EARLY ROUTONS
IN MEMORY OF
MRS. M. C. ROUTON
From
The Routons of Paris and Henry County, Tennessee
by Stephanie Routon Tayloe
(Transcribed from newspaper articles found on microfilm,
the Paris paper, October 13, 1920 issue)
Mrs. Mary Catherine Routon, daughter of William Henry Haymes and Mary Frances (Walters) Haymes was born near Danville, Virginia, December 20, 1834, and about 1840 came with her parents and several families of relatives to Henry County, Tennessee, where she lived until her death, October 13, 1920, at Routon, excepting that while teaching from her 17th to 23rd years she taught a part of that time in Middle Tennessee.
She was married in 1859 to Stephen Palmer Routon, an upright and most excellent young farmer then living on the homestead where she died, and where he also died many years ago.
Energetic, progressive, and prosperous, the future promised much for this beautifully mated pair. To this union were born four sons and one daughter, Quincy Everett, Horace Mortimer, Mary Gertrude, Joseph
Senter, and Stephen James, but the young husband died, leaving his wife and little ones to fight the battles of life alone. Bravely she assumed the part of both father and mother, directing the affairs of her family and her estate with rare wisdom and success.
Probably no family of children ever more completely reverenced their
mother or so implicitly trusted and followed her directing hand as did the family of this Godly woman. This confidence and trust in her ability to advise them was not in the least abated when they arrived at man’s estate and were heads of their own families. And this confidence in her ability and sagacity was not confined to her household alone.
Her friends and neighbors also came to her for advice and sympathy and no one was too little, or too poor, or too insignificant to merit her heartfelt sympathy and help.
That “this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she
did,” may be as truly said of her as of Tabitha of old, for her life was a life of service to all when her outstretched hand could touch...
Unassuming, uniformly good tempered, kind, obliging, industrious, frugal but charitable, she ruled her household and from her life radiated a light and an influence that can never die while those who know and love live, nay, after those too have passed into the Great Beyond, she will still be known for the fragrance of such a life as hers is so distilled that it can never die. Above all, her rare qualities of heart and mind was her strong and constant love and devotion to her children and their implicit confidence, reverence, obedience and devotion to her.
She kept God’s precepts and laws and health and happiness and length of days were added to her three score and ten until she reached the age of nearly eighty-six. She lived to see the fruits of much of her labors. The last four or five years of her life the hands of affliction bore heavily upon her, all of which she endured with wonderful sweetness, patience and Christian courage.
Her children cared for her like a rare and tender plant and allowed nothing but sunshine and cheerfulness to enter her sick chamber.
Never was a mother more fondly cherished and cared for.
Beautiful indeed was the devotion of sons and daughter, and the one
living brother, J. A. Haymes and sister, Mrs. Leannah Greer, nieces and nephews and the eleven grand children, who with one great-grand-child survive her. It seemed as though God lengthened out the declining days to soften the pangs of the last parting. At last, feeling that she could linger but a short while she said to her son, “Well Horace, I reckon we must give up.” “Give up what, mother?” “Give up life,” she answered.
So on that mild October afternoon she passed out into the hereafter. God’s finger touched her and she slept. She has passed beyond the
river where life’s sorrows end, to meet with those gone before, to mingle with her celestial friends.
She has but reached the goal of all mortality; the greatest event of her
life has occurred; her existence has passed into immortality. She has reached the highest plane of living – “the tableland of God.”
Why should we mourn or lament?
“There is no death; the stars go down,
To rise upon some fairer shore;
And bright in Heaven’s jeweled crown,
They shine forever more.”
One who fondly loved her,
Annette Routon Watters
Jackson, Tennessee
MRS. ROUTON DEAD
(MARY CATHERINE HAYMES ROUTON)
From The Routons of Paris and Henry County, Tennessee
by Stephanie Routon Tayloe
On Wednesday of last week, the venerable life of Mrs. Catherine Routon, widow of Stephen P. Routon, who died in 1874,
was ended at the family residence of her son, Q. E. Routon at Routon.
