Obituaries (July 22)

Bishop Newman of the M.E. Church, died at his cottage in Saratoga, Wednesday afternoon, July 5th aged 73 years.  He had been troubled with creeping paralysis for two years but had not yielded to the infirmity until four weeks ago when that complicated with pneumonia culminated in death.  The end was peaceful.  His wife was with him to the last.  Rev. John Philip Newman, D.D.LLD., was born in New York city on Sept. 1, 1826, and was educated at Cazenovia Seminary, in that city.  At the age of 16 he was prompted to join the Methodist church by a mysterious occurrence.  On the streets of New York one day he was suddenly accosted by a stranger of impressive mien, who without a single word of salutation, simply said:  "God wants your heart," and then vanished as abruptly as he had appeared.  Two weeks thereafter, on a Sabbath morning the same stranger met him, and before he could ask an explanation of his intrusive officiousness, slipped into the young man's hand a piece of paper, on which was written, "God wants your heart."  His message, said Dr. Newman in relating the incident, was obeyed, and within a month thereafter I was received into the Methodist Episcopal church;  Newman at once began preparing for the ministry, and at the age of 22 began life as an itinerant.  After 10 years spent in country charges he was stationed in New York where he remained for two years.  He then sailed for Europe and spent a year and a half abroad, much of the time in the Holy Land.  On his return he published his first book, "From Dan to Beersheba," which had a remarkable sale and brought him into prominence.  In 1863 he was given the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by Rochester University.  In 1864, when all knew the Southern Confederacy must fall, Dr. Newman was designed by the late Bishop Ames to organize the Methodist Episcopal church in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas and spent five years in the successful execution of the work.  He also established the New Orleans Christian Advocate as an organ of the Northern church, founded an orphan asylum in New Orleans and organized a normal school and an academical institution for training young men for the ministry.  He established and built nine churches for the colored people, and reared a substantial $50,000 church, which was free to all classes.  This work brought him into contact with Republican political leaders, and he was elected chaplain of the Senate.  He became, also, the first pastor of the Metropolitan Methodist Church, in Washington, at which President Grant, Chief Justice Chase and many Senators and Representatives were regular attendants.  From this circumstance Dr. Newman came to be called the "Court Chaplain."  After four years at this post he started on a tour around the world, holding a commission from President Grant as inspector of United States Consulates.  He was absent on this political mission for two years, drawing a salary of $5,000 a year, with $2,500 for his wife as private secretary.  In March, 1875, having finished his tour of inspection and his book, Dr. Newman returned to Washington and was again stationed at the Metropolitan church.  In April, 1878, he was again obliged to leave Washington by reason of the three-year limit, and he then became the pastor of the Central M.E. church in New York city.  At the general conference of 1880 he was a candidate for bishop, but was defeated.  He then became pastor of the Madison Avenue Congregational church, which had a debt of $80,000.  This Dr. Newman made a determined effort to remove.  Ex-President Grant and a number of prominent moneyed men became members of the church, but in two years there was a serious slit in the congregation, owing to Dr. Newman still keeping up a connection with the Methodist Conference, to which he made regular reports.  He offered his resignation, but after a high dispute it was not accepted.  Later the matter was taken into court, and Dr. Newman quietly abandoned the pulpit.  Dr. Newman went from New York to San Francisco, but in 1886 returned to his old charge the metropolitan church at Washington.  In August, 1885, he preached the sermon at Gen. Grant's funeral.  At the general conference of 1888 he was again a candidate for the episcocate and was then elected bishop.  The funeral of Bishop John P. Newman of the Methodist Episcopal church took place in Saratoga, Saturday and the remains were conveyed to Mechanicsville Saratoga county for burial.  Services were held at the Newman cottage before noon and were conducted by the Rev. Dr. W.H. Henry of the Central New York conference and the Rev. Dr. Bostwick Hawley of Saratoga.  The remains laid in state at midday at the First M.E. church where at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon the funeral took place.  The funeral address was delivered by Bishop E.G. Andrews of New York city.  Additional eulogistic remarks were made by prominent Methodist clergymen of the state and country.  [Bainbridge Republican, July 12, 1899]

