Lavine Shakespeare

Lavina Shakespeare died in 1858 at the age of 58. Her obituary in the Kalamazoo Gazette is a quaint, if simple and incomplete picture of her life. She went to church and had nine children. She was a good wife, and a devoted mother. 

Information about Kalamazoo's first cemetery has resurfaced a few times over the years as the locals' interest has increased and decreased. Lavina's name is found amongst the list of the cemetery’s inhabitants that was published in 1916. If their last names are anything to go by, several of her family members were also buried in the same cemetery. 

While there isn't much direct info on her, some things can be inferred from some other documents. For example, she is one of the people who was moved to Mountain Home Cemetery sometime after her death. Reportedly, it was a lot bought by her father. Her nine children, seven of whom were living when she died, were ones she'd had with her previous husband. 

The fact that she was removed from the cemetery says something about the people around her. She likely had family that remembered her after she died, who cared enough to move her when the cemetery was supposed to be turned into a park. 

It's possible that her family was connected to William Shakespeare Jr., who founded the Shakespeare company in 1897. Shakespeare's Pub, on Kalamazoo Ave, may also have connections to this family. 

As with many women's obituaries, Lavina Shakespeare is defined by her devotion to her husband and her connection to the church. She does not seem to appear in any news articles, any censuses, or court records.