Bigelow, Mary M.

Death of Mrs. Charles N. Bigelow. After a protracted and painful illness, Mrs. C. N. Bigelow died at her home in Springfield, Saturday, Jul 22, aged 33 years and 6 months. Mary M. Bigelow was the youngest daughter of the late jesse D. and Martha A. Maybee, and was born and raised in the township of Independence. Haer parents, possessing ample means, sent her to good schools, and gave her proper advantages for obtaining a thorough and practical education, and such other accomplishments as accorded with her taste and were considered necessary. She improved her time well, and as a well educated and refined woman and a fine musician. At the age of 15, she joined the Presbyterian Church of Sashabaw. It was while attending school at Clarkston that Miss Maybee met the young man who became her husband, Charles N. Bigelow. On May 29, 1884, Miss Mary Mybee and Charles Nolton Bigelow were united in holy bonds of matrimony and soon thereafter went to live on the farm of Mr. Bigelow had purchased, and which was formerly the home of his parents. There the young couple settled down to the realities of life, and were blessed with prosperity. As years went by, two fine and healthy boys came to bless their union. The first shadow fell upon the happiness of this house several years ago. when the young wife and mother was taken sick, and was finally persuaded to go to the sanitarium at Battle Creek, where she spent several months in receiving treatment, and returned home benefited, though not fully recovered to health. Mrs. Bigelow has been in delicate health since that time, although able to be about. Mrs. Bigelow as president of the Ladies' Missionary society and a teach of the young people's Bible class in Sunday school, as also a leader in all works and societies of the church. She was exceedingly kind hearted and charitable, and was ever ready to make any sacrifice of her comfort and health to relieve those in distress or affliction. During the coldest weather of the winter of 1898, she received word that a motherless boy belonging to a poor family some miles away was very sick, and in a dying condition, and with her husband, she drove over there and worked all over him and cared for him until all anger pasted, but in doing so she took a violent cold, from which she never recovered. The death of her father, Jesse D. Maybee, alst November was a great shock to her, and she came near passing away from heart trouble and excessive grief on the day of his funeral, and it was noticed by her family that she began to fail more rapidly from that time. She leaves, surviving her, a husband, two sons, Fred and Jesse, aged respectively 13 and 10 years, besides a mother, Mrs. Jesse D. Maybee, two sisters, Mrs. E. G. Robbins and Mrs J. R. Jones, and a brother John Maybee, and numerous more distance relatives. It was not in the fullness of years and ripe old age, but in the noonday of life, when this world must have looked to her the brightest and this life must have possessed its greatest charms and attractions that she was called upon to leave. She murmured not at going, but it was a terrible struggle for her to part with those dear children who needed a mother's care, and to break those tender ties and leave husband, mother, sisters and brother. The funeral services were held at the family residence in Springfield on Tuesday afternoon, July 25th, at 2 o'clock and were attended by a large gathering of sorrowing relatives. Rev. Hazard, pastor of the M. E. church of Davisburg of which deceased was a prominent and faithful member, was assisted in officiating by the Rev. Buck of the Presbyterian church of Holly, and Rev. Oliver of the Methodist church of Davisburg. The pastor delivered a deeply impressive sermon, and in the course of his remarks on the Christian life and service she had rendered the church and the cause of religion paid a splendid tribute to the memory of the deceased. At the conclusion of the services, the casket was closed and silently and tenderly borne from the parlor to the hearse by six young gentlemen, members of her Sunday school class at Davisburg. The remains were temporarily deposited in the vault of Lakeside cemetery.