In Memory of Mrs. Ellen


In Remembrance
of
Mrs. Ellen Irene Spencer Costigan



The Rose Beside the Wall


Near a shady wall a rose once grew,
Budded and blossomed in God's free light,
Watered and fed by the morning dew,
Shedding it's sweetness day and night.

As it grew and blossomed fair and tall,
Slowly rising to loftier height,
It came to a crevice in the wall
Through which there shone a beam of light.

Onward it crept with added strength
With never a thought of fear or pride,
It followed the light through the crevice's length
And unfolded itself on the other side.

The light, the dew, the broadening view
Were found the same as they were before,
And it lost itself in beauties new,
Breathing it's fragrance more and more.

Shall claim of death cause us to grieve
And make our courage faint and fall?
Nay! Let us faith and hope receive--
The rose still grows beyond the wall,

Scattering fragrance far and wide
Just as it did in days of yore,
Just as it did on the other side,
Just as it will forevermore.




We have lost a true friend,
and a kind and caring lady
from our midst on
October 28th, 2006.

Rest in Heavenly Peace, Mrs. Ellen.

Biography
of
Ellen Irene Spencer Eldridge Costigan


Birth: Aug. 2, 1936, USA
Death: Oct. 28, 2006 Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama, USA

Mrs. "Ellen" Irene Spencer Eldridge Costigan is the daughter of Robert W. Spencer (b: 1916 d: 12/02/2002 m: 10/25/1934 Ellsworth, Maine) and Lillian E. Crabtree Spencer (b: 10/30/1919 d: 04/17/1998).

Mrs. Ellen is grandchild of Daniel Crimmin Crabtree (b: 01/13/1864 d: 05/29/1948) and Esther Juliette _____ Crabtree (b: 1892).

She is great grandchild of Gilbert D. Crabtree (b: 06/12/1832 d: 08/28/1915 m: 10/30/1853 Franklin, Maine) and Julia Letitia Crimmin (b: 11/23/1830 d: 03/10/1887).

Her great great grandparents are George Crabtree, Jr. (b: 09/12/1799 d: 09/12/1877 m: 01/10/1821 Sullivan, Maine) and Rebecca Jellison (b: 1797 d: 1876), and Daniel Crimmin and Lydia Springer.

Her only sibling is Robert H. Spencer (of Orrington, Maine in 11/2006). He married Dolores Rideout. Their children are Jeffrey Robert Spencer, Terence Alan Spencer and Tami Lyn Spencer.

She first married Churchill Eldridge. His parents are Philip Eldridge and Truth Severance. From Mrs. Ellen's first union was born "Jeanne" Marie Eldridge (of Marina, California in 11/2006) and Johnathan Dale "Johnny" Eldridge (of North Carolina in 11/2006).

She later married _____ Costigan. From this union was born "Stacey" Bessy Costigan (of Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama in 11/2006).

Her grandchildren are Francesca Domingo (of Marina, California in 11/2006), Britney Costigan (of Enteprise, AL in 11/2006) and Katlyn ("Katie" or "KK" of Enterprise in 11/2006).

Mrs. Ellen was from Bangor, Maine. She moved to Alabama. She lived in Dale and Coffee County, Alabama. Her final home was located in Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama.

Mrs. Ellen was a helpful and caring volunteer at the Pea River Historical and Genealogical Society in Enterprise.

She attended church at Park Avenue Baptist Church.

Mrs. Ellen's remains were cremated, and her memorial service was held on November 3, 2006 at Patterson-Sorrells Funeral Chapel, Enterprise, Alabama.

She left instructions with her family that her ashes were to be cast upon her father's gravesite in Maine. There were three small urns of ashes retained for the children.

With Mrs. Ellen's passing we lose a selfless, kind and caring lady, and a dear friend.

Rest in Heavenly Peace, Mrs. Ellen.


In Remembrance of Mrs. Ellen Costigan forever.....



I met Mrs. Ellen Costigan about six months ago at the Pea River Historical and Genealogical Society where she was volunteering. She was a very quiet lady and very helpful to me and others.

During these months, we struck up a friendship which I will always treasure. We talked when I would visit at the PRHGS. She spoke of how much she walked as a child and throughout her life, and how she continued to walk everywhere even then.

Several times, I offered her a ride home after volunteering. We would visit a local cafe and share repast with grilled cheese sandwiches, fries and sodas. On our first outing, she and her granddaughters (Britney and Katie) walked to the cafe and met me there to eat and visit. On other outings, we rode there. She seemed to like the freedom of riding in my convertible, but did not like climbing down into my car, nor up out of it (it is low to the ground).

Mrs. Ellen was very health conscious. She liked to walk and eat good fresh food. One would never believe to look at her that she was anywhere near seventy years of age. I had thought all along that she was around my age (forty-nine). One day when I was volunteering in Mrs. Gloria's stead, we were talking and due to something I had said, she asked just how old I thought her to be. I told her that I thought she was my age. This tickled her and she laughed sweetly. She informed me that she was twenty years older than me. I just could not believe that she was not my age as I had thought. She just recently had her seventieth birthday in August.

Mrs. Ellen went into the hospital in Mobile for surgery in August. I substituted as volunteer on Friday afternoons to hold her spot. She was in the hospital in Mobile nearly two weeks.

I was so proud to see Mrs. Ellen when she came by PRHGS to see me after her return home from the hospital. She looked well. You could not even look at her and tell that she had just been through major surgery. She stated that her doctor told her that she would have to take a minimal number of radiation treatments and all should be well. That the treatments were just a precaution to make sure there were no lingering cancer cells. She went for those treatments on Fridays. Walked to the hospital to take them, also. Later, they started her also on chemotherapy treatments.

Mrs. Ellen walked to all of her appointments. She was a strong and healthly woman. On her way to and/or from her appointments, she would usually stop in at PRHGS to visit us.

I am saddened to say that I was very, very busy with different tasks at PRHGS on her last visit there, and was not able to talk with her much at length. Now that I think of it, I did not even have time to hug her and tell her goodbye as usual. I looked up when I heard the bell tinkling on the door, and she was already out the door.

Mrs. Ellen's keeping of her appointment with God at this time, and so quickly with no warning of any complications in her health, has really shocked me to my core.

I am missing my friend.

Phyllis J. K. Owens


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�Created by
Phyllis Jeannae Kwanja Owens
October 29th, 2006
In Lasting Memory
of my friend
Mrs. Ellen Costigan
And for her daughters,
Jeanne and Stacey
And her granddaughters
Francesca, Britney and Katie
Who She Loved So Very Much
Last Modified November 5th, 2006
�2006