DRAKE, MARY JULIA
MRS. MARY DRAKE HEARTY AND ACTIVE AT NINETY-FIVE
McKinney Examiner, March 5, 1959
(Editor’s note: The article below was submitted to us by a friend whom we have known for many years. The by line was with held by request. The story is one which will be of much interest to many of the residents of Southeast Collin and to members of the Drake family, one of the well known pioneer families of our community.)
A sensible eating regimen, proper rest, love of humanity, willingness to accept responsibility, patience and a sincere belief in a Supreme Being are the major keys to successful and happy living, according to McKinney’s near-centenarian.
Mrs. Mary Drake, who resides in the Enloe community a few miles southeast of McKinney where she has been mistress over the same home for three score and ten years, had that advice for a friend more than a quarter century ago, and although she readily admits that time has altered many things since, the basic principles of peaceful living has remained the same for untold eons.
At 95 and well on the way to marking the 96th anniversary of her birth at Burksville, Cumberland County, Ky., Aug. 30, 1863. Mrs. Drake has lived within walking distance of McKinney since her arrival in Texas in 1884.
The frail but vivacious Mary Julia Rutledge, together with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Rutledge, and two robust brothers and an equally healthy sister, detrained at the Collin County seat of government when the town’s square was a succession of chug holds and deep wagon ruts.
The thriving community boasted, among other niceties, free water from a well located a few feet north of where the present county courthouse stands where both man and beast slaked thirsts.
Aug. 23, 1885, one week before her 22nd birthday, Mary Rutledge exchanged wedding vows with W. G. Drake, son of Dr. A. M. Drake who, with his young French bride of a few weeks, had set sail from his native England for America several years ago, and had settled first in the birstling frontier town of Nashville, Tenn. in pre-Civil War days. The attractive mademoiselle was never able to master the English language nor to comprehend the ruddy, deer-skin clad pioneer of the area.
She died there a few years later, partly of a broken heart that was still yearning for the green fields around Rouen, leaving a husband and four children – three sons and a daughter, all of whom had arrived on the Texas frontier a few years ahead of the Rutledge family.
Two years after their wedding, Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Drake occupied their new, nine-room country home where their six children were born and reared. The same dwelling has been Mrs. Drake’s domicile all these years, and it appears to be showing its age more than its occupant who, despite her ripe age, continues with her household chores, including the preparation of her own meals, and also to exercise strict discipline over her children, all of whom are married and live away from the old home, and each can boast grandchildren of his own.
Only recently, Mrs. Drake boasted, in addition to her fiver remaining children, 16 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
In her earlier life, Mrs. Drake contends, she was looked upon as a “weakling,” and that in those days it was generally accepted that a person in her emaciated condition simply did not live out the normal life-expectancy. However, she is the only survivor of the original six Rutledges who arrived in Texas by train in the 80s. The two brothers, both of whom became doctors in later years, and the sister, each died relatively young.
Mrs. Ollie McMenamy, second died a few years ago. The others are Mrs. Walter Gist, Charles, Milton and Avery Drake, all of Enloe, and Felix Drake, Dallas.
The writer of this article claims a close propinquity to Mrs. Drake. It is not mentioned here in a vain effort to alleviate his own anonymity, but rather to support a contention that much of the information contained herein is the direct result of personal observation of the subject over a period of years, dating back to an era when the permanency of the horseless carriage was still in doubt.
Mrs. Drake’s warm but firm discipline is one of her many characteristics that still stand out today, and an example of that cropped out in a more recent period when a son of social security eligibility age level, sought several times to interrupt his mother’s conversation with a neighbor. The near-exasperated mother merely raised a hand, brought it down in an arc, leveled a pointed finger at the son and admonished with the equivalent of “be still or else.” A second warning was not necessary.
Mrs. Drake’s ability to remember names, dates, faces and places is remarkable. But even more astounding is her knowledge of the Bible. She can quote more scripture than many of the clergy, and her minister in the pulpit had better quote each passage verbatim. For one deviation and Mrs. Drake is likely to bring it to his attention following the services with a timely suggestion that he devote more time to his work.
Mrs. Drake was baptized in the Church of Christ faith in Kentucky, and has remained close to her beliefs throughout the years.
Her favorite Biblical writing stresses faith, hope and charity. It will be found in the 13th chapter of First Corinthians. Second best, the 23rd Psalm, often it’s whispered in bed and sometimes as a sleep inducer.
