The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 15, 1901, Page 5

CALL. b practically an invalid and some of the time he was serfougly ill. During all this time until his death in Sacramento about twenty years ago Mrs. Crocker gave up all other interests, even those of her chil- dren, in her complete devotion to her hus- band. In these years her kindly, even na- ture stood her in good stead. After her husband's death she became interested in spiritualism and for some years followed its teachings. Always she displayed a trait which is not considered a common one among peo- ple who have been so richly blessed in this world’s goods, for at the time of Judge Crocker's death_ his estate ‘was worth about eight million dollars, w'hivh has been preserved and added to since. This trait was her care and affection f{)r her relatives who did not happen to be in affluent circumstances. Sometimes her beneficence. took the form of building houses, for which she had quite a hnb.h)'. She sometimes would take distamt cousins, or even proteges of no blood ties, whom she became interested in, educated them and started them in business. If they were married or needed a home she would put them in one of her new houses and let them pay a small rent. If at the end of a certain time, usually a short one, they were getting along well and were at- tentive to business, she would deed the house over to them. Many are. the Christmas gifts she has made in this man- ner. She built the Crocker mansfon in Los Angeles and also a hotel there, which latter she turned over to a nephew. She virtually adopted young Elwood Bender; son of Wilson Bender, a relative in Los Angzeles, when the boy’s mother died. She did for him as her own son, advanced him in every way possible. 'He is now married and a successful banker of El- mira, N. Y. She was always very fond of young peo- ple and her home was full of thein as long as she was able to have it so. She gave them a royal good time in the gener- ous way that was part of her nature and at her side when she died were two young women who will grieve for her most sin- cerely. They were her adopted daughtgr, Gladys Ashe, daughter of Mrs. Jackson Gouraud, formerly Mrs. Porter Ashe, and Miss Evelyn Lawton, daughter of Charles Lawton, former Lieutenant Governor of the State of Washington. Miss Lawton’'s mother was a niece of Mrs. Crocker. Miss Gladys Ashe is now a pretty young girl of 17 or thereabouts and was a great favorite with her adopted mother. It was in Sacramento, where all of Mrs. Crocker’s children were born, that her philanthropy found freest expressljm. One of the tenderest of motives actuating her projects was found in the Bell Con- servatory. This enterprise was started by Mrs, Crocker with the idea of making another 0 ofor— 0 A Patron of Ar and Ever Ready to —— o%e 0 fssis Those Who Were Deserving of Help LATE MARGARET ROCKER. PHOT? B HTDSeN. ornament to the beautiful eity which she always loved, and it was intended that the poor could always apply there and re- ceive flowers to decorate the graves of their dead free of charge. She also want- ed to show what could be grown in the way of many varieties of plants with the aid of the favorable climate and soil of Sacramento. But it grew to be guch a trouble and expense that she presented the conservatory to a relative living in Sacramento. In 1853 some charitable women of Sac- ramento started a fund and were engaged In organizing a home for old men and women. They bought a certain block of land with a house, the old Whitney place, but soon found that they had undertaken more than they could easily carry through. It was then that Mrs. Margaret Crocker came to the front and offered to take the place off their hands and endow it as a home for old ladies only. She remodeled the house, endowed the insti- tution at a cost of $130,000 and it was thus that the well known Margueritec Home for Old Ladies in Sacramento came into ex- istence. It is intended for the better class of gentlewomen, who have not place" in which to spend their declining years, and the admittance fee is $1500. The home will accommodate about stwenty five old la- dies. It is pleasantly situated, and in the midst of a beautiful garden. It is under the direction of a board of lady managers and there is much peaceful rest and liap- piness there. Mrs. Crecker spent much time in Sun Francisco in the mansion at the corner of Washington street and Van Ness avenue, when Mrs. Porter Ashe was living theve That house was a wedding present from Mrs. Crocker to her daughter Amy. Some few years ago, finding that two of her daughters—Jennie, who marricd Senator J. Sloat Fassett of New York, and Amy, now Mrs. Jackson Gouraud—were apt to be permanently away from her, she de- cided to remove to New York to be near them, She did so and has since resided at Larchmont Park, New York, where she had a most beautiful home, her grounds adjoining those of her daughter Amy. Sacramento received another gift as a consequence of Mrs. Crocker’s re- moyal to New York. She presented her handsome mansion Third . and O streets, which must have been full of the memories of her first and happiest Cali- fornia days for her, to a local charity for ~t the purpose of a Rescue Home. Since then she has lived very quietly, never having sought to live in society at any time in her life purely for her own pleas- ure. Mrs. Crocker had three other children, now deceased. Katie, the e'dest, marricd J. O’'B. Gunn cof San Francisco. The oth- ers were a dauvghter Neliie and a son who died in infancy. 7Two years ago Mrs Crocker paid a vigit to San I'ranc sco an: began the ercction of a home at the cor- ner of Franklin and Clay streets. Finde ing upon her return to New York that she would remain there permanently, the house was sold without her ever having seen it. One of her San Francisco chari- ties was the endowment of two beds in the Woman's Hospital. Always of the most simple tastes, she found in the quict of her life at Larch- mont a restful spot in which to pass her deelining years. . Her own life was not free from troubles, but she believed evil of no one and’lo€t' much of the sting of her own cares in her constant care for others, One of her greatest pleasurcs at Larchmont was to take a couple of ser- vants and spend the day in the wools, near the water if possible, for she always loved nature. With her wealth she was the object of constant applications f{ow financial help from all sorts and condi- tions of people, and always made it a point to send a courteous answer to these letters, if ‘possible. 1In some cases she did extend help to perfect strangers, if she found they were deserving and had made some effort to help themselves, which was always a recommendation to her charity. She was always unostentatious, kindly and approachable to all—qualities which endeared her to the people of Sacramen- to, particularly in the early days when the amenities of life were perhaps less thought of, At the beginning of the long illness which resulted in her death Mrs, Crocker had just purchased and moved into a new house on KEast Forty-ninth street, New York, and had the pleasure of seeing her daughter, Gouraud, settled in a new home very near by her. Theén, at the age of 79 years, this true-hearted woman of ‘‘gentle soul, to human race a friend,"” passed peacefully away surrounded by her loved ones. She leaves a number of rela- tives in San Francisco to mourn and cher- jsh her memory. Her will be brought to Sacramento beside those of her late husband. amento hes sent from her city gates a long- list citizens who have distin- guished themselves in the world, but none left behind a sweeter, purer memory than did the late Mrs, Margaret Crocker. Bhe gave her honors to the world again; Her blessed part to heaven, and slept in peace, Mrs. ashes to rest gacr of