Monday, January 5, 2015

Obituaries (January 5)

Susan M. Sayre
Binghamton Press, March 10, 1915

Miss Susan M. Sayre, aged 82 years, died at her home, 101 Oak street [Binghamton, Broome Co., NY], Monday night after a brief illness.   She was a daughter of the late William Strong and Leapha Bush Sayre of Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], having come to the city with her sister, the late Sarah E. Sayre, over 30 years ago.  She has resided in this city since that time.  Miss Sayre and her sister were among the founders of the Trinity Memorial church.  The funeral service will be held in the Trinity church Thursday afternoon at 1 o'clock.  Burial will be in Bainbridge.  Friends are requested to omit flowers.
 
Phoebe A. Corson
Binghamton Press, March 10, 1915
 
Phoebe A. Corson, wife of A.B. Corson, died at 12:40 O'clock this morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Emily Corson, in Hopbottom, Pa.  She is survived by her husband; daughter; two sisters, Mrs. Nettie Perry of this city and Mrs. Mary Cross of Detroit, Mich., and three brothers, Samuel S. Hill of Wyalusing, Pa., Jesse Hill of Prattville, Pa., and Leroy G.  Hill of this city.  The funeral will be held at the home of her daughter in Hopbottom on Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock.  Burial will be in Brooklyn, Pa.
 
Helen Pike
The Watchman, Monticello, NY, March 28, 1860
 
Miss Helen Pike, aged about eighteen, daughter of David Pike, of McConnellville [Oneida Co., NY], died very suddenly at Taberg yesterday (Friday) morning.  She was attending a ball at Gillett's Hotel, at the latter place, and about three o'clock in the morning, and while on the ballroom floor, she complained of feeling faint, and almost immediately fell over and was caught by someone near.  She did not speak again, but died instantly!  Two older sisters of hers were at the party with her.  Mr. Gillett was an uncle of deceased.--Ulster Dem.

William Strong Sayre
Chenango Union, January 29, 1880

We are pained to announce the death of our much esteemed townsman, W.S. Sayre, Esq., a gentleman for more than fifty years prominently connected with interests of our village [Bainbridge, Chenango Co., NY], and a lawyer who by her upright dealings and exemplary character has been an ornament to the profession.  Mr. Sayre was born in Romulus, Seneca County, N.Y., March 1808, was a graduate of Hamilton College, and one of the most conscientious and honest men of his profession, and we believe the oldest practitioner in Chenango County.  Mr. Sayre retired to bed about ten o'clock on Tuesday night in apparent good health.  About 11 o'clock Mrs. Sayre was aroused by hearing her husband breathing unnatural, but before assistance could be summoned death had taken place.  Aged nearly 77 years--Times.

John Clapp
Broome Republican, October 7, 1886

The funeral of Hon. John Clapp, whose death occurred last Tuesday, was held from his late residence, Chenango street [Binghamton, Broome Co., NY], at 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon, and was attended by a large concourse of friends, among whom were many representatives of the Bar of Broome county, of which he was a distinguished member.  the services were in accordance with the rites of the Episcopal church, and were conducted in an impressive manner by Rev. R.G. Quennel, rector of Christ church, assisted. by Rev. Mr. Capen.  The remains were laid at rest in Spring Forest cemetery [Binghamton, NY].  Messrs. T.R. Morgan, E.W. Brigham, John Ray Clarke, Job N. Congdon, F.T. Newell and Hon. B.N. Loomis acting as bearers.  At a meeting of the Broome County Bar Association the following minutes and resolution, prepared by P.P. Rogers, Esq., and Neil Pice, Esq. were were adopted, and the chairman of the committee requested to present them to the Supreme Court, with the request to have them placed upon the record. 

"John Clapp, Esquire, the oldest lawyer in Broome County, died in this city on the 28th instant, "an old man well stricken in years."  More than sixty years have passed since he was admitted to the Bar.  He began his professional career under a system of practice and pleading then considered almost the perfection of legal conciseness and logic.  In the learning and subtleties of that system, Mr. Clapp was an adept.  By the Constitution of 1846, this whole system was swept away, and what was then so highly regarded is come to be looked upon as artificial, cumbersome, useless and almost grotesque.  Simpler and more rational methods are now practiced, and "special pleading" is one of the lost arts.

Mr. Clapp practiced under the old system for more than twenty years, and was at all times a studious, conscientious, painstaking, faithful lawyer.  He met as an equal such lawyers as Samuel Beardsley, Hiram Denlo, Greene C. Bronson, James Clapp, his distinguished brother, Henry VanDerlyn, and others of scarcely less reputation, but whose names are now forgotten, "blotted from record and on the tongue of gray tradition voluble no more."  He was for many years the prosecuting officer of an adjoining county, discharging the duties of that position faithfully and well.  Forty-five years ago he became a resident of this city [Binghamton, NY], where he has since resided.  His professional life closed substantially with the adoption of the code in 1847.  He went out with the old system and did not come in with the new.

He was a cultured gentleman, read extensively, discussed with great vigor the currant literature and topics of the day and kept up his readings of the English classics until almost the last.  He was a strong thinker, strong in his affections for his family and friends--strong in his hatred of cant, snobbery, hypocrisy and wrong, and especially severe in his denunciation of political fraud and corruption.  He was a born conservative, attached to the past, distrustful of novelties, but ready to applaud and adopt all real improvements when proved to be such.

Therefore, the members of the Broome County Bar, gathered to pay our tribute of respect to the memory of our deceased brother:
Resolve,
1:  That in the death of Mr. Clapp, our oldest member, we lose one who had long  honored his chosen profession by an upright life, whose integrity was above suspicion, whose word was his bond, whose ability no one who came in contact with him would question.
2:  That while we mourn his loss, we are glad that as we stand beside his grave, we are able to say:
"His life was gentle,
And the elements in him so mixed;
That nature might stand up and say to all the world,
This was a man."
3: That we extend to his family ou rdeepest sympathy in their bereavement the sadness of which is tempered by the remembrance that the sheaf gathered was fully ripe." 


 

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