Mrs. Mary Moyer Babb, 1820-1895
SNYDER, CRANE, BABB, WOOLSON, WHITING, MANSFIELD, CORKHILL, STODDARD
Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 10/26/2019 at 07:41:54
GONE HOME.
Close of a Long, Useful and Eventful Life.
Another old and honored citizen has passed over to the land beyond. Thus, one by one our friends go from us. This is the third one of a band of old ladies in that neighborhood in less than a year, Mrs. Susan Snyder, Mrs. Eber Crane, and now Mrs. Babb. All had lived in this vicinity for so many years and become so identified with all the surroundings that it does not seem home without them. The year before two other were called of the number. Mrs. Anna Woolson and Mrs. Timothy Whiting. One by one the ripe golden leaves fall, and others on the threshold ready and waiting to follow.
The unexpected demise of Mrs. Mary Babb Friday morning was a shock to the community, for it was not known by many that she was in poor health or even suffering with a cold. She was one of the vigorous, strong women of her time and in all her 74 years on earth had scarcely known what sickness was. In this regard, she was unusually blessed. Her life had not been one of luxury, yet she had never wanted for the comforts of life. Her birth place was Wilksboro, Pa., Aug. 28, 1820, and came to Des Moines Co. Iowa, Oct. 21, 1844 and there married Mr. Miles Babb and continued to live on their farm as their home until 1860. Her husband had the "gold fever" and in the spring of 1852 went to California in search of the prize and was killed the following Dec. 21 in the caving in of a tunnel of a gold mine in that state. Thus the young widow was left with the care of her farm and the raising of her children, and we all know how well she fulfilled her mission. Four children was the result of her marriage, two have been waiting in the better land since childhood for the mother to join them, and now there is a blessed reunion of husband and wife and little ones. In the fall of 1860, she sold her farm, came to Mt. Pleasant to educate the two remaining children in the I.W.U., and lived all these years in the house where she died. The deepest sympathy of all goes out to our honored citizen Judge W.I. Babb and his sister, Mrs. Belle Mansfield, a professor in the college at Green Castle, Ind., who was looking forward to the time ere long, when she would leave school duties behind and spend the remaining days with the love mother, and here how fully do we realize the truth, "Man proposes, but God disposes" and even with the many blessings we find, disappointments are staring us in the face.
We all realize what a true loving mother this dear woman was and how fully she performed every duty. She was strong in all her convictions, self-reliant and able unto the last to attend to her own household duties and see to her business affairs. For forty years and more she was a member of the Methodist church, a Christian but not a bigot. She knew what she believed and why, and was consistent in all things, firm but loving, and in her going out of life into eternity, a vacant place is left not to be filled. She had a large circle of friends and had the good will and respect of all her neighbors. Only four grandchildren have come to bless her with their presence, but they loved her dearly. These are the children of Judge and Mrs. Babb, two of them Messrs. Max and Miles Babb, she saw almost across the line into manhood. One dear little girl is waiting in the Beyond and the little Alice who is still with the dear ones here. The funeral was Sunday afternoon from her home, corner Adams and Henry streets, Dr. Corkhill and Rev. Stoddard officiating and a large number of friends and neighbors were in attendance.
["Mt. Pleasant Daily News", Monday evening, April 1, 1895, page 1]
NOTE: Transcribed as written, though research indicates some dates may be incorrect.
Gravesite in Forest Home Cemetery
Henry Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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