McCulloughHomeHistory

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The McCullough Family Home
by Don DeWitt and Joy Ware
(v2: 7/6/09)

The people mentioned and their family history:

John DeWitt   x   Nancy Culbertson
     Thomas DeWitt x   Magdalene Buffington
                       Joel DeWitt   x   Rachel Mairs
                          Margaret Josephine "Josie" DeWitt    x    Warren N. McCullough
                                                                      Gird McCullough x Elizabeth Amber Harris


Margaret Josephine "Josie" DeWitt McCullough from the collection of Joel S DeWitt	Warren N. McCullough from the collection of Joel S DeWitt
	The photo at the left is of Aunt Josie DeWitt McCullough and Bertha Swanger DeWitt. Bertha was the wife of Mark Pinkney DeWitt who was Josie's brother. Their parents were Dr. Joel DeWitt and Rachel Mairs. From the collection of Don DeWitt. Photo taken in the early 1930s before 1935.
	Amber and Gird McCullough Photo from Rachel Cowgill

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From a letter to Amber McCullough
[wife of Gird McCullough - son of Warren and Josie - see photo above]
from Lydia Dodge

McCULLOGH HOME IN MILAN PASSES TO STRANGERS
{Apparently this was published in the newspaper in Milan, MO the Milan Standard}
{Perhaps it was written about 1960 based upon the 80 year reference in the first paragraph?}

It was with sorrow that the relatives and friends of a fine family wittnessed the passing of the home built by Warren McCullough in 1880 and never occupied by any other family through the 80 years, into the hands of strangers last spring. It was purchased by Rallo Jones as an investment. Two acres of land went with the large house. The timber used in the construction was well seasoned and just as sound as the day it was built. The old home had withstood the terrific heat and storms of almost a century. The solid walnut stairway was a thing of beauty and if it could speak it would tell of festive occasions as well as of heart breaks and sorrow that came to the home just like it does to all others.

He was the first of his family to emigrate to this section and he owned a farm south of Milan and the ___ railroad ran thru his land. The railroad station was named "McCullough Station". His wife {Josephine DeWitt McCullough) objected to the station being named for them. The name was later changed to "Cora" in honor of the daughter of the postmaster at Cora. The home in Milan owned and occupied by Buster Poole and his wife Mary, was known as the Blanchard place, but it was first owned by Dr. DeWitt and it was then that his daughter Josephine became the bride of Warren McCullough. The newlyweds went to the farm and the children Elfie, Anne, and Bertha wer born there. The year 1880 the large new home was built in Milan and Pearl, Golda and Gail were born there. Mrs. McCullough was a lady of the old school and had a large family, but also shared her home and love with several others, one, was Mr. McCullough's nephew, Grant McCullough, and Ophelia Watson. {Grant was the adopted son of Warren's brother Webster McCullough.} They enjoyed everything and were treated the same as the McCullough children. Black servants were employed and "Aunt Josie" had the know how to make her organization work smoothly. Everybody that had a home in those days went home for all three meals (no peanut butter spread or pop etc). Good nourishing food with dessert at noon were always served at the McCullough long table in the dining room and there were always extra plates laid because there might be some one or two "drop in"-- and drop in they did with regularity!! Grandison Payne, former sherfiff of Sullivan Co. once said that "more feet had been shoved under Warren McCullough's table than in any other home in Sullivan County." Aunt Mirah Arnold and her little daughter Victoria, black people, worked at the home until Mirah left the McCullough's and went to work for Ed Slack in his restaurant in Milan. Vic stayed on for fifty years-- and was faithful in every way. Once in awhile she would leave and go to Kansas City to "visit relatives" -- but would become homesick and come back. Old age and illness finally overtook the little black woman and she was tenderly cared for by "Miss Pearl and Bert." After her death her body was laid to rest in the Gird McCullough family lot in the cemetery at Harris, Mo.

The first of the daughters to come down the walnut stairway at the McCullough home to be married in the large parlor was Elfie to Issac S. Bolt on October 14, 1885. This was a double wedding. The other bride and groom were Theodore Poole and Miss Anna Thomas. The next wedding was {daughter} Ann Elizabeth to James (John) M. Winters on November 10, 1891. The next McCullough daughter to come down the stariway was Bertha to Samuel A. Faulkner on January 30, 1904. The next one was a McCullough granddaughter, blue eyed, flaxen hair, Hazeldean Bolt into the waiting arms at the foot of the stairs of Enoch Beery Seitz on August 20, 1907, who was the superintendent of the Milan school. And the last daughter to descend the stairway was the merry Gail with a dimple in her chin to become the bride of Augustus Overton Harris on July 22, 1911. Pearl McCullough was married to Robert E. Day in Kansas City, November 1926. Ophelia Watson, the young lady who lived at the home was married to John Payne and they were parents of Mrs. Gretchen Dickson, Mrs. Sally Chobe and Jack Payne all living in Milan today. Grant McCullough, nephew of Warren, was married to Clara Bradley at the home of her father Jay Bradley in Milan. They later moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma where Mr. McCullough was associated with Wm. Skelly in the oil business. He died several years ago, but his widow and one son survive and live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Another wedding at the McCullough home was Charlie Hart and Miss Lizzie Straley. Mr. Hart was a relative and once a grocery merchant in Milan.

