Mrs. Joseph Allen Dead

Hattie E. Finger was born in Lawrence Co., Indiana, July 18, 1848, and died in Blair July 12, 1913.

She first came to Nebraska about three months before Blair was platted. Her two sisters, Mrs. Mary Johnson and Mrs. Elizabeth Arnold, who will be remembered by the older settlers of Blair and Washington county, had preceded her, both of whom were called hence some years ago and now sleep in the Blair cemetery.

She was married to Joseph Allen in Blair on Dec. 22, 1880. They have lived here almost continuously since that time. She had no children of her own but reared to manhood and womanhood the three sons and one daughter of a former wife of her bereaved husband.

Mrs. Allen was of a family of seven children, and is survived by only one of them, Mrs. Tabitha Patterson, who resides at Indianapolis, Ind., and who is known and has many friends in Blair, having visited her sister quite frequently.

At her bedside during the closing hours of her life were gathered her beloved and sorrowing husband, the step-daughter, Mrs. W. M. Armstrong of this city, two nieces, Mrs. Hattie Kessler and Mrs. Ella Snyder of Council Bluffs, and her nephew, Mr. Albert Johnson of Omaha.

Her step-sons Cisero Allen and wife of Sidney, Nebr., and Scott Allen of Cheyenne arrived in time to pay their last respects at her gave.

She leaves her devoted and loving husband practically alone in the world, and it is upon him the blow falls most severely. He yet has his children to comfort him in his declining years, but his life companion s gone and his home is broken.

The funeral was conducted by Rev. Lang, Monday afternoon and interment made in the Rose Hill cemetery.

#2-Published in the Pilot July 16, 1913

Mrs. Joseph Allen, whom we mentioned last week as being in critical condition from a stroke of paralysis brought on by becoming overheated, died at 11:35 o’clock Thursday morning last. Funeral services were held at 2 o’clock and burial was at Rose Hill Cemetery, Rev. Lang of the M. E. Church officiating.

Hattie E. Finger was born in Lawrence County, Ind., July 18th, 1848. She first came to Blair about three months before the townsite was platted and was therefore an early pioneer. Her two sisters, Mrs. Mary Johnson and Mrs. Elizabeth Arnold, who will be remembered by many people here, had preceded her, both of who died some years ago, and now sleep in the Blair Cemetery. She was married to Joseph Allen in Blair on December 22, 1880. They have lived here almost continuously, except for a short time spent in the south and a few years in south-western Colorado. However, they always claimed Blair as their home. Mrs. Allen had no children of her own but reared to manhood and womanhood the three sons and one daughter of her bereaved husband. There are Mrs. W. M. Armstrong, of this city, Cicero of Sidney, Neb., Scott Allen, of Cheyenne, Wyo., both railway conductors, and Geo. Allen, who conducts meat markets at Ouray and Ridgeway, Colo. Mrs. Allen was of a family of seven children and is survived by only one of them, Mrs. Tabitha Patterson, of Indianapolis, Ind., who is also quite well known and has a number of friends in Blair, having visited her sister here frequently. Her advanced age prevented her from coming to the funeral.

While Mrs. Allen was not a member of any religious organization she was a firm believer in Christianity and endeared to live an upright, Christian life. Being of a literary nature she was quite a reader, and for a number of years past was a constant and daily reader of the Bible, as its well-thumbed paged lying upon her center table go to testify. And let it be said that she made and earnest and successful effort to follow its teachings. Few people in any community were ever more familiar with its pages, in which he had marked a large number of favorite passages. The M. E. Church was her favorite religious denomination and she often attended its services. The truths treasured from the holy book proved a great help and solace to her in the latter years of her life.

At her bedside during the closing hours of her life were gathered her beloved and grief-stricken husband and step-daughter, Mrs. Armstrong, of this city, their three nieces, Mrs. Hattie Kessler, Mrs. Ella Snyder and Mrs. Hiatt, all of Council Bluffs, her nephew, Mrs. Albert Johnson, of Omaha, and a large number of sorrowing relative and friends of the family who reside in Blair. Her step-son Cicero Allen and wife and Scott Allen arrived in time to attend the funeral and pay their last respects at her grave. She leaves her devoted and loving husband practically alone in the world, and it is upon him the blow falls most severely. True, he yet has his children to comfort him in his declining years, but his life companion is gone and his home is broken up and he has the heartfelt sympathy of the write, and surely of all good people.

~~~ Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~