NANCY JANE OWEN

When William D. Wade married Nancy Jane Owen February 5, 1880, he moved to and worked on the property of his father-in-law, Marshal C. Owen, who owned over one thousand acres.

By 1886 W. D. and Jane had evidently earned enough to purchase the southwest quarter of Section 33, Township 1, Range 2, from Marshal and Caroline, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres. This property lay to the north of and joined what is now known as the W. D. Wade homeplace.

This was evidently where W. D. and Jane lived until they did a land swap with Marshal in 1889, following Caroline’s death. The swap involved trading half of their 160 acres for the 80 acres which is now known as the W. D. Wade homeplace. This gave W. D. and Jane access to the main road where they in 1891 constructed the white two story house which still stands.(See FRED SILAS WADE post below for picture.)

Not much is known about Nancy Jane as she died in 1901 at age forty two. From the pictures we have, she appears to be a beautiful lady. The family was naturally devastated, as evidenced by the memorial W. D. wrote and placed in the newspaper. The writing concludes with these words:

The wife of our love and affection,
We have laid to her long last rest;
When God made his choice it was cast
on the treasure we prized the best.

‘Tis hard to break the tender cord,
When love has bound the heart;
‘Tis hard, so hard to speak the words,
“We must forever part.”

Dearest loved one, we have laid thee
In the peaceful grave’s embrace,
But thy memory will be cherished
‘Til we see thy heavenly face.
W. D. WADE

Oh mother, thy gentle voice is hushed,
Thy warm true heart is still,
And on thy true and peaceful face
Is resting death’s cold chill.

Thy hands are clasped upon thy breast,
We have kissed thy marble brow,
And in our aching heart we know,
We have no mother now.
THE CHILDREN