Mary Francis Mitchelson ^{1 2 3}

   Cause of her death was Pelvic and abdominal cancer.

  General Notes:

A BIOGRAPHY OF MARY FRANCES MITCHELSON FAST, by Larry Overmire (great grandson), Aug. 2008:

Mary Frances Mitchelson was born 24 Oct 1869, in Nankin, Ashland County, Ohio, the second of four children of Benjamin Mitchelson and Rebecca Matthews.

When she was about 22 years old, she married Elvin Fast, the son of Judge Jacob Fast and Melissa Burlingame about 1891. She had one child, a son, whose name she spelled "Irl." Irl explained the rationale in his memoirs:

"Grandfather [Benjamin Mitchelson] added a nickname and called her 'Pet.' She hated it but carried it for a good part of her life until her nieces dropped the nickname... When I, a grandson came along, my mother named me Irl and chose the three letters, thinking Grandfather would be satisfied and not give me a nickname. But it did not work. He nicknamed me 'Jackie.' My cousins picked it up and shortening it to Jack, carried it to school. So I was Jack around Polk and did not lose it until I found employment away from there."

Irl also talked about his mother's parenting tactics:

"During my early years, my mother was my chief disciplinarian since she was constantly with me while my father was at work in the fields. I remember one specific incident when she missed me after looking in my usual haunts, must have seen me at our closest neighbor's on the adjacent farm. She came after me with a switch and did a little more than tickle me with it all the way home. I felt deeply hurt and cried. My offense was not so much that I had gone to the neighbors as that I had gone without telling her and getting her permission."

Mary's granddaughter Nancy Fast noted that Mary was "a little, energetic lady with piercing black eyes that seemed to look right inside of you. She worked hard around the farm and house and was known to do many of the chores that the men were expected to do."

Mary was deeply religious, a member of the Christian church of Polk for more than 40 years, a member of the Missionary society of the church and of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.

She died in Ashland, 30 Jan 1941, at the age of 71. It was the only time, Nancy Fast recalled, that she ever saw her father Irl cry.
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  Death Notes:

Name: Mary Frances Fast
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 30 Jan 1941
Event Place: Ashland, Ashland, Ohio
Residence Place: Polk, O.
Gender: Female
Age: 71
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Occupation: Housekeeper
Birth Date: 24 Oct 1869
Birthplace: Ashland Co., Ohio
Burial Date: 01 Feb 1941
Burial Place: Polk County
Father's Name: Benjamin Mitchelan
Father's Birthplace: Wayne Co., Ohio
Mother's Name: Jane Mathews
Mother's Birthplace: Jackson Township, Ashland Co., Ohio
Spouse's Name: Calvin Francis Fast

Citing this Record
"Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZY5-CNR : 9 March 2018), Mary Frances Fast, 30 Jan 1941; citing Ashland, Ashland, Ohio, reference fn 153; FHL microfilm 2,023,889.
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  Noted events in her life were:

• She appeared on the 1900 US Census in Jackson Township, Ashland County, OH on 21 June 1900. ¹

1900 US Census
Sheet 11B, District 4, Dwelling 268, Family 274, Roll 1237
Jackson Township, Ashland County, Ohio
Farm rented
Married 9 years
Mary F. Fast..Wife..Oct 1869..30..OH..1/1
(Living with husband and son.)
.

• She appeared on the 1920 US Census in Polk, OH on 22 January 1920. ²

1920 US Census
Sheet 6B, District 5, Dwelling 149, Family 156, Roll 1347
Polk, Ashland County, Ohio
Farm owned, no mortgage
Mary Fast..Daughter..50..OH..Wd
(Mary was widowed and living with her widowed father.)
.

• Death Image: 30 January 1941, in Ashland, OH.

• She was buried on 1 February 1941 in the Polk Cemetery in Polk, OH.

Elvin and his wife, Mary, share one common gravestone in Polk Cemetery which is a large block of dark rose colored granite with a polished vertical face. The inscription reads "FAST - Elvin F. Fast 1865 - 1915; Mary F. Fast 1869 - 1941".

Find A Grave Memorial 28683603
. ³

Mary married Elvin Francis Fast, son of Jacob Fast and Melissa M. Burlingame, on 23 November 1890 in Ashland County, OH.¹ (Elvin Francis Fast was born on 1 November 1865 in Jackson Township, Ashland County, OH,^{1 4 5 6} died on 28 May 1915 in Polk, OH ⁶ and was buried on 30 May 1915 in Polk, OH ⁶.). The cause of his death was Pneumonia.

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage Image: Abt 1890, in Ashland County, OH. Mary Frances Mitchelson and Elvin Fast (probably the wedding photo), 1890, from the photo collection of Irl Fast, Elvin and Mary's son.
.

• Marriage Image: 23 November 1890, in Ashland County, OH.

• They appeared on the 1900 US Census in Jackson Township, Ashland County, OH on 21 June 1900. ¹

1900 US Census
Sheet 11B, District 4, Dwelling 268, Family 274, Roll 1237
Jackson Township, Ashland County, Ohio
Farm rented
Married 9 years
Elvin F. Fast..Head..Nov 1865..34..OH..Farmer
Mary F. Fast..Wife..Oct 1869..30..OH..1/1
Earl Fast..Son..Jan 1893..7..OH
.

  Marriage Notes:

Name: Elvin F. Fast
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 23 Nov 1890
Event Place: Ashland, Ohio, United States
Spouse's Name: May Mitchelson

Citing this Record
"Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZX1-TS4 : 10 December 2017), Elvin F. Fast and May Mitchelson, 23 Nov 1890; citing Marriage, Ashland, Ohio, United States, p248, cn9197, Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society, Columbus; FHL microfilm.
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