Harriet Babcock Burdick was born in the town of North-east, Erie Co., Penn., July 21, 1829, one of the twelve children of Abel and Lucy Ann Babcock. All but one grew to maturity. Now the only survivors are Mrs. Lee Burdick of Milton Junction, Mrs. Lydia Maxson of Riverside, Cal., Edwin Babcock of Clinton, and Mrs. Ellis Mendenhall of Watertown. The late E. Stillman Babcock was one of the brothers.
The family moved west when she was about thirteen, and settled on a farm two miles east of Milton.
On April 19, 1849, she was united in marriage to George Stillman Burdick. For thirty-four years they lived in the north-west part of Lima, in the 'Burdick neighborhood'. For the last twenty-nine years they have lived in Milton, where one son, Clifford, died at two years of age. Their son, Dr. J. H. Burdick has been his mothers medical advisor and the stay of her declining years. An adopted daughter, Mrs. Jessie Noey, has been a daughter indeed. There are ten grandchildren.
She was baptized, with her husband, at twenty-one years of age, and has ever since been in the fellowship of the Milton S. D. B. church. She has lived a steady, cheery, active, unselfish, faithful life.
In younger days she was sent for from far and near in case of sickness. She was modest, yet self-reliant, always willing to take hold and do whatever she could. She was cheery and sunshiny. She had a touch of quaint humor, a flash of wit - as is evident in the reasons she gave to her pastor why she had lived to four score: 'I never quarrelled with my husband. We have been of much the same mind. We never talked about getting a divorce and we've lived together sixty-one years (almost sixty-three now). We have always worked hard. It's better to wear out than to rust out. The Wisconsin weather has helped. We came here when young, in 1842, he from Alfred and I from Pennsylvania.'
At the time of her death they were the oldest couple in the community, and had spent the longest time together. She has been for several years crippled with erysipelas. Since last October she has been sick in bed. She has suffered much but has had tender and loving care. On March 22, as the Sabbath was beginning, she entered into the eternal Sabbath rest.
Services were conducted at the home March 25. Pastor Randolph's text was from the last Chapter of Proverbs: 'Her price is far above rubies.' The casket was born to its resting place by four grandsons. L. C. R.
