The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-01-10
MRS. ABBY S. RANGER
DIES IN HER HOME
Body Will Be Taken to Springfield for
Cremation-Was Widow of Be-
thue1 Ranger, Jeweler.

Mrs. Abby S. Ranger, SS, for about |
65 years resident of Brattleboro and
woman of exceptional mentality for
person of her advanced age, died |
shortly before 3 o'clock Saturday af-
ternoon in her home on Melrose street |
in West Brattleboro. Death was
caused by a general breaking down. |
Mrs. Ranger had been failing since
spring and for a number of weeks was
in a critical condition. She was the
widow of Bethuel Ranger, one Of |
Brattleboro's IS long time merchants ana
jewellers, formerly of the firm of Ran
ger & Thompson, who died Jan. H.
1895.
Mrs. Ranger was born in Bronze,
Province of Quebec, Sept. 3, 1927, one
of six children of Austin and Charlotte
| (Knowlton) Wheeler Two brothers
and sister still survive. They are
| Thomas w. Wheeler of Bronze, George
R. Wheeler of Glcnwood, M.nn, and
Mrs. Charlotte Wheeler, wife of George
r. Wheeler of West Brattleboro.
In her girlhood she came here to
learn the tailor S trade, which was fol-
lowed by many young women of her
/ day. She went back when she was
about Is years old, but she had met
i Mr.. Ranger here and their friendship
ripened into marriage June %, 1851
Her home had been in this town ever
since, in this village until November.
/ 1914 At that time she moved from
Wilhston street to a house which she
had had erected for her on Melrose
street in West Brattleboro. where she
lived alone.
Her husband came here from Michi-
gan at the age Of Ii to learn the Jew
eler 5 trade of Deacon d. B. Thomp.
son, grandfather of Alfred s. Thomp.
son, the present proprietor of the old
Ranger Il Thompson store. The store
originally was in a one-storv wooden
building on the present site Wher
: fire threatened it in 1912 it was tori
down and the business was established
e in Hall s long building" after
i wards the Fisk building, where tht
. Hooker building now stands. In 1S5
Y the store was moved to its present 10
c cation. AT the time of his death, Will
e associated with the late H. II. Thomp
e son, Mr.. Ranger had a record of s.
years of active life here and was no
L only Brattleboro s veteran bushes
l man but the oldest matchmaker an
jeweler in active service in New Eng
e land.
II 3IAeI ueT marriage MFS. hauSe
4 lived on Elliot and Green streets an
: then for 40 years on Williston stree
She had no children. She was a men
le Der of St. Paul s Episcopal church i
re Knowlton, P. O., but had been con
II munieant of St. Michael's Episcopi
church here ever since its organic;
lie tion.
Mrs. Ranger was very interestin
lie and well informed person. She ha
, some knowledge of languages and al
l. and formerly executed some creditab
l. oil paintings. She was a very kin,
q hearted and thoughtful woman and ?
d tanned her faculties to a remarkab
n degree. She made trip to Florit
'e alone only few years ago. She live
in the period when the most notab
changes in Brattleboro took place, ar
she recalled the time when Walul
street, Terrace street and the land
Che north were included in a tract
&C pasturage and when the land where Il
Haskins, Childs, Cabot and near-t
residences on Terrace street are no
t located was used as circus ground
ed Rev. Nelson Kellogg, rector Of s
N Michael 5 Episcopal church, will OF
I'd ate at the funeral at the house
as AIelrose street at 3 clock today al
in accordance with Mrs. Ranger 5 wi
he the body will be taken to Springfcl
" Mass, for cremation.