Obituary of Mrs. Merritt Temple
(Sabrina Hortentia Bliss)

Daughter of Samantha & David H. Bliss, Sister of Stebbins Clark Bliss
The obituary was originally printed 1915

Noble Mother Gone

Mrs. Merritt Temple Passed to the Beyond – Resident of Clinton County

Mrs. Merritt Temple passed away Saturday January 23 [1915] at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Henry Davenport of Eagle with all her living children at her bedside except Fannie Temple and Mrs. Minnie Dean, III at the Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.

Sabrina H. [Hortentia] Bliss was born at Wilmington, Vermont, June 7, 1824, and at the time of her death was 90 years, 7 months, and 16 days old.  With her parents, David and Samantha Griswold Bliss moved to Shaftsburg, VT when about ten years old.  A few years later moved to Arlington, VT, where she met and marred Merritt Temple April 1, 1842.  They lived upon their farm in Sunderland, VT, until November 1861, when they sold out and with their family moved to Riley, Clinton County. Michigan, where her father, mother, sisters and brothers had moved a few years previously, battling with the hardships of early pioneer life for their homes.  They purchased a farm near her people where she has lived ever since until her husband’s death 24 years ago, when failing health made it necessary to leave her home in winters and staying at the old homestead summers.  With the exception of three winters she has lived with her daughter, Roe, and the last four years has lived with her all the time.

Mrs. Temple was the mother of 11 children of whom seven survive, John S. of Tecumseh, Bliss M. of Duplain, Herbert H. of Detroit, Mrs. Lucretia Pope of Bengal, Fannie Temple in the West, Mrs. Minnie Dean of Lansing, Mrs. Roe S. Davenport of Eagle, Bertha and Mrs. Emily Van Gleson passing away a few years ago.  She also leaves three brothers, Henry W. Bliss of Riley, Sidney Bliss of Los Angeles, [actually Long Beach just outside of Los Angeles] California, and Augustus of Okalahoma besides twenty-four grand children and thirty-five great grand children and hosts of friends.

In early, life she united with the Congregational church and had a noble Christian character and through the many trials of her life relying on Devine help to help bear her burdens.  Here was a bright and cheerful nature ever striving to help bear another’s burdens, cheer and encourage those with whom she came in contract.  In bringing up her children, she was always exemplary before them, ever striving to instill into their minds the sterling virtues of honesty, industry and virtuous living, to teach them to aim for the higher things in life.

Surely her life and example has been a benediction to her children and to those that knew her best.  Her failing eyesight that deprived her of reading the last few years of her life was one of her greatest trials.

Services were held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Davenport Monday at 11 o’clock, Rev. Fisher of Eagle officiating.  Remains were laid in the Niles cemetery vault.  In the early spring they will be taken to the old home in Riley where Dr. Julia A. Walton of Jackson, spiritualist, will give an address and the remains placed in the family lot in the Boughton cemetery.