Elizabeth ⁶ BIGELOW

16315.A Elizabeth ⁶ daughter of Daniel ⁵ (David⁴, Lt. John³, Joshua², John¹) BIGELOW and Sarah (CHAPMAN) BIGELOW, was born 20 Nov 1783 at Colchester, New London co, CT. She married on 11 Feb 1827, Daniel HEMPSTEAD. They lived in LeRoy, Genesee co, NY, where he died 21 Aug 1855. She died 29 Sept 1885 at Lakeville, NY, having lived 101 years, 10 months, 9 days. She had no issue.

This is the Obituary published in Geneseo newspaper, Oct 1885: More than a Hundred Years       Mrs. Betsey Bigelow Hempstead, who died at the home of her nephew, Daniel Bigelow, at Lakeville, on the 29th ult., at the age of nearly 102 years, was the widow of the late Daniel Hempstead, of LeRoy, Geneseo county, N.Y., and the sister of the late Epaphroditus Bigelow, and for the last ten years has lived in this town where she died.
      She was born in the town of Marlborough, Hartford county, CT., Nov. 20th, 1783, and is a lineal descendant of John Bigelow, who emigrated from Wrentham, county of Suffolk, England, to New England, and settled at Watertown, Mass., where he died July 14th, 1703. Her father, Daniel Bigelow, was a farmer by occupation, and was born and spent his life in the town of Marlborough, CT., where he died Nov. 11th, 1822, aged 84 years. He married twice. His first wife was Mary Brainard, of Westchester, CT., and a descendant of Rev. David Brainard, the noted Indian missionary. His second wife was Mrs. Sarah F. Ingham Chapman, Saybrook, CT., and the widow of a Congregationalist minister of that place. By each of these wives there were born to him seven children, eight sons and six daughters, ten of whom lived to mature years.
      Mrs. Hempstead was the third child by the second wife, and was the last survivor of this large family, and attained a greater age than any other member of it. John D. Bigelow, her cousin, lived to the ripe age of 100 years, 5 months, and 7 days. His centennial was celebrated with much enthusiasm at his home in Marlborough, CT., July 23rd, 1870.
      On February 11th, 1827, she was united in marriage to Daniel Hempstead, of her native town, and in September, 1828, removed to the town of LeRoy, N.Y., and settled upon a farm. Here they dwelt for many years, amid the quiet and retirement of their rural home, until the decease of her husband, which occurred from accident, Aug 21st, 1855. Having no children, her home became broken, and she subsequently lived with friends in the vicinity until her removal to this town, Oct. 14th, 1875.
      It fell to the lot of Mrs. Hempstead to watch over and care for her parents in their old age. Her father, for some years, was nearly helpless, and consequently dependent. She fulfilled the mission of a faithful daughter to them till the end came. Her mother died first, Oct. 3d, 1820, aged 72 years, and her father followed about two years later, as before noted. During her residence with her nephew, she frequently alluded to this fact in her history, and in connection therewith would repeat the fifth commandment: "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God has given thee," and then affirm that she believed the reason the Lord had spared her so long, was because she had been so kind to her parents in their old age.**
      She united with the Congregational church at Marlborough about the year 1816, and after removal to LeRoy became a member of the Ashbury Methodist church there, and retained her connection with that church till her death. She had the usual infirmities attendant upon great age, such as deafness, disabled limbs, and imperfect memory, but up to a short time before her death retained a well preserved eyesight and fair bodily health, spending most of the time in reading her Bible and hymn book. The remains of the deceased were taken to LeRoy on Thursday last and buried near those of her husband.

** Her nephew Daniel ⁷ cared for her for 10 years until she died. A story related by Daniel's descendant Harold B. Davis says that Daniel used to carry Betsy out to the outhouse every day for 10 years, and he was no young man either. He must have had the same philosophy.

Sources:
Bigelow Society, The Bigelow Family Genealogy Vol I, pg 328.
Howe, Bigelow Family of America;
Obituary in Geneseo newspaper(above)
Correspondence with Harold B. Davis.

Rod Bigelow (Roger Jon¹² BIGELOW)

8 Prospect Circle
Massena, N.Y. 13662

bigelow@slic.com Rod Bigelow at SLIC

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Elizabeth ⁶ BIGELOW