Abbie Emma York Willard

Our Great Grandmother, Abbie Emma York Willard was born on January 4, 1879 and died on March 17, 1979 at 100 years old.

From our father's genealogy work, the York's arrived from England in the 1600's. Samuel York was born in Oyster River New Hampshire in 1645. His son, Benjamin was born in what is now Falmouth, Maine in 1680. Maine became a state in 1820, by the way. That make's my children and their Tilton/Grannell/Johnson cousins 12th generation Mainer's... as they used to say. "that and a quarter gets you a cup of coffee." Still, we are darned proud of it.

If you knew Gram Willard you'd know why we are proud. She was a spunky old gal. She was 72 when Craig and I, her oldest great-grandchildren, were born and we remember her laugh , more like a joyful cackle, even today. She lived to hold 4 of her great-great grandchildren; Christopher, Sayde, Eric and Ryan.

When I told her the names we had chosen for our son's she said, "Land sake, Sonny Boy. Where did you get those names... under the wood pile?" That from a woman married to Clarence with a daughter named Maybelle and a son-in-law named Morris.

I remember her telling the story of sitting on the point on Orr's Island as a child with her sister and watching the very first steam boat to ever enter the harbor. We were watching TV. It was July of 1969 and Neil Armstrong was walking on the moon.

Gail tells the story of visiting her shortly before she died. Gram told Gail she was pregnant. Gail said, "No Gram, that's Connie. I'm not pregnant." Still, Gram insisted that she was and told the rest of the family. 3 weeks later, when Gail learned that she WAS pregnant (with Kimberly Rose) she called Gram and asked how she knew. Gram said "I saw it in your eyes."

Today is her birthday.

So, Happy Birthday Abbie Emma. We remember.