Memorials › Ann Retta Southward Gallaher

Ann Retta Southward Gallaher

11 Oct 1813 – 4 Nov 1912

Birth	11 Oct 1813
Death	4 Nov 1912
Cemetery	Saint Paul Catholic Cemetery Saint Paul , Collin County , Texas , USA
Added by	krj70 on 05 Oct 2023
FaG	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149958151

Bio

Daughter of William Southwood/Southward and Sarah Jobe, possibly born at Holden, Missouri (then in Pettis, now in Johnson County). She first married a Mr. Twitty and secondly, on 24 May 1838 at Barry County, Missouri, married Benjamin Sparlin. After his death, she married William Gallaher and came with him to reside in Collin County. Their children were Eliza, Mary Ellen (David Spurgin), Catherine, and Leander (Annie E. Moore). After William Gallaher's death, she was residing with their son Leander 'Lee' as of the 1910 census. Her month and year of birth are as self-reported on the 1900 census. Earlier census records state 1818; later census and her death records state 1809, which is unlikely. Surname variants are Gallagher and Gallaher; her son Leander used Gallaher, possibly to distinguish from the families of Irish Catholic immigrants James & John Gallagher who were early settlers at Saint Paul. ############ Obituary printed in The Weekly Democrat-Gazette (McKinney, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 41, Ed. 1, p. 3, Thursday, November 14, 1912: EVENTFUL LIFE OF CENTENARIAN ENDS The entire citizenship of the Winningkoff community was greatly shocked last Tuesday when they heard of the death of "Aunt Ann" Gallagher, a highly esteemed and respected Christian woman, who had made that community her home for more than 40 years. Mrs. Gallagher was born near Holden, Missouri, October 11, 1809, and died November 4, 1912. She was therefore 103 years and 24 days old at the time of her death. She grew to womanhood in Missouri and was married to a Mr. Whitaker [Twitty], who died about three months after their marriage. She was then married to Mr. William Sparlin [Ben Sparlin] at Holden, who was the father of D. Sparlin of this city. After her marriage to Mr. Sparlin they moved to Ohio, where they resided for several years. She and Mr. Sparlin and their seven children then decided to move back to Missouri. They loaded their teams and wagons and luggage on a boat and started on their journey back to their native state. While on the boat, Mr. and Mrs. Sparlin and two sons fell victims of cholera, which was then raging throughout the country, Mr. Sparlin and the sons dying while on the boat. The boat stopped at a wayside landing where their bodies were buried on the banks of the Ohio River. Mrs. Sparlin and the other children were taken off the boat upon their arrival at Cincinnati and placed in a Sanitarium, she being unconscious at the time. She and her children were at the sanitarium for several weeks, and she finally recovered from the dreaded plague. In the meantime, while she and the children were in the sanitarium at Cincinnati, their wagons and teams, all their clothing and such other luggage as they were moving back with them, and $600.00(?) in money had been stolen. No clue was ever found as to who the robbers were. After Mrs. Sparlin had fully recovered from her sickness, she and the children managed to make their way to St. Louis. Mr. Sparlin of this city stated that he was so young that he could not remember how they got to that place. At any rate, he remembers of their being again at their old home in Missouri. Two of her brothers, who were then living in Texas, went to Missouri and moved her and the children to Sherman. They remained at this place about three years. It was while she was living at Sherman that she was married to William Gallagher. They then moved to what was then the Indian Territory, where they resided for ten years. From the Indian Territory they moved to Winningkoff in this county where she had resided up until the time of her death. Mr. Gallagher was called to his reward several years ago, and since his death, she had made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Ellen Spurgin, of that community. Mrs. Gallagher had been a cripple for several years, the result of injuries received in a runaway. She was a member of the Catholic Church, and was a consistent Christian woman. She was a loving mother, and a true neighbor and friend. Probably no other woman in Collin county had more friends than she. Of a jovial, sunny disposition, she numbered her friends by her acquaintances. Besides the son and daughter above mentioned, she is survived by a son, Lee Gallagher, who lives at Winningkoff, 22 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren. Burton L. Hunter Jr. of this city is a grandson, their birthdays both being on the same day, October 11. The remains of this good woman were laid to rest Wednesday afternoon at 2:30, at the St. Paul Catholic cemetery near Wylie, with the ceremonies of this church. A large number of relatives and friends gathered upon this occasion to pay their last tribute of respect to this good woman. The editors of this paper extend their deepest sympathy to the bereaved ones in this sad hour of sorrow.

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