Mabel Lindsay ^23,24

   Cause of her death was a coronary occlusion (blockage of a heart artery).

Since the age of eight, Mabel lived mostly with her Aunt Virginia and Uncle Frank Walker in Champaign, Illinois.

Upon reaching adulthood, Mabel enrolled as a student at the University of Illinois at Champaign where she became a member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority Zeta Chapter. At the university, she met George Fairclo who was then a student in the civil engineering program and eventually went on to graduate with the class of 1902.

A few years after Mabel's completion of her studies, George and Mabel married at the home of Mr. Walker (206 West Church Street in Champaign), since deceased. Mabel was 29 years old. Rev. E.W. Clippinger, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, performed the ceremony at which approximately 65 relatives and friends were in attendance. The Champaign Daily Gazette details the occasion:

"The ring ceremony was used, the young people standing unattended in front of a bank of palms. The ceremony was followed in prayer by Dr. George R. Parmer of Onarga, an intimate friend of the Lindsay family. The bride wore embroidered chiffon and pearls and carried a shower bouquet of Bride's roses.

Decorations were yellow chrysanthemums and smilax in the parlor, and in the dining room potted plants, the table decoration being flowers and illusion. A five course lap supper was served. Orchestra music was furnished during and after the ceremony.

There were numerous gifts, the wedding gift from Mr. Fairclo to his bride being a handsome diamond brooch. Gifts from friends included tableware of rare beauty."

After the wedding celebration, the couple honeymooned in Biloxi, Mississippi and two weeks in New Orleans. They must have enjoyed New Orleans, for in March of 1927 they vacationed there again after departing from Cristobal port on a ship named Turrialba.

Upon return to Champaign, the couple took up residence at the former home of Mabel's Uncle Walker. They remained at this home until at least 1910. After this date, they made their home at several different locations throughout Champaign, including 916 West Park Avenue and 408 North State Street, the latter being the Fairclo residence the final four years of their lives.

Family members remember Mabel's home as "big and beautiful" with several rooms. A grand-niece recalls visiting the Fairclo home with her sister. The two would run about the house and choose a room from which they would yell to Mabel, "Guess what room we're in?!" Mabel never failed to identify the room. In an attempt to trick their great-Aunt, the girls separated. However, Mabel very cleverly responded by identifying one of them as being in 'this room' and the other in 'that one'.

The Fairclos remained Champaign residents for most if not all of their lives. George was a city engineer for the town and well known in the community, while Mabel had already established herself with a large number of friends. Mabel was said to have been "an accomplished and womanly woman ... [with a] pleasing manner."

The couple lived for a time in Sycamore, De Kalb County, which is the location of the Fairclo family residence. Mrs. Sarah E. Fairclo became a widow in 1902 and appears residing in Champaign at the home of George and Mabel in 1910.

George Fairclo did not come from a wealthy family. It appears that his mother survived by renting her home to several boarders. Mabel's mother, Catherine Frances (aka Fannie), acquired an unfavorable opinion of George and went to great lengths to prevent him from inheriting any of the Lindsay estate. She was likely well aware of Mr. Fairclo's infidelities, as George once brought home a venereal disease that required treatment by Mabel's sister, Dr. Alice. Mr. Fairclo's job required travel, so he was often away from home for extended periods of time. Mabel refused to cohabit with George once she learned that he had carnal intercourse with a Ms. May Littell on a sleeping car in January of 1910. Afterwards, arguments ensued. In August of 1911, Mabel claimed that George drew a gun on her and threatened her life but was prevented from carrying out his threat by the presence of a third party. She also complained of his violent temper and his indulgence of profane language toward her to such an extent that her life was made burdensome. That same month, George made another assault at her by grabbing at her throat. For these reasons, Mabel requested to be divorced and freed from her bonds of matrimony with Mr. Fairclo in the summer of 1912. However, the couple did not divorce and remained married until their deaths. To all of these claims, George simply responded that such matters, if true, were insufficient to grant a divorce and that there was no proof to such claims.

In Fannie's last will and testament, she appointed W.H. Egley of Onarga as trustee of the property willed for Mabel to inherit upon Fannie's death. Mr. Egley was allowed to make payments to Mabel from income derived on such property in semi-annual, equal, and practical amounts, but Fannie instructed that they be made in person to Mabel only and to no third party.

