Eileen Abbott

Eileen Ella Watson née Abbott (1864-1920) was Elizabeth Crawford's best friend, and the first friend she ever knew before Edith and Paulita.

Background
Eileen Watson (born Abbott) was born in Dougherty County, Georgia on April 23, 1864 to Henry Abbott and Kaitlyn Josie Abbott. She was the oldest out of her four siblings. Her mother gave birth to her when she was 17 because of a romance with her newlywed husband, who was 5 years older than her. According to Eileen, Her mother and her father met when they were very young and they fell in love when they grew older.

Her father was a soldier from the Confederate army. He was enlisted at a young age. In 1865 (after Eileen's birth) The Abbott’s house was destroyed by the Unions and they were forced to leave someplace else, The Abbott's relocated to New Mexico and got a job as cattle barriers with the Jaramillo family.

Eileen was an only child at that time and had a good relationship with her father. Her father referred to her as “Ella” and it became her nickname.

Her parents gave birth to the rest of her younger siblings in New Mexico. Alice, Ella and Elbert. Eileen's parents both stayed in New Mexico, even at death. Eileen had no remembrance of her home (since her family moved when she was an infant). She didn't like living in New Mexico and even planned that if she were to get older, she would want to move to New York and raise her family there.

Later Life
Eileen married John Tunstall’s friend Caryl Watson and moved to Greenville Texas where they had four children.

She and Eliza were still close (even from miles apart) and the two wrote letters to each other frequently.

Eileen sadly died in 1920 of an unexplained Heart attack. She was 56 years old.

Her grandson, Herbert Watson, Is believed to still be alive (as of 2021)