DUNCAN - Died Wednesday, April 17, at 2 o'clock a.m. at the residence of her son, Marion M. Duncan in Salisbury, Mrs. EVE DUNCAN, aged 82 years.

Thus has been terminated the life of an estimable and God-like woman who had been a resident of Sangamon county since 1820 - ten years prior to the falling of the great snow. Mrs. Duncan fell into a comatose condition some forty-eight hours before the final summons came and gradually lapsed into the sleep whose awakening is beyond the grave. She was conscious most of the time during the process of dissolution, suffered no pain and recognized the devoted children and grandchildren who surrounded her bed and awaited the end.

Mrs. Duncan's maiden name was Eve Miller and Kentucky was her native state. She was born December 11, 1813, in Adair county and came with the family of her father, Solomon Miller, to Sangamon county in 1820. The journey was made in wagons across the country. Mr. Miller settled in what is now known as Salisbury township and in a few years acquired considerable property. He gave forty acres of land for the town site of Salisbury. The town was originally called Sol'sbury in his honor and the spelling was subsequently changed to what it is now. The deceased was married to William T. H. Duncan, who was also a native of Adair county, Kentucky, and came to Illinois when he was a young man. He died in 1862.

To Mr. and Mrs. Duncan there were born twelve children. All but one of them are living and the youngest is now 41 years old. The children are as follows: Marion M. and James Duncan and Mrs. Polly Ann Baker, Salisbury; Simeon Duncan of Atterberry, Menard county; Mrs. Sarah Jane Combs, Assumption; Mrs. Martha Cogdal, Salisbury; Mrs. Margaret Purvines, Springfield; Mrs. Farinda Batterton, Athens; Mrs. Nancy Connor (dead) formerly of Scottville, Morgan county; George Duncan, Kansas; Mrs. Alice E. Yoakum, Tenino, Washington state; Thomas Duncan, Bradfordton. In addition to these she is survived by a large number of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

She had been a member of the Baptist church in Salisbury over sixty years. During all the years of her life in Sangamon county she never resided out of Salisbury township. She was remarkably well preserved for one of her advanced years and was blessed with an almost perfect retention of all her mental faculties to the hour of her death. Her memory was such that she could recall many incidents in her girlhood life with remarkable fidelity to detail. While most of her reminiscences related to things in which she was personally involved, she also possessed much data of value respecting the history of the county in its youth. Within a week of her death she could read whole chapters from her favorite book - the Bible - without the aid of glasses.

Mrs. Duncan was the second member of a family of ten children remarkable for longevity. Her brothers and sisters were: Mrs. Barbara Buchanan, Mrs. Malinda Hoag, Mrs. Sarah Lynch, Mrs. Docia Clark, Mrs. Nancy McMurphy, Jason, John, Allen and G. Washington Miller. Of these Mrs. Buchanan, Mrs. Lynch, Mrs. Hoag and Jason Miller are dead.

The funeral will take place at the Baptist church in Salisbury at 2 o'clock this afternoon. The interment will be in Salisbury cemetery which is located on land once owned by Mrs. Duncan's father, Solomon Miller.

Illinois State Journal April 18, 1895 P. 5
Microfilm - Lincoln Library, Springfield, IL