Bennett, Mary 1789 - 1875

BENNETT

Posted By: Janice Sowers (email)
Date: 4/1/2005 at 19:39:44

TIMES September 16, 1875 P5 C1

DEATH OF MRS. MARY BENNETT

One of our early settlers, Mrs. Mary Bennett, died Sept. 7th, at the residence of her son, James E. Bennett of Jamestown.

The deceased was a native of New Bedford, Mass., where she lived until the spring of 1857, when she came to Howard county.

The life of this aged person almost spanned the eventful period of our national history. She was born within a week of Washington's first inauguration as President of the new Commonwealth, and was but an infant of months when the first Congress adjourned and Washington made his memorable tour through New England. The fires of the French Revolution broke forth in all their fury during her first years, and many political changes have marked the history of the world during the progress of her personally quiet life.

Her husband lost his leg in a naval engagement on Lake Ontario under Commodore Chancey, and received a pension the remainder of his life, and for his service in his country's cause his widow also has received a pension since February, 1871, according to the provisions of an act passed by Congress at that date.

In the fall of 1872, our aged friend was baptized by immersion and became a member of the Congregational church of Riceville, before and since which time she has been cheered by the pastoral visits of Mr. Harvey, to whom she, some time since, confided the text for her funeral sermon: "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord," &c., from which was elicited on that occasion an interesting and profitable train of thought.

One of the prominent and most effective points in this discourse, was that in an important sense salvation is to the believer complete at death. Then life's labor is over; the character--the only thing we can carry with us into the future life--is formed; toils and sorrows are at an end: but, that, in another and absolute sence, salvation is not attained until the resurrection, when death is swallowed up in victory.

The deceased, while in comparative health, gave directions requesting the extreme simplicity of her burial, preferring the simpler customs of the olden time.

At the last she sank peacefully away, and now,

"Life's fitful fever over,
She sleeps well."