Frances Jane Crosby was born in the countryside in New York state on March 24, 1820. Her nickname was Fanny. Frances lived a very long life. She didn’t die until February 12, 1915, when she was 94 years old (almost 95)! That day was the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States.
Frances Jane became a famous song writer. Some of her songs are “Blessed Assurance,” “To God Be the Glory,” “Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home,” and many others. But first, Frances had to go through some hard times.
When she was only a month and a half old, she got sick. Part of the treatment was for her sore eyes. It wasn’t a good treatment and she became blind. A blind baby, Frances was. Then, when she was only 1 year old, her dad died. Can you imagine? So, her mom and grandma raised her. Frances Jane became a Methodist one day. She memorized long passages (parts) of the Bible as a girl. When she was 15, she went to the New York School for the Blind. She studied there for 7 years. She learned to play the piano and the guitar. She also learned to sing. Later she became a teacher at the school. She taught English and history there for 11 years.
Frances Jane got married in 1858, when she was 38. She married another blind teacher. His name was Alexander. They had a baby daughter but it died. Alexander died in 1902, 44 years after he and Frances Jane had got married.
In her lifetime Frances wrote at least 8 thousand songs (hymns). That’s a lot! Mostly she wrote the words. Someone else usually wrote the music. When she was only 8, Frances wrote a little poem. It goes like this:
Oh what a happy soul I am,
Although I cannot see;
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy,
That other people don’t;
To weep and sigh because I’m blind,
I cannot, and I won’t.
As we know now, Frances Jane became famous and well known during her life. She often met presidents and other important people. Her grave is in Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Someday you may visit it.
