Mary Alice Taylor Rafter was born in Danville, Hendricks county, Indiana, March 20, 1853. She died in Holton, Kansas, Sunday October 9, 1921. She was the eldest of a family of six children. Her parents, Joseph W. and Elizabeth Taylor, moved from Indiana to Kansas in the year 1862 and settled in Jackson county, on a farm five miles north of Holton, commonly known as Fort Spurs ... Although the facilities for securing an education were more meager than the present time, they appreciated the importance of an education. Consequently after the children completed the course in the common school they were given the opportunity of a higher education. Their daughter, Mary Alice, attended a private academy in Leavenworth. She was united in marriage to Mr. Emmett Ernest Rafter, November 30, 1871. They took up their residence on a farm which Mr. Rafter had purchased in Straight Creek township. During the four years they resided in the farm two children were born to them, James T. and Evelyn E. In the month of February, 1876, the family moved to Holton, where Mr. Rafter engaged in business. Her home was again blessed with the birth of two children who were named DeVere and Ruth Elizabeth. The family circle was unbroken by the stroke of death until nine years ago, when Mr. Emmett E. Rafter died, and in the month of October, 1918, Evelyn passed away in Washington, D. C., then in February, 1919, the younger son, DeVere was called from this life ... She was a member of the Friday club and of the W. C. T. U. She is survived by her son James, and a daughter, Mrs. Ruth Hurd; a sister, Mrs. Alex Dunn, of Holton; two brothers, Bayard Taylor and Mack Taylor of Goff. There are sixteen grandchildren; a son-in-law, John C. Weedon, of Washington, D. C., and a daughter-in-law, Mrs. Amy Rafter, in the immediate family group. Funeral services were conducted Tuesday from the family residence, corner Eighth and Iowa ... laid to rest in the family lot in the Holton cemetery.
The Holton Recorder, October 13, 1921.

--Grandson: Devere Rafter Weedon