“[Writing her own obituary?]”
Mary Kenyon Maxson was born in Richmond, Washington County, Rhode Island in the year of our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Twenty-five, June second, daughter of David and Mary Kenyon Maxson.
When three years old, her father moved out west, in company with a number of families, and settled in Little Genesee, Allegany County, New York State, it then being a dense wilderness. She was reared by Christian parents, in the most tender manner, and taught that each of the ten commandments was equally binding.
Never was a family more closely united in bonds of love than she and her father's family.
At the age of ten she gave her heart to God, and devoted her life to honor the cause of truth and love, as it is in Christ Jesus our Lord. At the age of fourteen she was baptised by Eld. Henry P. Greene and united with the first church in Little Genesee.
She was the eldest of eleven children, three having died in their infancy. She was taught at home by her parents in the common branches until she was ten years old. Her father traveled east quite often using his own conveyance and taking his family to visit her mother's relatives, being fourteen days enroute, and remaining two or three months. Aside from the time spent with friends and traveling, she attended both common and select school, until she was seventeen.
She aspired for a first class education and was all ready to enter Alfred Academy when her hopes for the future were laid low by the treachery of her father's partner in whom he had implicit confidence, causing a failure in business by the loss of his property.
Being unwilling to leave her mother to struggle alone without help, her attention was turned to alleviating the toils and cares, which must of necessity follow without hired help. She studied and read, keeping up with the times all that lay in her power.
In eighteen forty-two, she married Martin W. Babcock of Scott, Courtland County, New York State. She became the mother of three children, DeWane D. Babcock, and Forrest M. Babcock and Mary V. Babcock, wife of Prof. Alpheus B Kenyon of Alfred University. Mr and Mrs. Babcock [had] lived together nearly forty-eight years when he died.
When she married Mr. Babcock, he was not a professor of religion and not until years after did he experience religion and unite with the Church. When they went to housekeeping she commenced family worship and it was always maintained so long as their family were together. She was a sabbath school teacher while they lived at Nile and at Genesee nearly eighteen years. The prayer and conference meetings were faithfully attended until failing health prevented, which for her was a cross hard to [bear -- she said "forego"]
The afflicted found in her a simpathysing [sic] friend.
The poor ever found a friend in her, and a ready helper.
In her younger days, much of her time was spent relieving the sick.