Denver Post
March 1898
Death of a Woman Pastor
Rev. Mary Bumstead Coates of Highland lake Dies of Pneumonia
Rev. Mary Bumstead Coates, who has been pastor the the Highland Lake Congregational church between Longmont and Greeley, died in this city yesterday of pneumonia. She was the only woman minister in Colorado, and was noted for her energy in church work and success as an organized of Christian forces. She died at the age of 33 years.
Mrs. Coates was born in Boston, educated in that city and sent to South Africa as a missionary. After serving in that field for over seven years, impaired health compelled her return to this country. She raised over $3,000 and built a church at Highland Lake, the pulpit of which she was occupying at the time of her death. Deceased was married only one week ago, and her demise has greatly shocked a large circle of friends. The funeral will take place to-morrow.
Longmont Ledger
April 1, 1898
Died: Coates, In Denver, Colorado, Thursday, March 24, 1898, Mrs. Forbes Coates, formerly Rev. Mary G. Bumstead of Highlandlake.
The deceased was born in Boston, Mass., where the years of her girlhood were spent. At about the age of twenty-five she went to South Africa where she labored seven years as a teacher in the Huguenot Seminary. AT the end of the at time she was obliged to return to her home on account of ill health. Failing to gain that at home, she came to Colorado in the spring of 1894, where she gained rapidly, and in the fall of the same year, accepted a call to come to the church of Highlandlake as its pastor.
For nearly four years she has been a devoted laborer for the upbuilding of the kingdom of Christ in this place. It was by means of her faithful labors and prayers that the church edifice has been created which now stands as a monument to her memory.
She has left a warm place in the hears of her people where she has always brought sympathy and comfort to the sick and sorrowing.
The news of her sudden death brings sorrow to her many friends here and throughout the state.
She had been married but ten days, and the bereaved husband and the members of her family in Denver and her eastern home have the heartfelt sympathy of all who knew and loved her so well.
The remains were brought to Highlandlake Saturday morning. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. H. M. Sanderson of Denver at the church, and the burial was at Highlandlake cemetery.
Congregational Building Society
Biographical
Rev. Mary Bumstead Coates
1898
A rare spirit went home March 24, when Mrs. Coates, the only woman pastor in Colorado, died in Denver at the age of thirty-four.
A daughter of Deacon Bumstead of Eliot Church, she was born and educated in Boston. After a course at the Normal Art School she followed her elder sister Anna to South Africa and taught in the Huguenot Seminary at Worcester, where she won many souls to Christ.
After seven years of service failing health compelled her to return to this country led her to Highland Lake, Col. Here she threw herself earnestly into church work, and so won the hearts of the people that they called her to be their pastor. She was licensed to preach, served this church successfully for three years and a half, and at the time of her heath was studying for ordination.
In the autumn of 1895 she raised $3,000 among Eastern friends and with the aid of the C.C.B.S. and others a beautiful edifice was built, which no present members can ever again enter without recalling her life of love and service. She had just been married, but on the day that crowned her happiness took cold, which developed into pneumonia, and a week later her body was brought back from Denver to be laid to rest by her sorrowing people.
One who knew her during her school days likens her spirit to the skylark in its buoyancy of faith, its spontaneity of love and joy. But this high plane of thought and life did not prevent her from giving herself so her people always ready with tender sympathy to share their joys and sorrows, to comfort, counsel and to cheer.
At the funeral service she lay as on a bed of roses in a casket bearing the word "peace" encircled by lilies of the valley. Strong men wept like children, and many of the people gazed so long that they had to be asked to move on. A member writes: "We were no prepared to let her go - her work has been so good and great. The people are going to erect a monument but the church will ever be her best monument, last for year to show how well she labored. We who love her sorrow not as those without hope, for well we know that her cheery smile will joyfully greet us on the other side."
This page was updated on November 14, 2009