Obituary: Rhoda Helen BAYSINGER SEATON 1924

The Indianapolis Star Indianapolis, Indiana - July 17 1924

ENGLISH -- Mrs. Rhoda Seaton, 65 years old, wife of James Seaton, of Mount Carmel, Ill.. died of Paralysis at the home of her daughter Mrs. Reuben Roberson, near English.  

Rhoda Helen BAYSINGER SEATON 1856-1924 wife of James Thomas SEATON 1851-1924.

Edna Lula SEATON 1894-1961 wife of Reuben Russell ROBERSON 1893-1959. 

Grandma, Granddaughters and Great Grandsons

Dinner with Grandma

By BR

"We went to have dinner with my grandma last night. She is usually in Washington, but in Salt Lake for the summer. She will be 90 next month." "Reuben is named after her dad (and son). So, she told Reuben a bit about her dad. He drove a truck for the state. He would walk two miles to town, to get the truck. Drive it all day, then walk the two miles back home. He had a large family and had to do what he had to. And the state was paying then." "Jordan asked her if she wore fingernail polish, (because my nails were looking good). And yes she did. She was a beautician. Her cousin went to beauty school and came home with romantic stories so she and her sister went. When asked if she liked it, she said, 'I guess. I didn't know any better." She said, "I wasn't very imaginative. Someone would tell me they did something, and I'd decide to do it.'" "This is a very telling statement about my Grandma. She has great ability. She can see something, decide to do it, and then do it--successfully. She might not think she was imaginative, but she has great ability. Not everyone can decide to do whatever they see and then do it..." (Borrowed family post, thanks.)

From "Autobiography of [Grandma Wanda]"

left: 1913 Edna Lula SEATON (1894-1961) and Reuben Russell ROBERSON (1893-1959)

[page1] The Autobiography of [Grandma Wanda]
First Edition

I was born ... to Reuben Russell Roberson and Edna Lula Seaton. I was the fourth child in a family of nine children. Dad grew watermelons this year and he tells me that he fed me watermelon juice at age of three days. We lived in a four room house at Pleasant Hill, a farm community about five miles from English, Indiana. Dad had planted an apple orchard which never did bear fruit. We never did know why but it must have been a great disappointment for him. He had cleared the land of persimmon and sassafras trees but now the wild blackberry bushes had taken over.

My family was probably classed as poor folks. We never had much money but I can’t remember ever going hungry. Dad worked for the State Highway Department as a good democrat and then we had our garden, milk, fruit and wild berries and nuts. Hickory nuts, hazel nuts and black walnuts all were plentiful.

left: Fielding ROBERSON (1834-1924) father of Reuben Russell ROBERSON (1893-1959)

Grandfather Fielding Roberson lived with us and I can remember standing on the rockers of his chair as he rocked, I must have had a deep love for him which was returned. He went to visit his son, Alva, and while there fell and broke his hip which led to complications. He died soon from acute nephritis when I was only three years old. One of my Uncles came by in a wagon and took me to see Grandpa before he died. I can still remember the wet kiss he gave me. I think these are my earliest recollections.


left: Rhoda Helen BAYSINGER SEATON (1856-1924) mother of Edna Lula SEATON (1894-1961)


Grandma [Rhoda Helen Baysinger] Seaton also lived with us before she died. My only remembrance of her is when I fell on the stove and burned my hand. She wrapped it for me.

Uncle Irvin Roberson and aunt Lottie lived in Grandpaw’s old house which stood where Hubert Roberson now lives [1973]. Their children Hazel and Ray were our closest friends. Hazel and I were always running away to the woods to play in the little streams. Mom has often come after us and switched us all the way home. On one of these outings I left my new black paten shoes and when they were found, after a big rain, they were ruined. Hazel and I were sawing with dad’s cross cut saw while Norman (my brother) held the stick. The saw slipped and all but severed his forefinger. Hazel ran home and I got tanned good. Seems she was always getting me into trouble, still I loved her dearly. Norman and howard were born here. I can remember howard’s birth. While he was still a baby we packed up in a small truck--had a sale-- and started our journeying.

The above was written Jan 16, 1973.

Grandma Rhoda

Rhoda Helen BAYSINGER (1856-1924) and James Thomas SEATON (1851-1925)

Grandma Wanda wrote a letter to her cousins asking about family memories this is another response:

Remembrances of
Acena SEATON REYMAN (1904-aft 1987)
Written 1987

I remember going with grandmother Rhoda [Helen BAYSINGING SEATON (1856-1924)] to gather eggs at the hen house. There was a large chicken snake in the hen house and she picked it up and snapped it’s head off.