Holidays -- Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years and birthdays were important in the old home and there being so many there was always some festive occasion -- and the long dining table with its snowy linen, sparkling crystal and silver and china made a beautiful picture. Many times in this old home the "lights shown bright on fair women and brave men" and may God forgive me lest I forget!! Grid McCullough, only son of Warren and Josephine married Amber, daughter of Overton Harris at her home in Harris.

As age came on Mrs. McCullough delegated more of the supervision of the home to her daughters Bert and Pearl-- both widows who proved efficient while "Aunt Josie" sat in the bay window of her sitting room or by the fireside in winter with her quilt pieces. She did beautiful hand work and even today in her children's and grandchildren's homes there are many beautiful things her hands have fashioned -- "mammy's home" was where the clan gathered and all talked at the same time! It was a fine family and an era which has passed and will never see the like again. Life went on at a slower pace and that was good. Small things meant more -- Men respected women more -- held them on a high pedistal because they demanded it! And at last let me not forget one faithful servant at the old home who served long years, was the old black man Uncle Bill Ewing, who carried in the fuel -- milked the cow-- took care of the horses and garden and went on errands -- always gentle and with a smile on his face. Much more could be written but the Milan Standard just won't let us use an inch of its space. The must keep some to a livin!

This document was provided by Joy Ware in 2008 to Don DeWitt who transcribed the original typed copy to digital form and who created this website.

I am not sure when this was written... perhaps about 1960 due to the statement that the house was sold after being in the family for 80 years. The house was built about 1880.

- Josie DeWitt McCullough died in 1937
+ Bertha (Bert) died in ?
+ Pearl died in 1959
+ Gird died in 1969 and
I do not know when his wife Amber Harris McCullough (to whom this letter is written) died.

See photos below of Josie and some of her descendants.

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PICTURE: (Click on photo to see larger image.)
This is copied from a photograph made late 1908 or early 1909, probably in Milan, Sullivan County, Mo. The original was framed by the Chicago department store, Marshall Field, probably in the 1920s or early 1930s.

CREDIT:

From Karl Seitz who is Margaret Josephine DeWitt McCullough's great-great-grandson!

(Don DeWitt, is Rachel Mairs DeWitt's' great-great grandson.)

Commentary from Don DeWitt:
I believe this photo was taken of the ladies sitting on the front porch of Rachel Mairs DeWitt's home near Reger, Sullivan Co., MO. You can see a drawing and a painting of the house above at: DEWITT HOME. In addition, you can see another photo taken against the side of the house
at AGAINST THE WALL. (Note: Use your BACK button to return here.)

Karl's Seitz Geneology is found at: SEITZ.
His Ahnentafel Geneology chart is HERE.

Clockwise starting with baby, this five-generation picture includes

Ruth Susan SEITZ (infant)
(1908-1973)
Ruth Seitz was born 24 June 1908 in Milan, Mo., where her father, Enoch Beery Seitz Jr. was superintendent of schools. Her mother was Hazeldean Bolt. She graduated from Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Mass., June 1929. Ruth married Harlen Ware in June 1935. She died 24 May 1973 in Carmel, Calif. Another photo of Ruth in a big group of ladies.

Hazeldean BOLT Seitz (seated left)
(1886-1979)
Hazeldean Bolt was born 9 Nov. 1886 in Montgomery County, Iowa. She was the daughter of Isaac and Elfie Maud Bolt. She married first Enoch Beery Seitz Jr. 20 Aug. 1907 in Milan, Mo. She married second Nate Snyder in the 1950s. She died June 1979 in San Antonio, Texas. (Another photo in 1920s: SEITZ.)
Another photo of Hazeldean in a big group of ladies.

Elfie Maud McCULLOUGH Bolt (standing left)
(1868-1961)

Elfie McCullough was born 25 Nov 1868 in Sullivan County, Mo. She was the daughter of Warren and Margaret Josephine McCullough. She married Isaac S. Bolt 14 Oct. 1885 in Milan, Mo. They were divorced at an unknown date before 1906. She died in Nov. 1961 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Margaret Josephine DeWITT McCullough (standing right)
(1849-1937)
Josephine DeWitt was born 8 July 1849 in Sullivan County, Mo. She is a daughter of Joel and Rachel DeWitt. She married Warren McCullough on 2 July 1865 in Sullivan County. She was active in the Women's Christian Temperance Union. She died 30 April 1937 in Milan. Another photo of Josephine in a big group of ladies.

Rachel Ann MAIRS DeWitt (seated right)
(1823-1912)
Rachel Ann Mairs was born 7 May 1823 in Stuebenville, Jefferson County, Ohio. She married Joel DeWitt 1842 in Jackson County, (W.) Va. They moved to Missouri in 1845. She died 26 Feb. 1912 in Sullivan County, MO. Another photo of Rachel in a big group of ladies.

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