Recently when visited by a nephew she announced casually but did not complain of a slight impairment in her hearing. And also mentioned that her eyesight is not as sharp
as in former years. The sight failure plus an arthritic condition of the hands prevents her from doing the intricate needle work for which she was so capable during another period.
A slight illness developed in December that kept her away from religious services for a several week period, and that seems to be her only regret for the confinement.
Mr. Drake, a farmer-country store operator, died in the late 20s.
Although her choice of foods is almost unlimited, Mrs. Drake confessed that there are a few items which never appear on her menu. “Why eat it if it’s going to bring on nausea. Besides, each morsel of the ‘forbidden fruit’ breaks down resistance, and eventually will destroy. I haven’t lived all these years without learning some of the simple rules to better living.”
It’s impossible to compare 1880 Texas with the present, she says, beyond the fact that the changes have been enormous, including the cost of operating a big farm. “When we first acquired the acreage, our annual tax bill was less that $50. Today, the same land’s taxable outlay is close to $500.
“But I wouldn’t want to go back to those early days,” she said with a smile.
She has never applied for nor received federal or state government financial assistance, but jokingly added “if taxes get much higher, I might be forced to seek relief from some source or another.”
Meanwhile, the “queen of Enloe” continues to retire early and arises ahead of the sun. She refuses to shirk responsibility, seeks the reason for people’s faults rather than offer criticism. She measures her blessings by the number of her friends, and with the dawning of each new day. She reads her favorite Book daily, and is eagerly looking forward to her 100th birthday party.
“It’ll be a whopper,” she promises with ah kittenish wink.
[Died in 1963 at 100 years + 3 months]
MRS. MARY DRAKE TO CELEBRATE 100TH BIRTHDAY
Newspaper, 1963
Mrs. Mary Drake of the Enloe community will celebrate her 100th birthday August 30 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. S. W. Gist.
Mrs. Drake, affectionately known as Mammy Drake, was born in 1863 in Cumberland, Ky., but lived in the same house on her farm southeast of McKinney some 70 years. Her husband, the late W. G. Drake, passed away in 1927.
Mrs. Drake has five living children, Mrs. Gist, Charlie, Drake, Milton, Drake and Avery Drake, all of McKinney, and Felix Drake of Dallas. She had 17 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. She is a member of the Davis Street Church of Christ in McKinney.
Her physician, Dr. Glenn Mitchell of McKinney, is having a birthday cake baked especially for the occasion.
The Higgins Home Demonstration Club will be hosts for a birthday party at the Gist home on Route 5, McKinney, from 2 until 6 p.m. when all her friends and relatives are invited to call.
MARY JULIA DRAKE
Death Certificate
Place of Death: Collin County, Rt. 5, McKinney, J. P. #1
Length of Stay: 80 years
Name of Hospital or Institution: Route Five
Name of Deceased: Mary Julia Drake female, white, widowed
Usual Occupation: Domestic
Kind of Business or Industry: Domestic
Father’s Name: Milton Rutledge
Was deceased ever in U. S. Armed Forces: No
Social Security No.: None
Usual Residence: Collin County, Texas
City or Town: Route 5, McKinney
Street Address: Route 5
Is Residence on a Farm? Yes
Date of Death: November 19, 1963
Date of Birth: Aug. 30, 1863
Age: 100
Birthplace: Kentucky
Citizen of what Country? USA
Mother’s Maiden Name: Nancy Scott
Informant: Mrs. Walter Gist
Cause of Death: Immediate cause Myocardial infarction due to Coronary artery disease.
Interval between onset and claim: 24 hours
I hereby certify that I attended the deceased from Aug. 1963 to Nov. 19, 1963 and last saw the deceased on Nov. 19, 1963. Death occurred at 3:45 A.m. on the date stated above, and to the best of my knowledge, for the causes stated.
Signature
Glenn Mitchell M. D. McKinney, Texas
Date Signed: 12-9-63
Burial, Cremation, Removal: Burial
Date: Nov. 20, 1963
Name of Cemetery or Crematory: Wilson Chapel Cemetery
Location: Collin County, Texas
Funeral Director’s Signature: Earl Dawson, Crouch-Moore Funeral Home
Registrar’s File No.: 472 Date Rec’d by Local Registrar: 12-16-63 Don Weaver Davis
McKinney Examiner, March 5, 1959
(Editor’s note: The article below was submitted to us by a friend whom we have known for many years. The by line was with held by request. The story is one which will be of much interest to many of the residents of Southeast Collin and to members of the Drake family, one of the well known pioneer families of our community.)
