Elizabeth Belk
1820-1907
Born: Yorkshire, England
Died: Liberty Prairie, Madison, Illinois
<p align="center"><strong>From the Edwardsville (IL) Intelligencer</strong></p><p><strong>Thursday, October 31, 1976, p.3 -- Liberty Prairie Presbyterian -- Little White Church is 100. Includes 2 pictures (the Rose window) with caption "Rose window has 'JRN' monogram commemorating John Russell Newman, who donated land" and picture of the church captioned "The Liberty Prairie Presbyterian Church will celebrate 100 years today"</strong></p><p>Centennial services for the historic Liberty Prairie Presbyterian Church will be held Sunday in conjunction with the annual fall meeting of the Madison County Historical Society. The little white frame "country church" with a genuine functioning bell tower, has stood since 1874 at Liberty Prairie, on Illinois 159 just south of Illinois 140.</p><p>The centennial ceremonies will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the church. The church doors will open at 1 p.m. Music will be provided starting at 2 p.m. by organist Mrs. Julia M. Attig Bradley of Edwardsville. Presiding over the ceremonies will be the Rev. Andrew McMullen, moderator of the church and pastor of the Zion Presbyterian Church, Fosterburg, and Salem Presbyterian Church, rural Alton.</p><p>The featured speaker will be Donald F. Lewis of Bethalto, past president of the Illinois State Historical Society and an instructor of Illinois history at Lewis and Clark Community College, Godfrey. Lewis' topic will be "Highlights of the Church's History"</p><p>The church started with the Omphghent Society, organized on April 15, 1848 in the Omphghent School house by the Reverends J.M. Bone and L.K. Hedges. During the 15 years of the Rev. William Turner's ministry from 1865 to 1881, the "new house of worship" was built on an acre of land deeded May 2, 1874 by<strong> John Russell Newmman</strong>, a deacon of the church, and <strong>Elizabeth</strong> <strong>Newman</strong>. The land was given to "the trustees of the Omphghent Congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church".</p><p>A small rose window behind the altar of the church commemorates Newman's gift. It is in gold, green, purple, blue, red and yellow glass, with the monogram JRN in the center.</p><p>In 1883 a minister was called to do pastoral work half time for what was known as the Liberty Prairie Society of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He spent the other half of his time at the rural Columbia Presbyterian Church at nearby Fruit Station. Land for that church had been donated in 1871 by <strong>John F. Sloan</strong>.</p><p>When the Columbia church disbanded about the turn of the century, the Vandalia Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church ordered the transfer of Columbia's membership to Liberty Prairie. Over the years various joint arrangements have been made for ministers to serve part time at Liberty Prairie and part time at various area churches.</p><p>In 1933 the Rev. C.L. Attig, pastor of the Edwardsville Presbyterian Church, was appointed moderator at Liberty Prairie. He served until 1945. Today the church is served by the Rev. Mr. McMullen, who conducts evening services there on the first Sundays of the month. The building is also used by members of the Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church. Since 1972 they have held morning services on the second and fourth Sunday.</p><p>The church basement has been used off and on as a community meeting room since its improvement in 1933. The room has served in the past as the polling place for Fort Russell Township Precinct No. 1 and as meeting place for the Liberty Prairie Women's Club.</p><p>The public is invited to Sunday's centennial celebration sponsored by church members and by the county historical society, Land of Goshen Historical Society of Edwardsville, Alton Area Historical Society and Liberty Prairie Women's Club. Women's club members will serve refreshments at the end of the program.</p><p>The Centennial Steering Committee consists of the Rev. Mr. McMullen; Mrs. V.H. Mindrup, county society president; Mrs. Estelle Hanser and Francis Bark, president and immediate past president of the Lnd of Goshen society, and co-chairmen Mrs. Willard Flagg and <strong>Elsie J. Sloan</strong> of the Liberty Prairie congregation. Other church members assisting are Willard Flagg, Bertha E. Kayser, Howard Morrison, Mrs. Louise Morrison and <strong>Jennie L. Sloan</strong>.</p>
<p align="center"><strong>From the Edwardsville (IL) Intelligencer </strong></p><p><strong>Tuesday, April 2, 1895</strong> <strong>-- John R. Newman Lived 76 Years in Ft Russell<br></strong><br>John Russell Newman died at his home at Liberty Prairie Sunday morning at 12:15 o'clock after an illness of several weeks. The funeral took place from the Liberty Prairie Cumberland Presbyterian church Monday afternoon at two o'clock. It was one of the most largely attended witnessed in that section. The pall bearers were D.C. Scheer, J D Hutchins, J W Bratten, Wm Galt, Con. Arbuthnot and Andrew Patterson. </p><p>Mr. Newman was 76 years, 5 months and 12 days old. He was born in Ft Russell Township October 19, 1818, and has lived within its border since. He received his education by attending the subscription schools conducted in the winter seasons of those early days. When he was 17 years of age he started in life for himself, working by the month. He soon after rented a farm. He acquired at an early age a comfortable home with beautiful surroundings. </p><p>He was married to Miss Elizabeth Belk December 24, 1843, of Omphghent township. Mr. Newman has been living in a retired life for some time. He was a thorough christian, an earnest member of the Liberty Prairie church. In politics he was a pronounced Democrat. He has many positions of trust, among them