Biography Isaac D. & Ellizabeth F. SABENS

Biographical Information

Isaac D. Sabens and Elizabeth E. Sabens

Isaac D. Sabens was apparently born in Dartmouth^1,2, Bristol County, in 1861, the son of Alfred Sabins [sic] and Eliza Lewis^2,3. He married Elizabeth E. (Unknown) about 1881 in Fall River, Bristol County⁴. Elizabeth was apparently born in Centerville⁴, Barnstable County, about 1866² (parents unknown at this time).

Isaac and Elizabeth moved from Bristol County to Falmouth shortly after their marriage. They operated the steam-powered Falmouth Custom Laundry⁵ on East Main Street for over 30 years, beginning at least by 1896. Isaac was also a teamster and farmer¹. His barn on East Main Street was destroyed by fire after a lighting strike in the serious storm of August 7, 1918⁶, with the loss of 20 tons of hay.

Elizabeth Sabens died at Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, on March 29, 1939^4,7, aged 75-9-27, after a long illness. Isaac died there soon after, on April 27, 1939, due to bronchitis and complications from a fall^1,7. Both Isaac and Elizabeth were buried in the Methodist Cemetery, East Main Street, Falmouth⁸.

¹ Isaac D. Sabens obituary, The Falmouth Enterprise, April 28, 1939, page 6.² IGI records for "Isaac D. Sabin" and "Elizabeth E." at http://www.familysearch.org/Eng, accessed on 21 December 2003, states that Isaac was born about 1862 in Falmouth. Falmouth, Barnstable, and/or Dartmouth town records should be checked to ascertain Isaac's exact date and place of birth and Elizabeth's parent's names. The IGI records give Isaac's mother's maiden name as "Lewis" and do not give Elizabeth's maiden name.³ U.S. Census, 1880, at (http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/Census/, accessed on 21 December 2003.⁴ Mrs. Elizabeth Sabens obituary, The Falmouth Enterprise, March 31, 1939, page 12.⁵ Falmouth-by-the-Sea. The Naples of America. 1896. Board of Trade and Industry, Falmouth. Reprinted by Falmouth Chamber of Commerce, 1976. The annotation "Mrs. L.E. Sabens" (page 174, reprint) probably stands for "Lizzie E." Sabens.⁶ Fish, D.E. 1986. Blizzards and hurricanes. Pages 124-130 in M.L. Smith (ed.) The Book of Falmouth. Falmouth Historical Commission, Falmouth, Mass., 582pp.⁷ Annual Report of the Finances of the Town of Falmouth for the year ending December 31, 1939. Falmouth Publishing Co., Falmouth, 1940, pages 163 and 164.⁸ Gravestone Records of Isaac and Elizabeth Sabens, as reported by Falmouth Genealogical Society, Cemetery Project, at www.falgen.org/cem/omc/OMCalphanames.htm, accessed on 20 December 2003.

NOTE: Isaac is believed to be the great-grandfather of Gary Sabens of North Falmouth, a Falmouth firefighter (Isaac¹, Frederick², Arthur³, Gary⁴). Gary or his siblings may have a photograph of Isaac and/or Elizabeth.

James E. Cardoza