We enjoyed immensely our visit with a remarkable character in the person of Mrs. J.K. Stevenson, lovingly known by her numerous nephews and nieces as "Aunt Bec." Rebecca Crawford, born October 6, 1856, in a rich Pennsylvania lumbering-milling city called Williamsport, was one of 15 children, four girls and eleven boys, born to William and Lydia Crawford.
Rebecca’s father, having had to give up the hotel business in the east, came to Kansas in June 1877 preceding the arrival of any of his family and bought a homestead between Lincoln Center and Vesper. Because his wife desired to remain in the east until she had disposed of her personal property, the Crawford family proceeded to their frontier home in two groups. Rebecca came to Kansas by train with her oldest brother, John, called "Dad" by his brothers and sisters, and Robert K., then a boy of 11, in the summer of 1877. Having arrived in Salina on a Saturday night, the trio of young adventurers continued to Lincoln on Sunday the 19th of August. While at the halfway house between Salina and Lincoln, the young folks were permitted to indugle in a feast of mellons. R.K., who was equally fond of canteloupe and buttermilk, partook heavily of both. After arriving at the old Pioneer House in Lincoln, Robert was a very sick lad; not once in the past 63 years has he had any desire to eat a canteloupe.
Mrs. Stevenson recalls that at the head of the stairway in the Pioneer House was a tiny room called the "corral" through which everyone had to pass to enter any of the other rooms. The "corral" was assigned to Rebecca as her sleeping quarters for the night until her brother John interfered and insisted that she be given a separate room, whereupon "Bec" soon found herself retiring to a pigeon-hole of a room away from the others.
Upon their arrival at the farm recently purchased by their father, the Crawford young people discovered watermellons, canteloupes and tomatoes growing in abundance and going to waste. Fishing was good in the Saline river in the early days and, because there was nothing else for them to do after cooking dinner and washing dishes for their father and oldest brother, Rebecca and Robert spent many long hours hooking more than enough fish for their immediate needs. Considering the fact they had two cows to milk and plenty of fish near at hand, one can readily understand why they never were in danger of starvation. Nonetheless, Mrs. Stevenson remarks that "It was a tough life to live here in those days!"
Rebecca’s sisters, the late Mrs. Carpenter who died recently in Colorado and Mrs. Alice Allen who came to Lincoln from California about two months ago, were heartily disappointed upon their arrival in Lincoln, Kansas, because they had not beeen able to fathom in their mind’s eye the reality of the vast western plains. Looking from the windows on the west side of their first Kansas house, they could see only rolling prairie land. Stepping to the door of their crude home, Rebecca proudly pointed out to her sisters what the early day settlement of the present-day Lincoln Center could be seen from where they lived. Coming from a city of nearly five thousand population, Lincoln must have seemed insignificant, indeed, to the young women who missed their former surroundings and old acquaintances. Rebecca had not attempted to prepare her sisters for what they should see because she had discovered the hardships of pioneer life for herself and deemed it wise to let the others do the same.
Rebecca returned to Bellfont, Pa., and lived with an uncle until she became so homesick for the Kansas plains that she could no longer bear to remain in the mountainous region where her uncle lived. Claude Crawford, who had remained behind with an older brother then employed by the government with the Postal service, came to Kansas with Rebecca on her second trip west in the spring of 1878. An uncle Nicholas Crawford, and his wife and three children came to Kansas with Rebecca at this time also.
A humorous incident occurred on the trip just mentioned which doubtlessly proved to be quite vexing to all concerned at the time. The train made a prolonged stop in one of the Missouri towns enroute. Not knowing the train was on the verge of starting again. Nicholas made an abrupt decision to go someplace and left without telling his folks. The first jerk of the train knocked her uncle from the bottom step to the ground on his knees and before he could do anything about it, the train had sped into the distance without him. Rebecca told one of his daughters that she thought she saw her uncle leave the train immediately before it had started and that she didn’t believe he was aboard. The two young women searched the cars in vain for some sign of the missing man. Their supposition was confirmed at the next city where they found a telegram waiting of them in which he stated the reason for his absence. The rest of the party were compelled to remain in this place for many hours as they waited impatiently for Nicholas to join them. They had to good fortune to accidentally meet Rebecca’s father who just happened to be driving through after having delivered a load of goods. Consequently, the belated party concluded the journey at a slower pace with a team and wagon. Nicholas Crawford, who moved his family away from here years ago, was once thoroughly frightened shortly after his arrival in Kansas. He lived in a little house west of the Spillman bridge and south of where the highway now runs. One night when a strong wind came up, his wife called to him, "Put the windows in!" She often laughed about it afterwards at her husband’s expense because thinking she had said "The Indians are here," he was out of bed in one hasty leap.
