Bluefield Evening Leader, Bluefield, West Virginia

Monday, December 28, 1908, page 1

Mrs Hattie A Hannah, who recently went to Florida on account of her health, died at the home of her nephew, B S Higginbotham, in DeLand, Florida, on Christmas day. Mrs Hannah had long been a sufferer from tuberculosis and for several months last year her life was almost despaired of. for awhile after reaching Florida she appeared to improve, but her advancing age and the ravages of the disease were too much for her delicate constitution and she succumbed to the first relapse. Mrs Hannah was a daughter of Madison A Allen, a wealthy and influential farmer of Kimberling, Bland county, Va, his old home near brick church still being in the Allen family. In early life she was married to Allen Hannan with whom she lived happily for several years until his death at Marietta, Ga. After her husband's death she spent some months with her brothers and sisters, Messrs John, Miller and Jeff Allen, of Bland county, Ca, and Mrs John S Carr and Mrs J B Higginbotham of this county. After the completion of the Norfolk and Western railway through this valley she made her home with Mrs Higginbotham and while the summit was only a flag stop and Graham the principal town for several miles, there were a good many farmers who would be accommodated by a postoffice at this point and the siding here was used by Chas Scott & Co, the contractors and several lumber mills nearby, so Mrs Hannah applied to the postoffice department to establish an office here and when the department was searching for a name she suggested Bluefield and so the name was adopted. When the railway company twenty-one years ago this December decided to locate a town here they adopted the name of the postoffice as their name for a town and so it has remained.

Mrs Hannah conducted a millinery and notion store here for several years and was quite successful in a business way. She owned a beautiful home on Wyoming street, where she spent her later years in ease and comfort.

Mrs Hannah's age is not know to the writer, but she could hardly have been less than 75 years of age, although her looks did not betray her age. She was a woman of culture and refinement, and a Christian. She was a member of the Presbyterian church of this city and took part in its organization. She loved her church, as she did her Master, and it was fitting that her funeral should be conducted from the church here where she had spent so many years and by the pastor who knew and esteemed her for her lovely Christian character.

The remains were accompanied from Florida by Miss Rebecca Harris, who had been her faithful friend and housekeeper for several years, and after the funeral at the Presbyterian church at ten o'clock, her remains were laid to rest in the Higginbotham plot in Walnut Grove cemetery. She rests well.