MRS. GIFFORD IS DEAD

One of the Oldest Settlers in Peoria County Passed Away Yesterday Afternoon.

At 4:20 oclock yesterday afternoon Mrs. Miriam H. Gifford, widow of the late William
Gifford, closed her eyes in the sleep eternal at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. John
Bowman, living at 106 Pacific Avenue, near Glen Oak Park.

So passes away one of the oldest settlers of Peoria county, sixty-eight years of her long
life of nearly ninety-two years having been spent within its borders. She was born in
Hanover, Mass. on December 5, 1812, her maiden name being Miriam H. Bailey. On
November 21, 1833, she was united in marriage at New Bedford, Mass.. to William
Gifford, a talented man, who had graduated at Yale and entered upon the study of
chemistry and pharmacy. In June 1836, Mr. Gifford came to Illinois to found a home,
and selected Peoria county. He returned east for his wife and two children who had been
born to them, and on February 1, 1837, they took passage on the bark Jane for New
Orleans. On the voyage a terrific storm arose and they were blown almost across the
Atlantic to Africa, but eventually reached New Orleans and then came up the Mississippi
and Illinois rivers to Peoria.

The Giffords were the first settlers to leave the timber and make their home on the prairie
in Radnor Township, between Alta and Princeville, where they took up a farm and
cultivated it until Mr. Giffords death, about twenty years ago. Mr.Gifford was a
geologist of advanced attainments and at the time of his death had the finest collection of
geological specimens of the coal measures in Peoria county.

In all, eleven children were born to them, of whom two sons and four daughters survive.
They are John Gifford, who lives near Charleston, Ill.: Charles Gifford, of Low Point,
Woodford county: Mrs. Susan Merrill, of Jonesboro, Ill.: Mrs. Douglas and Mrs. Grant,
who were twins, and are now both residents of Whitbey Island, in Puget Sound, and Alice,
the wife of John Bowman, living at 106 Pacific Avenue, this city, and where yesterday
afternoon the venerable lady passed away. The father of Mrs. Gifford was a jeweler, and
died at Lynn, Mass. in his ninety-third year. Had Mrs. Gifford lived until December 5
next she would have been 92 years of age. Two years ago she celebrated the ninetieth
anniversary of her birth and a number of the old settlers of Peoria county, her neighbors
of long ago, drove to town to join in the celebration. For a number of years she had been
a cripple, but was noted for her cheerful disposition, which enabled her to triumph over
every vicissitude and her long life was well and nobly lived.

The funeral will take place from the residence, 106 Pacific Avenue at2 o'clock
tomorrow afternoon, and her remains will be laid to rest by the side of her husband in the
cemetery at Mount Hawley, near Alta.