After a period of weary waiting, and extreme suffering, Josephine E., wife of Frederick S Whitman, died at her home on Pruyn Hill, Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], yesterday morning, August 8th, of cancer, aged forty-seven years.  Mrs. Whitman, though a delicate fragile woman in appearance, had seemed to possess ordinary good health until within the past two years when painful and frequent disturbance of the physical system developed, and finally her physicians pronounced her to be a prey to the deadly cancer.  Mrs. Whitman fought the disease with heroic fortitude.  She was gentle and patient, yet buoyed up by hope was full of determination.  In June of last year she went to Hallowell, Maine, for treatment under her sister, Dr. Mary E. Brookin and husband, both of whom are physicians.  She returned in September, apparently cured and happy in her restoration to health.  But in December the disease again manifested itself and with great virulence, but she cherished the hope of overcoming it, and resolved, though told by the hospital doctors in Albany that she had but the hundredth chance of living, to undergo a surgical operation.  She went to Albany in May last and passed through the ordeal returning in a few weeks, since which her decline has been rapid.  Mrs. Whitman was born in Guilford and was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.. Eleazer Spencer.  Her parents came to the town of Bainbridge to live and resided above the village upon the East side of the river.  The deceased was married in 1877, to Frederick S. Whitman, and lived two years in Masonville and then they came to the vicinity of Bainbridge, and after a time removed to Pruyn Hill.  The Spencer family has been renowned for its talent in music and Mrs. Whitman is remembered for her beautiful voice.  At musical conventions held formerly in Bainbridge, Mrs. .Whitman often took a conspicuous part.  Her pleasing girlish figure upon the stage and sweet rendering of the principal number in the "Cantata of Queen Esther," is vividly recalled by participants and listeners who trace the years back in the musical history of our town.  Mrs. Whitman was greatly attached to the Presbyterian church, being a constant attendant before her health gave away.  The funeral will be held at the home, tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon at 1:30 o'clock, the Rev. D.N. Grummon, of Binghamton, a former pastor, conducting the services.  The burial will be at Sidney.  Besides her husband, Mrs. Whitman is survived by two children, the daughter Mabel of seventeen years, and son Erle, nine years of age, a sister, Dr. Mary E. Brookin of Hallowell, Maine, and four brothers, Dr. C.W. and Frederick Spencer of Bainbridge, Hiram Spencer of Centre Village and Frank Spencer of Franklin.  [Bainbridge Republican, Aug. 9, 1899]

Died at her late home in Binghamton [Broome Co., NY], July 31st, Mrs. Mary E. Griffin, widow of the late Dr. Griffin, aged 68 years.  Many friends will read with deep sorrow of the death of this estimable woman who was a faithful companion, a loving mother, a staunch friend of frank cordiality and broad charity.  A bereaved daughter, Mrs. D.L. Burr, with other relatives are left to mourn her loss, but not to sorrow as those who have no hope.  Mrs. A.L. Bevier who is a step-sister attended the funeral last Wednesday.  [Bainbridge Republican, Aug. 9, 1899]

An Endicott woman lost her life and 11 other persons were injured, two critically, and one seriously, in seven highway accidents in the Triple Cities during the weekend.  Dead is Mrs. Agnes Farrer, 50, a veteran E.J. worker of 110 Fillmore Avenue, Endicott, who died early last night in Barnes Memorial Hospital at Susquehanna, Pa. of multiple injuries received in a crash involving her automobile and a bus on Route 11 between Great Bend and Halstead Saturday.  [Binghamton Press, Feb. 2, 1942]

Agnes Farrer, 50, a 25-year employee of the Endicott Johnson Corp., died in the Barnes Memorial Hospital, Susquehanna, PA at 4:15 p.m. Sunday.  She is survived by her husband, Charles W. Farrer; a sister Mrs. Pauline Sickler of Marathon; a brother, Orland Decker of Marathon and several nieces and nephews.  Mrs. Farrer was a member of the Endicott First Baptist Church and Endicott Chapter O.E.S., 694, The body was removed to the Allen Memorial Home 611-13 Main Street Endicott where family will receive friends 7-9 p.m. Tuesday [Binghamton Press, Feb. 2, 1952] Tragic death of Mrs. Agnes D. Farrer, 110 Fillmore Avenue, Endicott [Broome Co., NY], recently, was a great shock to friends and co-workers of the Endicott Johnson Corporation.  They extend sincere sympathy to her husband, Charles E Farrer, and to other members of her family in their bereavement.  A host of friends and relatives attended the funeral as a final tribute to her departure Wednesday morning.  Mrs. Farrer had been a loyal, congenial worker in the E.J. organization for the past 25 years as a top-stitcher and was recently advanced to the position of forelady of the lining-makers' department in Room 20.  Mr. Farrer, who was injured at the time of his wife's death, has the best wishes of the E.J.. Workers for a rapid recovery.  [LMD notation:  Jan. 31, 1942]

Miss Dorothy M. Hyatt, 23, of 110 Roosevelt avenue, Endicott [Broome Co., NY], died at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, Pa., after a long illness.  She is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Hyatt of Endicott' a brother, J. Edgar Hyatt of this city; also two nieces and several aunts and uncles.  Miss Hyatt was a member of the First Methodist Church of Endicott and an IBM employee.  The body was removed to the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street Endicott, where the family will receive friends Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m.  [LMD notation:  Apr. 13, 1944]

Mrs. Georgia R. Stewart, widow of Norval Stewart of 279 Main st., died at 1 a.m., Wednesday, at the Williams convalescent Home in Harford, Pa.  She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Georgia Stewart Keeton of Binghamton.  The body was removed to Ivan. A Barber & Son Funeral Home, 428 Main St. Johnson City, where friends may call Thursday, 7 to 9 p.m.  [LMD notation:  Jan. 21, 1945]