Rachel (Truax) Carson (1852-1907)

John K Carson's wife, Rachel Truax, was born on 29 December 1852 in Fulton County, Pennsylvania to Stilwell and Rachel (Mann) Truax. The fifteenth of sixteen children, one of whom died as an infant, she had eight brothers and six sisters.

Prior to marrying John, Rachel professed her belief in Christ and became a devout member of the Mennonite Church. Her faith kept her involved with others for the rest of her life.

Rachel and John had five children together: Orie, Sarah (Saddie) Esadiah, John Chester Kenneth, Launa Avalou (Aura or Laura), and William Bernard Lloyd (W.L.). W.L. would later become the father of Chester Carson.

After moving to Hinton, Oklahoma with John, Rachel worshipped at the local Mennonite Church, and worked with the Epworth League. The Epworth League, founded in 1889, was a youth program within the Southern Methodist Church, and has since been replaced by the United Methodist Youth Fellowship program. Rachel remained active in this youth program for the rest of her life.

Her friends and associates described Rachel as a woman of strong intellectual faculties and a lovely disposition. She was loved by all who knew her.

According to her obituary, shown above, Rachel became ill several weeks before her death. She died at home on Friday, 4 October 1907. Her funeral services were led by the Reverend F.D. Stevick at the Methodist Episcopal Church where she worshipped. She was laid to rest at the Hinton Cemetery.

Four of their children were alive at the time of Rachel's death: Sarah, Laura, William, and Launa. Of these, only Launa missed the funeral, due to her own illness.

This graphic is a representation of what is thought to be the Truax Family Coat of Arms. The family motto is "Bien Faire Et Ne Rien Craindre", which translates roughly to "Do Right and Fear Nothing". The image is intended to represent the story of one supposed family member, namely a knight or warrior known as "Dutrieu de Terdonckt", who won victory while in the stirrup on the field of battle, and was rewarded--at different times--by a gold star of six radiating points.