The daughter of William Harrison Farmer and Sarah Elizabeth Roach Farmer, born at Lashmeet.*
She was 83 years, and 25 days of age.
This gentle lady was a life resident of Mercer county. Her marriage to Bryant Rose on 9 Apr 1898 lasted until his death in 1907. A second marriage, to Lewis Basham, lasted until his death in 1938. Sometime after the death of Lewis, Granny returned to live on Taylor Mt. at Montcalm, where her son in law built her a two room house next to his. The tiny house shows in the background of a photo owned by the family, taken by the husband of a granddaughter. A broken hip led to frailty and the little house was dragged to adjoin the other, where she was cared for by her daughter. Her hip was broken from a fall - some careless person had thrown a banana peel on the floor of the store where she was shopping, possibly in Matoaka - by recollection of one of her descendants. She lived to see the new house built by the river in Montcalm; where she lived the rest of her days, walking with the aid of a small chair, in the home of Violet and Leonard. She remained for nine years.
Violet was the informant on her mother's death certificate, which was signed by Wm. Prudich, who treated at least five generations of this family. (He is resting at Roselawn, memorial 59181547).
Granny made beautiful crazy quilt squares in the fashion of the time from fancy piece goods; and was adept at the embroidery she placed on this work.
The craft is continued by her descendants.
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Information extracted from the obituary:
Her body remained at Craven Funeral Home, Montcalm, until the service at Mount Olive Church, officiated by Rev. Sublette. Eliza was survived by her daughter, one son, Edgar Basham of Beckley; two brothers, Edward of Tampa, Florida and C.A. of Princeton;; three sisters Mrs. Margaret Whitteker, Mrs. Lizzie Harrison, and Mrs. Ella Lester, 15 grandchildren and 23 greatgrandchidren (from obituary).
Pallbearers were: Bill Davidson, Watson Minnix (his name also mispelled in the obituary), Ernest Bailey, Walter Meadows, Vernon Basham, Nute Carr, Earl Keys and Edgar & Earl Basham.
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NOTES ON THE ABOVE;
BY CONTRIBUTOR, aye ain't -
*The birth place of Lashmeet was given by her daughter on the death certificate.
Further, in February 2013 - in image of ledger entries under the heading "Register of Births Within The District of Elijah Lilly, Assesor for County of Raleigh in the Year Ending 31st December 1872, Continued" the name of Farmer, Eliza C is on line 43, female, white, alive; born at Camp Creek, Mercer county, WV, parents William H. and Sarah J (?), informant father, residing in Raleigh county.
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Date of her second marriage.
Marriage Record detail:
Date: 1909
Place: Mercer
Bride: Eliza C Rose
Groom : Lewis A Basham
Lewis gave his age as 49, and Eliza gave hers as 36., with counties of Monroe and Mercer, respectively, as places of birth.
From records maintained by WV Culture & History.
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The obit, a grievous paragraph of mistakes and mispellings, gives daughter's name as "Dollie" - we do not know why and must assume the writer was misinformed as to Violet's name.
The sister listed as "Ella" should have been "Etta", from Marietta.
The brother listed as "Edward" in the obituary may have been William H. Farmer. Edgar Basham must have been Edgar Farmer.
Edgar's obituary, gives his parents to have been the "late Lewis and Eliza Basham Farmer", actually her name should have been written as Eliza Farmer Basham - that was her name at time of her death.
His obituary also mentions his sister, Violet Taylor of Montcalm,
as a survivor, along with his wife, one son, four daughters and
"22 grandchildren and 4 grandchildren" - (?). There are those who insist Violet's name was "Kate", from a census they used - but likely that was given by yet another uninformed person. Her name was Violet Josephine (Rose) Taylor.
Homes existing during their lifetimes in the area called Taylor Mountain are gone, lost to fires. Last to stand was the house occupied early in their marriage by James & Hattie Blevins, (and later by Zackie Stowers). Leonard's house built in the early fifties in Montcalm is still there, though no longer owned by any of the Taylor family (noted 2020).
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OUR thanks to the creator of this memorial for the transfer.
Thanks also to the Farmer/Basham family for the lovely photograph added by Mr. Waddell.
The one of Eliza in her apron ,sitting on the little chair; was from Violet's collection.
The obituary was taken from the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.
Information written by aye ain't - Please do not copy without sourcing.