Eliza (Atherton) Aiken
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Eliza Nancy (Atherton) Aiken (1817 - 1906)

Eliza Nancy "Aunt Lizzie" Aiken formerly Atherton
Born in Auburn, Cayuga, New York, United Statesmap
Ancestors ancestors
Wife of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
[children unknown]
Died at age 88 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 18 Jul 2021
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Biography

'New York state flag'
Eliza (Atherton) Aiken was born in New York.
Eliza served as a nurse with the 6th Illinois Cavalry through Kentucky and Memphis, Tennessee; cared for sick and wounded as nurse, head nurse, temporary doctor, and missionary; Baptist missionary following the war.
Eliza (Atherton) Aiken was interred in Illinois.

Eliza was born on 24 Mar 1817 in Auburn, Cayuga, New York. Her parents were Stedman Atherton (1791-1856) and Deborah Ward Atherton (1796-1866).

When she was nine years old, her family returned to Cavendish, Vermont and the Atherton family farmstead willed to her father at the death of his father Jonathan. Her grandfather's request was that Stedman would live there and care for his mother.

At the age of sixteen, Eliza's mother's health failed and she spend the next four years caring for her and the family. She later enrolled in The New England Academy in Cavendish, but could only attend for one term.

In 1837, at twenty years old, Eliza married Cyrus Aiken. They decided to move to Grand Detour, Illinois, where they began raising a family. Pioneer life was very difficult. An outbreak of cholera resulted in the death of all four of her young boys in 1852.

From 1850 through 1860 the Census shows Nancy and Cyrus living in Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States. (In 1850 Eliza is recorded as Nancy E. and their last name as Aikin.) [1][2]

HouseholdRoleSexAgeBirthplaceOccupation
1850
Cyrus AikinheadM44New Hampshirefarmer
Nancy E AikinwifeF31New York
Charles LutonM31Englandfarmer
1860
Cyrus AikenheadM54New Hampshirelaborer
Eliza N AikenwifeF44New York

In 1856 Cyrus had a severe illness which resulted in him becoming mentally ill. Eliza's father died on 16 Mar 1856, roughly two weeks after he moved Cyrus to Vermont to live with he and his wife on the farmstead. Eliza worked for four years, going from house to house as a domestic nurse to cover the medical bills and support her mother.

When the Civil War broke out, Eliza nursed soldiers in the tents set up near Peoria. A measles outbreak at the Camp near Springfield caused the head surgeon Major Niglas, of the 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry to go to Peoria to find nurses to help him care for the soldiers. Eliza was willing, however said she needed another woman to accompany her. Mary A. Sturges, applied for the job.

In November 1861, Eliza and Mary went with the Regiment to Shawnee Town. Here the two nurses became known as "Aunt Lizzie" and "Mother Sturges." The nurses worked shifts of six hours on and six hours off, caring for up to eighty patients each day throughout the winter.

The nurses moved with the Regiment to Paducah, Kentucky and worked at St. Mark's Hospital, where Eliza was the head nurse. In late July, the hospital of the 6th Illinois was ordered to Memphis, Tennessee. The nearly three hundred wounded still needing care were loaded on to a steamer and cared for by the head surgeon and nurses, until he was forced to return home and they were left in charge. Part of the way to Memphis they were escorted by a large gun-boat with twelve cannons. In Memphis, Eliza took on the role of doctor, prescribing medicine and treatment, until the doctor arrived ten days later.

When the regiment was ordered South and into Confederate territory, Surgeon Niglas found them roles at Ovington Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee where they nursed soldiers for all Regiments. Eliza remained at the hospital in charge of Ward A, housing 100 patients, until early January 1863. When there was no more room for patients at Ovington, Eliza and Mary were ordered to fit up Adams Block Hospital with twelve hundred cots. Eliza was installed as head nurse.

In Feb 1864 when the 6th Regiment was the lead Regiment of an invasion force leaving for Mississippi, hundreds of soldiers came to say good bye to Aunt Lizzie. When the war ended and the hospitals closed, Eliza, with the help of Mary Sturges, returned to her home in Peoria. She was ill, and took weeks to recover.

