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

Sharing

Sharing – to allow someone to use or enjoy something that one possesses.

Over the course of the last few years I’ve had so much fun connecting with cousins who, in most cases, I had no idea existed.  In some cases we’ve formed a facebook page where we could communicate, in other cases we’ve sent e-mails, but in all cases the most exhilarating part of connecting is sharing – information, stories, pictures.  Our common ancestors brought us together so it’s our turn to cultivate those relationships and honor our ancestors’ memories.

My cousin Kris, whom I “met” about 4 years ago, shares a very special ancestor with me, Emery Waller.  Emery was our 3rd great grandfather and the ancestor for whom I was able to have a stone placed on his unmarked grave.  You can read about the success in getting Emery’s grave marked here. 

I think the first photo that Kris shared with me was this beautiful photo of the two older sisters of my great grandmother, Mabel Viola McAboy Fitzgerald.  Lilly Gay McAboy was Kris’ great grandmother.

Clara and Lilly Gay McAboy c. 1890 Photo courtesy of Kris N.

The next photo Kris shared with me was of Emery’s daughter and the mother of Clara, Lilly, and Mabel McAboy.  I’ll never forget that early morning when I opened my e-mail and found this beautiful face staring at me.

Rebecca Moriah Waller McAboy 1845-1928 photo courtesy of Kris N.

And the most recent photos Kris shared arrived as I was out and about – thank goodness for mobile e-mail so I was able to see these right away.

Vera Agnes Langworthy and Lilly Gay McAboy Langworthy c. 1910 photo courtesy of Kris N.

Vera Langworthy was Kris’ grandmother.  And then two very special ladies in both of our lives….

Lilly Gay McAboy Langworthy and Mabel Viola McAboy Fitzgerald photo courtesy of Kris N.

Lilly and Mabel look so stern!  I was privileged to have known Mabel and spend time with her and I don’t remember that she was stern – I remember a very loving, caring woman and I am so thrilled that I was able to know her.

Mabel Viola McAboy Fitzgerald c. 1952

Thanks so much, Kris, for sharing your photos with me!

Sunday's Obituary: Rebecca Waller McAboy

Fresno Morning Republican
Wednesday, October 24, 1928
Page 11

Rebecca M. McAboy, Long Time Resident, Dies at Age of 83

Mrs. Rebecca M. McAboy, 83, resident of California for 38 years, and widow of the late W.W. McAboy, died last night at the home of her daughter, Mrs. W.K. Langworthy, 463 Belmont Avenue.  Mrs. McAboy was a native of Ohio and leaves a son and two other daughters, E.J. McAboy, Mrs. A.K. Dick and Mrs. E. Fitzgerald, all of Fresno.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later by Stephens & Bean.

Fresno Morning Republican
Thursday, October 25, 1928
Page 11

McAboy Funeral Today

Funeral services for Mrs. Rebecca M. McAboy, 83, a native of Ohio and mother of Mrs. A.K. Dick, Mrs. E. Fitzgerald, Mrs. W.R. Langworthy and E.J. McAboy, all of Fresno, who died Tuesday, are to be held this afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Stephens & Bean chapel, with burial to follow in the I.O.O.F. section of Mt. View cemetery.

Rebecca Waller McAboy
Mt. View Cemetery
Fresno, California

Rebecca was my 2nd great grandmother.  I wrote about her husband, William Warren McAboy - he was my Black Sheep ancestor.  Their youngest child, Mabel McAboy Fitzgerald, was my great grandmother.

Rebecca was the daughter of my favorite subject, Emery Waller.  Her mother, Rebecca Parker Waller, died 6 days after Rebecca Waller McAboy's birth. 

I'm anxious to learn more about Rebecca and hope that at some point I'll run across a photo of her.