Kate Probert Update

On my August 31st post, I discussed going to Mt. Sterling, KY and attending a meeting of the Mt. Sterling Historical Society that was taking place when I arrived.  They had a speaker, Becky Ryder, from the University of Kentucky.  She discussed preservation techniques for artifacts, newspapers, etc.  Miles Hoskins, the local president of the Historical Society, had found out that some very old copies of the Kentucky Sentinel were going to be part of an estate sale.  The Kentucky Sentinel was a weekly paper published in the 1880s.  He purchased the papers and the society loaned them to U.K. to make digital copies.  They have a website at the Kentuckiana Digital Library.  If you click on this link, you can read the obituary for Kate Probert.

Kate Probert's Obituary

I copied the text for easier reading.

Mt. Sterling Advocate:  Wednesday, March 22, 1905 p. 7.

Probert – Mrs. Kate Probert, relic of Thomas Probert, deceased, departed this life on Sunday night the 20^th instant, at 11 o-clock aged 66 years.  Funeral service was conducted at her home on Sycamore Street on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o-clock by her pastor, J. R. Hobbs, of the Baptist church, and her remains were buried in Machpelah cemetery.  Mrs. Probert had been a member of the Baptist church for many years and of the Mt. Sterling Baptist church since its organization in 1870, and as a Christian and church working woman she was consistent in living and faithful in the discharge of religious duties.  As a neighbor, friend, mother, step-mother she was absolutely free from prejudice and favoritism and her endeavor was to be kind and just to all.  She had been sick for more than eight years and such christian fortitude in pain and sorrow has never been surpassed.  The home will be lonely without her, but the evidences she left of trustfulness and the chirstian life will be sufficient to impress the living that she is in that home provided for her through Christ and where she abides others may attain through repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Mrs. Probert leaves two daughters, Mrs. C.C. Coleman, of Cincinnati, and Mrs. Maud Casey, of this city and three grand-children, Katie Mae and Ida Gorman and Georgia Casey.  Mrs. Probert’s husband was an Odd Fellow and she gave evidence of their watchfulness and care for a brother’s widow.

I am amused that the term "relic" as in "relic of Thomas Probert" is used instead of the word "widow". Kate was the stepmother of Lucy Probert and grandmother of Norine.  Interestingly, none of the six children of Lucy are listed as surviving grandchildren.

Another interesting observation is that Kate was apparently a committed member of the Baptist Church.  I believe her husband, Thomas, and his first wife, Mary Dimond were Catholic -- as was Lucy and her husband John Cronin.  They were Irish Catholic. (I've since found out that Thomas and Mary Dimond were married in a Baptist Church in Lexington).

I am so happy that more and more historic newspapers are being digitized.  It certainly makes my job easier.

And so ends my research for 2009.  I wish everyone a Happy New Year for 2010 -- and I hope for more "happy hunting" for myself.