REYMAN, Elizabeth Jane

The Last To Go While attending Mrs. Reyman’s funeral at Arizona Center church last Sunday afternoon our mind took on a reminiscent mood and delved back on the shelves of memory to the spring of 1870, when we first met the late Mrs. M. L. Reyman in her home, where she was conducting a community literary society which we attended. During our three months stay in that neighborhood we formed the acquaintance of the heads of families in the entire frontier settlement, most of whom had located there in the late fifties. Those we now recall were: Mr and Mrs. M. L. Reyman, Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Newton, Mr. and Mrs. H. M. S. Spielman, Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Beck, Jonathan and Dal Lydick, Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Lydick, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lydick, Mr. and Mrs. Austin Gates, Mr. and Mrs. Asa Chilcott, Mr. and Mrs. A. Corbin, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Young, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. George Rock, Mr. and Mrs. John Shortell, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Shafer (Mrs. Shafer was a sister of the Lydick brothers), W. F. and John Goodwill were keeping batch on their homestead, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Olinger, the community post office was then in their home on the farm, Grandpa Blackstone and three sons, Charles, Joshua and Ed, a little farther south were Dock and John Burpee, Jess Speilman, S. D. Cornelius, E. McGuire, W. W. Latta, John and Fred Michael, Henry Stork, Rob’t. Carr, Deedrick Fees and a few other families who came in the fifties. There were also a number of families who came in the sixties like the Marrs, Gills, Henrys Austins, Rorks, Blacks, Rogers, Marlins, Puffers, Farleys, W. N. Haywood. J. P. and J. W. Latta, Chas. E. Barker and his father-in-law, Thomas Ginn, who ran the ferry boat across the Missouri river. A little southwest there was Judge J. F. Mason, James Fullen and William Fowler, with their families. The Berrys and Bergers operated two saw mills in the big cottonwood grove next to the river and Godfrey Grosvenor had a warehouse on the bank where he bought wheat for steamboats to carry to southern markets. Dr. Peck kept a drug store in a two story building a little south of where the church now stands, the second floor was used as a hall where church services, singing, school, dramatic plays, concerts and dances were held. John Peck, one of the substantial citizens there today, was then a boy about 10 years old. No one ever met a more social, upright, law-abiding class of people than constituted that community when I became acquainted there many years ago. Mrs. Reyman was the last to go of those who came the head of a family in the fifties. She was one of God’s good angels in that community during the 68 years residence on the same homestead. She was always a leader in all the undertakings to promote the welfare of the people. He good work will always remain as a monument to her memory. Her 88 years was a useful life, it was not lived in vain. Her example of devotion to God and to the betterment of society will always be cherished by those who had the pleasure of her acquaintance. J. R. SUTHERLAND B: 13 Apr 1838 D: 10 Sep 1926