Saturday, November 7, 2015

Obituaries (November 7)

Emily Elvira Woodard
Utica Saturday Globe, May 1906
 
 
Emily Elvira Woodard
1841 - 1906

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  On Sunday morning last, at the family residence near Haynes, occurred the death of Emily Elvira Woodard, aged 65 years.  Mrs. Woodard had been ill with pneumonia but was recovering when a heart trouble, from which she had suffered for years, developed alarming symptoms and resulted in her death.  Her death was doubly sad owing to the recent death of her husband, Hiram O. Woodard, which occurred May 10, after being ill but five days of pneumonia, valvular heart trouble making his case hopeless from the first.  Both were born in the town of New Berlin [Chenango Co., NY].  Mr. Woodard passed his 65th birthday last October and Mrs. Woodard would have reached her 65th anniversary in July.  They had lived in this section nearly all of their lives and had become well known.  Their marriage took place about 43 years ago.  They were both members of the Norwich Congregational Church and were loved and respected by a large circle of friends.  They are survived by five sons, Fred M., of Norwich; Charles H. and Benjamin of Haynes and Wallace and Frank, of Norwich.  Mrs. Woodard leaves two sisters, Mrs. Frank Smith, of Sherburne, and Mrs. Jane Parcelle, of South New Berlin, and three brothers, Andrew Briggs, of Gilbertsville; Lewis Briggs of New Berlin and James Briggs of Norwich.  Mr. Woodard is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Phoebe Hamilton, of New Berlin, and Angeline Conkey, of Oneonta.  Funeral services were held at the family home on Wednesday afternoon at 1 o'clock, Rev. D.W. Dexter, of Norwich, officiating.  Burial at Mount Hope Cemetery. [Glen Buell Collection, Guernsey Memorial Library, Norwich, NY]
 
Hiram O. Woodard
Chenango Union, May 17, 1906
Hiram O Woodard died at his home on the Oxford road, just below the Half-Way House on Thursday May 10, aged 65 years.  Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon, Rev. Daniel W. Dexter, of the Congregational church, officiating.  He is survived by his widow, who is also seriously ill with pneumonia, and by five sons, three of whom, Frank, Fred and Wallace, are residents of Norwich.
 
Devillo P. Brown
Chenango Union, May 17, 1906
Devillo P. Brown died at his home on South Broad Street [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY] Wednesday morning. His age was 75 years.  He suffered a shock on Tuesday from which he did not rally.  Mr. Brown was an employee of the Ontario and Western carpenter shops and had been a resident of Norwich for years.  He was a member of Sherburne Lodge, F.&A.M., Cyrus Chapter of Hamilton and Norwich Commandery, No. 465.  Funeral services will be held on Sunday at 2 p.m., with Masonic burial and Knight Templar escort.
 
Thomas Clark Monroe
Chenango Union, May 17, 1906
Thomas Clark Monroe of Sidney [Delaware Co., NY], one of the best known Masons in this part of the State, died at his home on Saturday aged 75 years.  He was a member of Sidney Lodge, F.&A.M. and for several years was Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge, F.&A.M. of the State of New York.  He was also prominent in Chapter Masonry and in Norwich Commandery, No. 46, K.T. in which he was knighted on June 2, 1872.  Funeral services were held on Tuesday from his home, two and a half miles from Sidney Village. The Masonic ritual was rendered by Right Worshipful and Rev. John Lanbenheimer, Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge and the Knight Templar burial service by E. Sir Harvey J. Daniels, Prelate of Norwich Commandery.  Norwich Commandery, with about 70 swords, made a pilgrimage to Sidney to attend the funeral, accompanied by the Norwich City band.  he is survived by his widow, who was a daughter of the late Roswell Morse, of Guilford, and by one son, Roswell Monroe, of Sidney and one daughter, Mrs. George l. Harding, of Binghamton.  Mr. Monroe was especially well versed in the Masonic ritual and for years has been frequently called upon to render the Masonic burial service in Chenango, Delaware and Broome counties, where he had a wide acquaintance.
 
Sidney Record, May 19, 1906
The death of Thomas C. Monroe, at his home near this village [Sidney, Delaware Co., NY] last Saturday morning of the 12th last, caused widespread sorrow throughout this locality, where during a long life he had been regarded as one of our most upright and respected citizens.  To his sorrowing widow and family his loss is one of peculiar sadness. To them he poured forth the devotions of a true and loyal heart.  His relations with them had always been of the most tender character.  The loss of his two sons, Benjamin W. and Stanton M. Monroe brought great grief to his heart.  These two deaths caused him a deep sorrow that only those intimately acquainted with Mr. Monroe can appreciate.  His main hope appeared to be centered in his family and to the members of that immediate circle is directed the profound sympathy of many cordial friends.  Mr. Monroe died at 6 o'clock on the morning of the 12th inst., from pneumonia.  His spirit passed peacefully away that early Spring morn as the sun flooded the hills and valleys about the old homestead with its golden rays, while the melody of birds chanted through the woods a requiem for another tired soul just entered into rest.  The Rev. G.J.D. Peter, Rector of St. Paul's read the burial service of the Episcopal church. The male quartette sung "Nearer My God to Thee" and the Rev. E Melville offered prayer. 
 
