Obituaries (March 4)

Marvin A. Dimmick

Utica Saturday Globe, January 1900

 

Marvin A. Dimmick

1820 - 1900

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  Another pioneer resident of Chenango county has gone over to the silent majority.  At the residence of his son-in-law, William Crandall, in South Plymouth, on Monday January 13, 1900, Marvin A. Dimmick died in his 80th year.  He was the son of Joseph and Mary Dimmick, who came to this county in the early years of the century and settled in the town of Plymouth, where they arrived on the last day of February, 1807.  They were married in Massachusetts the first day of February and started overland in a sleigh, but finished their month's journey in a wagon, enjoying the experiences common to those primitive days. They came from sturdy New England stock and waged life's battles successfully amid all the hardships and deprivations that beset them and acquired quite a large farm property.  Nine children were born to them, six sons and three daughters.  One of the daughters died in infancy and another passed away at the age of 41, but the remaining daughter and all the sons lived out their allotted space of three score years and ten.  Mr. Dimmick, the father, died at 81, and the wife and mother lived to be 94.  Marvin A. Dimmick was the sixth son and was born September 23, 1820.  He succeeded his father upon the farm where he was born and which continued to be his home the larger part of his life.  He took a great interest in politics and was an unswerving Democrat, priding himself upon his opinions and his party.  It is said that he never but once failed to vote his ballot, and then when absent on a visit in the west.  In the spring of 1852 he was made keeper of the county house in Preston, where he remained for five years.  He was later nominated for supervisor of Plymouth and came within a few votes of being elected in that strong Republican town.  As a candidate for collector he fared better and was elected and served two terms, showing that he was personally popular.  He was regarded by all as an honest man, a good neighbor and an excellent citizen.  He was one of the oldest members of the Norwich lodge of Masons, and was made a master Mason December 24, 1863.  Mr. Dimmick was married January 1, 1846, to Sarah A. Heady, who died July 31, 1879.  Three daughters were born to them, of whom Mrs. Theron N. Holmes, of Norwich, and Mrs. William B. Crandall survive. The third daughter, Ellen A. Dimmick, died May 4, 1883.  Two brothers, Dwight, of Owosso, Mich. and Elijah, of Missoula, Mont., and one sister, Mrs. Mary C. Heady, of Norwich, also survive. The funeral was held Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock, under Masonic auspices, Rev. Albert Clark, of Plymouth officiating.  The remains were laid at rest in the Dimmick Cemetery, the site of which originally formed a part of the Dimmick homestead farm.  [South Plymouth, Chenango Co., NY].

 

Henry O. Southworth

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, August 2, 1879

Henry O. Southworth, formerly and for many years a lawyer of distinction and promise, living at New Berlin [Chenango Co., NY], in the county, died at Bridgewater on Tuesday last, in his sixty seventh year.  The prominence of Mr. S. while a resident of this county, calls for more than a passing notice.  He was born in Bridgewater in March 1813, his father being Rev. James Southworth, then a Presbyterian clergyman of considerable popularity in that locality. At the age of nineteen, Henry entered Hamilton College.  When he entered the senior year he commenced the study of law, with Willard Crafts, then a leading lawyer in Utica.  He was admitted to the bar in 1839, just forty years ago.  He soon settled to practice at New Berlin, and entered at once upon an extensive career in Justice court practice in this county [Chenango], Otsego and Madison.  His fame extended beyond the borders of his own town, and in 1853 he became the nominee of his party for District Attorney. The power of the Democracy had even then began to waver in old Chenango, and he was beaten by Hon. Isaac S. Newton, of this village, who was the Whig candidate by a majority of a bare baker's dozen.  Mr. Southworth felt his defeat bitterly, and did not hesitate to denounce his partisan associates for suffering him to be thus sacrificed, and finally in 1855, he left the county, and took up his residence in Rome, where he formed a partnership with the late D.C. Pomeroy which continued for about fifteen years, embracing within its limit a practice seldom accorded to any firm.  In 1874, Mr. Southworth 's health failed him and with the hope of relief that change of practice and climate would bring him, he went to New York.  His expectations were realized, his health improved and established a business more congenial to his declining years.  His early habits, however, clung to him and he continued his characteristic hard work in his profession, which eventuated in February last, the breaking him down, and disabling him from the further active duties of life.  He returned to the home of his nativity, at Bridgewater, which had always had unusual attractions for him, to die, amid the friends of his youth, to be buried at the home of his childhood, with those of his kindred who had gone before.  He leaves a widow, one son ad three daughters.  Mr. Southworth was a good lawyer, the peer in many respects of any in Central New York.  In his practice he often measured strength with our own B.F. Rexford, Bown of Otsego, and Nye, of Madison, and those able jurists who associated with them at that period, standing out conspicuously as advocates.  Socially, he was a man of great power and an universal favorite, and his pleasing manner and laughter provoking stories, have often whiled away the tedium of the passing hour.  Many of the older citizens of this county will unite with us in this passing though imperfect tribute to the worth and memory of Henry O. Southworth.