She was 85 years of age when the summons came, and was the
daughter of Wm. H. and Mary Frances Haymes, with whom she emigrated to Tennessee when a little girl.
As a Christian woman, she had wielded a wonderful influence for good in her community, and was a leading member of the Spring Hill
Baptist Church.
She is survived by four sons, Q. E., H. M., Joe, and S. J. Routon,
and one daughter, Miss Gertrude Routon.
Also six grandsons and three granddaughters.
The remains were interred in the Spring Hill burying ground after
services by her pastor, Rev. D. T. Spaulding.
In early life she had been a successful school teacher.
She was a great reader and until recently she had kept abreast of the
times despite her advanced age.
She possessed a charitable disposition, she was cultured and refined and
coupled with these splendid traits also was deeply religious,
all of which, woven into the very fiber of her being, made her one of God’s noblewomen who made others better and brighter by having passed this way.
OBITUARY OF MARY CATHERINE HAYMES ROUTON
From The Routons of Paris and Henry County, Tennessee
by Stephanie Routon Tayloe
On October 13, 1920, the life of Mary Catherine Haymes Routon came to a close at her home in Routon.
Born December 20, 1834 near Danville, Virginia she was the daughter of
William Haymes, Jr. and Mary Frances Walters. They came to Tennessee with other families and relatives in 1840. She
spent most of her life in West Tennessee with the exception of two years in Middle Tennessee. She was married to Stephen P. Routon. Into this
union five children were born: Q. E. Routon, Horace Routon, Gertrude Routon, Joseph Routon, and Stephen James Routon.
She was unassuming, uniformly good tempered, kind, obliging, industrious, frugal but charitable. She ruled her household and from her life radiated a light and an influence that can never die while those who know and love; nay, after these too have passed into the
Great Beyond she will still live on, for the fragrance of such a life,
here is so distilled that it can never die. Above all, her rare qualities of heart and mind was her strong and constant love and devotion to her children and their implicit confidence, reverence, obedience, and devotion to her.
The gathering at Springhill Church, where she had been a Sunday School teacher was one of the largest in the church history,
such was her life. She took in widows and orphans.
Her door and heart was always open. She leaves one sister, Mrs. William Greer and one brother, James A. Haymes.
HORACE MORTIMER ROUTON
(SON OF STEPHEN PALMER ROUTON AND
MARY CATHERINE HAYMES ROUTON)
BORN: JANUARY, 1862
DIED: 1936
BURIED: BEVILL CEMETERY
(From newspaper article)
HORACE ROUTON DIES
SUDDENLY – EARLY TODAY
FUNERAL SERVICES FOR PROMINENT FARMER
AT 2 P.M. SATURDAY
Horace Routon, 74, died suddenly at his home near Routon this morning at 6 o’clock. His death was attributed to a heart ailment.
Mr. Routon had been in failing health for some time,
but his condition was not thought to have been critical.
He was stricken today a short time after he had arisen.
Horace Mortimer Routon was the son of Stephen P. and Mary C. Routon and was a native of this county. He farmed for a living during his entire lifetime and was a friend to all those who knew him. A member of the Spring Hill Baptist Church, Mr. Routon never married.
His sister, Miss Gertie Routon, and an uncle, James A. Haymes, one of the few remaining Civil War Veterans in this county,
live at his home near Routon.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the residence, with Rev. D. T. Spaulding officiating.
Interment will be in Bevill Cemetery.
Surviving are one sister, Miss Gertie Routon; two brothers, S. J. Routon
of Paris, and Q. E. Routon, postmaster at Routon; nine nephews, Earl and Ralph Routon of Paris; Everett Routon and Elbert Routon of Routon; Billy, James and Joe Routon of Paris; Ed Routon of Salisbury, Maryland; Fuqua Routon of Miami, Fla.; three nieces, Miss Vera Routon of Routon; Miss Helen Routon, school teacher at Corbin, KY., and Mrs. Ray B. Burton of Knoxville.