|
|
Obituary of Elizabeth Gardner May Reynolds
My Great-Great-Grandmother
Note: This is a transcription of two obituaries from the Prophetstown, Illinois, newspaper upon the death of Elizabeth May Reynolds, widow of Phineas Bates Reynolds. It was transcribed and sent to me 9/2001 by Ms. Susie Roth, who is the great-granddaughter of Elizabeth's sister. The original obituaries were among Ms. Roth's mother's papers.
Death of Mrs. P.B. Reynolds
For Many Years a Resident of Prophetstown [Ill.] and an Old Settler
Born August 26, 1836
Died Nov. 7, 1912
Word came to Prophetstown Wednesday of the death of Mrs. P. B. Reynolds a former citizen of this place and one of the pioneer settlers of the county. Mrs. Reynolds had been ailing for the past six months and died on November 7th at her home in Lexington, Nebr., where she had lived for the past thirty years. Her husband preceded her in death several years. At the time of her death her children, six in number, were at her bedside.While in Prophetstown Mrs. Reynolds with her husband and family lived south of town some three and a half miles. She will be remembered by all of the older citizens as a Christian lady, ever faithful to the cause. When she lived her Prophetstown had but one church, and that poorly attended, but she was one of the faithful attendants.
We will probably have an obituary later on her life.
[A longer obituary was also among my (Ms. Roth) mother's keepsakes]
Miss Elizabeth May was born in Bath, Steuben county, New York, August 26, 1836. She lived with her parents [Gen. Samuel Stillman May and Barbara Logan May] until she was twenty-one. She received her education in Bath in a private school, where in addition to the regular curriculem [sic] she studied Latin, Greek, French and Hebrew, afterwards becoming a teacher in French and Hebrew in her home town, at the time being only eighteen years of age when she commenced teaching, and for three years was thus engaged.
It was when on a visit to Davenport that she met Mr. P. B. Reynolds and in the year 1857 she was married. To this union were born nine children, two of whom died in infancy. One daughter, Mrs. Bessie Johnson, died two years ago. Six children remain: Mrs. H. V. Temple, S. S. Reynolds, E. B. Reynolds, H. B. Reynolds, Mrs. Charles Spencer and Mrs. Whitney Irwin.
Mrs. Reynolds was the grand-mother of twenty-four children and great grandmother of one. Mrs. Reynolds was converted in childhood, becoming a member of the M. E. church. After her marriage she with her husband became residents of Prophetstown, both of whom were active in church and all other philanthropic work. After leaving here in 1880, the family moved to Aurora, Neb. In 1887 the family moved to Colorado, where they remained until 1895, when they returned to Nebraska, settling in Lexington.
Mrs. Reynolds' husband died in 1901, thus the tie that was united in 1857 was broken. Mrs. Reynolds was ever active in Christian work and during her career was the means of organizing five Sunday schools. In all the branches of church work she took the initiative. She loved the church so well that she built her little home, "Rest Cottage" near the church that she might be within reach of all its services. On the night of her death she remarked that she would not be able to attend services on hearing the bell ring for the same.
She will be remembered by a large circle of friends in this community, and we believe the work that she did here will live long after she is forgotten. At the ripe old age of 76 years, 3 months and 11 days, the house of this early [sic] tabernacle was dissolved and she entered that "house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens." Thus another of the old landmarks of humanity, well known in Prophetstown, has been taken.
From Ms. Roth: My mother's notes indicate that she received family genealogy information that a son of Elizabeth Gardiner May and Phineas B. Reynolds was Edward Bates Reynolds, married Edna B. Reese, and had a son Warren Bates Reynolds.My maternal grandmother was named after Mrs. H. V. Temple, daughter of Elizabeth May and P. B. Reynolds. My grandmother's name was Jennie Temple Greene Sieben.
To the Family Card for Elizabeth Gardner May and Phineas Bates Reynolds
To my Reynolds Family Home Card
To the Navigation Room
Contact
wjreynolds-AT-yahoo.com http://www.geocities.com/wjreynolds/
http://wjra1.fortunecity.com/Updated 13 June 2006
