Clarissa Patrick
Weekly Press, Afton, NY, June 17, 1880
Died in Afton [Chenango Co., NY], May 20th, at the residence of her son-in-law, N.B. Stowell, Mrs. Clarissa Patrick, aged 85 years and 3 months. Her remains were taken to Cuyler, Cortland county, N.Y., and buried by the side of her husband, the late Henry Patrick, one of the oldest inhabitants of that town.
Jane E. (Smith) Kirkhuff
Weekly Press, Afton, NY, April 22, 1880
The tragic death of Mrs. Kirkhuff has cast a gloom over the whole community, and all hearts sympathize with the afflicted family in their great distress. Mrs. Kirkhuff was a cultured and refined lady, modest and unassuming in her manners. Her loss will be deeply felt in the family, where she was a faithful, and affectionate wife and mother, and in the church, of which she was a consistent and devout member. But it is our comfort that we sorrow not as those who have no hope. She sleeps in Jesus. The weary heard and aching heart are forever at rest. Her ransomed spirit is in joy and felicity in the Paradise of God. Cheered by this hope, our grief for her loss loses its sting, and it is not so hard for us to say "God's will be done."
The usual quiet that pervades the village of Afton was disturbed by the announcement on Sunday morning of the suicide of Mrs.Jane Kirkhuff, wife of J.B. Kirkhuff of that village. The circumstances of this melancholy affair as we glean them from Coroner Hayes, and the evidence elicited at the inquest are these: The family of J.B. Kirkhuff, consisting of a wife and three daughters had for some years resided in Afton, where Mr. K, has engaged in the practice of law, being a member of the Chenango County Bar. A few years ago Mr. Kirkhuff went upon the road selling goods, and had been absent from the home most of the winter. He had sold the house and lot in the village of Afton and had contracted to give possession about the 1st of May. Mrs. Kirkhuff was not a naturally strong woman and being left to superintend the moving, it had caused her much annoyance of inability to sleep for but a few hours of the night, and had expressed to some of her neighbors regret at the change they had made in selling their house, and of some investments by her husband. During Mr. K's absence, she had slept with one of her daughters, but on Saturday night expressed a desire to sleep alone, which she did. The oldest daughter noticed during the evening that she looked unusually pale and her face wore an expression; she expressed regret that she had not persuaded her husband to abandon the change. she retired quite early, her daughter sitting up somewhat later. In the morning when her daughter Emma arose a little after nine o'clock, she went to her mother's room and found her absent. she at once instituted a search for her. Going to some of the neighbors to see if she had been there, Robert Paddock and Jacob VanWoert went to the Kirkhuff house and in their search discovered that a tub that covered the well had been removed. Upon examining the well they found an object in the water, which on raising to the surface proved to be the unfortunate woman. She was in her night clothes and had from appearance been in the water some three to four hours. The well was about eight feet in depth, three feet across and contained about five feet four inches of water-a little more than enough to cover her head when standing in an upright position. She was at once removed to the house and Coroner Hayes sent for, who empaneled a jury and held an inquest, upon which the above facts were elicited. After hearing the testimony of several witnesses they returned a verdict: "That the deceased came to her death by committing suicide, by drowning in a well on her premises, during a fit of temporary insanity, on the morning of April 11, 1880." Appearances indicated that she hastily arose from her bed quite early in the morning and went directly to the well and jumped in. She left no word or writing to indicate her motive, and although she had not been considered insane, her actions and words spoken by her, plainly indicated that for some days previous to her death she had not been in her right mind and it is conjectured that for some time she contemplated the fatal act. The deceased was a most exemplary lady, an honored member of the Episcopal Church and was highly esteemed in Afton society for her many sterling qualities. She owned considerable property in her own right and had something over a thousand dollars in the bank to her credit independent of her husband. She leaves a family of three daughters ranging in age from 7 to 17 years. Her husband was absent at the time of the fatal concurrence and at latest accounts no word had been received in response to numerous telegrams that had been sent to him at different points. It is a sad and melancholy affair and has cast a gloom over the entire village of Afton. [findagrave.com, Memorial #105033518]
Mabel Hinman
Afton Enterprise, May 1, 1885
HINMAN: In Afton, N.Y., April 11, 1885, Mrs. Mabel Hinman, widow of Moses Hinman, aged 91 years, 3 months, and 22 days. Sister Hinman was born at Fly Creek, Otsego county, N.Y. Moved to Upper Lisle, and there married and lived till May 12, 1836, when she moved on the farm where she died. Twelve children have blessed the home, nine now living. She has thirty-two grandchildren, twenty-three great-grandchildren, making seventy-six in all. She was a woman of fine taste and a cultured mind, stored with all the topics of the day, for she was a great reader, was a fine Bible student, and her loving, motherly nature with the truths of the Bible taught her that God is love, and no doubt passed through her mind but that every child of God would in the realms of the beyond forever remain in the presence of our Father in Heaven. What a pleasure it must be to the children, as they think of the large number of friends who met to pay the last tribute of respect to one whom they loved, as their tears showed the respect they had for "Grandma," as they so familiarly called her. She was placed at rest in the Universalist cemetery in Afton, by the side of her husband, who passed on some twelve years ago. Funeral services were conducted by Rev. O.K. Beardsley, of Hopbottom, Pa.
William Lavee
Home Sentinel, Afton, NY, April 9, 1880
We are under obligations, says the Union, to Nemiah Leach, for the past five years Keeper of the County House, for the following items of interest from that institution. In his large family of boarders of all classes he has one who was one hundred years old on Thursday last. His name is William Lavee, who was born in new London County, Conn., April 1, 1780, and settled in this County [Chenango Co., NY], in 1814, where he has since resided, a period of sixty-six years. By trade he was a shoemaker, but he at one time owned and cultivated a farm in the town of Preston [Chenango Co., NY]. In his old age reverses came upon him and he was reduced to want, at last becoming an inmate of the asylum for the poor. He early embraced the cause of Christ, and all these years he has lived an exemplary Christian. His mental faculties he retains to a remarkable degree. Mr. Leach has now about one hundred and thirty boarders, and the aggregate of the ages of the thirty between 70 and 100 is 2,288 years. During these five years, fifty-six have died, of these the ages of twenty-nine aggregated 2, 337 years, and of the remaining, twenty-seven, 1,855 years.
Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, September 25, 1880
The oldest resident of Chenango county died on Tuesday morning. We refer to William Levee, who has for some years past resided in the County House. He has been in vigorous health until within a few months, when he began to fail slowly, until the last flickering spark expired. His age was 100 years, 5 months and 20 days. He had used tobacco for over 90 years.
Death Notices
Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, September 25, 1880
DARLING: At the County House [Preston, Chenango Co., NY], Sept. 15, of consumption, Abagail Darling, aged 60 years, formerly of Oxford [Chenango Co., NY].
SHEEVER: At the County House [Preston, Chenango Co., NY], Sept. 18, of consumption, Peter Sheever, aed 74 years, formerly of Norwich [Chenango Co., NY].
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