Ruth Elizabeth Abbey
Ruth Elizabeth Abbey was born October 31, 1888, in Orion Twp., Richland Co., WI, and died September 22, 1894, in Orion Twp., Richland Co., WI, at age 5. Buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Orion Twp., Richland Co., WI. She is the daughter of William Searle Abbey of Hope Twp., Durham Co., Canada West, and Ida Elmira Blake of Orion Twp., Richland Co., WI.
TIMELINE
The Wisconsin State Journal, Sunday, January 15, 1956
The Mayfields Report
Mrs. Leslie Mayfield writes from Wilton:
"If you would ask my mother-in-law where she was born and what physicians attended, she would say, 'I was born in a sod shanty and no doctor was there.' "Mother, Mrs. Cyrus Mayfield, of Dodgeville, related the following story to me: " 'My parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Abbey, and my oldest brother, Irvin, lived in Richland county. Early in 1878, they decided to go west to homestead some land. In their covered wagon, drawn by horses, they had some clothing, bedding, and cooking utensils, including a long-handled skillet, water pail, tin plates and cups, some steel knives and forks, and a coffee pot. " 'Mother and Dad worked their way west to earn food for themselves and their horses and a place to sleep. " 'By fall, they had arrived in Norton county, Kansas. Here they homesteaded 160 acres. There was not time nor material to build a log or lumber building as they had back in Richland county. Dad put up a sod shanty. He put up a framework and used sods about 1 foot square. The one room building was about 16 feet square. " 'I was born in this sod shanty, Mar. 26, 1879. Mother named me Iva Mae. " 'She used to laugh when she told of my first christening. Late in April of 1879 there was a long rainy season and, of course, a sod shanty would let water seep in. Mother heard a fussing near the cradle and found me floundering in a mud puddle on the floor. I had fallen out of bed.' On Mar. 29, 1956, the Lord willing, Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Mayfield will celebrate their 57th wedding anniversary. Their six children are Melva Egalhoff, Dodgeville; Mrs. C. H. Thompson, Ft. Madison, Ia.; Mrs. Art Held, Chicago; Mrs. Herman Crume, 17 N. Brearly st., Madison; Marvin, of International Falls, Minn., and Leslie, of Wilton."
Ruth Elizabeth Abbey was born October 31, 1888, in Orion Twp., Richland Co., WI.
Ruth Elizabeth Abbey died September 22, 1894, in Orion Twp., Richland Co., WI, at age 5. Buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Orion Twp., Richland Co., WI.
Ruth Elizabeth Abbey is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Orion Twp., Richland Co., WI, near her grandparents, Simon and Mary Blake.
RUTH E. Dau. of WM & IDA ABBEY, died Sep.22, 1894, Aged 5 yrs. 10 ms. 22 ds.
Gone but not forgotten.
Picture taken June 30, 2003
Thanks to Find-A-Grave for making this image available.