An Alert-minded Centenarian

I'm never certain how to identify the relationship of the extended family! But since this blog is focused on Louis Butler, I've chosen to use him as the point of reference. The readers will have to determine their relationship to him and then figure out the relationship to the featured person.

Louis Edward Butler

• son of - Mable Elsa Davis Butler
• grandson of - Charles Harker Davis
• great grandson of - Rachel Wilson Patterson Davis
• great, great grandson of - Nancy Overturf Patterson

Woman, 100 Journeys via Union Pacific and Says She Enjoys It

Article from a magazine of the Union Pacific Railroad, 1930

An alert-minded centenarian, who has outlived her eleven children, journeyed recently from Walla Walla, Washington to Denver, Colorado, over the Union Pacific, then to Pueblo and Fowler where she will live with her great granddaughter, Mrs. Frank Harriman.

She is Mrs. Nancy O. Patterson, twice a pioneer; first in Colorado and later in Washington, having lived in the latter state more than fifty years. Our train crews accorded her special attention en route, and at different points representatives of the Union Pacific met her, finding her in each case in the best of health and enjoying the trip.

Upon arrival at Pueblo, she told relatives that the Union Pacific employee had been so good and kind to her she was disappointed when she reached Denver and had to leave the train. Her friends at Pueblo placed a wheel chair at her disposal, but she refused to use it, saying she was perfectly able to take care of herself. She walked about two blocks to the automobile waiting to drive her to the home of Mrs. Harriman at Fowler.

Mrs. Patterson went to Colorado the first time from Illinois, with her husband, A.J. Patterson, when the eldest of her eleven children was 13 years old. Seven of the children lived to maturity. All now are dead, the last, Mrs. George Bailey, of Spokane, passing last May. A number of grandchildren are living, while there are great grand children, great-great grandchildren, and last Christmas day a great-great-great grandchild was born in Colorado, making the sixth generation.

Before leaving Walla Walla, open house was kept for “Grandma” Patterson under the auspices of the Altrusa Club. The club presented her with a Boston bag and numerous toilet articles for her journey. During her stop-over between trains at Denver she was the guest of the Altrusa club of that city.

Mrs. Patterson celebrated her one hundredth birthday, March 1, 1930.

[Grandma Patterson] told stories of living at or near LaJunta and Fort Bent when she would hide with the children when the Indians would be around. That would have been about 1863-1865. She passed away in Fowler October 1, 1931.