The Courier-Gazette McKinney, Texas Wednesday, January 13, 1909 p1 col 3-4
DEATH OF MRS. MERRITT
---------
Mrs. Jennie Merritt died at 8:20 o'clock last night at her residence on West Hunt street, after an illness of six weeks' duration. The gravity of her condition had been realized for several weeks and though the announcement of her death did not come in the nature of a surprise, it was received with the keenest sorrow by her hundreds of friends throughout tis city and other portions of the county, who had been hoping against hope that this noble woman might longer be spared as a blessing, a benediction and an inspiration to all with whom she was associated.
Mrs. Merritt's maiden name was Miss Jennie Compton, being a daughter of Eber Compton, deceased, who was one of the early settlers of Collin county. She was born in Giles county, Tennessee, July 11, 1843, and was therefore 65 years, five months and twenty-six days of age at the time of her death. In the year 1857 the family moved to Springfield, Mo., where the subject of this sketch attended a school conducted by her uncle, Eld. Charles Carlton, the founder of Carlton College, Bonham. At this institution in Missouri Mr. W. W. Merritt, who afterward became her husband, was also a student. In June of 1861 the family moved from Missouri to this state and county, settling in the Forest Grove community, where Mr. Compton died in 1868. At the time of his death he was an elder in the First Christian church of McKinney. Mrs. Merritt's mother died in 1896 at the age of eighty-eight years. On January 25, 1866 she was married to Captain William Merritt, at her father's home near Forest Grove. Capt. Merritt who had served with gallantry as a member of Shelby's command during the Civil war, having located in that community after the close of hostilities and resided there a number of years after his marriage.
The wedding ceremony was performed by the late Eld. Charles Carlton who had baptized the bride into the Christian church during her girlhood days in Missouri.
In 1874 Mr. Merritt was elected sheriff of Collin county, and, after serving with marked courage and efficiency in that capacity for five years, he retired to his farm near Melissa where he resided for many years with his family. He served for four years as a member of the legislature of this state, making an enviable record, and on July 1892 succumbed to death, possessing the confidence and esteem of the entire citizenship.
A short time after her husband's death Mrs. Merritt moved with her family from Melissa to this city which has ever since remained her home. She is survived by three sons and one daughter, as follows: Hon. R. C. Merritt, a prominent member of the McKinney bar, county attorney for two terms and at present chairman of the Collin County Democratic Executive Committee; Eber W. Merritt, a rising young attorney of Dallas and James H. Merritt, manager of W, S. Knight's dry goods establishment of this city, and Mrs. Harry Q. Smith of this city. She is survived by one sister, Mrs. Fannie Hunter of the Forest Grove community, mother of Dr. J. E. Hunter of this city. Mrs. Hunter being the youngest sister and the only surviving member of the Compton family
Mrs. Merritt was a woman of marked nobility of character, a blessing to her husband and children in the sacred circle of home, and with broad sympathies and tender heart which moved her to be ever ready to alleviate human suffering and sorrow wherever found.
Funeral services were held at her late residence at 3 o'clock this afternoon conducted by Rev. J. M. Bell, pastor of the First Christian church of this city, of which she was a devoted member, assisted by Rev. Hugh McClellan, and were largely attended, despite the severity of the weather. The remains were laid to rest in Pecan Grove cemetery, that silent city of the dead, which, in its robe of winter white, is a fitting emblem of death, but her sorrowing children and friends have the sweet assurance that beneath the robe of January snows there are resting in calm security the future blossoms and green grass of spring, which through all the passing years are gracious emblems of immortality.