Friday, November 18, 2022

Vital Records, Chenango County, NY, August 1872 (continued)

 Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, August 28, 1872

Marriage

WOODRUFF - HOLMES:  In this village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY], August 20th, by Rev. D.E. Loveridge, Dr. George L. Woodruff of Unadilla [Otsego Co. NY] to Miss Emily Holmes, of Norwich.

Deaths

SLATER:  In McDonough [Chenango Co. NY], August 23d, Mr. Nelson M. Slater, aged 61 years.

PROSSER:  In New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY], August 7th, Alice [Prosser] wife of Henry Prosser, aged 21 years.

WATERS:  In New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY], August 12th, Mr. Albert F. Waters, aged 22 years.

JONES:  In Sherburne [Chenango Co. NY], August 9th, Nancy A. [Jones] wife of Fred M. Jones, aged 26 years.

JONES:  In Sherburne [Chenango Co. NY], August 15th, Mr. Fred H. Jones, aged 26 years.

RACKETT:  In East Marion, Long island, [Suffolk Co. NY] August 15th, of cholera infantum, Lydia Jemima [Rackett] daughter of A.C. and Caroline Rackett, aged 10 months and 15 days.

ALDRICH:  In Plymouth [Chenango Co. NY], august 15th, Calista [Aldrich] wife of Moses Aldrich, Esq., aged 38 years.

The death of Mrs. Aldrich has thrown a blade of deep gloom over the entire community where she lived and was known, and her immediate family, in her death, has suffered a loss that can never be replaced.  She has by her kindness of heart and her consistent piety, not only won the respect but the Christian affection of all with whom she was connected, either by family ties or religious fellowship.  Some years ago, she was led to a personal interest in Christ, but last winter, during a time of spiritual refreshing, she was much revived and manifested a great interest in the religious welfare of her family and the community, going herself to the altar and leading other members of her family with her to make a mutual consecration of themselves to God and his cause.  This reasonable and consistent course prepared her for the affliction and change that were impending.  During a long, lingering, and painful sickness, she was sustained by divine grace, and patiently awaited the messenger of death. When the summons came, it was not unlooked for, and death had lost its sting.  She conversed with her family, giving husband and children such counsel as a dying Christian wife and mother only could give, and while they wept, she exclaimed "I am going home to glory and to God."  Thus, in holy triumph, died one in the prime of life, surrounded by an affectionate husband and four lovely and dutiful children, showing the power of divine grace to enable us to say with Paul, "I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better.  For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."  Her remains were followed to the grave by her neighbors and friends in great numbers, who seemed to vie with each other in their manifestation of respect to the dead, and their sympathy for the bereaved.  The funeral sermon was preached in the South Plymouth Church, by Rev. H. Wheeler, of Norwich, N.Y., august 17th 1872.

But we will not complain since God hath bereft us, / Though words, of our anguish, the depth may not tell; / If love could have saved thee, thou wouldst not have left us, / But God and the angels have loved thee as well.

As we took the last look at the beautiful casket, / So placid and peaceful, so lovely in death, / We did not recall thee, our heart could not ask it, / If asking alone could have brought back thy breath.

We know thou art safe in the mansion of heaven, / That mansion that Jesus hath gone to prepare; / The victory is won, and thy crown hath been given, / We'll meet thee above, for we know thou are there.  M.S.W.

QUINN:  In Preston [Chenango Co. NY], July 11th, Kitty H. [Quinn], only daughter of Francis and Margaret Quinn, aged 9 months.

And in death, O, they tenderly laid thee to rest, / With flowers round thy brow, and the cross o'er thy breast, / In a lovely wild spot, in the valley of Oxford, / Thou most loved that e're filled a tomb.

There serenely and sweetly for aye to repose, / Thou pure as the lily and bright as the rose, /That now yield, blooming o'er thee, O, bright as can be, / All their tears to thy friends and their beauty to thee.

And now softly, O, softly the light wavelets lave, / Of the blue Chenango thy green, mossy grave, / And the lone weeping willow, and dark cypress bough, / O, they never yet shaded a dearer than thou

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The Bainbridge Review [Chenango Co. NY] of last week, gives the following account of several noteworthy and unfortunate incidents attending the assembling of the friends of Wiley H. Scott, deceased, to participate in the funeral ceremonies:

"The burial services were postponed from the 14th to the 15th.  Mr. R. Clark, a brother-in-law, who came on the first appointed day, on his return to his home in Rockdale, Chenango County [NY], found his large and well filled dry goods store a heap of ashes, it having been burned with all its contents the night previous, during his absence.  Mr. Emmet Scott, of Saginaw, Mich, a son of the deceased, was so much hindered by delayed telegrams and failure to make connections on different railroads, that he was only able to reach Tunnel station at the appointed hour for the funeral. He hired Esquire Utter to get him to Nineveh as soon as possible but had only got a short distance when the horses took fright and one of them broke its leg."

In addition to the above, we learn that Mr. Scott, in springing from the wagon, was considerably bruised, but finally reached his destination.  On his return home, he was a passenger on the train that was wrecked at a culvert at Waterman's Cut, two miles east of Binghamton on the evening of the 16th inst.  Fortunately, none of the passengers were injured, and a telegram from Mr. Scott announced his safe arrival home after his perilous journey.

