They had no children of their own, but these three sisters mentored countless children.
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 19-“A Question the Records Can’t Answer”
Prompt: Outside of letters and diaries, most of the records we use in genealogy don’t tell us the “why” and “how” of our ancestors’ lives. We can read the records of what happened, but how did our ancestors feel? What was it like? This week, think about a question that goes beyond the names and dates. What would you ask that ancestor?
William George Stavely Cathcart (1862-1939) and Nancy Ann “Nannie” Mathews Cathcart (1863-1958) were my first cousins 3X removed. They were both born in Marissa, Illinois, and lived there their entire lives.
Marissa is a town I have come across often in my research. As I’ve discussed in previous posts, my maternal grandmother descended from Covenanters. Those Covenanter ancestors who came to this country after the first group of families settled in South Carolina either settled in the same area or established Covenanter communities of their own. Most of my Covenanter ancestors settled in Fairfield County, South Carolina; Bloomington, Indiana; or Sparta or Marissa, Illinois.
Although I could not find any Reformed Presbyterian (what the church in America became) records to support this, I am fairly certain that William and Nancy were members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.
William and Nancy had three children, all girls. William was a teacher, and his daughters all became teachers as well.
Annabel Elizabeth Cathcart (1895-1951), the oldest, attended the University of Illinois in Urbana. She was on the faculty of Miami College in Oxford, Ohio, where she taught Latin and French. She was also on the faculty of McGuffey High School in Oxford as well.
Jenny Mathews Cathcart (1886-1986) was William and Nancy’s second child. She taught in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mary Evelyn Cathcart (1900-1991) was William and Nancy’s youngest daughter. According to her father’s obituary, Evelyn was a Presbyterian missionary and principal of a girls school in Rawalpindi, India.
Obviously, all three daughters were very accomplished. And, in becoming educators, each of them followed in their father’s footsteps. I’m sure the girls’ parents were tremendously proud of their daughters’ professional careers. But, especially for that time, it was unusual to have multiple children, none of whom ever married or had children. I wonder how William and Nancy felt, not having grandchildren?
And each of their daughters: did they have any regrets about not having had families of their own? Did they feel societal pressure to be married, or were their unconventional lifestyles generally respected? I’d like to think that they were justly proud of their hard work, earning college degrees, mentoring students, and helping to mold young minds.
“It takes a village to raise a child” is a proverb that means that an entire community of people must provide for and interact positively with children for those children to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment. When a community feels a collective responsibility to see that each child is nurtured, educated, protected, and safely housed—regardless of his or her family’s income, status, or background—that society ultimately reaps the benefits of such a mutual endeavor.
By that philosophy, then, is there any loftier vocation than that of a teacher, helping young people acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for them to succeed as adults? I cannot ask these ancestors, but I would love to be reassured that they felt that their work had been respected and valued. And I hope that they themselves took great pride in their calling.
“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”
– William Butler Yeats