In his address Mr. Melville said:  There is a peculiar fitness in my being here today.  For five years our friend who has gone was a regular attendant at the church of which I was then Rector. Through him and by him I was raised to the sublime deg. of Master Mason.  For two years I was his chaplain and often assisted him to perform the last offices of love for departed brothers, that we are observing for  him and his today.  Two years ago when I assisted in burying his son he said to me with tears in his eyes, there is one more thing Melville you must do, "come and bury the old man when the time comes."  Mr. Melville went on to say, there was not any word in the English language he would more gladly abolish than the word "death" as it was generally used and understood.  Well did Longfellow say "There is no death what seems to us transition."  Tennyson spoke truly when he described it as "going from this room into the next."  The fact is death is a graduation and not the end of a probation where and when as we've been taught destiny is eternally fixed.  Character determines destiny and will as long as character endures.  St. Paul spoke of death as an unmooring.  Jesus as an exodus and a home coming.  Our friend has graduated, he has unmoored from the port of time, he has seen his pilot face to face. Perhaps you the wife, the son, the daughter, the friends who loved the departed most, will not be able to say, "we are content" but you will learn to say it, if not now.
 
In the morn when angle faces smile,
Which you had loved long since and lost awhile
Comfort one another with these words.
 
The funeral on Tuesday afternoon of the 15th proved a notable Masonic observance and worthy of the memory of one who during a long lifetime had displayed a keen interest in the labors of the Craft.  Bro. Monroe was one of the oldest members of Freedom Lodge, of Unadilla, and a founder of Sidney Lodge, no. 801, F.&A.M.  He was also a member of the Norwich Commandery, Kalurah  Temple of the mystic Shrine, of Binghamton and of Unadilla Chapter, R.A.M.  A long line of Masons formed on Bridge street and escorted the funeral procession to Prospect Hill cemetery [Sidney, NY], where at the entombment the solemn Masonic rites were observed.  The procession as one of the most imposing solemnities ever witnessed in this village. The brilliant column of the Knights Templar was headed by the Norwich band of 25 pieces. The scene at the grave was one of singular impressiveness and solemn grandeur, Rev. E. Melville, Sir Knights Daniels and Moore, of The Norwich Commandery, also Rev. John Laubenheimer, of Albany, N.Y. Grand Lecturer and the Past Grand Chaplain, Grand lodge, F.&A.M. State of New York, officiated at the grave.  A fine quarter from Otseningo Lodge no. 435, consisting of Dr. Gillespie, A.E. Michaelbach, Tracy G. Avery, C.T. Hess, conducted the musical exercises.  Thomas C. Monroe will long be missed.  He was known in every walk of life and by everyone was held in the highest esteem.  His geniality and unfailing courtesy endeared him to all.  He retained his mental and physical vigor to a remarkable degree for one who had seen seventy five years of life. He goes from us with the regrets of all and his memory will long be treasured as a precious heritage to his family and his friends.
 
William G. Brant
1860 - 1943
William G. Brant, one of this city's most highly respected residents, died at the family home, 22 Hickok avenue [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], at 12:30 Wednesday morning.  In ill health for a long period of time, Mr. Brant had been seriously ill for only about a week.  The deceased was born in Guilford [Chenango Co., NY], Jan. 12, 1860, but had been a resident of Norwich for 47 years.  For a period of 32 years he was an employee of the Maydole Hammer Company.  He was also an employee of the late Charles G. Nash, but for the past several years had lived a retired life.  Mr. Brant was a member of Broad Street Methodist church for many years and he also held membership in Norwich lodge 302 F.&A.M.  Mr. Brant was a devoted churchman.  He loved his church and his main object in life was to live up to the teachings of the church.  Quiet by nature, Mr. Brant possessed those attributes of character which endeared him to many friends, all of whom will deeply mourn his passing.  There survive his wife, Eunice Brant, a step-son Pascal Holcomb of Norwich, granddaughter, Mrs. Walter Park of Norwich and a nephew, Clarence Smith of Sauquoit.  Services are to be held at the Breese Funeral Home at 2:30 Friday afternoon with Rev. Dr. W. Gray Jones officiating. The body will rest at the family home on Hickok avenue until Friday noon.   [Buried Mt. Hope Cemetery, Norwich, NY]

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