Eliza began her post war missionary work in Chicago at the Erring Woman's Refuge, remaining there for two years. There she visited unhappy, sinful women and encouraged them to return with her to the refuge, and a better life. At the same time, she established a "Mother's Meeting", where she taught poor women sewing, religion, and caring for their children.

In 1867, she joined the Second Baptist Church of Chicago and worked as a missionary until her death in 1906, beginning as Sunday-school missionary and expanding to the church's minister to the sick and poor.

In 1870, Eliza (census transcribed as Elizabeth) is living in the home of Welcome Gavin and his family in Chicago, Illinios. (Welcome is incorrectly transcribed as 13, should be 63) [3]

HouseholdRoleSexAgeBirthplaceOccupation
Welcome GarvinheadM63New Hampshirepainter
Caroline GarvinwifeF61New Hampshireat home
James L GarvinsonM31New Hampshiremachinist
Mary E GarvindaughterF29New Yorkkeeping house
Abby PayneF54New Yorkat home
Elizabeth AikenboarderF54New Yorkmissionary

In 1900, Eliza is a boarder in a rooming house run by Kate Grady in Chicago, Illinois. She is one of 13 boarders (Only a few are listed here). [4]

HouseholdRoleSexAgeBirthplaceOccupation
Kate GradyheadF38Canadaruns rooming house
Margaret GradymotherF67Ireland
Rose GradysisterF24Canadaclerk
Rose CoyneboarderF23Canadaclerk
Obit SwartzboarderM55Kentuckycarpenter
Eliza AikenboarderF83New York

She passed away on 17 Jan 1906 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois and is buried in Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Chicago. [5]

The following tribute from 1906 is from the Christian Herald:

"There died recently, in the City of Chicago, a woman whose career was so remarkable for its heroic self-sacrifice and dauntless courage, that she could be ranked as high as the bravest soldier who does battle for his country. Her name was, Mrs. Eliza N. Aiken, but perhaps this would have an unfamiliar sound to the grizzled veterans; but say, 'Aunt Lizzie' the angel of the hospitals of Memphis and Paducah, and they would raise their hands to the salute, out of respect and love to America' s Florence Nightingale."

Sources

  1. 1850 Census "United States Census, 1850", citing Affiliate Publication Number: M432; Line: 24, FamilySearch Record: M85X-4T4 (accessed 24 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: S3HT-DYHQ-DVV, Nancy E Aikin (31) in Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States. Born in New York.
  2. 1860 Census "United States Census, 1860", citing Page: 184; Affiliate Publication Number: M653; Affiliate Film Number: 216; FHL microfilm: 803216; Record number: 7113, FamilySearch Record: MX48-P9V (accessed 24 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9YBY-SQJ4 Image number 00188, Eliza N Aiken (44) in Peoria City 2nd Ward, Peoria, Illinois, United States. Born in N York.
  3. 1870 Census "United States Census, 1870", citing Page: 54; Affiliate Publication Number: M593; Line: 18; FHL microfilm: 000545704; Record number: 2145, FamilySearch Record: M645-TG4 (accessed 24 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: S3HT-D16S-J39 Image number 00058, Welcome Garvin (13) head of household in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States. Born in New Hampshire.
  4. 1900 Census "United States Census, 1900", citing Affiliate Publication Number: T623; Line: 43; FHL microfilm: 1240268; Record number: 16342, FamilySearch Record: MS31-55X (accessed 24 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: S3HT-DCB8-L9 Image number 00347, Eliza Aiken (83), widowed boarder, in household of Kate O Grady (39) in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States. Born in New York.
  5. Memorial Find a Grave (has image), Find A Grave: Memorial #55868320 (accessed 25 March 2023), Memorial page for Eliza N. “Lizzie” Atherton Aiken (24 Mar 1817-17 Jan 1906), citing Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA; Maintained by brknhrt (contributor 46623829).
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