Mary Jane (Bonine) Gabbert (1913)
BONINE, GABBERT
Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 10/27/2008 at 21:24:17
The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, February 12, 1913MARY JANE GABBERT Obituary
Mary Jane Bonine was born in Wayne county, Indiana, Nov. 1, 1827. She moved with her parents to Jefferson county, Iowa in 1843, three years before Iowa became a state, so that for almost seventy years her life was identified with the growth, prosperity, and advancing civilization of this commonwealth.
June 7, 1847, she was married to Jacob Gabbert with whom she lived joyfully until his death thirty four years later. Fourteen children were born to them, seven of whom, three sons and four daughters, with thirty two grandchildren and twenty five great grandchildren, live to honor her memory.
Besides rearing her own children, she also took into her home and brought up several homeless boys, to whom she gave a mother's love. Her house was open to receive every one in need of shelter and in the early years it was her custom each night to place a light in the window of the cabin that benighted wanderers on the prairie might thus be guided to a place of rest.
Mrs. Gabbert came with her husband and family to this region in the autumn of 1854, soon after locating on the farm where she resided so long. Here she experienced all the toils, hardships, triumphs and pleasures of pioneer life; here she proved herself a good neighbor as well as a devoted wife and mother. She cared for the sick and sorrowing, welcomed the stranger, encouraged the struggling and counseled the inexperienced. Her influence was also potent on the side of righteousness. Although of Quaker descent, she promptly identified herself with the first religious organization in her vicinity, the Payton M. E. class, the germ from which developed the DeSoto M. E. church.
She died Jan. 30, 1913, aged 85 years, two months and 29 days. The funeral services were held at Fairview church Saturday, Feb. 1st at 10 a.m. The following hymns were sung: "The Home of the Soul", "In That City", "Think of the Home Over There" and "The Sweet Bye and Bye", which were rendered in a most devout manner by representatives of Fairview and DeSoto choirs. Rev. McKendree Stahl of Menlo, a former pastor, assisted in the services, speaking feelingly of his visits to the home of the departed and paid a most beautiful tribute to her warm hearted, motherly nature. A brief sermon was preached from Prov. 31, 28, by R. E. Harvey, pastor of the DeSoto M. E. church.
Of the relatives, a brother, two sons, three daughters, several grandchildren and a number of nephews and nieces and great grand children were present, besides a very large company of friends, many of whom came long distances in spite of the severe cold.
The remains were interred in the Fairview cemetery beside the grave of her husband who had preceded her to the better world almost a third of a century ago.
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Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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