Abraham Garrison Allfree
Born: August 17, 1797 in Washington Co., Pennsylvania
Died: April 28, 1884 in Jasper Co., Iowa
Buried: Lot 128, plot 6
Lot Owner: John Allfree - purchased 1882
Married: Ellnora Luce on June 16, 1820 in Pennsylvania
Children: Joseph, Abraham Kyle, John Wesley, Harriet, Rebecca Phillips
Parents: John and Esther [Ester] (Foster) Allfree
Abraham Allfree
Died on the night of April 29, 1884, Abraham Allfree, in the 87th year of his age.
Father Allfree was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, Aug. 22, 1797. Moved to Knox County, Ohio, in the Spring of 1854, and to Jasper County, Iowa, in April 1866, since which time he has made his home with his youngest son in Sherman Township, this county, until the first of last March, when he went to make his home with Mrs. McCraken, west of Greencastle. He came to Newton a few days ago to attend some business, but the oil in the lamp was exhausted and the lamp went out ere the object of his visit was accomplished.
Four years ago last thanksgiving Father Allfree lost his companion who had accompanied him in life's journey for nearly sixty years. His departure today makes their lives of equal duration, both having lived 86 years and eight months. He has been an active worker in the Methodist Church for over 60 years, having held an exhort? license for most of that time. He leave six children that are all together today for the first time in 36 years. Joseph, being the oldest in the family, being here on a visit from Pennsylvania.
The funeral will take place from the residence of ? Phillips at half past ten o'clock tomorrow, May 1st. Services at the Baptist Church four miles west of Newton at 12. ~ The Journal, Newton, Iowa, April 30, 1884.
Ellnora (Luce) Allfree
Born: April 6, 1793 in Cape May, New Jersey
Died: November 27, 1879 in Jasper Co., Iowa
Buried: Lot 128, plot 8
Lot Owner: John Allfree - purchased 1882
Married: Abraham Allfree on June 16, 1820 in Pennsylvania
Children: Joseph, Abraham Kyle, John Wesley, Harriet, Rebecca Phillips
Parents: Daniel and Mary Luce
A Sorrowful Thanksgiving -- Death of Mother Allfree
As time was ushering in the morning of November 27th, that was to bring feelings of thankfulness and cheer in so many homes throughout our land, a sorrow-laden cloud was gradually encircling our home, bring with it grief and sadness to us unknown.
Our mother, from whom we had never been separated except for short intervals of time, was passing away. Those moments that were speeding the day that was to bring gladness to so many hearts, were only revealing to us our helplessness to longer retain with us our nearest and dearest.
When the shores of time were receding and her earthly vision was gone, and she said to those around her, "is there no oil that your lights have gone out" we were in sorrow to know that earthly lights had gone out with her forever; but presently, when as if she had stepped off the shores of time into that stream which separates us from the great beyond, and feeling the strong arm of that Savior in whom she had trusted for over sixty years, sustaining her, her voice, coming back as if were from the other shore in words plain and distinct, said, "I am saved!" we felt that we were not entirely without cause for thankfulness.
Mother Allfree's maiden name was Ellnora Luce, she was born in Cape May, New Jersey, April 6th, 1793; moved with her parents to Western Pennsylvania (Fayette Co.) when eleven years of age or in 1804. She was married to Abraham Allfree, Jan 16th, 1821; moved with her family to Knox county, Ohio, in the Spring of 1853 and to her late home in Sherman township, Jasper county, Iowa, in April 1866, from whence she took her departure for her final home, at two o'clock, Thursday morning Nov 27th, 1879, aged 86 years, 8 months and 21 days.
Mother Allfree united with the Presbyterian Church at Randolph, in Fayette Co., Pa., in 1816. After her marriage she lived in the vicinity of Perryopolis, same county, and with her husband attended a protracted meeting conducted by Sim Lack, one of the pioneers of Methodism in Western Pennsylvania, at which meeting she was converted, and with her husband united with the M.E. church, of which she has since been a constant member.
She was the mother of seven children, the eldest of whom died in infancy. The rest are living, and five of them reside in this county, there having been no death in her family for fifty six years.
She leaves a companion, who has shared her joys and cries for nearly fifty nine years, three sons and three daughters, twenty-eight grandchildren, nine great-grand children, and many friends in the three localities in which her life has been spent, to mourn her loss.
Thus another link of that wondrous chain of life that binds the last century to the present has dropped out of its place, and with it many an incident of our past history. ~ The Newton Journal, December 4, 1879.