ELIZABETH ESTHER (ARNETT) DEPEW , was born in New York City, March eighth, eighteen hundred twenty-eight. Was married to W. C. Depew January twenty-third, eighteen hundred forty five. To this union were born fifteen children, two of whom died in infancy. Thirteen grew to manhood and womanhood, and twelve are now living. One, Everson S., was drowned in June eighteen hundred ninety-one. The family moved to Illinois from Staten Island, New York, in April, eighteen hundred sixty-seven, and until the time of his death, Mr. Depew was a farmer. By the death of her husband on January twenty-third, eighteen hundred eighty-nine, she was left a widow with two small girls to care for. In eighteen hundred ninety she removed from Lee Center to Abingdon, Illinois, to make her home with one of her sons who at that time was pastor of the Congregational church and since that time she continued to be the head of the household. She died at Roberts, Illinois, July first, nineteen hundred sixteen. In her earlier life she united with the Methodist church on Staten Island, New York, and from her sixteenth year she has been a consecrated, devoted christian, living her simple life under many difficulties, but maintaining the high ideals of her christian experience. As early as eighteen hundred seventy-five she became identified with the Congregational church when she began to attend the service and Suinday school carried on in the Hulbert school house in Bradford under the minitry of the Rev. James Brewer. When the services there was abandoned she put her membership in the Lee Center church and attended the service with remarkable faithfulness and punctuality. She took her letter from this church to the Abingdon church and changed with the changing pastorate, until in nineteen hundred, when she united with the Wayne church and remained in this connection until her death. On account of the rebuilding of the Congregational church that is now under way in Lee Center, the funeral was held there from the Methodist church Thursday morning, July 6th at 10:30, Rev. H. E. Heyse officiating. The burial was at Woodside cemetery.
Contributed by Carolyn Jarvey - Amboy News 7 July 1916
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