Saturday, January 6, 2024

Vital Records, Otsego County, NY, August 1877 (continued)

 Freeman's Journal, Cooperstown, NY, August 23, 1877

Death

In this village [Cooperstown, Otsego Co. NY], Aug. 18th, 1877, Harriet J.C. [Dewitt] wife of Elbridge Dewitt.

News Item

An Outrageous Invasion of the Low Family Burying Ground

Editor F. Journal:  Among the early settlers on the east side of the Susquehanna River in Milford [Otsego Co. NY] were Reynald Low and his son John.  The place that possessed peculiar attractions to these pioneers was situated in the vicinity of a cove, fed by a large spring, connected with the river and possessing good facilities for fishing.  Here about the year 1796, on a pleasantly located tract, they cleared away the forest and established a home.  Many were the incidents of interest, some of them thrilling, in the life of these settlers.  Here the father lived and died and was buried at Milford village.  The son and his estimable wife reared a family of eleven children, John Low, Jr., recently deceased, being one; Margaret, wife of Wm. R. Hardy, is the only one now living in milord and there are three surviving in the west. In the year of 1822 Joseph H. Low died with smallpox, and to prevent spread of the contagion was buried on the farm.  From this a family cemetery was established containing five graves; the last made were those of the venerable parents, John and Abigail, who left a legal reservation of the land.  Around this ground John Low Jr. erected a fence and thus protected, it remained unmolested for years.  Within the last decade some person or persons dug the ground where the first three graves were made (it is said to procure sand) and seemed scarcely willing to stop when reaching the coffin of the maternal parent of this large family, the fence being completely destroyed.  Whoever is responsible for this invasion upon grounds thus reserved and consecrated is a disgrace to the civilized age in which he lives and would not be any credit to the wild men of the forest, who guard the graves of ancestry with care.  A visit paid the place of the 16th inst. revealed the above facts, also the revolting spectacle of a portion of grandmother's bones bleaching above ground.  No time was lost in taking measures for the removal of such remains as were left and on the following day, by the direction of the only child living near, they were taken up with care, conveyed to Milford Center Cemetery and reinterred upon the lot of W.R. Hardy, and there may they rest unmolested beneath the surface.  

A grandchild. Milford, Aug. 18, 1877

Oneonta Herald & Democrat, Oneonta, NY, August 24, 1877

Marriages

At the M.E. Parsonage in Guilford [Chenango Co. NY], August 15, by Rev. A.M. Colgrove, W.P. Magee of Maryland [Otsego Co. NY] to Miss Eliza F. Manning, of Westford [Otsego Co. NY].

At the home of the bride, Aug. 22, by Rev. M.C. Brown, Frederic Palmer of Pennsylvania, to Miss Alice Carrie Morrell of Oneonta [Otsego Co. NY].

Deaths

In Stamford [Delaware Co. NY] on the 13th inst., Mrs. Hannah [Wetmore], relict of the late James Wetmore in the 93d year of her age.

In Hammonton, N.J., Aug. 17th, Valorous Potter aged 53 years, formerly of Laurens [Otsego Co. NY]

Oneonta Herald & Democrat, Oneonta, NY, August 31, 1877

Marriages

In Deposit [Delaware Co. NY], Aug. 22 by Rev. J. Lee Gamble, Sliter D. Smith and Miss Alma A. Burrows.

In Unadilla [Otsego Co. NY], on the 15th inst. by Rev. Mr. Galpin, D.A. Babcock of Hornellsville [Steuben Co. NY] and Miss Carrie M. Aylsworth, Unadilla.

Mr. and Mrs. George I. Wilber celebrated the fifth anniversary of their marriage Wednesday evening.  It was a very pleasant family gathering, augmented by a few friends. Parcels of cake left over at the original marriage were dispensed at the wooden wedding.

Deaths

At Unadilla [Otsego Co. NY], Aug. 17, Whiting Bacon, aged 86 years.

In Cherry Valley [Otsego Co. NY], Aug. 17, John Moore, aged 77 years.

In Bainbridge [Chenango Co. NY], Aug. 22, Mary [Fisher] daughter of Charles and Maria Fisher, aged 3 years.

In Davenport [Delaware Co. NY], Aug. 19, Roxy Lowry, aged 74 years.

In Charlotteville [Schoharie Co. NY], Aug. 16, Dr. William La Monte aged 66 years.

In Butternuts [Otsego Co. NY], Aug. 20, Francis N. [Northcott], wife of John W. Northcott, aged 47 years.

In North Franklin [Delaware Co. NY], Aug. 28, at the residence of her son, William Mills, Mrs. Luther Mills.

In Cortland [Cortland Co. NY], Aug. 28, widow of Arvine Clark and mother of Mrs. John Eddy of Milford [Otsego Co. NY], aged 89 years.   Her remains were taken to Milford Wednesday for interment.

At West Davenport [Delaware Co. NY], August 24th, Julia A. Garrison, wife of Anthony Garrison in the 75th year of her age.

In Franklin [Delaware Co. NY], August 24th, Lydia Gillett [Smith], wife of Silas Smith, aged 76 years.

In Gilbertsville [Otsego Co. NY], August 24th, infant son of T. H. Musson.

In Otsdawa [Otsego Co. NY], August 26, May [Weatherly] infant daughter of J. Lee and Zillah B. Weatherly, aged 9 months.

Our darling little May / An Angel is in Heaven; / We never knew one-half / The love to her we'd given / Until God called her soul away / To live with Him in Heaven.

Last week Thursday, Mrs. F.O. Adams received a telegram announcing the sudden and very severe illness of a sister, Miss Mary Kelsey at Perry, this State.  Mr. and Mrs. Adams started for Perry in a few hours after. They had not been long away before another dispatch came announcing her death.  Miss Kelsey visited here in the Spring.

Samuel Warrick of Huntersland, Schoharie Co. [NY] has suffered for sixty years from a fever sore on his right leg.  A few days ago, he fell and broke the leg.  It was then amputated from which he died.

A little son of Mrs. Bowdish of Mt. Vision [Otsego Co. NY] was poisoned recently by eating Paris green from potato vines and he died.

Garrettsville, Otsego Co. NY:  The wife of Rev. I.J. Bailey pastor of the church at the Centre, died at the home of her father, Edson Wheeler in Morris [Otsego Co. NY] where she had gone on a visit.  She left her home but a short time since, so full of youth and hope, having been married scarcely a year, and in company with her husband visiting her father's house where a brother just married had come for a visit.  She was taken with typhoid fever and survived but a short time. This is surely a sad affair as her husband is in poor health and this affliction falls heavily upon him.

George S. Joice of Unadilla [Otsego Co. NY], entered the late rebellion at its outbreak, if we remember correctly.  He made a faithful and useful soldier and remained to the last. Early in President Grant's first term he was appointed a doorkeeper at the Capitol or Executive Mansion.  He remained there until some three and a half years ago, then sickened and returned to Unadilla to Roger through the balance of life with consumption.  He lived some twelve or fourteen months and died. While in Washington he was a general favorite among associates and on account of his faithfulness to duties and gentlemanly qualities had attracted the favorable attention of Mrs. Grant.  His father's family were in very limited financial circumstances and George was worth nothing but an irreproachable character and good name.  Mrs. Grant, in some way, knew of these conditions and during the entire time that Mr. Joice was lying sick in Unadilla, this excellent woman sent him each month a check for $100 until he died. There was never any bluster over the matter among the plain English family of Joices and Mrs. Grant did the good deed so unostentatiously that few people in Unadilla know of it today.  And likely this is not the only poor soldier who has fared thus well at the hands of one of the first ladies of the land.

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