Article published Jan 27, 2008

Mary Frances Abel, 94

September 26, 1913 - January 14, 2008

RUTLAND, VERMONT - Mary Frances Hollis Abel, Muncie wife and civic advocate died Monday, January 14 at her apartment in Rutland, Vermont after a brief illness. She was 94 years old.

Born in Watertown, New York, Mrs. Abel grew up in Muncie where she had long family ties. She was the granddaughter of John W. Dragoo, three-time President of the Chamber of Commerce and a charter member of Muncie Rotary.

In 1995, Mrs. Abel was given the David R. Hemansen Community Preservation Award for her "significant and lasting contributions to the historic preservation movement in the City of Muncie." The Muncie Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation Commission established the Mary Fran Abel Award for residential preservation in her name, and the meeting and conference room at the Moore Youse Home Museum in downtown Muncie is named the Mary Fran Abel Room.

After graduation from Ball State in 1935, she married Paul Haynes Abel. The couple lived in Winchester, where Mr. Abel started as Buick dealer, and then moved to Muncie where he was the Buick Mercedes dealer until his retirement and a community leader.

Mary Frances Abel, who lived in Muncie from 1948 until 2002, shared her husband's community commitments. A woman of her time, she was a wife and mother, yet also served at different times as Regent of the Paul Revere Chapter of the National DAR, President of the United Presbyterian Women, and an officer of Tri-Kappa. She helped establish the Child Guidance Clinic, served on its board and also served on the State Board of White Water Valley Council.

She was most proud of her work for the historic preservation of Muncie. She was an early advocate of the rehabilitation of downtown, and worked to establish the Muncie Historic Commission. She served on the boards of the Delaware County Historical Alliance and the Moore Youse Museum. She was the author of "You Are Because They Were" for the DAR and she initiated and helped compile "Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Delaware County."

She was also one of the state's first women pilots. She obtained her license in the mid 50's, after flying for years with her husband, who was an early aviation enthusiast. They flew their own plane through the Americas, and traveled widely beyond. They maintained a home in St. Lucia which remains in the family.

Mrs. Abel's parents were Nina Dragoo Hollis and William Howard Hollis. Her husband, Paul Abel died in 1994. Mary Frances Abel is survived by her two daughters, Ann Schlesinger, (husband, Judge Alvin Schlesinger) and Pamela Hill (husband, Tom Wicker) of Vermont; her sister, Kathleen Wolfe of Muncie; three grandchildren, Christopher Hill of Vermont , Genevieve Gardner of Maine and Annabel Jepson of Colorado; four step-grandchildren, Grey Wicker of Victoria, B.C.,Cameron Wicker of Boston, Lisa Freed and Kayce Freed Jennings of New York City; three great grandchildren; and five step-greatgrandchildren.