Attended 1869

Birth: 11 Aug 1854, Lexington, Davidson County, North Carolina
Death: 15 Feb 1945, Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina

Parents:
Peter Franklin Owen (1825-1855)
Mary Ann “Lunda” Shuman Crawford (1830-1929)

Sibling: Susan A. Owen Willis (1850-1912)

Half-Siblings:
Nannie Mull Crawford Welborn (1865-1950)
Daisie Crawford (1867-1874)
John Robert Crawford (1871-1950)

Spouse: Thomas Maxwell Kern (1852-1907
Marriage: 5 Jun 1873, Rowan County, North Carolina

Children:
Fannie Daisie Kern (1874-1876)
Grace May Kern Anderson (1879-1899)
Pearl M. Kern Carlton (1880-1954)
Beula M. Kern Carlton (1885-1951)

Burial: Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina
Source: www.findagrave.com, #41501568

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Carolina Watchman (Salisbury, NC), 12 Jun 1873, p. 2.

MARRIED

June 5th, by Rev. A. D. L. Moser, Mr. Thos. Kerns, and Miss Dora M. Owen, all of Salisbury, N. C.

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The Salisbury Post (Salisbury, NC), 16 Feb 1945, p. 8.

Death Claims Mrs. T. M. Kern

Mrs. Thomas Maxwell Kern died at her home, 402 North Main street, at 5:30 p. m. Thursday after an illness of many months.

Alert, cheerful and uncomplaining to the last, Mrs. Kern, one of Salisbury’s most beloved older residents, had been confined to her home since suffering a broken hip in a fall a year and a half ago. She had been confined to her bed for the past few months.

Her death took from Salisbury and the county one of its most gracious personalities and a woman who in her time had been one of the strongest influences for the common good. Her charities were well known over many years, as was also her beauty of mind and person in youth and also in age.

She was a devoted mother and grandmother, and steadfastly loyal also to the many friendships built up and maintained over the years. Her keen and penetrating mind with deep kindliness of spirit gave her an understanding which enriched all her relationships with others.

She was the former Meetta Owen, only child of Peter Franklin and Mary A. L. Shuman Owen. Her father was one of the largest landowners of the Jersey section of Davie county, where his daughter was born in August, 1853.

He died when she was seven months old, and her mother returned with her to live with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Schuman, near Salisbury. After her mother’s marriage to Thomas M. Crawford, they moved to Salisbury and lived at 314 North Main street. The young Meetta attended Miss Wilkinson’s and Miss Betty Wrenn’s private schools here, graduated from Mt. Amoena seminary at Mt. Pleasant, and shortly after married Thomas Maxwell Kern, one of Rowan county’s most influential citizens and political officeholders.

They lived for a short time at the old Kern homelace, “The Brick House” in the Trading Ford section, then built a home six miles from Salisbury on the Long’s Ferry road which soon became known as a center of true southern hospitality.

They built the residence at 402 North Main street and moved to it in 1904. After her husband’s death in 1907 Mrs. Kern continued to make her home here with her daughter, Mrs. John Carlton, and grandson, Kern Carlton.

She remained a member of the church of her childhood, Union Lutheran church in the county, but attended and contributed to St. John’s Lutheran church during her later life. She was interested in all branches of the church work and active in it as long as her health permitted.

Funeral services will be held from the home at 4 p. m. Saturday, conducted by Rev. B. E. Petrea of Union Lutheran church, assisted by Dr. P. D. Brown of St. John’s. Burial will be in the family plot at Chestnut Hill cemetery, beside her husband and two daughters, Fanny Daisy, who died in infancy, and Gracie (Mrs. W. G. Anderson), who died some years ago.

Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. John Carlton of the home and Mrs. Pritchard Carlton of North Fulton street; three grandchildren, T. Kern Carlton, Salisbury attorney; Lieut. Pritchard Carlton, Jr., stationed at Portland, Ore., and Ensign Graham Maxwell Carlton, on duty now in the Southwest Pacific.

Three great grandchildren also survive, Meetta Virginia, Tommy, Jr., and Martha Sue Carlton; a half sister, Mrs. Doak Welborn, of Trinity, and a half brother, John R. Crawford, of 310 North Main street.

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Receipts for attendance at Mont Amoena, July-December 1869. From the estate file of Peter Owen, father of Dora Meeta Owen. Her maternal grandfather, John Shuman, served as guardian. Received by G. D. Bernheim and L. A. Bickle. Estate Records: Rowan. Probate Estate Case Files 1663–1978, FamilySearch.org.