Settle, Eliza Frances^[1]

1900 - 1995  (95 years)

• Name	Settle, Eliza Frances
  Birth	25 Mar 1900	Rock Mills, Rappahannock, Virginia   [2]
  Gender	Female
  Alt. Birth	May 1900	Virginia   [3]
  Death	16 Apr 1995
  Burial	Fairview Cemetery, Culpeper, Virginia
  Person ID	I362	European Descendants
  Last Modified	3 Jun 2026

  
  

  Father	Settle, Robert Brueington,   b. 1855, Virginia d. Bef 2 Oct 1931 (Age 76 years)
  Mother	Settle, Roberta Elizabeth,   b. May 1866, Virginia d. Abt 1917 (Age 50 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1893  [4]
  Residence	1900	Rappahannock, Virginia   [4]
  Family ID	F199	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Settle, Robert John,   b. 13 Jun 1899   d. 23 Dec 1947 (Age 48 years)
  Marriage	1918	Washington, D.C.
  	Eliza Settle and Robert Settle attended a Baptist camp meeting in Amissville, as a young couple, when they decided to run away and get married. They went to Washington, D.C., but they couldn't get a license because Robert wasn't 21 yet. They returned to get his father's permission, and then went back to Washington to be wed. In 1928, they moved to Amissville and operated a 101-acre farm. Their life together was one of hard work. Eliza would work in the fields during the day and then return to the house to cook and do housework. They had their own cattle, sheep, hogs, chickens, orchard, and a garden, and only bought staples. She even sawed wood for the stove. Each year, they raised 20 acres of corn, which had to be cut and shocked by hand, and in her spare moments, Eliza would shuck the corn. Robert Settle died when he was 47 from complications of diabetes. There is an old cabin and cemetery on the Settle property that supposedly date back to the 1700's. Bill Settle, a grandson of Robert and Eliza Settle, says he remembers from his childhood, a man named John Majors came to visit the cemetery in the 1960's and scolded the family for letting the cabin and cemetery fall into disrepair. Mr. Major said that George Washington had stayed in the cabin when he visited the area. This story is plausible, as George Washington was a young surveyor for the town of Culpeper, from 1749 to 1752. Mr. Majors also hired some men from Culpeper to come and do some restoration work in the cemetery.
  Children	1. Settle, Ethel Virginia,   b. 24 Nov 1919, Amissville, Rappahannock, Virginia d. 9 Dec 2008, Fauquier, Virginia (Age 89 years)   2. Settle, Robert Brewington,   b. 19 Oct 1922, Rock Mills, Rappahannock, Virginia d. 5 Feb 2008, Fauquier Hospital, Warrenton, Fauquier, Virginia (Age 85 years)   3. Settle, William Broda,   b. 1926   d. 1994 (Age 68 years)   4. Settle, Dorothy,   b. 29 Oct 1930, Rappahannock, Virginia d. 4 Apr 2021, Rappahannock, Virginia (Age 90 years)   5. Settle, Donald Lee,   b. 31 Jan 1939, Amissville, Rappahannock, Virginia d. 22 May 2017, Amissville, Rappahannock, Virginia (Age 78 years)   6. Settle, Marjorie   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Settle, Richard Humphries   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F186	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	1 Jan 2026

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 25 Mar 1900 - Rock Mills, Rappahannock, Virginia Marriage - 1918 - Washington, D.C.  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Eliza Settle was born in March 1900 in Rappahannock County, Virginia, to parents Brueington (Doc) and Roberta Settle. She lost her mother when she was only 17 years old after her mother and father were caught in a sudden storm while returning on horseback from the store. The pregnant Roberta Settle suffered a miscarriage and died of a hemorrhage from riding home at too fast a pace, sitting astride. No doctor could get to her because of rain-swollen streams. Somewhat later, a tornado claimed the life of Eliza Settle's half-brother, Carroll. Mrs. Settle was raised by an older sister and then a stepmother, Susie Whorton Settle. She vividly recalls the one-room school she attended, where her teachers included Miss Ethel Lang, Miss Mary Bruce, Miss Pearl Rosson, and Miss Virgie Eastham. Eliza Settle lived in the Amissville community her entire life and was a mainstay of the Amissville Full Gospel Church. She considered church to be the most important thing in her life. At 88 years old, she was still active and maintained her own home and garden. A year after her husband's death, she moved into the farmhouse, where she lived in the rest of her life. She gardened, canned, and raised her own chickens. Her pastor, Paul Markee, said she had probably baked more cakes and fried more chicken than anyone he knew. Eliza was proud of her descendants, which included seven children, 22 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. While many of her antiques were destroyed in an earlier fire, she cherished a cream pitcher from her aunt and a preserves stand that belonged to her mother. Her half-sister, Mrs. Fannie Ficklin, was still living in New Carrollton, Maryland in 1988. A major highlight of her life was a trip to Israel and other Middle-Eastern countries in 1972.

