Submitted by Descendant: Paula Townsend MARCZYNSKI
For too many years, women’s contributions to history have been overlooked or ignored as unimportant, even though they provided the foundation and background for all future generations. They endured many hardships as they cooked, cleaned, gave birth, educated, and instilled values in their families. This was done in a time without the modern conveniences of running water, electricity, corner grocery store, or clothing store. Everything they needed was either grown, made, hunted or traded for. This is a recognition for one of those hard-working pioneer women.
Given the name Indiana Virginia Nancy Florence Sikes at her birth in Dec. 1856 (there is some question whether or not the day is the 12th or 15th), she became known as Nancy F. Sikes.
She married John Light Townsend 16 Mar 1876 and they were married for over 51 years until her death in 1927. They had 11 children – 5 girls and 6 boys – but only nine lived to adulthood. They raised a loving, close-knit family that continued that tradition down through the years. Nancy and John L. Townsend lived in the area of western Alachua County, Florida that later became Gilchrist County, on 4 Dec 1925.
Nancy F. Sikes was first established as a Florida Pioneer in 2002