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Note: (Mary Queal Byers) Alpha Seaward was born in her father's tavern, and in her girlhood days was accustomed to meet people from different parts of the world, as her father's house was a favorite stopping place. As she grew older, she was fearless and strong, which served her well in her undetakings in life. When quite a young girl, a peddler who was stopping for the night at her father's house, heard some of the other guests laughing at Alpha because of some feat she had performed, and asked her what she could do, to which she answered that she could do anyhting she undertook. Lying in the back yard was a good sized log, which he bantered her to chop in two. Replying that she thought she could, he told her that if she completed the task before breakfast the next morning, he would present her with a pair of slippers. About sunrise the ring of an axe was heard, and before breakfast, Alpha had finished her task. She received the slippers amid shouts of laughter, and that night she danced in them until their soles were worn off, feeling that she had not been overpaid for the work of the morning. She and her husband moved to Ohio two years after their marriage, living there until 1855, when they moved to Lucas County, Iowa. At that time Ohio was a wilderness, while Iowa comprised part of the vast region known as the great northwest. Alpha Seaward Arnold was of that splendid Puritan ancestry who were pioneers, not only in the early settlement of the country, but the advance guard in that mighty column of civilization which has converted the then unknown West into a magnificent galaxy of free states. Her life embraced nearly the entire history of the Republic. She witnessed the most wonderful and rapid development of wealth, science, art, and mechanical invention. She lived to see the greatest war of modern times, and sent her sons forth to battle in the mighty conflict for freedom. Through all the vicisitudes of the passing years, she lived a quiet, exemplary life. After the death of her husband in 1880, she made her home with her two sons - Edward, ho lived on a farm, and Stephen, who resided in Chariton, Iowa, where she died October 5, 1891, being in her ninety-fifth year of her age. She retained her mental faculties until the end, and greatly enjoyed living over with friends, the events of a long and useful life. [Arnold.FTW] [Seaward.FTW] (Mary Queal Byers) Alpha Seaward was born in her father's tavern, and in her girlhood days was accustomed to meet people from different parts of the world, as her father's house was a favorite stopping place. As she grew older, she was fearless and strong, which served her well in her undetakings in life. When quite a young girl, a peddler who was stopping for the night at her father's house, heard some of the other guests laughing at Alpha because of some feat she had performed, and asked her what she could do, to which she answered that she could do anyhting she undertook. Lying in the back yard was a good sized log, which he bantered her to chop in two. Replying that she thought she could, he told her that if she completed the task before breakfast the next morning, he would present her with a pair of slippers. About sunrise the ring of an axe was heard, and before breakfast, Alpha had finished her task. She received the slippers amid shouts of laughter, and that night she danced in them until their soles were worn off, feeling that she had not been overpaid for the work of the morning. She and her husband moved to Ohio two years after their marriage, living there until 1855, when they moved to Lucas County, Iowa. At that time Ohio was a wilderness, while Iowa comprised part of the vast region known as the great northwest. Alpha Seaward Arnold was of that splendid Puritan ancestry who were pioneers, not only in the early settlement of the country, but the advance guard in that mighty column of civilization which has converted the then unknown West into a magnificent galaxy of free states. Her life embraced nearly the entire history of the Republic. She witnessed the most wonderful and rapid development of wealth, science, art, and mechanical invention. She lived to see the greatest war of modern times, and sent her sons forth to battle in the mighty conflict for freedom. Through all the vicisitudes of the passing years, she lived a quiet, exemplary life. After the death of her husband in 1880, she made her home with her two sons - Edward, ho lived on a farm, and Stephen, who resided in Chariton, Iowa, where she died October 5, 1891, being in her ninety-fifth year of her age. She retained her mental faculties until the end, and greatly enjoyed living over with friends, the events of a long and useful life. [Arnold.FTW] [Seaward.FTW] (Mary Queal Byers) Alpha Seaward was born in her father's tavern, and in her girlhood days was accustomed to meet people from different parts of the world, as her father's house was a favorite stopping place. As she grew older, she was fearless and strong, which served her well in her undetakings in life. When quite a young girl, a peddler who was stopping for the night at her father's house, heard some of the other guests laughing at Alpha because of some feat she had performed, and asked her what she could do, to which she answered that she could do anyhting she undertook. Lying in the back yard was a good sized log, which he bantered her to chop in two. Replying that she thought she could, he told her that if she completed the task before breakfast the next morning, he would present her with a pair of slippers. About sunrise the ring of an axe was heard, and before breakfast, Alpha had finished her task. She received the slippers amid shouts of laughter, and that night she danced in them until their soles were worn off, feeling that she had not been overpaid for the work of the morning. She and her husband moved to Ohio two years after their marriage, living there until 1855, when they moved to Lucas County, Iowa. At that time Ohio was a wilderness, while Iowa comprised part of the vast region known as the great northwest. Alpha Seaward Arnold was of that splendid Puritan ancestry who were pioneers, not only in the early settlement of the country, but the advance guard in that mighty column of civilization which has converted the then unknown West into a magnificent galaxy of free states. Her life embraced nearly the entire history of the Republic. She witnessed the most wonderful and rapid development of wealth, science, art, and mechanical invention. She lived to see the greatest war of modern times, and sent her sons forth to battle in the mighty conflict for freedom. Through all the vicisitudes of the passing years, she lived a quiet, exemplary life. After the death of her husband in 1880, she made her home with her two sons - Edward, ho lived on a farm, and Stephen, who resided in Chariton, Iowa, where she died October 5, 1891, being in her ninety-fifth year of her age. She retained her mental faculties until the end, and greatly enjoyed living over with friends, the events of a long and useful life.
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