Jessie Van Agrum Roscum 1820 - 1923

ROSCUM, VAN AGRUM

Posted By: Deb (email)
Date: 11/19/2014 at 20:16:38

WEDNESDAY MORNING
MAY 16, 1923-PG. 1
(front & center of Page 1)

DEATH CLAIMS 'GRANDMA' ROSCUM
AFTER A LIFE OF OVER 102 YEARS
Des Moines County's Oldest Woman
Dies in Neighborhood Where She Lived
65 Years; Was Native of Holland.

"Grandma" Roscum, Des Moines county's oldest woman, is dead
After living 102 years and six months on this earth, the end came last night about 9:30 a the home of her son, Ernest Roscum, on the Madison road, in the same neighborhood where she had been a resident, ever since she came to America 65 years ago.
She was born in Vanan Doil, on the Zuider Zee, in Holland, Nov. 27, 1820. Jessie Van Agrum was her maiden name. She married in her native country, to Henry Roscum, in 1847.
It was in 1858 that they set sail for the United States. Their vessel required sixty-one days for the trip. They came directly to Burlington, then a young city. Neither had been farmers in their native land, but arriving here, their ambition turned toward tilling the soil.
AID BY JUDGE MASON
They settled on the Madison Road, south of Burlington, near where the Concord school now stands. Unversed in the laws of the new country, they were assisted in acquiring their first land by Judge Mason. With underlying gratitude, Mrs. Roscum always retained the memory of his aid.
Mrs. Roscum's husband died forty-one years ago, and six children preceded her in death. She leaves three sons, Ernest with whom she made her home; Henry of Burlington, and Dave of Oquawka, Ill. There are sixteen grand-children and thirty-two great-grand-children.
"Grandma" Roscum saw great changes wrought in the world during her long life, but she always retained foremost in her interests, her home and her family and lived by wholesome doctrines of "never hate but make friends."
"WHAT'S A MONTH IN 100 YEARS?"
When interviewed on the occasion of her one hundredth birthday in 1920, thru mistaken information, she was called upon a month earlier than the date of the anniversary. Learning of the error, her interviewer apologized and she answered,"What is a month in a hundred years?" Innocently expressed, the phrase subsequently gained widespread repetition.
The death of "Grandma" Roscum followed an illness of several weeks. The funeral will be held from her son's home on the Madison road, Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Burial will be in the Chandler cemetery.