Other family members expressed suspicion of George Fairclo. It is said that the couple bought a depot to live in, or "old shack" as it was so referred. Neither George nor Mabel was willing to put much money into it. When Mabel asked a family member to do some plumbing work on the depot, the invitation was refused. Everyone seemed to sense there were problems.

It was Fannie's intention that if George Fairclo should die prior to Mabel, all the money and personal estate "of every kind and character" willed to Mabel should be transferred to her immediately. Some of the inheritance so referred included property in the north half of the NW quarter of section 36, town 26 N, range 10 of Iroquois County.

Should Mabel pass away prior to her husband, which indeed became the case, Fannie instructed that Mabel's portion of the estate become absolute property of her brothers and sisters and their children. In this manner, George was effectively shut out from any financial benefit that might have arisen from having taken Mabel as his wife. Yet, in so doing, Mabel was shut out from the family inheritance as well.

When Fannie passed away in January of 1918, Mr. Egley was contacted to administer the will. While Fannie appointed him administrator of her estate, he claimed that he did not accept or consent to such responsibilities. As a result, Mabel's brother Ellis became administrator of the estate. Mabel agreed to this appointment but objected to Ellis's final report dated April 7, 1919, specifically to certain credits allowed to Ellis in compensation of expenses incurred by him in his administrative duties.

Mabel came to her death in 1961 at Cole Hospital in Champaign where she had been admitted just hours earlier. She died of heart failure at the age of 82. She was known to have been near blind in her old age. Her entire estate was willed to her husband who passed away fewer than two months after her own death.

Mabel's last will and testament stated that in the event of George's death, half of her estate should be divided amongst her many nieces and nephews.

She willed the other half of her estate in its entirety to her nephew, James Earl Lindsay, son of Alice, with the instruction that a $150 monthly payment be made from James Earl's allotment to Alice for her lifelong support and comfort. Mabel finalized her last will and testament in 1954. Alice passed away the following year. James Earl could not be located for known reasons and much effort was made to locate and inform him of his inheritance. He was eventually discovered at his residence in Covina, California in 1963.

Mabel's real estate was valued at $15,000. Her personal estate was valued at no more than $125,000.

Her funeral was held at Mittendorf Funeral Home in Champaign. She shares a final resting place next to her husband in Onarga Cemetery. George and Mabel had no children.

Deceased was attended from Feb. 19-20, 1961. Died at 5am.

  Events

• She had a residence in Sycamore, DeKalb County, Illinois.

• She had a residence at 408 North State Street in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois.

• She appeared on the census in 1880 in Onarga, Iroquois County, Illinois. She lived in the household of her parents.

• She appeared on the census in 1900 at 206 West Church Street in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois. She lived in the household of Francis Walker, her uncle, and was student.

• She appeared on the census in 1910 at 206 West Church Street in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois. She lived in the household of her husband and mother-in-law.

• She had a residence at 916 West Park Avenue in 1920 in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois. She lived in the household of her husband.

• She appeared on the census in 1940 in Kingston, DeKalb County, Illinois. She lived in the household of her husband.

• She had a residence in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois. She lived in the town for the last 20 years of her life.

• She was educated at University of Illinois in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority, Zeta Chapter (Sorores in Urbe).

• She was a member of the Champaign First Presbyterian Church in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois.

• Her funeral was held at at Mittendorf Funeral Home (301 W. University Avenue) with Rev. Nygen officiating 22 February 1961 in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois.

• She was buried at Onarga Cemetery in Onarga, Iroquois County, Illinois.

Mabel married George Cassium Fairclo, son of Isaiah Drake Fairclo and Sarah Elizabeth Parker, 4 December 1907 in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois ^201,202.^,203 (George Cassium Fairclo was born 13 May 1877 in Kingston, DeKalb County, Illinois,^{201,203,206,207,208} died 2 April 1961 in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois at Cole Hospital ^203,206 and was buried 5 April 1961 in Onarga, Iroquois County, Illinois at Onarga Cemetery ²⁰⁶.) The cause of his death was kidney failure.