Celebrating the 153rd birthday of great-grandma Clara Eva Jarvis McNeil

My great-grandmother Clara Eva Jarvis McNeil was born on April 6, 1873 in Wilkes County, NC.

Eva had very long hair, as shown in the photograph below. According to her granddaughter, Carrie Snyder Disher, she had curly red/auburn hair, sky blue eyes, and a few freckles. Another granddaughter, Pam McNeil, said "When she was young she had beautiful long red hair. When she was 16 she decided she wanted to have her picture made, so she dressed up and walked into North Wilkesboro (6-7 Miles) to have her photograph done!" Lots of family members have a copy of that photo, shown here:

Clara Eva Jarvis approx. 1889

Beloved by her eight children and many grandchildren, Eva had a wonderful sense of humor and was an excellent rifle shot. She shot rabbits and squirrels, and warded off chicken thieves. She once shot at corn thieves, and they ran off!

Carrie wrote that Eva “was kind to everybody. She kept a lot of travelers [gypsy-like grifters or itinerant workers] but never let them leave until she asked if they were Christian. She always gave them a formula to get on God’s Highway and go on to Heaven. She never refused anyone a good meal, but seldom got a penny in return.”

Eva's granddaughter Dorothy Snyder Myers shared her memories of Eva. Eva only had two pictures on her wall: Jesus and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She took them with her whenever she stayed overnight at a relative’s house. She was a staunch Democrat. She hated Abraham Lincoln, probably because his army wounded and imprisoned her father. She called Abe a "dirty old man." Having lived through the Depression, she thought very highly of FDR. 

According to Dorothy, Eva was an avid needlewoman. She knitted, crocheted, sewed, and tatted. She made double-sided shawls for each of her daughters; one side was black and the other was a bright color such as rose. She crocheted enough yarn bookmarks (in the shape of a cross, in different colors) to raise $200 for charity. At 10 cents each, that's 2,000 bookmarks!

Crochet cross bookmark similar to ones Eva made

Sources:

• Birthdate is on her tombstone and is consistent with the 1880 census (she was 7).
• Conversations with Eva's grandchildren, Carrie Snyder Disher, George Paul "Red" Snyder, Dorothy Snyder Myers, and Pam McNeil.