Thursday, March 12, 2020

Col. George Yoder, 93, Dies Suddenly; His Final Column Shared, March 13, 1920

From the front page of the Hickory Daily Record, Saturday evening, March 13, 1920

Col. Geo. Monroe Dies at Advanced Age. . . Remarkable Figure in History of This Section Passes Suddenly at His Home in County. . . Lived Through Exciting Periods. . . Last Article Published Today

Col. George Monroe Yoder, one of the most remarkable citizens in North Carolina, died suddenly at his home in the country this morning at the age of nearly 94 years. Up to within a half hour of his death, his mind was bright and active and the day before he passed away he wrote an article for the Record on his boyhood recollections, which is being published below. A few months ago Colonel Yoder was in Hickory, as usually paid a visit to this office, where he always felt at home and where he was a welcome visitor. He inspected the machinery and was impressed with the large newspaper press.

The old gentleman was interested in everything, it seemed, and during his long life assimilated a store of assorted knowledge that was the envy of all who knew him. He learned to use the typewriter at 90 years of age and thereafter did all his correspondence on a machine that his youngest son, Enloe M. Yoder, provided for him. To Record readers he was best known as a historian and weather prophet and as a forecaster was famous throughout the state, his articles always being the subject of comment. Just a few days ago, he compared the present wi;nter with one of many years ago, this showing his 
observant nature.

Not only was Colonel Yoder well versed in local, state and national history, but he was a mathematician as well, and during his later years, which were spent quietly at the old Yoder homestead, he amused himself with puzzles and conundrums and frequently challenged Record readers to a test of wits. He was a surveyor of note, held the position of magistrate and other offices with credit and distinction, and was faithful to his trusts. With the mathematician’s instinct to find the reason as well as the answer, he delved into many subjects and he was not content with a smattering of information. He probed to the bottom and his keen mind was able to distinguish the truth from fiction.

Colonel Yoder was honored by those who knew him and he appreciated those little attentions which were as natural to one growing up nearly a century ago as automobiles are to children of the present day. He lived through the most exciting periods of American history and he has known veterans of the American Revolution, the great French revolution, the wars of Napoleon which followed, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War in which he was a participant, the Spanish War and had grandsons in the World War. Living more than the allotted span allotted to men, he saw more and knew more.

Colonel Yoder passed at 7:30 this morning a few minutes after he had eaten breakfast. When his little granddaughter wok him for the morning meal, he complained of feeling bad but bathed his face and hands, ate breakfast and returned to his room. He sat on the bed and in 15 minutes life was extinct. He was born August 23, 1826, and would have been 94 years old had he lived until next August.
He was a son of Michael Yoder and Mary Dietz Yoder, who settled in this country when it was practically a wilderness. George Monroe Yoder was twice married, his first wife being Rebecca Herman and his second, who survives him, was Eliza Yoder. To the first union, five children were born, and the eldest, F.A. Yoder, having died a number of years ago. The others are J.M. Yoder of Van Wyke, S.C., Colon M. Yoder, Mrs. D.H. Ramsour, and Mrs. J.A. Yount of the county, and to the second union one son was born, Enloe Yoder, who lives at the old home place. The deceased is survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Colonel Yoder was a member of Grace Lutheran Church and was faithful to it at all times. The funeral will be held from Grace church tomorrow afternoon at 3 o’clock by Rev. L.L. Lohr.
The following article was the last written by Colonel Yoder before his death. It reached the Record this morning and contained a note in his own handwriting to the effect that he would prepare other articles for the Record’s readers.

Col. Yoder’s Last Article

Old historical events and scenes that happened in our youthful and boyhood days about 86 years ago.
Whilst sitting by a warm fire in our room by the stove during those cold and inclement days, our mind ran back to our boyhood days and brought afresh those old time scenes and occurences to our recollections and memories that passed in those days and seemed that they only happened a few days ago we will take them up in regular rotation The first one that we will mention occurred in the year of 1829 which was the time of the 17-year locust that made their appearance.

My father had settled in the forest or timbered land. The locust appeared by the multitudes up out of the ground everywhere and crawled up the wall of the house and on the fence and small bushes until they were literally covered. There was an old uncle of mine who wanted to put some of them on me and I ran and cried.

We very distinctly remember that my father built a workshop in about the year 1830 and that my mother helped him roll the logs up. Then my mother died in August 1832 about 10 o’clock after night a few days before I was six years old. We remember the very corner of the house where she died 87 years ago. We still remember the preacher who preached at her funeral; he stood in a wagon at the old Yoder grave yard in the woods and preached to the people.

We distinctly recollect the time when the old Yoder school house was built in the summer of 1833. My grandfather gave the location for a site for the school house which is now 86 years ago. Then a school was opened in winter for three months subscription school. We attended the school during the winter season.

The great noted meteoric shower occurred on the night in the fall of November the 14th, after 12 o’clock and continued until daylight and don’t know how much longer. It was a great excitement to many people. A certain old lady was awakened by the flashes through the window, thought the house was on fire, called for the family to get up, that the last day was coming. At the same time there was an old intoxicated fellow there and he answered her in the following language: “You fool, do you think that the last day would come in the night and not get up to see what was going on?”

We distinctly remember that about the year of 1834 the great nullification excitement that was in full bloom in South Carolina, when those people were red hot for war, which was caused by some act in the tariff law, we think. We remember that President Jackson issued his proclamation to them and they returned to peace and quiet; if not that he would send state troops and quell the matter. But Henry Clay and John Calhoun were appointed as commissioners to settle the difficulty which was accepted.

This same year if we are not mistaken, occurred the cold Saturday in the month of February. In the morning the day appeared like it would be a fine and warm day. The merchants at their new store at Peter Warlick’s had set that day apart to make a display of their dry goods.

Then about 10 o’clock the wind began to blow from the northwest until it became a severe and terrible blizzard and very cold and was always thereafter known as the cold Saturday. It was said by the old people then living if you take a cup full of water and dash it up in the air that it fell to ground ice.

At this gathering some eight or 10 Cherokee Indians on their return home from the Catawba nation homeward came there with their bows and arrows. The people thought that they wanted to see their expert in shooting so they stuck up a stick and on its top a dime to shoot at a distance of 10 yards. They would knock it off every pop.
--G.M. Yoder

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