DEATH OF MRS. McKETHAN
Her History is Fayetteville's History
Published in Fayetteville Observer [Fayetteville, North Carolina] 2 Mar. 1899
Contact: Myrtle Bridges  January 16, 2018

	Mrs. Loveday McAlister McKethan, widow of the late Mr. A.A. McKethan, died Monday night at 11 o'clock at her residence 
on Person street. The deceased lady was in her ninetieth year, having been born on the 28th of November, 1809. She was 
the youngest daughter of Col. Hector McAlister and his wife, Isabella McNeill. She was thus a lineal descendant of Neill 
McNeill, leader of the first Scotch immigration to this section, which was then Upper Bladen, as well as of Col. Alexander 
McAlister, who was Colonel of the Militia of Cumberland in 1775 and a member of both the Halifax and Hillsborough Conventions. 
She was the great-granddaughter of Rev. James Campbell, the founder of Presbyterianism in this section, deriving her name, 
Loveday, from her maternal grandmother, Loveday Campbell. Col. Hector McAlister, as is better known as the moderns, was sheriff 
of Cumberland as well as member of the Legislature from this county for several terms. His father (Alexander, mentioned above,) 
and Col. Hector McNeill, a great-grand uncle of the subject of this notice and first High Sheriff of the county, were along with 
Thomas Gibson, the first representatives of Cumberland in the General Assembly.
	An interesting circumstance connected with Mrs. McKethan's death is the coincidence that one of the McLean twins of Harnett 
and Miss Flora McNeill of this county, both her cousins, died within the last thirty days, all aged between 85 and 90.	Mrs. 
McKethan was the oldest member of the Presbyterian Church of Fayetteville, having first connected herself with Bluff Church in 
her childhood, from, which she was transferred to Fayetteville Church in 1832. She was a woman of fine sense, of strict integrity, 
and otherwise exhibited, throughout her long life, those sturdy virtues which characterize the bets Scottish type of womanhood. 
Naturally, such a woman inspired reverence as well as love in her wide circle of friends and kinsfolk.
	Of her three children, Col. Hector McKethan, Mr. E.T. McKethan and Maj. A.A. McKethan, only the latter survives.
	The funeral took place from the Presbyterian Church yesterday afternoon at half past three o'clock. Peace to her ashes!

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Copyright January 16, 2018 by Myrtle N. Bridges