Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Roe, H. Maria January 2, 1915 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net June 23, 2010, 7:59 pm The Portland Observer, Thursday, January 7, 1915 When the lifeless remains of Mrs. J. B. Roe were lowered into a crypt in Portland cemetery Monday afternoon social, literary and spiritual Portland saw one of its real pillars gently and ceremoniously laid in the immortal resting place designed for all mankind. Simultaneously many admirers of the dead woman, unable to suppress their sorrow further gave way to their feelings and wept bitterly. The candle of a useful life had been extinguished. The heart of a beautiful character would beat no more. The pulse of a noble woman was dead. For upwards of 38 years Mrs. J. B. Roe had been an invalid, but with characteristic cheerfulness she never complained, working diligently, even so until the recent holiday season, to gladden the hearts of others more fortunate physically then herself. Although seriously handicapped by crippled hands she ignored her affliction as her noble desire to be of service to others and applied continuously, up until within a few days of her death, the splendid literary training she received early in life by carrying on an extensive correspondence in the interests of social and benevolent work. Last winter she wrote letters to former Portland people in all sections of the county, soliciting financial contributions for the memorial window in the new M. E. church dedicated to her friend, the late Mrs. Edith Kennedy. She apparently forgot her own misfortune while thus engaged and put her very spirit into the work of doing praiseworthy deeds over her friends and the community in general. Her loss will be keenly felt. H. Maria Allen, daughter of Peters Allen and N. Jane Maynard, and a sister of the late Capt. E. M. Allen, of Portland, was born on her father’s farm in Williamson township, Wayne County, N.Y., August 6th, 1845, making her upwards of 69 years of age at the time of her death. Upon completing her early education in the public schools of Williamson township, she entered the Marion Collegiate institute in Wayne county, N.Y., and later the Brockport Collegiate Institute in Monroe County, N.Y., graduating from the latter in 1864 as valedictorian of her class. From that time until her marriage to J.B. Roe on June 4th 1867, she was a popular teacher in various schools in the vicinity of her home. Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Roe took up their residence on a 160 acre farm near Penfield, N.Y., where they remained until they moved to Portland in 1874. Mrs. Roe began her literary activities here at that time by identifying herself with the work of organizing the Ladies’ Literary Club. She was one of the charter members of the society and its first president. In 1875 both Mr. and Mrs. Roe affiliated with the local M.E. church under the pastorate of the late Rev. J. W. Reed. A short time after Mrs. Roe became president of the Woman’s Foreign Missions society, an auxiliary of the church. In this capacity she was instrument in establishing a mission store here and in founding the Ladies’ Missionary society of the local church. In 1875 happiness came to Mr. and Mrs. Roe in the birth of their first child, Helen Orrena, who died five years later. It was on Thanksgiving day, 1876 that Mrs. Roe fell on a slippery sidewalk while leaving the home of Prof. and Mrs. W. H. Stone, close personal friends, and from injuries sustained at that time she never recovered although she was able to continue her literary and religious work on an extensive scale for some years afterward. Upon moving to Detroit in 1888 Mrs. Roe became teacher of a bible class in the Case avenue M.E. church, building up the membership to a total of 72, the largest of any class in the city. She was also corresponding secretary of the Detroit Woman’s Foreign Missionary society for several years, and at an international convention of missionary societies, held in Detroit during her residence there, Mrs. Roe delivered the address of welcome to the delegates from all parts of the world. For three years she made weekly visitation to the Harper and Grace hospitals in Detroit, carrying flowers and reading matter to the patients. For many years Mr. and Mrs. Roe maintained a summer home at Bay View, Mich., the Chautauqua of the west, and it was during that time that Mrs. Roe became active in the literary and educational life of the famous Michigan summer resort. In 1897 she became field secretary of the widely known Bay View Reading Circle, in which capacity she organized literary societies in various parts of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Upon returning to the old Roe homestead at Penfield, N.Y., in 1900 Mrs. Roe accepted the state secretaryship of the Bay View Reading Circle and organized a large number of literary clubs throughout the state. Up until a few years ago she wrote an occasional juvenile story for the Michigan Christian Advocate, published in Detroit. Mr. and Mrs. Roe returned to Portland eight years ago, since which time they have made their home with their daughter, Mrs. H. F. Caswell. Since her return to Portland eight years ago, Mrs. Roe has been entirely deprived of the use of her limbs, and was able to get about only by means of a wheel chair. She loved the outdoor theatre of nature and in summer spent most of her time outside. The green trees, the lawns, the birds and the flowers all contained a charm for her, and she often praised God that in spite of her weak physical condition there was still left many blessings for her to enjoy. Her case was an object lesson for the pessimist. Two years ago Mrs. Roe became interested in Christian Science and devoted much of her time to a study of the work. The benefit she derived was remarkable, her physical condition up until Monday of last week, when she was seized with an attack of capillary bronchitis developing into pneumonia, having been stronger than at any time within the past ten years. The end came at 11:30 Saturday morning after a brief illness. Her husband, who has been on the road for the Lewis Publishing Co., of Chicago, for a number of years, came home to spend the New Year holiday and was with his wife when she breathed her last. The funeral services, which were attended from the residence of Mrs. H. F. Caswell, the only surviving daughter, at 2:00 o’clock Monday afternoon, were in charge of Miss Agnes Chalmers, of Grand Rapids, a Christian Science teacher and practitioner, who read the twenty-third psalm and repeated the Lord’s prayer in unison with those present. Mrs. Grace Speaker, one of the leaders in the local Christian Science movement, rendered an impressive solo, “There is No Night there,” Miss Frances Park playing the piano accompaniment. The pallbearers were John A. McClelland, U. J. Maynard, E. D. Woodbury and Fred L. Francis. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/r/roe5982nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 7.4 Kb