My original name was Lele Belle Meredith. The Lele was after Aunt Lele Meredith, the sister of Robert Campbell Meredith. By general usage this later became Lilly Belle Meredith.
My birthplace, in Judsonia, AR was the 'Old Home' about one or two blocks east of the 'New Home' (these are so designated on the map in another section of this binder) The 'New Home' was next to the Harvel Drugstore, the present site of the Baptist Church and across Main Street from the Dunn Hotel. This church was not built until after I left Judsonia at age ten. Dr. Eastland officiated at my birth in 1874.
My father's first wife, Sarah Jane 'Wiley' Meredith died Sept. 19, 1866. About one year later Robert Campbell Meredith met and married Sarah Louisa Gray on Nov. 25, 1867. She had come from Ohio with her father, Daniel Workman Gray and family.
Children born to this marriage were:
Nora May Meredith
Born Feb. 27, 1869 in Illinois
Died March 24, 1877 (age 8 yrs 23 days) in Arkansas
Carrie Jane Meredith
Born Oct. 30, 1871 in Illinois
Died March 13, 1884 (12 yrs 9 months 14 days) in Arkansas
Lilly Belle Meredith
Born Jan. 6, 1874 in Arkansas
Robert Leroy Meredith
Born Aug. 8, 1877 in Arkansas
Died Sep. 20, 1950 (73 yrs 1 month 2 days)
Robert and Sarah moved to Arkansas between about 1871 and 1874 with Carrie, Nora and Ellsworth (from other marriage). They went to see what the country was like and better their lot if possible.
They went by wagon train. One wagon was driven by Robert, another by Robert Vermilye Gray and family and a third by Andrew Columbus Gray, a brother of Robert Vermilye Gray. Andrew Columbus Gray was about 18 years of age at the time and returned by the same wagon soon after.
Robert was a carpenter and wheelright by occupation, made complete wagons and sometimes coffins when needed. In the 'Old Home' there was a large room for carpentering and probably a forge outside but am not able to remember.
Times were hard, sometimes people paid, sometimes not. To my best recollection, one such deal resulted in a tract of forty acres. North and east of Judsonia. This is now owned by Dr. K.R. Taylor.
During the Civil War, Robert Campbell Meredith served in the Fifth West Virginia Cavalry with the Union Army. I was too young about age 6 at the time of his death to remember anything about length of service or any narratives concerning his war experiences. His stone in the Judsonia Cemetery lists his military assignment.
He was appointed a constable in Judsonia, about two or three years before his death and was stabbed in the chest by 'drunks' at Christmas tree entertainment.
Dr. Eastland treated his injuries and used break and milk poultices on the wound. It was my job at age 4 or 5 to carry out and burn the dressings and poultices. I could not eat bread and milk until almost grown. He recovered and this stabbing probably did not contribute to his death, which occurred on April 9, 1880. He had been fishing on the Little Red River early in the spring apparently at about the same time as his son, Orlando Ellsworth Meredith and both contracted pneumonia and died nine days apart.
The grave in Judsonia is marked by a military stone and has been photographed by Drs. M. M. and K. R. Taylor and families.
After my fathers' death, Dr. Eastland invited us to stay with him until further arrangements were made. We did this for several weeks until mother bought the house listed on map as 'New Home'. My first schooling began from this home at about age 6.
The school I attended was called Judsonia University, but it was a general school with the grades taught in the basement. Official meetings and funerals were also held here before the Baptist Church was built.
I attended this school from age 6 for three or four years up to the fourth grade and remember my fear at passing a hanging skeleton in the corner of the basement.
Two episodes of this period are impressed on my mind:
In the 'Old Home' in one room bags of unroasted peanuts were stored. I used to get some on the way by and eat them raw, when mother wasn't watching.
Sarah Louisa 'Gray' Meredith had a cow and churned new butter at times. Once she sent me to present a pound of fresh butter to Mrs. Dunn at the hotel. By mistake I presented it to Mrs. Harvel next door and was duly reprimanded on return.
When I was age 10, mother decided to move with me and Robert Leroy Meredith to Illinois.
Uncle John Meredith had written to mother that if she would come to Kansas for a visit on the way to Illinois he would pay the train fare so, Sarah went by train to St. Louis, changed trains, thence to Huron, Kansas and later to Noble, IL.
Andrew Columbus Gray met us at Noble with horses and wagons and took us to Daniel Workman Gray's log house. Columbus Gray was living there at the time. The building was one quarter mile back from the road. The Grubb House now stands on the road at the entranceway. We lived with Daniel Workman Gray for about four years.
Grandma Mariah 'Vermilye' Gray died when I was about thirteen years of age.
When I was about age 14, mother (Sarah Louisa Gray) bought an acre of ground and hired John Liers to build a three room frame house. This was later sold to Charles Farmer. He married Alminta Taylor, daughter of Marion Lafayette Taylor and sister of W. O. Taylor. We moved here at my age 14 and I went to Gray School until age 18. Mother thought that I should have more schooling before teaching, so I went to Noble, IL, to what corresponded to first year high school. There for one winter at age eighteen, I studied, took the examination and received a certificate to teach. I taught spring school of two months (common at that time) and the following winter at Glenwood School at age 19, boarding with Mrs. William Sager.
My mother, Sarah, became sick in September of that year, with some kind of stomach trouble with pain and vomiting. Dr. E. B. Palmer visited her several times, then said he could do nothing more for her. In the meantime she had no appetite and could not keep any food down.
A doctor Davis from Wakefield was called. He advised us to get some beer and keep it cold. This was difficult but we bought ice and kept it wrapped in paper. She took small amounts for awhile then refused. Later the doctor said that he could do nothing for her.
Then we consulted a Dr. Boyles from Clay City. Robert Leroy Meredith who was about sixteen years of age and six feet tall would pick up and return the doctor to the railroad station at Noble, IL. He gave up after several trips.
While teaching at Glenwood School mother asked me to leave teaching and come home, which I did. After this, Robert Leroy and myself took care of mother, Sarah until she died on March 23, 1894, at my age twenty. I borrowed five dollars from Owen Grubb to finish payment on the property tax.
After mothers death it was necessary to make some money immediately so I started teaching probably at Gray School and Robert Meredith went north to work on a farm, at age 16.
In the summer at age 21, I went to Decatur, IL and lived with Frank Gray for about three months, thinking of teaching in the north, but the schools were all taken. So I returned in August for Institute, which was a teachers preparatory course of one month at Olney, IL. There was an opening at Elwood School which was about halfway between Noble and Olney, Illinois and my application was accepted at a salary of $28.00 per month. I boarded with Mr. and Mrs. Betebenner during this year at my age of 22.
During my twenty third year I taught spring term at Hedrick School and winter at Decker School.
My twenty-fourth year was also spent at Decker School and I was married to W. O. (William Otis) 'Odie' Taylor on Dec. 20, 1899. becoming 25 years of age on Jan. 6, 1900.
I lived at intervals from 1894 to 1899 with Uncle Ephraim Gray and his wife Anna 'Curtis' Gray.
I lived happily married with W. O. Taylor until his death on Sept. 27, 1952. He now rests in a mausoleum in Haven Hill Cemetery, Olney, IL.
Since 1952 I have maintained the W. O. Taylor and Lilly Belle 'Meredith' Taylor home during the summers. I have lived during the winter season with Dr. K. R. Taylor and Ruth 'Summers' Taylor in River Forest, IL. I enjoy life and still manage my own financial affairs at my attained age of 87, in the year of our Lord, 1961.
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