Memorial Tributes – Mabel McAboy Fitzgerald

I’ve had this box of things tucked away in a drawer and I decided to finally get it out and look through it.  I guess it’s official that my paternal grandparents weren’t the only packrats in the family – they shared that gene with my maternal grandmother, as well.  Although I will say that I can completely understand hanging on to the things you received when your mother died – how could you throw something like that away?  Inside the box was this book.



And when I opened it up, I saw it was memorializing the death of my great grandmother, Mabel Viola McAboy Fitzgerald.  For the most part, the book was blank except for telling me that the services were held at the John N. Lisle Chapel in Fresno on November 15, 1966 at 2:30 p.m. with the Rev. Chester Snyder officiating.  But this page had some interesting information on it.



Clarence & Lorraine Follett (Mabel’s granddaughter and her husband)
Clara Hunter (Mabel’s daughter and my grandmother)
Warren Crawford (husband of Mabel’s daughter, Viola)
Stanley Fitzgerald (Mabel’s son)
E.F. Fitzgerald (Mabel’s husband and my great grandfather)
Viola Crawford (Mabel’s daughter)
Mr. & Mrs. Ferd. Fries (unknown but a pallbearer)
Mrs. Weisbrodt (unknown)
Winifred Hoey (daughter of Clara McAboy Hoey and Mabel’s niece)

And the funeral card.





I don’t remember anything about this funeral and have no idea if I was even there but my dad was a pallbearer.

And more stuff!



I went through each card – some were cards which were attached to floral arrangements and some were ‘announcing’ the presence of someone at the service.  Here’s a few interesting ones.



Looks like my paternal grandparents were there.  And that’s Sig’s handwriting.

And so many people sent flowers and someone wrote the type of arrangement on the back of the cards.



Henry was the son of Mabel’s sister, Lilly Gay McAboy, and William Ralph Langworthy.  Henry sent pink and white carnations.



John Fitzgerald was the brother of Edward Fitzgerald (my great grandfather) – Jack and Elfie were his son and daughter-in-law.  They sent lavender chrysanthemum and pink carnations with a pink bow.



And my paternal grandparents sent flowers and this is Loraine’s handwriting – I’d know it ANYWHERE!  They sent a bronze mum plant and someone added on the back Please Give Water.  Hope someone did that!



Even my parents sent flowers!  They sent a wreath of lavender mums, pom poms and pink roses.

This one just breaks my heart.



Oh geez, he sent flowers?  The spray sounds beautiful and had a satin ribbon saying “Loving Wife”.  I do remember after she died Great Grandpa was overcome with grief and cried for months.  As I remember, the two of them were having some sort of disagreement so Mabel decided to spend the night at my grandmother’s house where she died in her sleep, just 6 days before their 65th wedding anniversary.  And being a sensitive 12 year old, I also remember just a month later picking out cloth handkerchiefs as my gift to him for Christmas.

Mabel is buried in I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Fresno.



I don’t know why this is spelled Mable – everything I’ve seen is spelled Mabel including the record of her birth.  A mistake?  Did no one care or did no one take the time to make it right?

Mabel Viola McAboy Fitzgerald 6 Jun 1883 – 12 Nov 1966

Something Old, Something New

Something old – a white lace hankie that “Gram” had made & Mother carried at her wedding
Something new – most everything
Something borrowed – The hankie and the half-dime in my left shoe
Something blue – the garter

Here is mention of “Gram” again.  While I thought Gram was probably my dad’s grandmother, I’m not so sure now.  I know my mom called her mother-in-law Mother in later years but would she have called her Mother right when she got married?  I need to ponder that for awhile.  I remember carrying a hankie when I was married and Mom told me it was my grandmother’s – which grandmother would that have been?  And the half-dime in my left shoe?  Yep, had that with me, too.  And I think (help me out here, girls) my daughters both carried the hankie and half-dime, too. 

Here’s the hankie we carried.  Doesn’t look too white or lacey but Mom told me this was the one. 



I also have a half-dime, too, but since it’s in the safe deposit box, I can’t post a photo of it here.

And Mom even talks about her trousseau – do brides even worry about that today?



Lovely nighties, slips, panties, robes & other lingerie.  Dresses, shorts, slacks, bathing suits, shoes – everything anyone could want – and Gordon too!

Awwwwwwww.



And now we know who the bridal party was.  Some of these names are familiar to me.

Mrs. Nicholas Renner – this was Jodi (or Joanie) Renner, matron of honor.  I remember asking mom about that earlier this year.

Mrs. Keith Miller – Keith Miller was one of my dad’s best friends growing up in Fresno.  We always had an inside joke about Keith Miller and his lack of expression in his voice.  I’m sure my siblings will remember it.

Mrs. Clarence Follet – Mom’s cousin, Loraine Feuerenstein.  Loraine’s mother, Viola, and my grandmother, Clara Fitzgerald, were sisters.

Mrs. Robert Burkhart – Mom’s cousin, Norma Jean Hoey.  The relationship is a little more complicated but Norma Jean descends from Clara McAboy, sister to my great grandmother, Mabel McAboy. 

Patricia Davis – Future wife of my dad’s brother, Robert Levy. 



So many newspaper articles with more to come.  And the question as to who carried the hankie will be answered!