Coopersville Observer, July 9, 1909

Harriet Mazuzan, third child of Erastos and Amy Mazuzan, and wife of Enos Parish, was born at West Cornwall, Vermont, January 29, 1829, and died at the home of her son, John, in Allendale, July 2, 1909, at the age of 80 years, 3 months and 6 days. She had one brother and three sisters, namely Celia, John, Julia and Juliette, none of whom are living at the present time.

When the deceased was but seven years, she was left motherless, and went to live with a cousin for several years. Later she and a sister left the native state for western New York, the sister soon returning to Vermont and the deceased coming on to Michigan.

At the age of twenty-nine years, she was married in Grand Rapids, September 7, 1858, to Enos Parrish, father of Wells and Fred Parish of Allendale.

Enos and Harriet Parish resumed the work upon the farm in Polkton Township until December 1863, when the husband responded to the call for patriots in the Rebellion and joined Company E of the 1^st Michigan Light Artillery. Until July 1865, Harriet, the faithful, active wife, kept up the interests of the farm with her husband’s two young boys, and cared for her two small children, John and Austin.

At this time, Mr. Parish returned from the war and once more took up his duties as a husband and father upon the farm. Sorrow did not pass them by however, and their oldest child, Artema, a little girl of six years, was taken from them. Later another little girl came to brighten their sad hearts, Hattie, wife of Martin Brown, of Battle Creek.

In November, 1868, Mr. and Mrs. Parish sold their farm near Coopersville and with their family moved to Allendale, where they began the pioneer life in the thick woods. The hard labor and management put upon this home was rewarded by the fine fields which in a few years took the place of dense forests. While in Allendale, two more children came to bless their home, May, who died at the age of two years and Orin who passed away in Grand Rapids, October 1, 1908.

Harriet Parish was left a widow, April 16, 1902, when Enos Parish, her husband, passed away after a long illness during which she faithfully cared for him who had been all that a husband and father could be

For a short time, she and her son, Orrin, remained on the farm, then moved to Grand Rapids, where they lived for four years. In the spring of 1907, she returned with her son, his wife and little son, Kenneth, to the old home in Allendale. The life here was short and sad, the young wife passing away in the spring of 1908 and the husband in the autumn following.

Since this time, the deceased has made her home with her children, waiting for the day when she would leave this world of sadness and meet her God in the next.

At the age of ? years she became a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and remained a faithful and active member until her death.