The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-11-27
Death Of a welI-seloved Teacher.

An abrupt ending to q life and career
of service, devotion and answering f.
deity to public service came yesterday
morning in the summons of death upon
Miss Phoebe Fairchild, the oldest mem
Der of the teaching corps of the east side
High school, and well beloved by host
of friends throughout the city. The
call came suddenly and Unexpectedly at
o'clock a. m. when after day of
acute and intense suffering she passed
away calmly and peacefully. The news
brought sense of profound grief and
gloom to all who knew her. There was
no premonition or warning of SO fast an
approaching end, as Miss Fairchild had
only absented herself from her duties on
Friday, and by most of her friends her
illness was thought to be merely slight
indisposition. Death told different
story, however. and, although the cause
of death cannot be accurately ascribed,
it is known that she suffered from bow
ell trouble and other kindred diseases.
At her bedside there was one sister,
Mrs. Lucy Broad, of Owosso, which is
Miss Fairchild's home city, and upon a
hurried summons Mr.. and Mrs. Jesse
Shattuck, of the same city, arrived,
Mrs. Shattuck being a niece of the de-
| ceased.
Rev. Nelson s. Bradley conducted
hriaf f,,nara1 carv;cao ovar tho rom aims
preparatory to their removal to Owosso
yesterday afternoon at the home of Mr..
and Mrs. Hamilton Watson, 632 Thomp-
son street, and about rs friends includ-
ing teachers, students and others, at
tended On every side there was mani
| festation of the most heartfelt grief,
and the beautiful tribute to the deceas-
| ed by her pastor went straight to the
hearts of every one. The bier in the
drawing room was banked with pro-
fusion of flowers and lilies and the as
semblage gathered in the hall and ad-
joining rooms, while Rev. Mr.. Bradley
said in few simple words what the
hearts of all were trying to utter. At
1928 last evening the remains were re-
moved to the M. G. depot for carriage
to Owosso, where burial will take place
at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon.
Besides the relatives present one
brother, j. X. Fairchild, of Owosso, one
niece, Mrs. Mcclellan, of Owosso, and
| two sisters one of whom resides in
Portland, Mich, and the other in the
upper peninsula, survive her. Her par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. Isaac Fairchild
died some years ago.
Phoebe Fairchild was born on Sep
TENDER 49, 1858, in Lowell, Mich, was
educated in the common schools of that
city, and spent year IN graduate work
in Leland Stanford university, Cal
She taught in the Owosso schools for
five years, and was called to the East
Side High School in 1879. She has
spent the major portion of that useful
and honorable service in the teaching of
algebra, but of late years has turned her
efforts to English history with marked
success. She passed the summer months
in England year ago, studying the
historical points of interest, also the
English peasant life of today, and both
with such marked insight and penetra-
ton that broadening influence was
felt in her pedagogical work.
She reigned oyer the destinies of the
senior class for many years, and, as
Rev. Bradley aptly expressed it, many a
youthful character has been moulded
and trained under her pervasive infu-
ence. Some Of her multitudes of pupils
have grown to manhood and woman
hood, have married, and now occupy a
conspicuous place in the business and
professional life of the city. One thing
was always marked in whatever she did
or undertook to do-a consciousness,
a sense Of duty which overpowered all
other considerations, and made her
career one of distinct, all-around use
fulness 1t was frequently said yester
day that no one possessed more I'M
swerving fidelity to the city's service
than she had, and no one was more bent
upon faithful discharge of public
trust and private obligation. In school,
she acted as veritable godmother to
the seniors, not merely in their scho-
lastic duties, but in their social func-
tions, in which she took a lively interest
and active part For years she has as
sisted in the exploiting of class theatri-
Gals and commencement ceremonies.
There is another phase of her activity
which is not so well known to the pub
lie at large, and that is her prominent
position in the club life of those women
artistically and unsteady inclined Here
her wide culture and broad sympathies
served her in good stead; and besides
this, her genial, lovable character won
for her an honored place in the most Sc
lect circles in the city.
In all the essentials of her career she
was a tireless worker, strong fol- e in
the faculty of the High school, and
faithful, courageous public servant.
NJ ~