One day grandmother Rhoda and I started to go to the orchard to get apples so mother could make a pie for supper. One the way we had to cross Greathouse Creek on stepping stones. Half way over she looked down and saw a fish on top of the water. She dipped her basket down and came up with a full basket, so we had fish instead of pie for supper. The mill had let some kind of oil get into the creek and the fish came up to breath.

In the spring and fall grandmother Rhoda would go into the fields and woods to gather plants. She used to make tea which she gave us if we were sick. Grandfather James [Thomas SEATON (1851-1925)] sold Indian Herb Pills, going about the county in a house and buggy. If Grandfather’s pills didn’t help us, grandmother would brew up a tea to give us. We didn’t need to see the doctor while grandmother lived. Howard and I would go with her but instead of learning from her what plants to gather and what they were used for , we ran about and played. I’ve always been sorry we did not pay more attention to her. She dried her plants in the summer kitchen. Some plants I do remember are -mullen, yellow root, dog fennel and smart weed.

The summer kitchen where grandmother Rhoda kept her plants was in the hills, either in English or Gantsburg. There was an old wood stove in the kitchen, there was a wood box behind the stove, grandfather always kept it full. I don’t remember him doing any kind of work except selling the Herb Pills. Grandmother made the best blackberry jelly and her biscuits were as big as a saucer. It only took one biscuit with butter and jelly to fill you up.

left: Edna Eula SEATON ROBERSON (1894-1961)

I spent a lot of time at grandmothers. Leora [May SEATON (1888-1962)], Eva [Lavadeth SEATON (1891-1978)], and Edna [Lula SEATON (1894-1961)] would come get me and I stayed with them several days. I was the first Seaton granddaughter. I was 5 when we moved to Mt. Carmel, Illinois. It was right after Bill [William Fielding ROBERSON (1888-1978)] and Eva’s wedding. I was the flower girl in the wedding.


left: Mary Ann DENBO ROBERSON (1857-1916)

One day grandmother Rhoda and I went to visit Mrs. Roberson [Mary Ann DENBO ROBERSON (1857-1916)] the mother of Bill, James and Rubin [Reuben Russell ROBERSON (1893-1959)], etc. While sitting in the kitchen a black snake crawled up the step from the cellar. I jumped on grandmothers lap and wouldn’t get down. Mrs. Roberson said the snake lived in the cellar. The cellar door was in the floor of the kitchen, they had a railing around it so they wouldn’t fall in. She said the snake also had the run of the kitchen and they didn’t have any trouble with mice.

I remember hearing about John Scott, the husband of Aunt Prudy [Prudence SEATON SCOTT (1848-1918)], shooting their cow. He came into the kitchen, got his gun and wnt out and shot the cow. He was mad because the cow would not give down her milk when he tried to milk her.

I remember going with Uncle Bill [William Fielding ROBERSON (1888-1978)] and Aunt Eva to English [Indiana] to visit with Aunt Anne. I was about 12 or 13 years old. Uncle Bill had just got his first car. A Model To Ford. We left right after breakfast and reached Aunt Anne’s in time for supper. It seems we took off on lanes instead of roads. Once we ended on top of a hill with nowhere to go. When we finally reached English, we had to ford a creek below the homestead. Aunt Eva told Bill he would get. Stuck but he said he would make it. About half way across, sure enough we were stuck. Bill had to wade across and go get a team of horsed to pull us out. I remember Aunt Anne had a rabbit and the best baked beans I’ve ever tasted.

While there we went to a revival at Tunnel Hill Church. Uncle Jim [James Washington ROBERSON (1875-1964)] hooked up the wagon, put hay in the bed with covers and we sat on the hay. Everyone took lanterns and they were used at the church for light.

Note from
Ernest [Lovedale] Henry (1917-)
Written 1987

My mother told me once that my Grandfather Albert Seaton [brother of James Thomas SEATON] went to Arkansas and farmed. He didn’t like it there or maybe he was homesick so he traded the farm for a team of horses and a wagon and come home, which I assumed was Grantsburg, Crawford Co. Indiana.

Since Mary Elizabeth (Riggle) Seaton [mother of Albert and James Thomas] was not in the 1870 census it may have been she went to Arkansas also.

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Snakes note: Garland Lee REASOR told his son they used to keep black snakes in the corn crib on the farm in English. The snakes were there to eat the mice.

Ancestry chain: JR, MRR, Grandma Wanda, Reuben Russell ROBERSON, Mary Ann DENBO - (Mrs Roberson)
Ancestry chain: CR, MRR, Grandma Wanda, Edna Lula SEATON, james Thomas SEATON & Rhoda Helen BAYSINGER- (grandfather James & grandma Rhoda)