wife of Sen. John Norvell.

Her Obituary from the Detroit Free Press

The late Mrs. Isabella H. Norvell, the announcement of whose sudden death in Sunday Morning's paper was a shock to her friends came to this city with her husband, the late Senator John Norvell from Philadelphia in 1831. Mr. Norvell having been appointed by President Jackson as Postmaster of Detroit, then a place of some eighteen hundred inhabitants.

For several years Mrs. Norvell assisted her husband in the discharge of his duties, being an invaluable aid to him in office. For a considerable portion of the time since the death of her late husband Mrs. Norvell resided at Grosse Isle, but a few years since she returned to Detroit and at the time of her decease resided with her daughter Mrs. H.N Walker at the old homestead. She leaves surviving her two daughters and seven sons, of the latter of whom six were at one time engaged in the late war. Two of them Capt. Stevens T. Norvell and Major John M. Norvell are still in the Army.

Although singularly unportentious and unassuming, Mrs. Norvell was widely known and as widely esteemed, while in her own inner circle she was the object of devoted love which was largely mingled with veneration. In every relation of life whether a wife, mother, or friend, she was as exemplary Christian woman and the beautiful lesson she leaves of a life spent in the steadfast performance of duty is one which will long be remembered by her sorrowing friends.

During the Civil War 6 of her 8 sons were in uniform and she was recognized as the mother with the most sons in uniform from Michigan.

Daughter of Sarah DeWeese Hodgkiss and Michael Hodgkiss.
Adopted by Tristram B. Freeman of Philadelphia.

Her sister was Martha Hodgkiss Long
the wife of Stephen Harriman Long
the noted American Western explorer.