| Notes |
- Obituary
At the age of 99 years, nine months and nine days, Mary Jane Haskell, a Ch1na, pioneer wife, homemaker and mother, passed away Tuesday evening in her little white farm home just off the main highway in Weeks Mills, where she had lived ever since she was four years old.
Two sons, Everett Haskell of Zephyr Hill, Fla., and Ulysses Haskell of China and one daughter, Mrs. Belle Mitchell, Weeks Mills, with whom she lived, survive her.
Even though she was nearly at the century mark in life, up to the very last she retained her keen interest in life and one of her greatest joys of late years was motoring. She delighted in taking long motor rides but was always glad to arrive home at the end at day. She always said that she had never seen any place she liked better than her own home.
She was born on the Pond Road in China. June 5, 1933, the daughter of Elihu and Mahala (Lancaster) Cole and she was but four years old when her homestead was destroyed by fire. The family then moved to the Weeks Mills section of the town, where she had since Iived. Her father finished the house after his little family moved into it, because he was a carpenter and a joiner. She remembered many occasions when her father took his tool chest on his shoulders and struck out for Belfast where he had work to do. One time friends brought him home behind a pair of kicking horses that they wanted to try out and she long recalled the span come flying into the yard only to start kicking as much as their breeching would permit, when they were halted.
On Oct. 5, 1854, Mary Jane Cole became the bride at Samuel C. Haskell and he brought her to the home of her parents so they continued to live In her home. She went to the district school near her home and left there when 14 years of age. She attended the Friends Church in Dirigo and also at South China.
When the Civil War broke out her husband marched away and there were two small children in the home, a third being born after he had gone. He was away two years and she carried on the farm and the home during his absence, in the real pioneer mother spirit.
Besides her husband she saw three brothers answer the call of their country, Ezekiel, William and Wilson. It was William who died in Salisbury prison, There was a fourth brother, Stephen, who left home many years ago and has never since been heard from.
Mrs. Haskell brought up six children and three survive her, eleven grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren are Included in the late Mrs. Haskell's family circle. Mrs. Haskell was the last at nine children.
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1833 - 1933 (99 years)
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