Abbott, Esther Abigail (Callbreath) 1834 - 1917

ABBOTT, CALLBREATH

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 2/12/2015 at 12:48:33

Postville Review, Fri., 23 Mar. 1917.

Esther Abigail, daughter of Thomas and Esther Callbreath, was born Feb. 27, 1834, at White Lake, Sullivan Co., New York. She was married to Archer Penn Abbott, February 22, 18_8 (looks like 58 or 68). To this union four children were born, three of whom passed away in early childhood.

In 1868 Mr. and Mrs. Abbott moved from New York to Postville, Iowa. Here their lives became closely interwoven with the lives of those about them, thus forming bonds of friendship which have grown stronger with the passing years. In those days Mrs. Abbott was especially active in church work, having for years sung in the Congregational church where she was noted for constancy and punctuality.

Sometime after the death of her husband in 1901, she and her daughter moved to Des Moines, Iowa, from which place they later came to Chicago, where they have since resided.

It was the privilege of the writer to know Mrs. Abbott intimately during the past nine years, and to admire the wonderful activity of mind and body which caused her to appear much younger than her years.

After two or three attacks of severe illness, during which she was tenderly and devotedly cared for by her faithful daughter, she gradually declined in strength until on March 3, 1917, four days after having received many messages of congratulation on her eighty-third birthday, she peacefully and painlessly passed on to a higher plane of existence leaving, beside her daughter Hortense, two sisters living in New York, one at the age of ninety-seven and the other seventy-eight.

Not broken are our household bonds
Though some are called away;
They have but slipped beyond our sight
Till dawn of glorious day;
Their spirits still with us abide
To cheer and bless, whate'er betide.

A. W. G.