supervisor and a highway commissioner. Recently he accepted the position as postmaster in order to re-establish the Liberty Prairie mail service. He was faithful in all conditions of life to himself and to all others and was honored by all who knew him. Tuesday, November 8, 1938, pp.1&2, c.6 LIBERTY PRAIRIE HISTORY OUTLINED -- Facts about Early Settlers are Presented at Monday Club Meeting<br>....This story would not be complete without the mention of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Newman. "Uncle Russell" and "Aunt Lizzie" as they were affectionately called by everyone. Uncle Russell was tall and thin, Aunt Lizzie was short and fat. They had no children of their own but helped raise the children of everyone else. It was nothing unusual for them to have five orphans under their roof at one time. As they grew up, many of them went to college with a scholarship from these two old persons. They lived in the brick house adjoining the church. They helped build the church and every time anyone gave a little extra they gave more. He gave the round window and the bell with two ropes, one to ring and one to toll and no one ever rang the bell while he lived but himself. Aunt Lizzie, not to be outdone, gave the furniture, and as a final act they built the parsonage so that they might have a resident pastor.</p><p>"The first frame house built in the community stands in very good repair. It was erected in 1823 by Zadock Neuman and is much the same in architecture as those built today. It stands on the Edwardsville-Prairietown road about one mile south of highway 140. NOTE: This article is very long. The entire article is filed with J. Russell Newman's family group sheet and another copy is filed in a folder labeled Liberty Prairie.</p><p><strong>Tuesday, November 8, 1938, pp.1&2, c.6 LIBERTY PRAIRIE HISTORY OUTLINED -- Facts about Early Settlers are Presented at Monday Club Meeting<br></strong>....This story would not be complete without the mention of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Newman. "Uncle Russell" and "Aunt Lizzie" as they were affectionately called by everyone. Uncle Russell was tall and thin, Aunt Lizzie was short and fat. They had no children of their own but helped raise the children of everyone else. It was nothing unusual for them to have five orphans under their roof at one time. As they grew up, many of them went to college with a scholarship from these two old persons. They lived in the brick house adjoining the church. They helped build the church and every time anyone gave a little extra they gave more. He gave the round window and the bell with two ropes, one to ring and one to toll and no one ever rang the bell while he lived but himself. Aunt Lizzie, not to be outdone, gave the furniture, and as a final act they built the parsonage so that they might have a resident pastor.</p><p>"The first frame house built in the community stands in very good repair. It was erected in 1823 by Zadock Neuman and is much the same in architecture as those built today. It stands on the Edwardsville-Prairietown road about one mile south of highway 140. <strong>NOTE:</strong> This article is very long. The entire article is filed with J. Russell Newman's family group sheet and another copy is filed in a folder labeled Liberty Prairie.</p><p align="center"><strong>From the Alton (IL) Telegraph</strong></p><p align="left"><strong>Friday, November 22, 1907, p.1, c.6 -- LARGE SUM GOES TO CHARITY BY DEATH -- Mrs. Elizabeth Newman of Liberty Prairie Held Estate During Lifetime Only<br></strong>Mrs. Elizabeth Newman died Friday afternoon at her home in Liberty Prairie, almost 88 years of age after an illness of ten days from weakness of great age. She was born in Yorkshire, England, January 14, 1820. The death of Mrs. Newman will leave a valuable estate for immediate distribution. The greater part of it is to go to Lincoln University at Lincoln, Ill., which is a part of James Milliken University of Decatur. Mrs. Newman's husband, John R. Newman, died thirteen years ago leaving an estate of about 260 acres of land and some personal effects which would be worth about $25,000. All this estate, according to his will was to be divided after his wife's death, according to the terms of the will, which gives almost the entire amount to the Lincoln University. A number of nieces and nephews and some other close relatives will receive small bequests. The Newmans were staunch cumberland Presbyterians and Mr. Newman had a large part in the building of the church at Liberty Prairie, and he erected and maintained the parsonage in his lifetime and his wife maintained it after his death, and also gave liberally to the support of the church. She was always in attendance at church services, until her age forbade her doing so.</p><p align="left">She came to America with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Belk in 1836, and she came to Madison county in 1840 and lived at Liberty Prairie ever since. She never had any children, and after the death of her husband, her niece, Mrs. Ed. Lanterman, with her husband, made her home with the aged lady. She was a sister of Charles Belk and T.W.L. Belk of Upper Alton.</p><p align="left">Mrs. Newman was known for her charity and her kindness to everyone. It is said that during her whole life no one ever asked her for help in vain, and she even searched out people who were in misfortune and aided them. The funeral will be held Sunday morning at 11 o'clock from the Liberty Prairie Presbyterian church. Burial will be in Liberty Prairie cemetery.</p>

J. R. Newman's marriage to Elizabeth Belk is given in this obituary as 24 Dec 1843 but in the Madison County Illinois Marriage Records Index, v. 1, by Jane Shelly and Elsie Wasser, 1984 the date is given as 24 Dec 1845. It is also given as 1845 in the Illinois Online Marriage Records Index.