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Sarah Jane "Jennie" Huggins, mother of Ross Carroll Venters, born in
1846 in Ohio
County Has Blind Woman Who Sews for The Soldiers
An elderly lady with white hair and dark eyeglasses sat on a cot in the
shade of a tree on the banks of the Sangamon River near Roby, Christian
county, knitting stockings. In itself nowadays it would not be a
remarkable incident to see a woman sitting patiently knitting when there
are so many women of all ages engaged in that laudable work. But in this
particular case there were circumstances out of the ordinary.
On approaching the old lady, it was found that she had just completed a
beautiful little pair of all wool baby's stockings which were carefully
attached to each other at the toes by a few stitches of thread. Having
completed this pair, she was starting another pair. Around the tops of
these little stockings were several circles composed of bright colored
yarn, each pair different, but each stocking in a pair matching
absolutely with the other of the same pair.
The lady doing the knitting was Mrs. Sarah J. Venters of Grove City,
Ill., She is 72 years of age, has a fair complexion and a beautiful head
of nearly white hair. She is totally blind and has been in that
condition since the age of 16 but has withal led a busy and a useful
life. She was married when she was a young woman and is very proud of
two grown sons now in business - one in Decatur, Ill., and the other in
Pennsylvania. She also has several grandchildren and was at this time
spending a day with her step daughter and her grandchildren on the banks
of the Sangamon river, at Hart's park, sixteen miles east of
Springfield, and while they were playing and bathing in the river, she
was knitting the little stockings for the Belgian babies. She said that
the pair which she had just completed was as nearly as she could
remember, the 40th pair, and she was commencing on the 41st pair.
In addition to knitting stockings for the babies, she has also made
several pairs of socks for the soldiers and has done other work for the
Red Cross organization.
She has lived in this state since 1858. Her little grandchild said to her
the other day, 'Grandma, I wish you could see.' She replied, "Don't
worry about that, for while it would be a great advantage and a pleasure
to see all the beauties of the world, my lack of that privilege does not
prevent me from being happy." A grand character, for although she lives
in darkness, her life is spent in a valley of sunshine.
This blind woman is a lady of remarkable intelligence, is fully posted
on everything that is taking place. She had the latest war bulletins to
impart the information they contained to all who come near her. She
expressed great solicitude for the welfare of young Roosevelt, hoping
that his life had been spared and was delighted over the progress the
Americans and French forces had made in the last day or two.
In addition to her industrious work of knitting stockings, she has
composed a war song of more than ordinary merit, and a conversation with
her is a pleasure long to be remembered. She is of a happy, cheerful
disposition and not only does good work in the matter of knitting but
does it speedily and with pleasure.
The location of this scene was at what is called Smith's Mill or Hart's
Park. This old mill is about the last of the old time mills run by water
power in central Illinois.
Opposite the mill is Hart's Park, mentioned above. Leading across the
stream from the mill is a primitive pontoon bridge resting on empty
barrels that float in the water. In connection with the park are a few
ordinary cottages where the families spend the heated season. The old
dam forms a cascade in the river and just below the cascade the river
forms a swimming pool where a considerable amount of bathing is indulged
in. Sycamores and elms shade the green lawn and the patient woman with
her work forms a beautiful picture in this restful scene of nature.
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