Ira and Luroncy (Silbey) Grandy - An Interesting Bit of History

Several years ago, the author happened to be in St. Charles, Illinois and I stopped at the DuPage County Historical Society.  St. Charles is both in Kane and DuPage Counties and is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois.  I used to pass through it when I made trips between Green Bay, Wisconsin and Lafayette, Indiana.   They had a very nice museum and their historical library catalogue was on-line.    I decided to try and find if they had anything about Ira and Luroncy Grandy and was surprised to find this article:

"Passing in Review: Reminiscences of Men Who Have Lived in St. Charles." 

Durant, Pliny A.St. Charles Chronicle, June 26, 1903, p. 1.

"In a humble frame house on the western outskirts of St. Charles, opposite the southwest corner of the old school house "green", there lived for many years Ira Grandy and his wife, also their children until the latter had grown up, married and gone away. The place was unpretentious and the family never possessed a great amount of worldly goods, but the inhabitants of the old home were rugged, hardworking, kindly hearted people, who were among the best known of all the residents of the town.

Ira Grandy was born in Waitsfield, Washington County, Vermont, in 1801, (actually January 23, 1802) and about 1824 married Luroncy Sibley, daughter of John Sibley, a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who had located in St. Charles, Missouri in 1840 and who died here December 26, 1853. Mr. Sibley built the stone house, now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lafayette Strader.

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Grandy removed [from Vermont] to Genessee County, New York, and in October, 1853, came west to St. Charles. For some years they lived on a farm in Wayne, DuPage County, but most of their time was passed in St. Charles. They had many friends and there was no more hospitable home than theirs. Mr. Grandy, for the last twenty-five years of his life, was almost totally blind and it fell to the lot of his almost equally aged wife to care for him, a task which she dutifully and nobly performed.

Mrs. Grandy was a small, slight woman, but possessed of wonderful vigor, and no matter what the condition of the weather, her familiar form could be seen going on necessary errands, even up to the day before her death. She never forgot her old friends, and in her homely way was a benefactress to the community in no small degree.

She was noted for her knowledge of the curative properties of many roots and herbs and her salves and liniments were almost considered household necessities in many homes.

She was the mother of nine children, five of whom survived her. One of their daughters, Elizabeth married Frederick Parker an early resident of St. Charles, who during the  [Civil] war enlisted in a New York regiment and was mortally wounded in the Battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862. His remains were brought to St. Charles for burial and rest in North Cemetery.

Another daughter, Kate, married Jessie Curran, who was a member of Company E., 127th Illinois Infantry, and was also killed at Vicksburg, May 19, 1863. Both these men had been worthy citizens and were brave soldiers, whose memory lingers fondly with those who knew them.

Mrs. Grandy'sGrandy was for many years a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the funeral services for she and her husband were conducted there by Rev. William Craven, paster.

Both the old people had peculiarities, and there were people who looked upon them with considerable disdain, because of the fact; but I am sure that in spite of her grotesque ways, no warmer heart ever beat than that which for eighty years throbbed in the bosom of "Mother" Grandy."

I sure hit the mother load when I found that article, and I knew none of the information prior to reading it.    The knowledge of herbal medicines is usually something that is passed down from mother to eldest daughter or from grandmother to eldest granddaughter.   I have not found any reference to Luroncy Louisa (Silbey) Grandy's mother or grandmother but I will continue looking.   One never knows.

Happy Trails!