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Mary Jane Bowlby Hornbacker - obit transcription
Posted by: "cynthia" cynthia@bowlbyfamily.org cynthiabowlby
Date: Tue May 13, 2008 8:23 am ((PDT))
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Obiturary of Mary Jane Bowlby Hornbacker
The Washington Star, Thursday, May 25, 1893 Washington, New Jersey
Death of an Aged Resident
Mrs. Mary Jane Bowlby, wife of Francis K. Hornbacker, died at her home on Hornbaker street, this borough, on Sunday monring, aged 86 years and 6 days.
Mrs. Hornbaker was the great-granddaughter of John Bowlby who made a track through the wilderness more than one hundred and fifty years ago and built a log home on the banks of the Musconetcong where Imlaydale now stands. His grandfather was John Bowlby, Jr., who received 295 acres of land from his father by deed dated Oct. 22, 1765. Robert Bowlby, son of John, Jr., inherited a part of this land, which is now known as the Robert Hornbaker farm. He married Jane Adams and raised a family. Mary Jane, the subject of this notice, was a daughter of Robert and Jane Bowlby. She was born May 15, 1807.
The Christmas of the year 1828 was a memorable one at the home of Robert and Jane Bowlby. On that day Samuel A. Hornbaker and Martha Bowlby and Francis K. Hornbaker and Mary Jane Bowlby stood up before the Rev. Jacob R. Castner and were married. The gooms were brothers and the brides were sisters. Samuel A. Hornbaker and Martha, his wife, have joined the silent majority, and now Mary Jane is with them leaving Francis K. alone in the world, of the four happy hearts that beat in unison upon a Christmas day more than sixty-four years ago.
Mrs. Hornbaker had not been in good health for a number of years. She had been troubled with asthma which was aggravated at times by cold. When feeling comparatively good she was a most companionable old lady, having not only a retentive memory but a most interesting way of relating the store of incidents of her own life in the lives of her ancestors.
Now that she is dead, and the ties that bound her to the husband of her youth are severed, he, old and nearly blind, deserves and will receive the sympathy of the community. For more than sixty-four years they traveled life's pathway together, sharing the sunshine and the sorrow and each supported by the companionship of the other. But that tie is now broken; the aged pilgrims have separated; the wife has gone hence and the husband will walk alone until summoned to his final rest.
Mrs. Hornbaker was able to be up and about the house until Monday evening of last week when she took to her bed the the last time. Her old disease, the asthma, assumed an aggravated form and so weakened her system that she died of heart failure at 9 o'clock Sunday morning. This is the first death that has occurred in the family in sixty-one years.
In 1832 the second of the infant daughters died.
She is survived by a husband and two ___________________John. The former has always _____________while the latter is married and lives opposite. She leaves neither brother nor sister -- she was the last of her generation.
The funeral took place yesterday (Wednesday) morning at 10:30 o'clock, at the house of Rev. C. D. Nott Officiating. Interment in the Washington Cemetery.