Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-03-12
MRS. ROCKEFELLER DIES
SUDDENLY: HUSBAND AWAY
Continued from page II

Wa- always well dressed M good taste.
avoiding extremes and seeking simplicity.
She was intensely practica and home
loving. At high school she caused some
surprise by taking not only the prescribed
course but bookkeeping and other com
mcrcial studies little pursued BY young
women IN those DAYS.
There seems 60 have been little Scnti-
mentality in the friendship between Miss
SpelIGan and Young Rockefeller. but for
Ten year~ each wus the Others best friend.
During the days Of Rockcfellcr's early
manhood, when nc saw hi hope, of \ col
lcgc education fade away. and soon there
after when H. trampod the streets VI
Cleveland for weeks III u seemingly hope
cheercd him. Soon after he had c>tab-
li~hcd himself in hi first placc-as book
keeper "a 5000 Il year-Shc left Cleveland
to complete her education at Worcester.
Mas. She returned when she was twenty
years old and taught IN Clcvcland'- public
schools. Her first elias. was the "A"
grammar grade in the Browncll street
school, now known an the East Fourteenth
street school. And >he renewed her
friendship with young Rockefeller.
IN 1862 Mis- Spelman. described BY her
~upcriorS an q splendid diSciplmarian and
? perfect teacher. became assistant prin-
cipal Of the school. Rockefeller. absorbed
IL business took the books of his firm II
her Of al evening and together they would
20 over III atIuir-. Both at them were III
t~erc-ted together III church work. too: She
"a q Congrcgationali-t, Ia a. u Baptist.
and neither ever attended u dance or the
thcater.
Young Rockefeller pro>pered beyond hi-
%fairc~t hopes. A. soon A. hc felt that h.
could ask her To become hi~ wife he did
-o. They were married ON September s.
1861. the eve of her twcntv-lfth birthday.
and started to keep house in y little two
tory brick residence ON one of Cleveland
side streets. Upon her marriage. ~hc be-
came q Baptist and 20 her religion and her
home she devoted her entire time.
ITO hc 4 good wife and mother T. the
highest and hardest privilege II \ wom-
an, was one 81 the sayings accredited
~ her ~ the little circle w friend ne
know VI tLi~ time. The border ~ her
world were her home. Her whole Hfc was
wrapped up III her husband and children.
She avoided M social functions and joined
no clubs.
When Mr.. RuckrfclIcr'S wealth was
mentioned in seven figures they LETT their
first home Tor n residence remarkable only
for It~ unprctcntiou-ne~~ ON Euclid avenue.
Clrvcland'~ mile at Millions" Here Mr..
RockclelIcr reared her four children: m
fifth died in infancy.
The training given the Rockefeller chil-
dren by their mother j. declared to have
been almost Spartan. Although the Rookie
tcller wealth increased in leaps and
hound~ there was only one carriage and 4
horse cared for ~ 4 man. who acted n,
both coachman and hostlcr. These were
used mostly Sunday. Oh trips "a church.
Mr.. Rockefeller employed two maid, but
still insisted on doing much of the work
herself. She also supervised every detail
NJ the care and training VT her children.
particularly seeking Ia in~tilI IN their minds
The lesson NJ thrift. II ~ related that WI
ono occasion She averaged up the ga bills
for u year and promised a. spending
money 10 her eldest daughter any sum she
might save each month by watching that
no lights were left burning necdlr--ly.
4 relative told of her suffering under
a particularly bitter newspaper attack I'M
Cleveland against her husband. At her
i~n-i-tance. the guards around the Forest
lllll estate were doablcd. Although Nr.
Rockefeller received scores II letters
threatening his life and personal friends
and relatives pleaded with him not u cx-
pose himself. ~ insisted VA making hi~
usual Sunday trip ~ automobile to the
Euclid avenue Baptist church. When Mr..
Rockefeller heard VT hi determination -hc
insisted un N~ccompany him although poor
health had kept her confined tn the house
for some time.
"lf anything happens to YOU" she j.
quoted ~ saving. II want il To happen ~
me-. too"
OF her children. three are living. She
was the mother of four daughters and one
son. the last named. John D.. Rockefeller
jr.. being the Youngest. Tier eldest daugh-
ter. Bessie. who married Prof. Charles 4.
Strong. died in France in 1906 ~ the age
IF 10. The second daughter. Alice. died In
infancy. The surviving children are Alta.
wife Of +. Parmalee Prentice. Edith who
married Harold Fowler Mccormick. and
John ID. Rockefeller Jr.
Rockefeller Sr. and Rockefeller IT.. took
u special train for New York from Florida
u-nIA. 49,. u-Lun ~ tnrn.l -