Mary E. Stebbins 1850 - 1928

STEBBINS, HAWKEY, CALKINS, PAUL

Posted By: Dorothy Gosse (email)
Date: 3/3/2011 at 14:10:36

Mrs. Mary Ellen Stebbins passed
from this earthly life to life everlasting
Monday evening, July 16th, 1928
at 10:00 o'clock from her late
residence, 207 5 1/2 St. N. E. Oelwein,
Iowa at the age of 77 years, 11 months
and 5 days. She was born at Rockford,
Ill. August llth, 1850, the
daughter of Thomas Hawkey and
Mary Ann Hawkey. A brother
younger than she died at the age
of five years and another brother,
Thomas Hawkey, two years her senior
lives at Wagner, South Dakota.
When she was but, four years of
age her parents moved to Maquoketa
Iowa. Here she grew to womanhood
and June 28th, 1868 she was united
in marriage to George Stebbins. They
began their married life on a farm in
Putnam township, Fayette county, living
there two years .They then moved
to a farm in Scott township which
was her home, until she came to Oelwein
in 1914.
She was the mother of five sons,
Elmer, Orin, deceased October 1, I915,
Chauncey, Archie and George all living
in Oelwein. When the eldest son
was thirteen years of age the father
became ill and had to be taken to a
sanatorium and five years later passed
away. Mrs. Stebbins was thus left
to rear her family alone, which she
did bravely and well as can be
attested by her many neighbors and
friends who witnessed her courage
and faithfulness. She was a woman
of distinctive strength of character,
courage and energy. She was greatly
beloved by all who knew her. She
was generous to a fault, none ever
sought at her door for help and left
empty handed.
While still a young woman she
embraced the Christian faith and always
remained steadfast and true to
her profession. For a number of years
she was president of the Ladies Aid
Society of Centenary church, often
she gave her last dollar to support
the church she loved in implicit trust that
she would be provided for and
her faith was always rewarded and
she was true to her Master till death.
Where many another person would
have weakened she gained new and
added strength along the way. Since
coming to Oelwein she has been a
members of Grace Methodist church.
She was a. member of the Home Department
of the Sunday School and
never failed to contribute to its support.
As a member of Grace church
and Unit No. 1 to which she. belonged
she will be greatly missed. Most truly
can It be said of her, "She has looked
well to the ways of her household,
and eaten not the bread of Idleness
and her children shall rise up and
call her blessed."
She leaves mourning her passing
the four sons mentioned above, two
grandchildren. Milton and Marion
Stebbins and a host of friends and
old neighbors in whose hearts she is
enshrined in love.
Burial services were conducted at the home
and at Grace Methodist church, Oelwein
Iowa, by Rev. A. W. Henke, her minister,
Wednesday, July 18 at 2:30. Interment
was made in Woodlawn cemetery.
Relatives attending the funeral from
out of the city are as follows; Mr. and
Mrs. J. H. Stebbins; Mr. and Mrs. V. C.
Stebbins; Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Calkins,
all of Waterloo, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. C. H.
Paul and family of Maynard. There
was also a large number of old
neighbors and friends from Maynard,
Fayette and Stanley.

Oelwein Daily Register - 20 July 1928