The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-28
MARY E. TALOOTT.

At ten minutes past two O'Clock on
Tuesday afternoon, April II, in the city
of Chicago, the philanthropist and
Christian saint, Mrs. MARY II. TAI
CoTT breathed her last. TIC those who
stood about the bed when the change
came, it did not seem like death. Like
a wearied child she simply dropped to
sleep. Her funeral was attended at the
Church of the Redeemer, on the Thurs
day following, Rev. Chas. Conklin Off
ciating, assisted by Rev. E. l. Calvin.
A large congregation was present to do
honor to noble woman. The floral
decorations were varied and beautiful,
the services most impressive, and the
sermon by the pastor was wisely worded
and feelingly spoken.
Were the writer to use language com
mon on such occasions, he would say,
''and thus closes a life enriched and
sanctifed by good deeds" This, how
ever, would not express the truth in
this case. Mrs. Talcott's life is not
closed. The body is worn out and laid
aside, but the woman lives in thou
sand benevolent enterprises, and many
and varied public and private charities.
A good deed, like good thought, never
dies. It goes on year by year, and age
alter age. working out. ministries of
good VIII for the world.
Mrs, Talcott was the daughter of
Seth and Chloe Taylor Otis, and was
born in Watertown, N. Y, May %,
1919. She came West with her family
in 1888, and located in the town Of JEFF
ferson, Cook county, Ill. She was mar
ried to Mancel Talcott, a young farmer
living near by, Oct. 25, 1911. In 1850
Mr.. Talcott joined the great army of
fortune seekers in California, leaving
the young wife to manage the farm.
This was great responsibility in
country sparsely settled, and market for
farm products many miles away. But
she did it so satisfactorily that when
her husband returned, little less than
three years thereafter, he made his
heroic wife a present of the farm.
Mr.. Talcott's life in the California
mines was reasonably successful; and in
the mean time having formed taste
for business in other lines than that of
farming, he moved to Chicago and en-
gagged in the enterprise which in few
years enabled him to retire upon an
ample fortune. Possessing a noble and
generous nature, with the hearty sym
pathy and cooperation of his wife, he
set about devising the best way to be-
stow their surplus means upon the
helpless and the worthy poor. Their
plans, however, were only partially ma
tured when Mr.. Taleott died, June 5th,
1878, leaving the wife to complete
them, and devise the best methods for
carrying on the work. How grandly
the good woman has succeeded, the
many munifcent benefactions to the
charitable institutions of Chicago, and
the great variety of her private gifts,
demonstrate.
Mrs. TalcOtt's public donations have
been principally divided among the
following institutions Old Peoples
Home, The Half Orphan Asylum, Chi
cago Orphan Asylum, Chicago HOspi-
tai for Women and Children, Home for
the Friendless, NeWsboys' Home,
Foundlings' Home, Industrial School
for Girls, Home for Incurables, Free
kindergarten Schools, Prisoners Aid
Society, Chicago Atheneum, and the
Humane Society. Her private benefac-
tions have covered a wide range, and
have been bestowed in so quiet and un-
ostentatiOus a manner that only the
gross amount can be approximated. She
has distributed hundreds of tons of coal
every year among the destitute, thou
sands of stockings and shoes to needy
women and children, and clothing, and
bedding, and food to people of all nation
alities, suffering from every variety
of destitution. She has paid hospital
expenses for the treatment of the sick,
surgeons bills for the care of cripples,
house rent to prevent the poor tenant
from being turned out of doors, and fed
hundreds of hungry people who have
come to her dOOr-in fact, there is no
kind of suffering or misfortune occur
ring among men, but that has received