Monday, October 25, 2010

Never Too Old To Learn

Sally Carr Brown

Sally Carr Brown is a fourth great-grandmother on my Baldwin Family line.  

Grandma Sally set a wonderful example of living life fully until the end.  According to a notation made in her daughter's bible, Sally learned to read late in life -- when she was 76 years old!  She proved that one is never too old to learn!  

"Sally Brown lerned to read in hir 76th yeare"

Sally was married to John Brown.  They lived in Putnam county, Tennessee.  Two of their daughters, Jane and Sarah, married brothers, Preston and Harrison Stewart, repectively.   We descend through her daughter, Sarah Brown who married Harrison Stewart.


The above copy is from the family bible of Preston and Nancy Jane Stewart.  I love the added information about Sally and Jane learning to read.  Transcript below:

"John Brown was borne 1790
Deceast this life 1858
Salley Brown was borne 1792
Deceast this life Aug 25 1868
Salley Brown lerned to read in hir 76th yeare.
Jane Stewart lerned to read when
she was about 40 years of age.
She read the new testament through
10 times & the olde scriptures
through 5 times."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonder how many people today would read the New Testament 10 times?!? Our world would be a much better place if more people would read the scriptures.

Sam said...

Just doing the math. Family bible says that Salley (I presume is a nickname for Sarah) was born in 1792 and died in 1868 -- that's 76 years old when she died. So apparently she learned to read the year she died?? Still very impressive!! Putting forth the effort to learn to read at age 76 when most women, if they were still alive at that age, were sitting in their rocking chairs. It appears that those of us who are her descendants may have good genes passed down to us: determination, courage, intellect, and hard work. Proud to be one of her descendants. Sam

Anonymous said...

Wow, 76 years old! I feel so sorry for her, books have so much imagination in them and she wasn’t able to understand that until she was 76??!?

JM

Rose said...

Although it’s sad it took her so long to learn to read I’m glad she eventually learned