Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Tibbitts, Jennie M. November 4, 1910
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Ionia Daily Sentinel-Standard - Thurs. Nov. 17, 1910

FRAIL IN BODY GAVE HER LIFE TO WORK OF EDUCATING

Philipinos – Buried Beside Her Sister, Elizabeth, Also Teacher There at Time of 
Her Death


The war department at Washington has received intelligence of the death at 
Manila from tuberculosis, on November fourth of Miss Jennie M. Tibbitts.

Miss Tibbitts was the youngest daughter of Jonathan and Mary Tibbitts, who were 
among the first settlers of Ionia. She will be remembered by a wide circle of 
friends, for the active part she took for many years, in the development of the 
primary schools of the state.

She was educated in the Ionia and Greenville schools, under professors Ewing 
and Church, at that time the leading teachers of the state, and gathered much 
of their enthusiasm for educational work. 

Her first experience as a teacher was in a small district school among the pine 
trees of Osceola County. Arriving at the station at midnight, she walked nearly 
two miles over a lumber road, while her trunk was carried on his back by one of 
the school officers. With this modest beginning, she afterwards taught several 
terms in Ionia County, and then accepted a position at St. Louis, Gratiot 
county, where she taught several years in the primary department. She then went 
to Lansing and became principal of the old Townsend street school. While at 
Lansing, finding need of further equipment, she was given a year’s leave of 
absence by the school board which she used in taking a thorough course in the 
national Kindergarten Institute, of Mrs. Louise Pollock, at Washington, doing 
the full two years’ work in one. 

She resumed her work in Lansing, spending part of her vacations taking advanced 
studies at the Michigan Agricultural college. Being offered the place she 
accepted the appointment of critic teacher in primary work in the schools at 
Alpena, where she remained until the summer of 1901, when she offered her 
services to the government as a teacher for service in the Philippine Islands, 
and was one of the famous seven hundred, who went out on the transport “Thomas” 
that year.

During the last years at Lansing and while at Alpena her summer vacations were 
largely occupied in giving talks and instructions in primary work at teachers’ 
institutes, in which work she was associated with Professor H. R. Pattengill, 
Professor C. L. Bemis, and other prominent educators of the state. 

Her skill, experience and success as a teacher, were early recognized by the 
educational authorities in the Philippines, and she was soon placed in charge 
of the primary work at Pasig, a large town, just outside of Manila. 
Subsequently she was transferred to Pogsonjon, a beautiful summer resort, and 
placed in the English department. Three years ago she was brought to Manila, 
where she has taught English in the high school of that city.

With but a frail body she possessed such an indomitable spirit of industry and 
perseverance that enabled her to surmount obstacles and difficulties, and to 
achieve a high degree of success in her chosen calling. She was a kind and 
affectionate woman, devoted to her friends and ever ready to sacrifice time and 
strength in behalf of those she loved.

Her life affords a fine example of what can be accomplished by patient and 
persevering industry. She is buried in the Military cemetery, at Fort McKinley, 
Manila, beside her sister, Elizabeth, who went to Manila in January 1906, and 
died the following October. The two were closely attached to each other through 
life, and in death they are not separated.

The promptness of the government in notifying relatives when deaths occur in 
the Philippine service was shown in the case of Miss Tibbitts.

Miss Tibbitts died Friday, November 4. Dan W. Tower, a cousin received a 
telegram announcing the death Saturday and on the following Monday received 
full instructions as to what to do in the matter of the estate.

When in this county four years ago Miss Tibbitts made her will and left it with 
relatives, and as the first step this was filed for probate, and then an 
affidavit showing heirship, with a copy of the will, was forwarded to the war 
department. These papers will be forwarded to the attorney general of the 
Philippines, who is by law administrator of all estates less than 1,500 pesos 
of persons who die in the service, whether military or civil.

The proceeds from the estate will be remitted to the war department and will be 
distributed from there according to the will. The heirs must agree among 
themselves upon one of their number to act as receiver and to this receiver 
will be sent the personal effects, and in the absence of specific instructions 
in the will the heirs will agree among themselves as to their decision. In the 
event of a person dying intestate the proceeding is the same except that the 
first step will be a certificate as to kinship.


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