BURGETT, Nancy (Keaton)

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SAMARIA.

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On last Tuesday morning Grandma Burgett, while visiting son Aaron Bur­gett, 2 miles south of here, had a paralytic stroke and died Tuesday night at 6:30 o’clock. She was buried Thurs­day at Lick Spring. She was uncons­cious from the time she received the stroke until death.

The Franklin Democrat, Friday, December 29, 1899,
Volume XL Number 26, page 1b column 4

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TRAFALGAR.

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Died, at the residence of her son, A. V. Bur­gett, Aunt Nancy Burgett on the morning of Dec. 20. She was in her usual health until that morning when she was called to breakfast. She an­swered but failed to come, and the fam­ily went to her and found her sinking. She was put to bed, but she quickly pas­sed away. She had been a member of the Christian church about 30 years, and was in her 79th year. Her husband, Valentine Burgett, has been dead some eight years. She had the love and respect of the whole community. Funer­al services were conduct­ed by J. M. Cross of Nineveh. Burial at Lick Spring cemetery, Dec. 21.

The Franklin Democrat, Friday, February 2, 1900,
Volume XL Number 31, page 6 column 5

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OBITUARY.

Nancy Keaton Burgett was born September 21, 1821, in the state of Tennessee. Spent her childhood there until about 12 years of age. Came to Indiana with her parents about 1833 and settled in Hensley township on the farm where J. K. P. Musselman now lives, where she grew to womanhood. Was married to Valentine Burgett in 1839. To this union was born the following children: Williamson, Aug. 6, 1840, died Oct. 12, 1859; Elizabeth, Nov. 9, 1843, died June 23, 1899; Aaron V. Nov. 9, 1843; Jacob, Dec. 2, 1845 died June 22, 1847; Miles, July 31, 1848, died March 10, 1851; Mary H., Nov. 15, 1851; Rebecca A., Feb. 17, 1853; James, Jan. 3, 1856; Perry A., Oct. 30, 1860, died April 18, 1872; and a twin sister to the last named which died at birth.

She united with the Christian church at the time of the organization of the Mt. Carmel congregation.

After marriage she lived in Nineveh township until her children grew to maturity, when she, with her husband, moved from the farm to Trafalgar, where she continued to live till the time of death, which occurred Dec. 19, 1899, while on a visit to her son, A. V.  Death was very sudden: cause, cerebral apoplexy. She arose and dressed at 5 o’clock that morning, and was appar­ently in her usual health. When called to breakfast she was found in the bedroom in an exhausted condition from which she never rallied but died at six o’clock that evening. She was ar­ranging her bed for airing, preparatory to making it up for the day.

Four children survive. Her husband died Dec. 14, 1885. After marriage lived in Nineveh township till they moved to Trafalgar.

At the time of her birth Tennessee was covered by a deep, dark forest and during her childhood years she wit­nessed the pioneer cabins and the clearing off of the heavy timber and the rude manner of farming and domestic life of nearly a century ago. Her parents, when she was a girl of 12 years of age, sold the Tennessee home, and arranging a team, started on the long journey over the then rough and rooty roads through the wilderness to Indiana in 1833. They landed in Hensley township where the enter­prising parents located sixty-seven years ago on the commanding height over­looking the beautiful little creek’s spiral windings on its way westward.

There in the deep forest did Mr. and Mrs. Keaton locate, as mentioned be­fore, and on the farm that Mr. Keaton entered did the family begin again to clear off the heavy timber and build the log cabin, crib and stable, so common in the early days of settlement.

By the teaching of the parents the daughter learned to pick and burn brush, to build fence, to plant and tend the corn, to spin and weave, to swingle flax and to exercise in all the good old and honest customs of the first age of our country. It is no wonder that a grandmother is looked on by the pre­sent age as being a citizen of the most noted in our midst, telling to the grandchildren the tales of the forest and the cabin life.

Miss Keaton, at the age of 18 years, when she was prepared to take charge of a home of her own, was united to Valentine Burgett, a most worthy and industrious young man, and settling in the woods began a long, happy and successful life that was one of many ups and downs, but true courage and a determination to succeed, their record in our county is one of great worth and interest. During her girlhood days she was a true friend to her young friends, an obedient child to her parents and a loving sister. Kind and affectionate, she was most highly esteemed and loved by everyone. As she grew to womanhood her virtues and worth grew in pro­portion to age. As a companion she was a true helpmate and devoted to her husband in bonds of love and interest to build the home and raise the children in the ways of industry and Christian worth.

The good father and mother, as every family has, have had their sorrows. They have followed some of their dear children to the silent home, but the great sorrow was meekly borne by the Christian parents, whose consolation was a reunion beyond this vale of tears. Yet she lived long as a landmark—a beacon to guide many a weak, frail, erring sister or brother to shun the breakers and steer into the harbor that leads to final rest. As years were added to this Christian woman she witnessed her children settling around her and raising families of true worth, and the girl of over three quarters of a century ago before her death saw those children she, in their infancy, so tenderly and lovingly cared for, men and women of gray hair, surrounded by children and grandchildren—all following in the wake of the good old grandmother, who had taken so much pains in raising them to be, to her, a blessing in her decline, and to be citizens of enterprise and of Christian worth to their country.

Her work is complete her noble example is an example worthy of study and imitation. During her long life she was never known to say an unkind word, do an unkind act or give an unpleasant look—as near a perfect being as ever lived. Therefore the head of this, in our minds, noble and large descendants, is gone to rest. She is sweetly sleeping; she is reaping the great reward for her long and useful stewardship upon earth.

Link to Nancy (Keaton) Burgett’s grave

Notes: Indiana State Library Genealogy Database; Marriages through 1850 records that Volentine Burget [sic] married Nancy Keaton on 17 Oct 1839 in Johnson County.

The 1850 US Federal Census for Nineveh, Johnson County, Indiana records thirty-four-year-old, Ohio-born farmer Valentine Burgett, his twenty-eight-year-old, Tennessee-born wife Nancy Burgett, and their Indiana-born children, eleven-year-old Williamson, nine-year-old Elizabeth, seven-year-old Aaron and two-year-old Miles Burgett.

Submitted by Mark McCrady, Cathea Curry and Lois Johnson