with a long whip. Peter was lying barefoot by the stack, watching operation. The fat horses of the threshers were not pulling, and his own were doing most of the work, so Peter called out, “Henry, touch up your team with your lash, the whiffletrees are dangling against their legs.” Peter was a close observer and saw everything. Mr. Ford came of a long lived race. All of his brothers and sisters lived to be over 80; one aunt lived to be 115 years of age and his grandmother also passed the century mark. The highway commissioners of Hahnaman township are making arrangements to install two new steel bridges over Green river near Deer Grove. The structures spanning the river near Deer Grove have been in a dangerous condition for some time and these will be replaced with two good steel structures. The township of Hahnaman is one of the most costly townships of the county to be bridged, due to the many ditches and the Green river which crosses it. His daughter, Mrs. Coleman, says her father had no faith in doctors, would not take medicine, and when sick, would often fast four days. He lost his last teeth ten years before his death. Although for the last four years, he sat much in his chair, he was not helpless. Appetite so good that he regularly took three meals a day. Took great interest in current affairs, and followed the operations of the Beer struggle and our Spanish-American war. He never wore glasses.

Viola (Beck) Frommelt - 1899 - 2005 Obituary

Ada L. (Sawyer) Hill (April 11, 1903 - April 3, 2005) - Obituary

Evelyn (Kelsey) Hollenbeck 1903 - 2005 Obituary

Roy L. Jacobs - Obituary

Cora F. (Vogel) Maring born in Morrison 31 December 1901 ... Obituary

Alice E. (Kennedy) Mathew 18 December 1875 - 21 September 1977 Obituary

Robert McCune - October 9, 1904 - June 2, 2005 Obituary

Mildred (Gibson) Merrill - Born in Tampico .... Obituary

Elizabeth Nice is Morrison's oldest citizen. (July 2005) - She gets her hair done every week, she wears pretty earrings every day and she uses her Oil of Olay. Thats why Elizabeth Nice looks much younger than her 104 years. Her family calls her Grandma Nice. Grandma Nice will be the honored guest as she rides high in the Wells Fargo Stage Coach in the citys Sesquicentennial Parade. She will wear the same dress she wore for the Centennial Celebration 50 years ago. Elizabeth grew up in Morrison and was married for 63 years to Carl Nice who was mayor of Morrison from 1935 - 1945. Click here for the Obituary

Gerda Peterson Ohlson born 24 December 1930 Click here for the Obituary

Bessie (Fry) Scott was born 02 March 1888 in Coleta, Whiteside County, Illinois. She died 3 June 1988 in Sterling, Whiteside County, IL. Bessie Fry was the daughter of John Rosenberger & Amanda Elizabeth (Sigler) Fry. Frank Clarence Scott and Bessie Fry were married on June 2, 1909 in Sterling. Truly a Whiteside county native. she lived here her entire life.

Winnie (Buikema) Van Zuiden of Morrison observed her 100th birthday on Saturday, July 26, 2003. She is currently a resident of Resthave Home in Morrison, after residing with her daughter Mildred Heun, in FUlton for more than five years. Winnie, the eldest daughter of the late Louis M. Buikema and mary Newendyke Buikema, was born July 26, 1903, in Fulton. There were 12 children in her family. She married Clarence Van Zuiden on June 6, 1929 in Fulton. He died in 1967. She has two daughters, Mildred (Wilbert) Heun of Fulton and betty (Arthur) Pruis of Morrison and one son, Mavin (Ethel) Van Zuiden of Morrison, She has four grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Prior to her marriage, Winnie was a "maid" for a prominent Morrison family, the Ramseys. She did domestic work for many years and worked at Resthave Home from 1969 through 1984 as a kitchen aide. She enjoys crocheting, baking treats and growing roses, sharing them with neighbors and friends. She is a lifelong member of the First Reformed Church in Fulton.
From the Daily Gazette - Celebrations - August 5, 2003     Obituary

Phebe (Jackson) Vennum born 23 Jun 1784, died 19 Jun 1889
Photo & Biography (included with her son Edward Vennum)

Carol "Hand" Warner chooses to reveal very little about her life - but she's a wealth of information, as is anyone who lives to tell about the last 100 years. Carol will turn 100 on Oct. 28. To most it's a big deal, but to her its just a matter of happenstance. "You just live each day at a time," she said, adding: "Each day goes by - you do a little housework."

Her only child, a daughter Mary Carol White, said her mom does a little more than that. "She has a flower garden out back," White said. The garden is still blooming inspite of heavy falls frosts. Carol added that she still makes it to church" nearly every Sunday." She attends Wesley united Methodist in Sterling. In her later years, Carol is residing in an apartment in Sterling. That keeps her in the general area where she was born - on Prophetstown road, between Rock Falls and Prophetstown.

As an adult, she married George Warner and they had Mary Carol. Mr. Warner died several years ago and Carol depends on her daughter and family. Toether they complete five generations. According to Carol the family is all she needs. If she could have anything for her birthday, she would choose nothing of monetary value. "Just to be with my family and that's it," Carol wished for.

And so it will be -- with a few friends included. On Sunday, there will be a birthday open house form 2 to 4 p.m. at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 2200 16th Ave. Sterling. Friends of Carol are invited to attend. Those unable may send cards to her at 1203 6th Ave. Sterling.

Contributed by Nancy Vance - By Jonie Larson - Gazette Neighbors Editor
Obituary   Mary Carroll (Hand) Warner born 28 Oct 1889 Rural Rock Falls, died 05 September 1991 at Coventry Village, Sterling IL.

Wealthy Weaver 24 January 1835 - 21 Mar 1939 -- 104 years, 1month 25 days

Verna (Duke) Wood 05 Sep 1904 - 16 Jul 2005. Born in Dresden TN, the daughter of John R. & Gertie (Sutherland0 Duke. She married Gerald M. Wood on May 7, 1932 in Paris TN, he died Jan. 30, 1997. She died July 16, 2005 at the Good Samaritan Village Nursing home in Geneseo. Burial was in Tampico Cemetery.