from The Republican (Danville, Indiana)--issue of Thursday, June 1, 1905—page 1, column 6:
DEATH OF A PIONEER WOMAN
AUNT NANCY MATLOCK PASSES TO HER LONG HOME
Sketch of Life Reaching Toward The Century Mark
Nancy Hadley Matlock, widow of William Matlock, died at her home on West Marion street yesterday morning. The cause of death was old age, her mental and physical powers failing under the weight of years. Her age was 90 years, 7 months and 24 days. The funeral is tomorrow afternoon at two from her late home.
“Aunt Nancy,” as she has been called for many years, was the daughter of James and Mary Hadley and was born in Chatham county, N.C., October 7, 1814. The day that she was eleven years old, her parents started to Indiana where the old brick homestead southwest of town now stands and there they spent the remainder of the winter, living in a tent. Wolves howled about them and they were pioneers in an Indiana forest. Here she grew to womanhood, helping in the clearing and on the 19th of January, 1836, she and William Matlock were married. They came immediately to Danville and lived in the house that stood at the southwest corner of Marion and Cross streets until it was burned about thirty years ago.
To them were born seven children, two of whom survive her—David and James. She was the fourth of a family of eleven children and was the last survivor of her generation in both her father's and mother's families. Her husband died in 1851 and for over fifty years she was a widow, reared her children, saw two sons go into the Union army, saw her children marry and the second and third generation born until now there are fifteen grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
An infant son died in November, 1851, his being the first grave in what is now the South cemetery. Aunt Nancy said it looked as if he was buried in the wilderness. Within two months her husband died and the child's body was placed with his in the same grave.
As she is laid away for her long sleep, upon her feet are the same satin slippers she wore as a bride almost sixty years ago and the same shawl is about her shoulders. Her request was that no sketch of her life be read at her funeral “because the young people would not be interested in my ninety years of life.” But a life that covers such a span of years can not but be of absorbing interest.
It is believed that she had lived in the county longer than any person now living. She had seen the country developed, had watched the changes from the days of the tallow dip to the electric light. Her mind was active. Her physical frame vigorous to a wonderful degree. She was a life-long member of the Methodist church, always cheerful, helpful and trusting even when the shadows crossed her life as they did. Her life was one of the last remaining ties that bound this generation to pioneer days. Her end was peace and her memory will long remain.