Sunday's Obituary: Mary Virginia (Strother) Leachman

Manassas Journal
20 November 1914

MRS. J. P. LEACHMAN DIES

Had Been an Invalid for Several Years - Funeral Thursday Afternoon

Mrs. Mary Virginia Leachman, wife of Mr. John Pendleton Leachman, died Tuesday morning at the family home near Bristow. She had been in failing health for several years.

The funeral took place Thursday afternoon at her late residence and interment was made in the family burying ground. The services were conducted by Rev. J. F. Burks, rector of Trinity Episcopal church, of which she was a member.

Mrs. Leachman was the daughter of the late George and Mildred Strother, of Markham. She was born 55 years ago, and was married at the age of 26 to Mr. Leachman, who is now the treasurer of Prince William county.

She leaves five daughters, Mrs. D. B. Smith and Mrs. Allen Laws Oliver, both of Cape Girardean, Mo., and Misses May, Lillian and Marie Leachman, all of Bristow; three sons, Mr. J. P. Leachman, Jr., of New Mexico, and William and Keith Leachman, of Bristow, a sister, Miss Kate Strother, and three brothers, Messrs. Thomas, James, and Edward Strother, all of Markham.

Wedding Wednesday: Mary Belle (Pridmore) Merchant / Benjamin Merchant

You never know what you're going to find when sifting through chancery and legal cases.  The marriage license shown below was an exhibit in the 1913 divorce suit between Mary Belle (Pridmore) Merchant and husband Benjamin Merchant.  It is a gold mine of information, including the names of both bride and groom's parents.  In addition, the case itself mentions the name of their child, Warren Merchant.

This divorce case can be found online at the Library of Virginia's digital collection under the chancery records.

(The suit was dismissed on 5 May 1913 at Mary's request.) 

Church Record Sunday: Trials of Soul and Flesh in 1860's Revealed by Pastors

Richmond Times Dispatch
27 October 1937

Trials of the Soul and Flesh in 1860's Revealed by Pastors

Walking 10 miles to preach a sermon, falling into a creek, watching the flames of war ravage, a church -- all this seemed to be just part of the day's routine for hardy ministers of the Gospel in the 1860's.

Those, at least, are some of the experiences mentioned by preachers in a packet of unpublished letters recently deposited in Spence Library, Union Theological Seminary. The correspondence, most of which dealt with the Sustenation Fund for Impoverished Ministers, was written to the Rev. J. D. Mitchell of Lynchburg during 1866.

The Rev. Matthew W. Jackson of Rough Creek described some of his troubles: "I sometimes walk 10 miles to preach and then home again on the same day; and on the third sabbath in January I fell into a creek about two feet deep and walked several miles home with my clothes wet and freezing..."

Couldn't Raise a Dollar

"As religion seems almost extinct in Eastern Virginia, we must awake in earnest," was his solemn warning.

From Prince William County the Rev. A. M. Hershy of Nokesville wrote:  "The church building, which was nearly new, was burned to the ground, it is said, by Unioin soldier,s near the end of the war ... The congregation was scattered..."

Light on the financial difficulties is given by the Rev. R. L. Dabney, noted theologian; the Rev. Moses D. Hoge, founder of Union Seminary, and Dr. James Woodrow, uncle of President Woodrow Wilson.