Sunday, November 2, 2008

Mary Alexander Story 1742 - 1822

Some of my reading of late on Ancestry.com includes, "Genealogy of the Reese family in Wales and America: from their arrival to the present time" written in 1903 by Mary Eleanor Reese, Whittet and Shepperson, Richmond, VA. It has interesting information on my 5th great grandmother, Mary Alexander Story. She is said to have raised, spun and woven silk so thin and fine that it could be pulled through her tiny wedding ring. She was known as a godly mother who raised her children in the Lord. I love this letter she wrote to her daughter, Anna Story Reese. (I have copied it with no changes from the 214 year old letter. I love her focus on eternity and on Christ.)

“Jenewary 3, 1794, Fryday night.

Dear daughter,

Having an opportunity I now set down to write a few lines by Mr. James Hall he come sence night. my dear may assured I have not for got you but as providence ordard it so that we are to be parted I desire to be content and wish you to be resigned to the will of a wise god that will make all things to work for good if we but love him. The old year has gone and if we look back what a nothing it appears departed
as a tale that is told thus will our whole life appear when our end approachs and eternity opens. but eternity will never expire but will last world with out end, when millions of ages are past away eternity we may say only will be a beginning and this short life this little span is the seed time of long, long eternity and do my dear indeavor to improve time and make the best provision for an eternity of happiness. Should we not be careful to get faith in our lord Jesus Christ to get the love of god shed abroad in our hearts. and our souls renewed according to the amiable example of our blessed redeemer this and nothing but this is trew religion. fix dear daughter this truth in your memory a true faith in Christ an unfeigned love of god and a real holiness of hart are the greatest blessings you can desire without them we can not be happy and this is the wish of you poor frail mother. that you will incessantly and earnestly mind the one thing needful though the whole advancing year. if you do so you will have god for your friend and he is able to supply all your wants and make you good friends to strangers it was my intend to come up in febweary but (saturday morning) their is so menny things to hender me. I am week and this could sesen of the year might be hard for me at this time Charls has a bad cof. and fever and is much redust, Susannah has hard fevers yestrday they got medeson from the doctour and Charls thinks he is som better this is Susannah best day and I cant tell if the medesom has hope her or no. I hope Charls is gettin better of his other complant I hope god in his own good time sent him comfort and speak peas to his consunse I convarsed with him on the subject yestrday James Weatherspoon famley (my 4th great grandmother, Hester Story Witherspoon) I hope is well I heard from them Wensday. none of our peeple has gon to town yet I expect they wold gon next week if they had ent been take sick the Gentman is waiten I may conclude with my love to you and Mr Reese and my little dears give my complements to my good frends fearwell my dear fearwell I am your souls well wisher tell deth. Mary Stoery “

ccMary was the second wife of Charles Story and was his widow for 31 years. They had four children: 1. Mary Alexander who was the second wife of David Witherspoon III andthe mother of 10 children. 2. Anna who married George Reese and had 11 children.
3. Charles who married Susannah Carter and had one child. 4. Hester who married James Witherspoon and was my ancestress. Hester and James had 11 children.

Mary often lived with Anna's family who buried her at the Hopewell Cemetery at the Old Stone Church near Clemson. The stone marker says, "Sacred to the Memory of Mary Story who departed this life in the full assurance of a happy immortality on the 5th day of Sept 1822 Aged 80 years Erected by her Daughter Ann Reese"

Old Hopewell Cemetery is at the SE corner of intersection of S.C. Hwy. 81 and S.C. Sec. Rd. 29 Located 1.09 miles northwest, this cemetery marks the original site of Hopewell Baptist Church, which was constituted in 1803. The cemetery contains graves of Revolutionary and Confederate veterans. Some graves are marked by field stones with hand-chiseled initials. Erected by the Congregation, 1975.

Hopewell Church is off S.C. Hwy. 81, 1/2 mile E on Road 29. This Baptist church, which was first located about 1.5 miles northwest, was constituted in 1803. The congregation moved to the present 4.4 acre site after it was surveyed December 14, 1822. Two houses of worship were built here before 1891, when a third was erected. It was replaced by the present 1949 structure. Erected by the Congregation, 1975.