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Friday, December 2, 1921
IN MEMORIAM
MRS. ELIZA WEVER
On Wednesday the
twenty-third of November, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. A. Lee, the
spirit of Mrs. Eliza Wever one of the oldest settlers of this section, answered
the final summons and entered upon its eternal rest after having passed
eighty-four milestones upon life's journey.
She was a native of Georgia, was
born near Augusta in 1837. At the age of eight she came to Florida with her
father, William Caruthers, who settled near Wildwood which at that time was
practically a wilderness and hostilities between the whites and Indians were of
frequent occurrence. And in order to provide a safe place for the women and
children a temporary fort and stockade were built upon the present site of
Wildwood and here all the white women and children of the settlement, including
the family of Mr. Caruthers, were gathered and spent six months in daily fear of
an attack from the Seminole Indians.
In 1856 she was married to John Calvin
Lee who was the founder of Leesburg, and also the man who man who named Lone Oak
Cemetery where rest so many of the old pioneer settlers. Their early married
life was spent in Adamsville where Mr. Lee was prominent in public affairs. They
moved to this community in 1863 and established a home three miles northwest of
Leesburg, building up a remunerative orange grove. Mr. Lee and his brother built
the first store and opened up the first mercantile business of Leesburg and he
continued in this business until the time of his death in 1878.
To this
marriage six children were born, three sons and three daughters. The sons died
in infancy, the three daughters still live to rise up and call her blessed. They
are Mrs. Carrie Bradford of Los Angeles, Cal., Mrs. James A. Lee and Mrs. Geo.
Winter of Leesburg. She also leaves seven grandchildren and seven great
grandchildren, two half-brothers, H. L. Caruthers of Anthony and D. C. Caruthers
of Wildwood; and one sister, Mrs. McNeal of Ft. Myers.
Mr. Lee died in 1878.
After three years of widowhood she was married to Judge P. B. Wever of Georgia
and for a quarter of a century this home was the mecca for both young and old of
the community.
When the infirmities of old age began to encroach upon them,
at the loving insistence of Mr. and Mrs. James Lee, Mrs. Wever's daughter, this
aged couple removed from their farm to Leesburg and for twelve years were cared
for in the home of this devoted daughter and her husband with a tender
solicitude almost unparalelled. Judge Wever passed away in 1915 and since that
time she has been an invalid, practically helpless, her declining years soothed
and brightened by the loving ministrations of her daughter.
It is to be
regretted, that the full [note: rest of article missing]
PICKENS BUTLER WEVER of Leesburg, was born
March 23, 1828, Edgefield County, South Carolina and died August 14, 1915.
Pickens married first in South Carolina, about 1848, to Mary Catherine Towles,
born about 1831 in South Carolina. They moved to Georgia in mid-1850's and she
died before 1870 in Emanuel County, Georgia. He came to Florida December 1,
1881, and married December 1, 1881 Sumter County, Florida, Elizabeth Ann “Eliza”
Carouthers Lee who was born November 1837, near Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, came
to Florida in December 1850, and died November 23, 1921, Leesburg. She was the
widow of John Calvin Lee. They are buried Lone Oak Cemetery, Leesburg. Pickens
served as a Private in Company A, 5th Regiment, Georgia Militia, enlisted
Chatham County. (FCPA #A04190, 24 Aug 1902, Montclair)
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