A sensible eating regimen, proper rest, love of humanity, willingness to accept responsibility, patience and a sincere belief in a Supreme Being are the major keys to successful and happy living, according to McKinney’s near-centenarian.
Mrs. Mary Drake, who resides in the Enloe community a few miles southeast of McKinney where she has been mistress over the same home for three score and ten years, had that advice for a friend more than a quarter century ago, and although she readily admits that time has altered many things since, the basic principles of peaceful living has remained the same for untold eons.
At 95 and well on the way to marking the 96th anniversary of her birth at Burksville, Cumberland County, Ky., Aug. 30, 1863. Mrs. Drake has lived within walking distance of McKinney since her arrival in Texas in 1884.
The frail but vivacious Mary Julia Rutledge, together with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Rutledge, and two robust brothers and an equally healthy sister, detrained at the Collin County seat of government when the town’s square was a succession of chug holds and deep wagon ruts.
The thriving community boasted, among other niceties, free water from a well located a few feet north of where the present county courthouse stands where both man and beast slaked thirsts.
Aug. 23, 1885, one week before her 22nd birthday, Mary Rutledge exchanged wedding vows with W. G. Drake, son of Dr. A. M. Drake who, with his young French bride of a few weeks, had set sail from his native England for America several years ago, and had settled first in the birstling frontier town of Nashville, Tenn. in pre-Civil War days. The attractive mademoiselle was never able to master the English language nor to comprehend the ruddy, deer-skin clad pioneer of the area.
She died there a few years later, partly of a broken heart that was still yearning for the green fields around Rouen, leaving a husband and four children – three sons and a daughter, all of whom had arrived on the Texas frontier a few years ahead of the Rutledge family.
Two years after their wedding, Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Drake occupied their new, nine-room country home where their six children were born and reared. The same dwelling has been Mrs. Drake’s domicile all these years, and it appears to be showing its age more than its occupant who, despite her ripe age, continues with her household chores, including the preparation of her own meals, and also to exercise strict discipline over her children, all of whom are married and live away from the old home, and each can boast grandchildren of his own.
Only recently, Mrs. Drake boasted, in addition to her fiver remaining children, 16 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
In her earlier life, Mrs. Drake contends, she was looked upon as a “weakling,” and that in those days it was generally accepted that a person in her emaciated condition simply did not live out the normal life-expectancy. However, she is the only survivor of the original six Rutledges who arrived in Texas by train in the 80s. The two brothers, both of whom became doctors in later years, and the sister, each died relatively young.
Mrs. Ollie McMenamy, second died a few years ago. The others are Mrs. Walter Gist, Charles, Milton and Avery Drake, all of Enloe, and Felix Drake, Dallas.
The writer of this article claims a close propinquity to Mrs. Drake. It is not mentioned here in a vain effort to alleviate his own anonymity, but rather to support a contention that much of the information contained herein is the direct result of personal observation of the subject over a period of years, dating back to an era when the permanency of the horseless carriage was still in doubt.
Mrs. Drake’s warm but firm discipline is one of her many characteristics that still stand out today, and an example of that cropped out in a more recent period when a son of social security eligibility age level, sought several times to interrupt his mother’s conversation with a neighbor. The near-exasperated mother merely raised a hand, brought it down in an arc, leveled a pointed finger at the son and admonished with the equivalent of “be still or else.” A second warning was not necessary.
Mrs. Drake’s ability to remember names, dates, faces and places is remarkable. But even more astounding is her knowledge of the Bible. She can quote more scripture than many of the clergy, and her minister in the pulpit had better quote each passage verbatim. For one deviation and Mrs. Drake is likely to bring it to his attention following the services with a timely suggestion that he devote more time to his work.
Mrs. Drake was baptized in the Church of Christ faith in Kentucky, and has remained close to her beliefs throughout the years.
Her favorite Biblical writing stresses faith, hope and charity. It will be found in the 13th chapter of First Corinthians. Second best, the 23rd Psalm, often it’s whispered in bed and sometimes as a sleep inducer.
