Nancy McKay
Harsh
on her 100th birthday
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The National Society of the
Daughters of the American Revolution
(NSDAR or DAR) is a non-profit,
non-political, patriotic women's
service organization. Our chapter,
the Nancy McKay Harsh Chapter,
NSDAR, is named after Nancy McKay
Harsh. She was born on June 14,
1810, in Mercer County,
Pennsylvania. Her father was William
McKay, who was a soldier of the
American Revolutionary War. Nancy’s
maternal lineage is traced back to
northern Ireland; her father’s
ancestors were among the James River
settlers.
In 1833, Nancy married Daniel Harsh,
a Pennsylvania Dutchman. Shortly
after the marriage, they became
pioneers, and almost frontiersmen,
as they moved to Clinton County,
Ohio. They settled in the thickest
of forests and commenced the long,
hard task of clearing the land for
cultivation. Nancy took an active
part in field work by doing the work
of a man. She had grown up in a life
of luxury and this was a new change
in her life style.
After years of hard toil, they
cleared 100 acres of land. Daniel
decided to sell his possessions, and
they planned to move further west to
Illinois. As the arrangements to
move were almost completed, Daniel
unexpectedly died. His passing left
Nancy with six young children and
another on the way. The oldest child
was 13 years old. Nancy gathered up
their belongings and, with the
children, drove a covered wagon to
the fertile land of Illinois. There,
she purchased 80 acres which
eventually grew to 360.
After several years she again moved
westward with two sons and the
daughter born after her husband’s
death. Nancy settled in Union
County, Iowa, in 1861. |
When she married Daniel
Harsh, she followed her mother's style of
dress, by wearing a white bonnet at all
times. After her husband died, she changed
the color of her bonnet to black. There
were always two bonnets – one for every
day and one for Sunday or special
occasions. Her cap was one of her
distinctive trademarks. To some of her
family and friends, it seemed to be simply
her personality.
A birthday party was held on her 100th
birthday at the home of her son, Senator
J. B. Harsh. It was attended by many
friends, as well as the four of her seven
children who were still living. Four
generations of her family were present.
Nancy McKay Harsh died in the home of her
daughter, Mary Donlin, on August 7, 1912.
Nancy is buried at Graceland Cemetery,
Creston, Iowa. Her grave was marked in
1928 by the Nancy McKay Harsh Chapter,
NSDAR. Florence Babbitt donated the
marker. Her daughter married Nancy McKay
Harsh's grandson.
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