Mrs. Rosamond Ward McGee

Mrs. Rosamond Ward McGee was the wife the Thomas C. McGee. She died on August 8, 1877, and she was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. In volume 4 of the Firelands Pioneer, her husband wrote a touching obituary, with tells us many details about the life of Rosamond McGee. A transcription is below.

Mrs. Rosamond Ward McGee

Sketch of her Life by Capt. T. C. McGee, of Sandusky, Ohio

Died, in Sandusky, August 8th, 1877, Mrs. Rosamond Ward McGee, wife of T. C. McGee, in the 61th year of her life. She was born  in Saratoga County, New York, on the 21st day of March, 1813, the second child of her parents, John and Rosamond Whitford Ward. Her mother died when the child was eight days old. She was taken to the home of her grandparents, John Ward, Sr. (This home was but five miles from the now famous battle fields of Saratoga. This same grandfather having been' a soldier and took a part on this well fought field.) Here in this humble but kindly home she remained until she was eleven. Her father having again married and removed to the village of Fort Ann, Washington County, Rosamond went to live with him. Here she grew up to young womanhood, having the usual school advantages of a New York state rural village, and when past her nineteenth birthday, a rambling Ohio lad who was visiting the adjoining town in which she was living, espied her red cheeks and raven hair, sat down and persuaded her to come to Ohio. (And this persuasion - succeeded in spite of the dreadful stories then rife about that always dangerous Lake Erie.) On the 25th of September, 1832, she was married and after a few weeks visit among friends at Saratoga, came to Schenectady, taking a fine new line boat, arrived at Buffalo on the seventh day. On coming in sight of the lake, all her former fears were so strongly revived that she had liked to have fainted, but as others did not seem to think there was any danger she gathered courage. We took the steam boat "Niagara," Capt. C. C. Stanard, and in two days were landed in Sandusky after a very fine, calm passage. In years afterward she went many voyages with her husband on sail vessels and often met some sharp gales, but she had learned that the Lord is to be trusted just as much on the waters as on the land. She resided at Sandusky continuously (with many pleasant visits to her old home) until her death, always fulfilling all the duties of wife, friend and neighbor. Some dark clouds passed over her domestic life, but the dark tints were none of her making. After weeks of illness she died as she had lived, a Christian; leaving a mourning husband and friends.