Diphtheria was raging in the surrounding settlements when Rebecca’s mother and other children arrived in Kanssas. Mrs. Stevenson recalls that her mother was very much disturbed by the death of a little three-year-old daughter who had contracted the dreaded disease.
Previous to her marriage to Jess Stevenson in 1883, Miss Rebecca Crawford taught four short terms of school. The school terms of the pioneer district schools were of three and four months’ duration.
The late Mr. J.K. Stevenson had lived near the Crawford family in Pennsylvania. He came west with his brother-on-law, the late W.J. Berryman and homesteaded the farm across the road west of his father-in-law’s homestead. His son, Tom Stevenson, is now living on the Stevenson homestead.
Mrs. Stevenson asserts that the happiest days of her life were spent in caring for her three children, raising chickens and feeding the calves. She has to chuckle when she recalls how surprised she was one day while accompanying her husband to the pasture to note some grown steers darting straight toward her. Her husband enjoyed a hearty laugh when he realized what was causing her to hurry to him in screaming terror, her "bucket calves" were merely wanting to renew a pleasant friendship.
Mrs. Rebecca Stevenson was the fond mother of three children, the youngest of whom, Frank, passed on to his heavenly reward at the tender age of 18 months. Her other children are Lydia, the wife of Archie Hower of Lucas, and Tom, who farms the home-place. Mrs. Stevenson also claims a right to a nephew, Max, who lived with her a number of years following the death of his mother, Mrs. R.K. Crawford.
Mrs. Stevenson takes great pleasure in bestowing her love on her son’s four children and her daughter’s eight children and four grandsons. It was this writer’s privilege to inspect eighteen quilts that Mrs. Stevenson has pieced and quilted alone. Each quilt has been labeled with the name of one of her children or grandchildren. Already she has given away six special quilts besides numerous quilts used daily by her daughter and daughter-in-law. At present, she is about to complete still another quilt. The quilting on each is beautiful to say the last. The tops of the coverlets include four each of "The Double Wedding-Ring," "The Dresden Plate," and an anonymous design, in addition to one or more each of the "Crazy-Star," "Around the World," and numerous others. One quilt is unique insofar as the main part of the top and the entire lining were dyed a solid deep blue by Mrs. Stevenson before it was pieced. One is amazed to learn that, in addition to all the quilting she has done for her immediate family, Mrs. Stevenson has helped to quilt on about 200 quilts in the Presbyterian church basement for families "living all along this railroad from Salina to Denver and for others in California and other northwestern states of the Union." Only two years ago did it become necessary for the little sewing circule to discontinue its meetings due to the fact that several members have died or moved away or are physically unable to attend regularly.
Mrs. Stevenson and her husband moved to Lincoln from the farm in 1919. Having shared fifty golden years of happiness with his wife, J.K. Stevenson slipped away peacefully in his sleep in June 1933, at the age of 82 years, 6 months and 20 days. He was privileged to live an active life all of his days.
Mrs. Rebecca Stevenson’s dauntless spirit does not permit her to put her energy aside as long as there is something she can do for loved ones. She is a busy little "bachelor" as she likes to call herself, who keeps up her house, does her own baking and looking after the tidiness of the yard surrounding her house. During the recent snow, Mrs. Stevenson fell twice within a few minutes’ time, first, as she was leaving the Sunday services and later as she was walking from a friend’s car to her house. "But I got up just as fast as I went down and wasn’t hurt a bit." This little incident brings out the characteristic which has evidently helped this dear little lady over life’s rough spots for so many years without marring her cheerful disposition. Ever thoughtful of others, one of Mrs. Stevenson’s good deeds is to send a church-paper each week to her dear friend, Mrs. Charlie Anderson, who celebrated her 94th birthday last October 7th, the day after Mrs. Stevenson was 84 years young.
