Darthula Miller Ingalls

Darthula Wright, was born to Rev. Joseph Wright and Catherine Hopkins in 1816. Her education consisted of instruction at home and one year at a Quaker school where she was taught fine sewing, embroidery, painting and reading aloud.

Darthula Wright was of a family who came west in 1764 and settled in the Peter's Creek Valley, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Her father was the Rev. Joseph Wright of the Pittsburgh conference. He was a circuit rider, going from place preaching every Sunday. Because of his unsettled home life, when he married Catherine Hopkins, he brought her to his father's house where his eleven children were born, of whom Darthula was the oldest. Darthula's grandfather Enoch Wright (1776–1846), always spoken of as Squire Wright, was Justice of the Peace for over thirty years and was County Commissioner and director of the poor. The church he built on his own land stands as a monument to his philanthropy. All evangelical denominations were to have the right to worship in this church. He gave this church to his son Joseph who willed it to the Methodists with the condition that it be kept free from debt and that no slavery doctrine should ever be preached in it.

Darthula married Dr. James Miller on Feb 26, 1833 in Washington, Pennsylvania when she was age 16. Dr. Miller and Darthula had three children: 1. Rachel Catherine Miller (1834–1899), who married Dr. Robert Joseph McCready. 2. Rev. Robert Thompson Miller (1835–1902), who married Virginia Ritchie. 3. Dr. Joseph Wright Miller (1837–1929), who married Ella Kramer.

Sadly, Dr. James Miller died young at the age of 39. Just before his death, he said to his wife... "Darthula, educate the children". As a result of that request, Rachel was graduated from the Seminary in Washington, Pennsylvania, then one of the best in the country. Robert graduated from Jefferson College in the class of 1860, and from the Theological Seminary, Allegheny City, class of 1862. Joseph was graduated from Jefferson College and also from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. Of their twenty one grandchildren, sixteen reached maturity... of these, thirteen received college degrees.

After her first husband's death, Darthula remarried to Roswell Cass Ingalls in about 1848. She had one child with him, Lucy Storer Ingalls (1850-1873). She separated from Roswell before 1860. He left the area to live in Chenango County, New York.

In April of 1863, her son Robert's young wife, Virginia Ritchie, died after giving birth to their first child. Darthula offered to her son to break up her home and move to his home with her daughter Lucy, to keep house for her son and take care of this new baby, Mary Virginia Miller. This she did this until her death in 1874. Darthula's daughter, Lucy Ingalls, had passed away the year before in 1873.

She taught her granddaughter at home for as long as she lived. Mary Virginia (Miller) Lynch described her grandmother was a woman of strong character. She loved the church and was proud to have a son in the ministry. Granddaughter Mary Virginia was eleven years old at the time of her grandmother's death.

Darthula and her first husband Dr. James Miller are buried in the Miller lot in the Washington Cemetery in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Darthula's parents and grandparents are buried at Wrights United Methodist Church, Venetia, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Her grandparents are: Enoch Wright (1776–1846) and Rachel (James) Wright (1772–1860)

Her great grandparents (her grandmother's parents) are: Thomas C. James (1745-1822) and Mary "Molly" (Downey) James (1746-1822).

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jun 17 2017, 0:26:48 UTC