Recently when visited by a nephew she announced casually but did not complain of a slight impairment in her hearing. And also mentioned that her eyesight is not as sharp
as in former years. The sight failure plus an arthritic condition of the hands prevents her from doing the intricate needle work for which she was so capable during another period.
A slight illness developed in December that kept her away from religious services for a several week period, and that seems to be her only regret for the confinement.
Mr. Drake, a farmer-country store operator, died in the late 20s.
Although her choice of foods is almost unlimited, Mrs. Drake confessed that there are a few items which never appear on her menu. “Why eat it if it’s going to bring on nausea. Besides, each morsel of the ‘forbidden fruit’ breaks down resistance, and eventually will destroy. I haven’t lived all these years without learning some of the simple rules to better living.”
It’s impossible to compare 1880 Texas with the present, she says, beyond the fact that the changes have been enormous, including the cost of operating a big farm. “When we first acquired the acreage, our annual tax bill was less that $50. Today, the same land’s taxable outlay is close to $500.
“But I wouldn’t want to go back to those early days,” she said with a smile.
She has never applied for nor received federal or state government financial assistance, but jokingly added “if taxes get much higher, I might be forced to seek relief from some source or another.”
Meanwhile, the “queen of Enloe” continues to retire early and arises ahead of the sun. She refuses to shirk responsibility, seeks the reason for people’s faults rather than offer criticism. She measures her blessings by the number of her friends, and with the dawning of each new day. She reads her favorite Book daily, and is eagerly looking forward to her 100th birthday party.
“It’ll be a whopper,” she promises with ah kittenish wink.
[Died in 1963 at 100 years + 3 months]
MRS. MARY DRAKE TO CELEBRATE 100TH BIRTHDAY
Newspaper, 1963
Mrs. Mary Drake of the Enloe community will celebrate her 100th birthday August 30 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. S. W. Gist.
Mrs. Drake, affectionately known as Mammy Drake, was born in 1863 in Cumberland, Ky., but lived in the same house on her farm southeast of McKinney some 70 years. Her husband, the late W. G. Drake, passed away in 1927.
Mrs. Drake has five living children, Mrs. Gist, Charlie, Drake, Milton, Drake and Avery Drake, all of McKinney, and Felix Drake of Dallas. She had 17 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. She is a member of the Davis Street Church of Christ in McKinney.
Her physician, Dr. Glenn Mitchell of McKinney, is having a birthday cake baked especially for the occasion.
The Higgins Home Demonstration Club will be hosts for a birthday party at the Gist home on Route 5, McKinney, from 2 until 6 p.m. when all her friends and relatives are invited to call.
MARY JULIA DRAKE
Death Certificate
Place of Death: Collin County, Rt. 5, McKinney, J. P. #1
Length of Stay: 80 years
Name of Hospital or Institution: Route Five
Name of Deceased: Mary Julia Drake female, white, widowed
Usual Occupation: Domestic
Kind of Business or Industry: Domestic
Father’s Name: Milton Rutledge
Was deceased ever in U. S. Armed Forces: No
Social Security No.: None
Usual Residence: Collin County, Texas
City or Town: Route 5, McKinney
Street Address: Route 5
Is Residence on a Farm? Yes
Date of Death: November 19, 1963
Date of Birth: Aug. 30, 1863
Age: 100
Birthplace: Kentucky
Citizen of what Country? USA
Mother’s Maiden Name: Nancy Scott
Informant: Mrs. Walter Gist
Cause of Death: Immediate cause Myocardial infarction due to Coronary artery disease.
Interval between onset and claim: 24 hours
I hereby certify that I attended the deceased from Aug. 1963 to Nov. 19, 1963 and last saw the deceased on Nov. 19, 1963. Death occurred at 3:45 A.m. on the date stated above, and to the best of my knowledge, for the causes stated.
Signature
Glenn Mitchell M. D. McKinney, Texas
Date Signed: 12-9-63
Burial, Cremation, Removal: Burial
Date: Nov. 20, 1963
Name of Cemetery or Crematory: Wilson Chapel Cemetery
Location: Collin County, Texas
Funeral Director’s Signature: Earl Dawson, Crouch-Moore Funeral Home
Registrar’s File No.: 472 Date Rec’d by Local Registrar: 12-16-63 Don Weaver Davis
