Obituaries (February 21)

Adaline H. Mersereau

Northern Christian Advocate, Auburn, NY, January 26, 1853

Miss Adaline H. Mersereau died of consumption in Union, Broome Co., N.Y., Dec. 31, aged 22 years.  Sister Mersereau experienced religion, some two years since, under the labors of the Rev. Wm. Silsbee, but evidently lived beneath her privilege, until some three weeks since, when she heartily repented of her backslidings, received pardon, and emerged into the full liberty of the children of God.  For several days before she died, she had a very clear evidence of her acceptance with God, and frequently shouted aloud his praise. She possessed an ardent desire for the salvation of souls, and exhorted her friends and neighbors to repent of their sins, believe in Jesus, and seek for religion.  She wished to be received into the Methodist Episcopal Church, and receive the Sacrament, on the day but one before her death.  Her request was granted.  This was a solemn time; and forcibly reminded us of the last supper of our lord with his disciples. the very atmosphere seemed filled with love. She said that she was in great pain of body, but glory was in her soul.  In the night in which she bade adieu to earth and friends below, she sung those beautiful hymns, the one commencing, 

"How happy are they,"

and the other,

"How sweet the name of Jesus sounds"

She said to her weeping relatives, "I see the angels," and to one who remarked that possibly she might recover, she said, "I want to go home to my Heavenly Father."  These were her last words.  God granted her request, and she sweetly fell asleep in Jesus. Angels, no doubt, wafted her happy spirit  J.M. Grimes,  Union, Jan. 3, 1853

Josiah Merrit

Northern Christian Advocate, Auburn, NY, January 26, 1853

Josiah, son of Jesse and Mariah Merrit, died in Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], Jan. 13, in the 30th year of his age.  Ten weeks since, the writer was called to celebrate the marriage nuptials of Br. Josiah and sister Miranda Nichols, and today to preach his funeral sermon.  His illness was short and severe.  He appeared not to be in possession of his rational faculties.  An evening or two previous to the attack, he spoke of his enjoyment and determination to live in the service of Christ.  Death has closed the scene.  E.D Thurston.

Hazard Boldin

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, June 18, 1881

In our last we announced that Mr. Boldin was stricken with apoplexy the evening previous, and that he lay in a critical condition.  Ere our forms had closed on Tuesday afternoon he passed away.  The Union thus speaks of this old and respected citizen.

Deceased was born in Dutchess County, December 22d, 1808.  In the fall of 1844 he first came to this village [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], and for eight years made his home with the family of Matthew Ransford, then with the family of the late John Bliven where he remained until the spring of 1871, then with the late Newman Gates with whose family he resided until his death.  He was the largest cattle dealer in this section, and was well known among the farmers of this and adjoining Counties among whom he had many warm friends. A competency rewarded his years of active life and at the time of his death he owned a large amount of real estate in this village.  Mr. Boldin was never married.  he was an eccentric man in many respects and among his peculiarities was the spelling of both his Christian and surnames as they appear at the head of this article, the family name being Baldwin.  No man ever questioned the integrity of Mr. Boldin, and it may truly be said of him, his word was as good as his bond.  In all his business intercourse with the world, he has left a clean record.  He was a good citizen ever ready bound in public enterprises and his purse was always open to the appeals of the poor and unfortunate, while his charities were not ostentatiously published to the world. Two sisters and a brother survive him who resided east besides a number of other relatives.  Funeral services were held at the residence of Mrs. Newman Gates on Silver street on Thursday at eleven o'clock A.M.  which was largely attended.  His remains were taken to Earlville and buried in the family lot of his nephew, Edgar Baldwin, in the cemetery at that place. We learn that Mr. Boldin by will distributed his property to his brother and sisters and other relatives, making no local bequests as erroneously reported.

