Obituaries (February 19)

Reuben T. Comstock

Chenango Telegraph, April 1, 1875

Died--in Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 27th ult., at the residence of his son, A.A. Comstock, Esq., Mr. Reuben T. Comstock, aged 68 years.  Many years ago Mr. Comstock was a resident of this village [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], and was a well known and popular teacher of the village school.  During his stay in Norwich, many of our rising young men were in attendance at his school, and even now credit their success in life to his early teaching.  Mr. Comstock was a vigorous hearty old man and up to the time of his death took great interest in the passing events of the day, particularly during the war for the suppression of the rebellion was he anxious for news, and never failed to public or private conversation to show that his sympathies were with the Union cause.  In his old age too, his mind frequently recurred to the years he spent in Norwich, and he kept his memory green by the weekly perusal of the Telegraph, and several times he has favored our readers with "recollections" of his life in Norwich, which were read with interest by all.  Thus has passed away another of our early pioneers, and though long removed from our midst, his memory is still green in the minds of our older citizens who survive him.

Herman H. Dimmick

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, January 6, 1900

Herman H. Dimmick who for a long time was a clerk at Stafford's drug store in White Plains, died on Tuesday, December 26, 1899 at his home in Southampton, L.I.  He was married about two and a half years ago to Flora, daughter of Mr. Baltis Moore.  His body was brought to Mount Kisco on Thursday night, and the funeral occurred Friday afternoon.  Herman was a son of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Dimmick of Plymouth, N.Y. [Chenango Co.]. He leaves two sisters, Mrs. A.L. Willcox of Smyrna, N.Y. and Mrs. C.T. Brewer of Cooperstown, N.Y.

Rev. Jonathan K. Peck

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, January 6, 1900

Many Chenango county friends were shocked to learn of the sudden death of Rev. Jonathan K. Peck, which occurred at Kingston [Ulster Co., NY] on Sunday night, December 21st, within a few minutes of the expiration of the old year.  Mr. Peck was born on the Brakel, this county [Chenango Co. NY] and was one of five sons of the late Luther Peck, all of whom were members and elders of the same church in the old Genesee conference, and labored and taught the gospel in the same section for many years.  He was well known throughout the Wyoming and other M.E. conferences, and was in attendance at the session of that body held in Norwich in April 1898.  He was the author of several creditable books, among which were "Seven Wonders of the New World," and "Luther Peck and His Five Sons."  A.E. Peck of Brakel is the brother of the deceased.  The story of Mr. Peck's last moments is told in the news dispatches of Tuesday, as follows:

Wilkesbarre, January 2: With the death of 1899, but a few minutes distant, with his 75th year ending and while thanking the Lord for the blessings of the year that was passing Rev. Jonathan K. Peck of Kingston, fell dead before a large congregation of the Kingston Methodist Episcopal church Sunday night.  Mr. Peck was in the pulpit leading the watch night services. The church was crowded.  Mr. Peck was in the middle of an eloquent sermon on the closing of the prominent ministers of the Wyoming conference who had died.  He was on the point of ending a touching tribute to his well remembered father, and there were many moist eyes in the congregation.  Those who were watching him saw him hesitate as if to take a breath, he raised his hand to his head as if dazed, staggered and fell across the pulpit rail. The pastor, Rev. Mr. Murdock Dr. Sprague and Rev. Dr. Hard, who were sitting on the platform sprang to his assistance. They lifted him up and found him to be unconscious. They carried him down to the basement of the church and a physician was sent for.  When he came, Mr. Peck was dead.  He was dead, the physician said when they carried him from the pulpit.  Mr. Peck's death is notable for its coincidence.  He was born just seventy-five years before and at night within a short time of the hour of his death.  His last words were of the men who had gone before and the last name he mentioned was that of his father, it was the last hour of the old year, he believed it was the last of the century and in the last few weeks he had written much in support of this theory.  He had always expressed a wish to died in the pulpit, and Rev. Mr. Murdock, the pastor, in announcing him, said that he was one of the oldest ministers of the conference and might soon be called to a higher place.  He was born in Chenango county, N.Y. on December 31, 1824 and had been a member of Wyoming conference since 1853.  He had also been presiding elder of the Honesdale district.

Dr. Flavius Packer

Norwich Sun, May 23, 1930

The following obituary of our former townsman [Smyrna, Chenango Co., NY], Dr. Flavius Packer, appeared in last week's issue of the Pawling Chronicle:  "Dr. Flavius Packer, 63, of Pawling [Dutchess Co., NY], founder of the Packer Sanitarium in that village and former assistant superintendent of Matteawan, Beacon, died at the Doctors' Hospital, New York city Friday morning, following a heart ailment and complications.  Born in Mexico, N.Y. [Oswego Co., NY], Dr. packer was graduated form the Albany Medical college, class of '93.  Soon afterward he became assistant superintendent of the Kings Park State Hospital and later held a similar position at Matteawan.  In 1902 he went the Bellevue Hospital to head the psychopathic division.  Dr. Packer founded the Riverdale Sanitarium in 1904, which he sold in 1926.  He had also founded his sanitarium at Pawling, which he maintained until his death.  He had been a resident of Pawling for 20 years, and also maintained a residence at 120 East 39th street, New York city.  He was elected mayor of Pawling last fall, marking the first time in years that a Democrat had been elected to that office.  He was a member of the American Psychiatric Society,  Bellevue Hospital Society and a fellow of the Academy of medicine.  Funeral services were held from the Pawling Central Baptist church, Rev. William H. Meldrum, rector of Christ Episcopal church, officiating.  Harlem Valley lodge, F. and A.M. of Pawling, of which he was a member, attended in a body, and many professional men from every walk of life for miles around were there to show their respect for one so greatly loved in his community.  The body was laid temporarily in the Pawling cemetery vault, final plans for interment not having bene completed by the family."

Compiler note:  Flavius Packer was the son of Thurston Green and Elizabeth Robbins (Brown) Packer.  He was a resident of Smyrna in 1900, and his parents resided the Smyrna from at least 1900  and were buried in Sherburne West Hill Cemetery upon their deaths in 1917 and 1919, respectively.