  
  

• Sources

  [S782] Find a Grave, ((https://www.findagrave.com/)), ). (Reliability: 3). [S806] Culpeper News, Culpeper News, ((https://www.virginiachronicle.com/)), accessed 23 Aug 2025), Helping is Amissville Tradition; Volume 12, Number 48, 15 September 1988. (Reliability: 3). Helping Is Amissville Tradition At 88, the thing Eliza Settle may be proudest of is the long-standing attitude of the Amissville community, where she has lived all her life. People there have always helped each other whenever there was anything that needed to be done. For example, when neighbors killed hogs, everyone helped. Whatever the need, people worked together. When Mrs. Settle was a young woman, she remembers that a lack of modern conveniences didn't keep people from having time to pitch in. They worked hard, all day except on Sunday, which was set aside for church and family, when no labor was done— not even laundry. Mrs. Settle is still active, maintains her own home and garden, and still sets aside Sunday as a day of rest. She is a mainstay of the Amissville Full Gospel Church. Her pastor, Paul Markee, said she was missed when she was hospitalized last winter. He said she had probably baked more cakes and fried more chicken than anyone he knew. The years of her life span from her birth in March of 1900. She was born into a tough rural life and her memory is lively. She was the daughter of Breu-ington (Doc) and Roberta Settle of Rappahannock County, born at Rock Mills near Washington, Va.. She lost her mother when she was only 17 years old after her pregnant mother and father were caught in a sudden storm while returning on horseback from the store. The pregnant Roberta Settle suffered a miscarriage and died of a hemorrhage from riding home at too fast a pace, sitting astride. No doctor could get to her because of rain-swollen streams. Somewhat later, a tornado claimed the life of Eliza Settle's half-brother, Carroll. Mrs. Settle was raised by an older sister and then a stepmother, Susie Whorton Settle. She vividly recalls the one-room school she attended, where her teachers included Miss Ethel Lang, Miss Mary Bruce, Miss Pearl Rosson, and Miss Virgie Eastham. Church has always been the most important thing in her life. As a child, she attended nearby Mount Salem. In 1918, she married Robert Settle. The young couple was attending a Baptist camp meeting in Amissville when they decided to run away and get married. They went to Washington, D.C., but they couldn't get a license because Robert wasn't 21 yet. They returned to get his father's permission, and then went back to Washington to be wed. In 1928, they moved to Amissville. Their life together was one of hard work, operating a 101-acre farm on Rt. 642. Mrs. Settle would work in the fields during the day and then return to the house to cook and do housework. They had their own cattle, sheep, hogs, chickens, orchard, and a garden, and they only bought staples. She even sawed wood for the stove. Generally, they raised 20 acres of corn each year, which they had to cut and shock by hand. In her spare moments, she would shuck the corn. When he was 47, her husband died from complications of diabetes. She and Robert had seven children, 22 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. Her half-sister, Mrs. Fannie Ficklin, is still living in New Carrollton, Md.. Mrs. Settle's farm, now down to 79 acres, was the site of a Civil War encampment before the Battle of Manassas. The area was known as Corbin's Corner. Unfortunately, the original house, which was more than 250 years old, has fallen into a state of disrepair. The house was constructed of 24-inch wide, hand pit-sawed pine planks, with beaded boards. Three of the Settle grandsons, Gary, Forrest, and Marty Whorton, have taken a special interest in the restoration of this historical home. A year after the death of her husband, Mrs. Settle moved into her present home. There, she still gardens and cans, and also raises her own chickens. Although many antiques were destroyed in an earlier fire, she cherishes a cream pitcher that belonged to her aunt Louisa, who was born in 1848, and a preserves stand that was her mother's. Her son, Robert (B) Settle, who lives across the road, purchased the old Corbin place. He is married to Dorothy Settle. One of her daughters, Dorothy, married Roy Whorton, and they live in Amissville. Her son Richard married Dorothy Jenkins from Sperryville, and they now live in Manassas. Her oldest child, Ethel, married Elsie Compton, and they live in Culpeper. Another son, William, lives at Lignum with his wife, Violet. The youngest daughter, Margie, married John A. Jenkins from Amissville, and they also live in the Amissville community. Her son Donald and his family took Mrs. Settle to Florida a few years ago, a trip she enjoyed. However, a major highlight of her life was a trip to Israel and other Mid-Eastern countries in 1972. She also enjoys her friends and neighbors. On her last birthday, her church presented her with a dozen red roses. This August, she went to the Settle reunion at Sky Meadows State Park near Paris. The estate there, known as Mt. Bleak, was purchased by Isaac Settle in 1808. Mrs. Settle's ancestors have been traced back to Francis Settle, who came from Yorkshire, England, and was born around 1622. Interviews with Mrs. Settle for this story were done by Amissville correspondent Cathy Smith. Attached Images: A very old photo of Eliza Settle and her brother, Harry Settle. Eliza, who was not a musician, picked up a banjo as a prop. Mrs. Settle sitting on the porch of a log cabin built in 1798. This was the original residence at Mt. Bleak, where she recently attended a family reunion. [S25] 1900 United States Federal Census, Hampton, Rappahannock, Virginia, Supervisor's District 7, Enumeration District 48, Sheet 3, June 6, 1900 (Reliability: 3). https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6S3Q-B1H [S25] 1900 United States Federal Census, Hampton, Rappahannock, Virginia, Supervisor's District 7, Enumeration District 48, Sheet 3, June 6, 1900 (Reliability: 3). Born 1855 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6S3Q-B1H