WAUPACA REPUBLICAN POST

 

March, 1912

 

PASSING OF OLDEST PIONEER

 

 

            On Friday, March 15, Mrs. Polly Ware died at the home of her son, J.M. Ware, north of this city, at the advanced age of ninety-four years and four months.

            Polly Esther Kennedy was born at Homer, Cortland county, New York, November 15, 1817, and in 1825 went with her parents to reside in Erie county, Penn.  In 1836 she was married to Samuel F. Wre, rearing a family of four sons and one daughter, who died in Minnesota about ten years ago.  Oscar M., was a soldier and lost his life in the Civil war.  Three other sons, the late DeWitt Ware of this city, Duane N. and J.M. Ware of Waupaca town lived in this city and vicinity since the spring of 1850, when the settlement at Waupaca Falls, as it was called, consisted of only four log huts and Indian children were playmates of the few white children.  Her husband had preceded his family coming to this place the fall of 1849 and pre-empted what is now the Bowman farm together with lands extending across the river to what is now Royalton street.

            Deceased was a widow over forty-two years her husband, Judge Ware, having died in 1869.  For the past four years she was confined to her bed, besides having also become totally blind.

            The funeral was held at the residence Monday at one o’clock, Rev. Shanks of the First M.E. church officiating.  A very large number attended the funeral notwithstanding the fact that the unsettled weather had made the roads almost impassable