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Boy Drowned in Oxford

Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, August 28, 1872

The people of Oxford and vicinity were shocked, on Monday afternoon, the 19th inst. by the announcement that Charles Ayrault, eldest son of Rev. Dr. Ayrault, aged about fifteen years, had been drowned in the river, a short distance north of the village.  A friend has kindly furnished us with the particulars, which we publish:

Seldom has an event befallen any community, more deeply touching the tender sympathies of a people, than that which happened in Oxford on Monday the 19th inst.  About 5 o'clock P.M., a party of the Academy students, numbering ten or twelve, went above the village bridge, some eighty or one hundred rods, to bathe in the river. The recent storm had swollen the stream, and the current was quite rapid.  After bathing a while, all the others had returned to the bank and were dressing, except C.A. Smith and Charles Ayrault, they being near the bank in the water.  Young Ayrault began to wade out into the current.  The boys warned him of his danger; but he, not thinking the river so deep, went on and was soon beyond his depth.  He was not an expert swimmer.  The current caught him, when he became alarmed, and began to sink.  Young Smith swam for him at once, caught his hands, and struggled to secure him from the current.  He went down with him, but his efforts were vain.  Young Glover and Eggleston also at once plunged into the river and hastened to his aid.  They struggled nobly with the current but could not save him.  He seemed to have become helpless almost at once. The young men strove bravely and well, but they themselves became exhausted and could do no more.  The alarm had been quickly given in the village, but no assistance could reach them in time to do any good.

And thus, passed away one beloved of all.  Boats, seines, ropes, etc. were soon gathered and a large crowd assembled to recover the body. Their efforts were prolonged far into the night and early in the morning they were renewed.  His body was recovered about 11 o'clock A.M., Tuesday, some five or six rods from the place where he was last seen to sink.

The event was felt as a public calamity and sorrow.  The deceased was a young man of great promise, the pride of the Academy, a fine scholar, honored and beloved of all.  In his home, he was a loving and obedient son, a gentle and thoughtful brother.  The entire community mourns his loss.  The students of the Academy feel it deeply.  The funeral services were held in St. Paul's Church, on Thursday afternoon, Rev. Dr. Rogers, of Greene, officiating, assisted by Rev. D.E. Loveridge, of Norwich.  A large concourse were present and followed his remains to their last resting place.  Deeply sorrowful, their sorrow was somewhat mitigated by deep thankfulness for the good example of his youthful life.

The Death of Charles Ayrault

Oxford Times, Oxford, NY, August 28, 1872

The death by drowning, of Charles Ayrault, son of Rev. Dr. Ayrault, which there was only time to briefly announce in last week's issue of this paper, has caused a sorrow in this community, all pervading, and at the same time most tender and thoughtful.  The body was taken from the river Tuesday morning, at about 11 o'clock, near where last seen. The funeral was attended from St. Paul's Church, Thursday evening at 6 o'clock, by a very large concourse of citizens.

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," a bright, young life, full of promise, has been extinguished, which breathed a sweet, pure influence upon his young associates.  In the School, in the innocent pleasures and sports of boyhood, in the family circle, and not least, in the public worship of God, he will be missed and regretted.

Will not more of our youth seek to be missed and regretted in the same places, should the river of death overtake them?  For it is one thing to be simply missed, quite another to be regretted, to be regretted here, to be welcomed beyond the river. The river, the unconscious but remorseless messenger of death, could not quench the bright, pure spirit that has gone, it has passed beyond the river, and beckons those on this side to the farther shore.

"Over the river they beckon to me / Loved ones who've crossed to the further side / The gleam of the snowy robes I see, / But their voices are drowned by the rushing tide.

We saw not the Angel that met him there; / The gate of the city we could not see; / Over the river, over the river / My brother stands waiting to welcome me!"

We clip the following notice written by Dr. Van ingen, from the Rochester Democrat:  

A Sad Bereavement:  Drowned while bathing in the Chenango at Oxford, with a younger brother and other companions, Aug. 19th, Charlie, eldest son of the Rev. Walter Ayrault, D.D., a lad of sixteen years.  Charlie could swim, but was not yet expert, and the river being somewhat swollen by rains, and turbid, he was betrayed and disabled by the eddies and under tow. Two brave boys ventured to his aid and seized him, but after being twice drawn under with him were put to the hard alternative of self-preservation or a bootless self-sacrifice, and sadly sought escape from the triple calamity.  With the beautiful manly form of Charlie Ayrault, the waters buried the brightest and best-grounded hopes of parents who had made their children their chief care and who have found in them, as such parents always do, their chief joy and solace.  He was a bright, manly, cheerful Christian boy, so everybody said, as they prosecuted the search for his body which on the second day proved successful.  Society has no ornament and the State no tower of strength, like the homes which give to both good boys, principled, intelligent, cheerful, diligent boys, and in the columns so dismally burdened daily with the record of what have been the products of ill ordered homes.  I know you will be glad to give place to a testimony which may lighten the darkness, even though the occasion be one that brings sadness to so many.

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