Obituaries (August 9)

Ellen Murphy

Utica Saturday Globe, July 1902

 

 

Ellen Murphy
1840-1902

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  Mrs. James Murphy passed away at the home of her sister, Mrs. William Dolan, on Canasawacta street, Monday, aged 62.  Mrs. Murphy was born in Kilgrangy, Tipperary county, Ireland, and came to America about 36 years ago.  A few years later she married  James Murphy, of Sherburne [Chenango Co.,. NY], and soon afterwards moved to Walton and later to Geneva, where Mr. Murphy was a contractor on the Erie canal for several years.  He died there nine years ago and two years later Mrs. Murphy moved to Norwich to make her home with her sisters, Mrs. William Dolan and Mrs. Mary O'Conner, by whom she is survived.  Funeral services were held from the house at 9:30 Wednesday morning and from St. Paul's Church of 10 o'clock, Rev. Father Curtis officiating.  Burial was made at Sherburne, the remains being laid at rest beside those of her husband.

Calista Aldrich

Chenango Union, August 28, 1872

ALDRICH:  In Plymouth [Chenango Co., NY], August 15th, Calista, 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 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 fo 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.---H.W.

Clarisse Schofield

Bainbridge Republican, April 30, 1880

Entered into rest, April 24, 1880, Mrs. Clarisse Schofield, in the 44th year of her age.  In the death of one, who in her affliction has won the sympathy and love of all who knew her, we are again reminded of the uncertainties of life, and that here we have no "continuing city but we seek one to come."  Though she has passed from earthly scenes, yet her memory lives and will be fondly cherished by those, who have been associated with her, and administered unto her wants, so long as memory exists.  We shall always remember her feeble, faltering steps as we have met her from time to time in the home circle, and in our neighborhood visits, and once during the winter have we met her in the social circle, though at the time we would no have recognized her, for disease had then, in its progress, left its impress upon every feature.  These reflections are mingled with sadness, for her voice is forever hushed and loving bands have borne her to her last resting place, there to sleep the years away.  A short time previous to her sickness she experienced a hope in the Saviour, and during long and weary months which followed, though deprived of religious associations, her faith in Christ was the bright and morning star of her life.  No cloud could ever obscure from her its brightness, but it shone forth in all its beauty to brighten her pathway through the dark valley, as she approached nearer and nearer to her last great change. These afflictions are sent to us for our good. They teach us that earth is not home, and that our existence here is only an allotted time given us to prepare for a higher and holier, state of existence.

"If naught but roses bloomed upon our way,

If clouds ne'er dimmed the beauty of the day,

If ne'er upon our hearts was laid the chastening rod,

We might forget the pathway that leadeth unto God."

It is always with sadness that we approach the open grave, and if we were only to contemplate the sad thought, that it must soon conceal from our sight forever, the form of those we love, clouds would gather from which no ray of sunlight could ever penetrate.  Our cup of sorrow would be filled to overflowing. The Christian whose soul is radiant with the light of Heaven looks beyond the clouded horizon to the things which are not seen, and to him is revealed the silver lining in all its brightness.  As we mourn over the departure of loved ones that have gone from our homes from time to time, we realize that there is within the heart a void that no balm can heal, no cup can fill, but let us look with bright anticipation to the resurrection morn when we too shall be clothed in immortality and sit with them by the silver stream, upon whose margin grow ever blooming flowers.  [Buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Bainbridge, Chenango Co., NY]

Willie & Frank Ryness, & son of Chauncy Ferry

Bainbridge Republican, July 2, 1880

The two only sons of Arthur Ryness, Willie and Frank, aged nine and eleven years, and the only son of Chauncy Ferry, aged nine, were drowned at Milford Centre, Otsego county, Saturday, about noon.  It seems they were bathing in the Susquehanna river, and one of the Ryness boys was in the water, while the other brother and the Ferry boy were on the bank, when they discovered the little fellow in the water struggling, and the brother and little Ferry boy went to his assistance, and all three were drowned.  Another small boy who witnessed the drowning ran and told their parents.  When found they were clasped in each others embrace. 

Almira Gibson

Chenango Union, March 13, 1884

In the city of San Francisco, California, on the 26th of February last, Mrs. Almira Gibson, a native of Norwich [Chenango Co., NY], died at the age of 78 years, after a brief illness.  She emigrated to San Francisco thirty-three years ago, and was regarded as one of the early settlers, when that city was but a skeleton, a shadow, compared with its present robust proportions.  She had lived long enough to witness the generation--or most of it--that grew with her in Norwich pass away.  The Meads, Ransfords, Benjamin Chapman, the early Randalls, the Guernseys and Birdsalls, in the elder branch, and the Steeres, Mitchells, Hubbards, most of these preceded Mrs. Gibson.  The deceased was in youth and middle age a woman remarkable for the combination of singular beauty, vivacity, intelligence and energy.  At an early period it was her good or ill fortune to meet many distinguished public characters of the last age.  She had been a guest of Daniel Webster in her "teens."  Martin Van Buren and John Van Buren made her acquaintance.  She had been in the society of Aaron Burr, also was often a guest of the late Governor Marcy.  She had enjoyed the acquaintance of these notable men when a girl.  She was a favorite wherever she appeared, and although courted by the great and flattered, yet was not al all injured by vanity arising from the same.  She was a woman of impulse, and seemed unconscious that she was otherwise than a grown child.  She was as fond of medium people as of the rich and powerful, and we suspect preferred the former, as in their society she was free form restraint.  Her impulsive nature continued through life.  She combined in a remarkable degree the blended qualities of youth and age; and when time had dimmed the shine of her large, lustrous hazel eyes and obscured her golden locks, she retained her colloquial brilliancy, and drew a little senate of young ladies about her.  Her means must have been ample, for her friends in want seldom failed of pecuniary assistance.  Had Mrs. Gibson hoarded and given to charity a lump sum which she scattered, the press had written her down a philanthropist.  Her donations were unpretentious.  Mrs. Gibson was born in Norwich in 1805, removed to Lockport, N.Y., then a wilderness village, with the late Lot Clark, her step-father, in 1828; was married in 1830, and removed to Augusta, Georgia, and in 1851 was settled in San Francisco where her only child, a daughter, died in 1857, and her husband in 1863.