Mrs. Ruth Bates Ruth Matthews was born in Fayette county, Indiana, October 22, 1831. She was married January 1, 1852 to Elisha Scott, a pioneer preacher in the Church of Christ (disciples). To them were born three sons and two daughters, as follows; Barclay Matthews, Avesta Franklin, Ida Louise, Ada Lucinda, Elisha Challen. The family moved to Iowa in 1855 and settled in Keokuk county near South English. Elisha Scott died August 22, 1862 after having contributed much of his life and service to establishing the churches at South English, North English, White Pigeon, and other nearby points The widow. Mrs. Ruth Scott, was married October 26, 1864, to James D. Alkire, a farmer living in Adams township, Keokuk county, near where the town of Keswick now stands. To this union were born three sons and two daughters as follows; Alvin Milo, James Arthur, Jane May, Mary Adella, and Isaac Albert. Mr. Alkire, died November 2, 1889. The widow, Mrs. Ruth Alkire, was married October 13, 1895, to Nathan Bates, a retired farmer living at Maxwell, Iowa. Mr. Bates died September 7, 1898. She died at his home, 1332 26th street, may 21, 1917, at the age of 85 years, 6 months and 29 days. She leaves surviving her five sons as follows: B. M. Scott, Estherville, Iowa; A. F. Scott, North English, Iowa; E. C. Scott, Des Moines, Iowa; A. M. Alkire, Olympia, Washington; and A. L. Alkire, Stockton, California; besides quite a number of grandchildren and several great grandchildren. Her ancestors were pioneer people in Virginia, East Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. The body was brought here from Des Moines Tuesday evening and the funeral service was conducted by the Rev. R. B. Hyten at the Christian church, Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock. Interment in South English cemetery. North English Record no dates Transcribed 1995, Lyman Morrison. The Passing Of A Pioneer When Mrs. Ruth Bates of the University Place Church of Christ, Des Moines, Iowa, was called to her reward on 21st day of May 1917, there passed from this life one who was closely associated with the pioneer times of our country and also with the early history of our country and also with the early history of the religious movement with which she was identified. Her father T. Q. Matthews, and her mother, Jane Chloe Morgan, were born in Pulaski, county, Kentucky. They were married in Fayette County, Indiana, December 25, 1828. (Jane was a sister to the grandfather of Carey E. Morgan, the present popular pastor at Nashville, Tenn.) For some years before her marriage Jane Chloe Morgan had been a member of the Baptist church. About the time of her marriage the Reformation (as it was then called) was introduced. And she went with the party that took the Bible for there creed. This was called the little Flat Rock Church, Rush Co. Ind. John P. Thompson, Preacher. He was Calvanistic in his views, but had made a visit to Kentucky, and heard John Smith preach, and came back, what was then called a Campbellite. T. Q. Matthews united with the same in the summer of 1829. This was probably the first congregation of this people organized in Indiana. It was while they were members of this congregation, but living across the line in Fayette county, that their daughter, Ruth Matthews, the subject of this sketch, was born, October 22, 1831. From here the family moved to Shelby county, Indiana, about 1832, where the mother died April 7, 1837. After they had been there about a year, they assisted in organizing the church at Brandywine, and T. Q. Matthews was chosen as one of the Deacons. From then until the time of his death at Sterling, Neb., November 7, 1878, he held a public place in the church most of the time, and gave the church his most earnest thought, and service and a large amount of his substance, for which he received but little pecuniary reward. But he did not think his labor in vain, For the Lord knoweth them that are his. He was for many years a leader in the church and community of South English, Iowa. He raised a large family of girls, one of whom, Mrs. William A. Morgan, was the mother of four Drake graduates, Frank, Oscar, Alice and Leslie. His only son, Alvin, died in the service of his country in 1862. When Ruth was about 17 years old she went with her father to the old home to attend a state meeting at the Little Flat Rock church in Rush county. At that time they had just finished a new church building, but the old building was still standing. At this same meeting a committee was appointed looking to establishing of a school at Indianapolis. This later became Butler college. On January 1, 1852, Ruth Matthews was married to Elisha Scott, a preacher of the gospel, who had baptized her into the Church of Christ not long before. After their marriage Elisha Scott continued to preach at various points in Indiana for about five years. In 1857 the family came to Iowa and settled near South English. From here he traveled on horseback and working with such noble servants of the Lord as Wm. Springer, N. A. McConnell, N. E. Cory and others, did much to establish the cause or primitive Christianity in South English, North English, White Pigeon, Indianapolis, Springfield, Lancaster and the region round about. He died August 22, 1862 leaving a widow three sons, and two daughters, Barclay Matthews, Avesta Franklin, Ida Louisa, Ada Lucinda and Elisha Challen. The oldest was a little past 9 and the youngest was less than 1 year old. The country was new and sparsely settled in those days, but the hearts were warm and friendships genuine. At the funeral before leaving the house the brethren assured the widow that she should not lose her home, that they would see that the payments on it were made which they did. When the procession went on its way to the burial, the first of the teams were at the top of the hill two miles away before the last left the house. There were in this procession no automobiles, no carriages, no spring wagons, and it is doubtful if there was even a spring seat and there was at least one ox team. The body was lowered by kind hands to its resting place and the young widow , to crushed by her grief to weep, turned with her five fatherless children back to the prairie to face the unknown future. With heroic courage and unfaltering faith she set herself to the task of caring for her little brood. Friends were wondrous kind and helped in many a quiet way. Part of the time she taught school and in one way and another among the children and the death of little Ida made those days severely trying. On October 26, 1864, she was married to James D. Alkire and moved to his farm near where the town of Keswick now stands. He was a widower with six children, part of whom were grown and the youngest about 3 years old. To this marriage were born three sons and two daughters, Alvin Milo, James Arthur, Jane May, Adella and Isaac Albert. The life on the farm was strange to her and she missed keenly the rich church fellowship that had been such a large part of life. But her family was well fed and she kept alive her faith by reading and prayer and did what she could to bring up her children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Death again entered and took one at a time all her little girls and one son and later her husband, so that she was again left a widow November 2, 1889. By this time the children that were still living had all gone out to make homes for themselves except the youngest, Isaac Albert, who was left to care for the widowed mother. Then after about four years he, too, felt that he must have larger opportunities than the isolated life on the farm afforded, so they left the farm and he went west and she to Maxwell, Iowa, where her son, E. C. Scott then lived. At Maxwell she became acquainted with Nathan Bates, a widower and elder in the church, and they were married October 13, 1895. Mr. Bates died September 7, 1898. In 1907 she came to Des Moines and made her home with her son, E. C. Scott, until the time of her death. She died as she had lived, in steadfast hope of a glorious immortality. She leaves surviving her five sons, B. M. Scott, Estherville, Iowa; A. F. Scott, North English, Iowa; E. C. Scott, Des Moines; A. M. Alkire, Olympia, Wash. and I. A. Alkire, Stockton, California, nineteen grand-children and twenty-four great grand- children. E. C. S. The Christian Press. A handwritten note said that Barlcay Scott preached the funeral.