First Lady Abigail Powers

1798 - 1853  (55 years)

• Name	Abigail Powers
  Prefix	First Lady
  Born	13 Mar 1798	Stillwater, Saratoga County, New York
  Gender	Female
  Group	Descendant of Revolutionary War Veteran
  	DAR or SAR Eligible Descendant of a Revolutionary War Veteran
  Group	Famous Historical Figure
  	Famous People
  FindaGrave Memorial ID	2705
  	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/2705
  Died	30 Mar 1853	Washington, District of Columbia, District of Colombia
  Buried	Aft 30 Mar 1853	Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, Erie County, New York
  Person ID	I14566	New England Hall Families Master Tree
  Last Modified	24 Jun 2019

  
  

  Father	Rev. Lemuel Powers,   b. Bef 3 Oct 1756, Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts ,   d. 18 May 1800, Stillwater, Saratoga County, New York  (Age ~ 43 years)
  Mother	Abigail Newland,   b. 22 Feb 1758, Massachusetts ,   d. 21 Feb 1838, Lansing, Tompkins County, New York  (Age 79 years)
  Married	16 Apr 1777	Northbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts
  	Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016). https://www.americanancestors.org/DB190/rd/7774/148/142767902 Name      Lemuel, Jr. POWERS Marriage      1777 Location      Northbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States Original Text      Lemuel (Jr., int.) and Abigail Newland, Apr. 16, 1777. Town Info      Northbridge Volume Name      Northbridge - V1 Page      148
  Family ID	F6881	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	President Millard Fillmore,   b. 7 Jan 1800, Summer Hill, Cayuga County, New York ,   d. 8 Mar 1874, Buffalo, Erie County, New York  (Age 74 years)
  Married	1826
  Last Modified	16 May 2019
  Family ID	F6863	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 13 Mar 1798 - Stillwater, Saratoga County, New York Died - 30 Mar 1853 - Washington, District of Columbia, District of Colombia Buried - Aft 30 Mar 1853 - Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, Erie County, New York  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Badges

  Revolutionary War Patriot or Soldier Descendant

  
  

• Notes

  From FindaGrave: Presidential First Lady. She was born Abigail Powers in rural Saratoga County, New York to a prominent Baptist preacher who died early in her life leaving her mother to fend for herself with two small children. She home schooled Abigail providing her with an excellent education using her dead husband's library of many books. The family was now living in New Hope, New York while Abigail was enrolled in a recently opened academy where Millard Fillmore was also a student. He had little education and was a former indentured servant working in the textile industry. She encouraged him to study law while she began teaching school. She was instrumental in a campaign to raise funds which resulted in the first circulating library in the State of New York. Two years later they were married and she continued working until the birth of their son. Attaining prosperity, Millard became interested in politics. He first became a Congressman, then state comptroller and finally Vice President. With Zachary Taylor's death, the Fillmore's moved into the White House. Abigail realized she lacked social graces, and entrusted many social duties to her attractive daughter, "Abby." The White House had no books, and she established the first library after receiving an appropriation from Congress and personally supervised their selection and purchase. President Millard Fillmore's tenure in the White House was over. At the outdoor inauguration of his successor, President Pierce, Abigail returned to the Willard Hotel chilled, developed pneumonia and died . The House of Representatives and the Senate adjourned and public offices closed in respect. The family took her home to Buffalo and she was interred in the Fillmore family plot in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Today her children, her husband, her mother and her husband's second wife surround her. Bio by: Donald Greyfield