 

Sullivan Reynolds

Chenango Union, May 31, 1883

Sullivan Reynolds died in Butternuts, Otsego Co., N.Y., May 15th, 1883, aged 74 years.  The subject of this sketch was born in Guilford, Chenango Co., N.Y., where his parents moved some eighty-four years before from Rhode Island.  He belonged to a family of five sons and two daughters, only one of whom survives him, the Widow Burdick, of Guilford Centre, N.Y.  He was a man of stern integrity, and of a meek and quiet spirit, which made him a good neighbor, a good citizen, a kind husband, a loving father, and won for him many friends who will greatly miss him as time goes by.  It became evident to his children that for some time before his death, he thought his end was nigh, for he seemed to be carefully arranging all his business matters, by sorting all of his papers, and repacking and labelling them, throwing unimportant ones away, so that all matters pertaining to his estate might be clearly understood by his children who might survive him.  He read his Bible much during this time, which is evidence that while he was arranging his earthly concerns, he was also preparing for that world to which he was so soon to go.  This all done, he laid his glasses by his papers, and soon after took a fever, which ended in a disease of the lungs, which terminated his life on earth.  His three sons will greatly miss him, but they will find great comfort in the fact that they can think of nothing but good towards them in the long life of their father who has left them behind, and gone on to join his companions, and their mother, on eternity's shore.  The floral display seen in his beautiful home, on the banks of the Unadilla, and the ripe sheaf of wheat which laid on his casket, were emblematical of his mature life, and the ever green shore to which we have no doubt all who knew him believe he has gone.  Plains, Pa., May 26, 1883   N.S. Reynolds

 

Death Notices

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, August 2, 1879

 

FRENCH:  In this town [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], on Friday, July 25th, Ebenezer French, in the sixty-second year of his age.

 

HETRICK:  In Smithville [Chenango Co., NY], July 26th, Robert Hetrick, aged 67 years.

 

WINSTON:  In Troy, Bradford county, Pa. July 23d, Lewis Winston, formerly of Greene, aged 98 years 11 months and 6 days.

 

WILLCOX:  In Oxford [Chenango Co., NY], July 9th, Daisy Belle [Willcox], adopted daughter of Samuel and Demis Willcox, aged 8 years.

 

NOWLAN:  In Oxford [Chenango Co., NY], July 22d,  Katie [Nowlan} daughter of Thomas P. and Maggie Nowlan, aged 2 years.

 

ROBBINS:  In Oxford [Chenango Co. NY], July 10th, Mrs. Maria Robbins, wife of the late Myron Robbins, aged 57 years.

 

BANKS:  In Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], July 23d, Willie [Banks], son of John and Sophia Banks, aged 16 years.

 

DIMMICK:  At South Plymouth [Chenango Co., NY], July 31, Sarah A. Dimmick, wife of Marvin Dimmick, aged 57 years.  Funeral at the residence of her husband today (Saturday) at three o'clock, P.M.