Chester Scofield

The Daily Observer, August 14, 1875

Chester Scofield, the oldest resident of the town of Paris [Oneida Co., NY], died at his residence on Paris Hill at near midnight of Thursday, at the advanced age of nearly 84 years.

In the year 1791, Israel Scofield, the father of the subject of our sketch, sold his small homestead near Watertown, in Litchfield Co., Connecticut, and with the necessary equipments of the emigrant of that age, consisting mainly of a few household goods and an ox team as the motive power, started out with his young and growing family for a home in the "Western Wilderness."  He followed up the Mohawk River and struck off into the southern part of Herkimer county, and upon the hill lands of a now fertile district, a little south of a settlement then called "Carolina Settlement," now known as Paris Hill, upon a plot of land previously taken up, he commenced the erection of a log house, and vigorously pushed forward the felling of the trees and the first breaking of the soil.  It was an early day in the history of Oneida county, for it must be remembered that the first settlements within the town of Paris were begun in 1789, Capt. Royce being among the very earliest settler, about a mile to the northeast of "Carolina Settlement," while at this latter point Col. Tuttle had established himself as hotel keeper, and in the spring of 1791 entertained that distinguished preacher, Jonathan Edwards, who here at this time organized a Congregational Society with five members.

Israel Scofield was the father of 13 children, nearly all of whom lived to a good old age in this immediate vicinity. Chester Scofield was one of this number, and was born in March, 1792, and was consequently, at the time of his death, 83 years and 5 months old, and the fact should be remarked in this connection that he was the first male child born within the present limits of the town of Paris.  Mr Scofield was bred to the trade of his father, that of cooper, which business he conducted in the city of Utica for about twenty years, from 1829-1849, when he returned to his native town and settled upon a small farm in the village of Paris Hill, proposing to spend the evening of his days among his old neighbors and friends.  But there was a sadness which gradually crept over him these latter years, often expressed; a feeling of loneliness, as one after another he followed his neighbors and friends to their final resting place, until he was left almost entirely alone, the oldest of them all.  he led a life of frugality, honesty and industry, and when the labors of his farm did not demand attention, until within a very recent period, the tools of his workshop were not idle.  At the age of fourteen, with nineteen others, he became a member of the Congregational Chruch of this place, under the then pastorate of the venerabe Eliphalet Steel, in which fellowship he has remained until the present.  Scarcely had he commenced his earthly career when the settlers of this infant colony were reduced to sore extremities, famine adding to the hardships of those early pioneers; but a noble benefactor arose in the person of Mr. Paris, a merchant of Fort Plain, who generously offered to supply the colony with corn, &c until more prosperous days should enable them to repay the obligation. As a recongitiion in part of his kindness and generosity his name was given to the village, and the town then formed from a part of Whitestown.

As illustrating the real estate transactions of those early days, one other reminiscence may be permitted.  Israel Scofield, Thomas Hitchcox, Joseph Cutler and Menser Judd Spinster, in the year 1795, purchased of a Mr. Boardman, of Philadelphia, 240- acres of land, the consideration being "three hundred and sixty Spanish milled dollars," and described as "lying on the south side of the Mohawk river in Herkimer Co."  It was immediately contiguous to the plot already taken by Mr. Scofield, and from it some of his children had their farms.  Upon this purchase were several acres of heavily timbered pine and cedar swamp, some of which was sold by the above parties for the moderate sum of "fifty cents" per acre.

One of the last links connecting the present with the past is gone; few of those old ties remain to be severed.  Mr. Scofield was endowed with a vigorous constitution, which the three-score and ten of his allotted years abundantly testify, and though for several years afflicted with an increasing deafness, he retained his faculties to a remarkable degree, and many were the reminiscences of those early days it was his privilege to relate.  He was conscious to the very last, and, as it were, quietly dropped asleep in death without a struggle.  He was thrice married, and now leaves as surviving members of his household, a wife and daughter.  His funeral will take place from the Congregational Church in Paris on Sunday at 1 o'clock.