San
Joaquin County
Biographies
MRS. ELIZA J. HUNTER
It is interesting to chronicle the
life history of the pioneer women who in their prime entered the wilderness,
braving the perils of savage beast and who endured the hardship and privation incident
to the conquering of the virgin soil they claimed as their heritage. Such a worthy character is found in the story
of the life of the late Mrs. Eliza J. Hunter, who was born in County Down,
Ireland, August 31, 1839.
She was reared at the country home
of her parents in Ireland, her education being obtained in the local schools of
her native land. Her father, Joseph
Magill, was also born in County Down, Ireland, and his father, Thomas Magill,
was born in Scotland; he, in turn, was a son of Lord Magill of Scotland, who
fought for the freedom of Scotland, and during the reign of Cromwell left his
native heath with his family for Ireland, settling in County Down, where he
could have religious freedom. Thomas Magill
was a farmer in Ireland and a very ardent Presbyterian, observing very strictly
the discipline of the church, and insisting on each member of the family
observing the Sabbath Day. This same
religious zealousness was adhered to by his son, Joseph, and his
descendants. Mrs. Hunter’s mother was
Jennie Mateer, also born in County Down of Scotch
parentage.
In 1866 Eliza J. Magill came to
America with her sister and bother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. John Douglass, and in
1868 she arrived in San Francisco. Miss
Magill had two cousins, Mrs. Johnston and Mr. McKee at San Andreas, Calaveras
County, and to their respective home she went to visit.
On June 8, 1868, at Murphy’s, she
was married to Anthony Hunter, with whom she passed a happy married life of
almost twenty-three years. Immediately
after her marriage she took up her residence and duties on the frontier farm of
her husband; here she aided him in his ambition, and they became very
successful, accumulating a large acreage.
Their only daughter, Jennie Mateer Hunter, was
the pride and light of their home, and after the father’s death the two lived
together and managed the large affairs bequeathed them by Mr. Hunter, and were
inseparable in their companionship.
Mrs. Hunter lived twenty-four years
and seven months after her husband’s passing away, retaining her faculties
unimpaired until her death, September 14, 1915.
A woman highly honored and beloved, she was a devout member of the First
Presbyterian Church of Stockton; by her simple, earnest, and Christian life she
left an influence for good in the community and was indeed a great benefactor.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
442. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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