The death of Abram C. Gish, on March 13, 1899, removed from
Virden, Macoupin County, one of the city's pioneer merchants, who had been
honorably engaged in business here for a period of 30 years. Mr. Gish was
born in Virginia, in December, 1829, and was a son of George and Sarah
(Wrightsman) Gish.
The Gish family is an old one in the Old
Dominion, and many representatives of it still reside there. The father of
the late Mr. Gish was a large planter there and was of prominence in his
community. He reared a family of 10 children.
The late Mr. Gish grew
up in his old home and was educated in the local schools. In young manhood
he learned the drug business and carried this on through life. For a period
of five years he was also engaged in the. dry goods and grain business at
Auburn. During his whole business life of more than a quarter century in
Virden, he was noted for his integrity, for his public spirit and for all
the qualities which go to make a good and useful citizen.
On
September 4, 1858, Mr. Gish was married to Martha A. Lewis, who is a
daughter of Eddin Lewis, a member of an old and prominent family of
Kentucky. Besides Mrs. Gish, two children survive: Charles L., who married
Philomelia Everet of Virden; and Arab M., who married Hermone R. Goette, a
jeweler of Virden, and has one daughter — Martha Rogers. In Mr. Gish's death
the Presbyterian Church at Virden lost a liberal supporter. The family has
long been one of the representative ones of the place, and the pleasant home
has been the scene of much hospitality and social life. The death of a good
citizen is always a loss to a community, and men like the late Abram C. Gish
are sincerely mourned.
Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 463-464.
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