Obituaries (September 4)

Benjamin T. Newton

Utica Saturday Globe, August 1903

 

Benjamin T. Newton

 

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  A sense of bereavement came to an unusually wide circle of friends upon the announcement of the death of "Ben" Newton, which occurred at his home on Silver street Tuesday after a severe illness of 10 days.  Benjamin T. Newton was the second son of Rev. J. Burdette and Phoebe E. Tucker Newton and was born in Lindley, Steuben county, April 30, 1885.  About half of his brief life of 18 years was spent in Norwich.  Besides his mother, he leaves two brothers, Earl B. who recently went to Seattle, Wash., and Lewis A., who with an only sister, Laura K., reside with their widowed mother.  Left fatherless in early childhood, Benjamin was thrown much upon his own resources and grew up brave, helpful and self-reliant.  As a newspaper carrier, office assistant to Dr. C.M. Duane and night operator in the central telephone office he won the confidence and respect of his employers while carrying on his studies at the same time.  He graduated from Norwich High School with high standing last June, having taken the classical course.  He was treasurer of the class of 1903 and a member of the Glee Club.  He was a favorite with both teachers and schoolmates.  He was a student and a deep thinker, reading abstruse philosophical works for the sheer love of knowledge.  With high ambition for the future he planned to enter college soon and many friends looked forward to high attainments for him.  He was a member on probation of the Free Methodist church.  His funeral was largely attended from the home of his mother on Silver street Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock, Rev. W.R. Tamblyn, of Tunkhannock, Pa., a former pastor of his, officiating, assisted by Rev. M.H. Kendrick and Rev. Wilson Treible.  His classmates attended in a body, and the service was very impressive.  Burial was in Mount Hope [Norwich, NY].

 

Caroline K. French

Utica Saturday Globe, October 1903

 

 

Caroline K. French

 

At her home in North Norwich [Chenango Co., NY] on Thursday of last week occurred the death of Miss Caroline E. French, aged 67 years.  She had been ill with consumption since last May.  Deceased was born and had always lived in North Norwich, on the old homestead which she shared with her sister, Mrs. Henry Tracy.  She was the oldest of 10 children of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel French, of whom there survive Isaac H. French, of Champaign, Ill.; Leander French, of Sherburne; Alonzo French, of Plymouth; William S. French, of Oxford, Franklin French, of Farmer City, Ill. and Mrs. Ida Tracy, of North Norwich.  Miss French was a member of the North Norwich Methodist church and was a lady highly esteemed by all who knew her.  Funeral services were held from her late home Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock, burial in the cemetery at North Norwich.  The relatives and fiends wish to thank members of the Baptist Church and others for the many beautiful floral offerings and also Mrs. G.A. Cooley of Norwich, for her faithful services as nurse during the last 11 weeks of the illness of the departed.

 

William Strong Sayre

Bainbridge Republican, January 30, 1880

 

SAYRE:  Entered into eternal life at Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], very suddenly of apoplexy, Tuesday, January 20th, 1880, William Strong Sayre, Esquire, in the 77th year of his age.

 

Although several notices of the death of Mr. Sayre have been given to the public, in which were mentioned some of the principal historical points of his early life, yet we deem that a few more words in regard to his character and long life of usefulness in our midst will be acceptable and appropriate at this time.

 

Mr. Sayre was one of our oldest and most esteemed citizens as the large attendance at his funeral testified.  After graduating at Hamilton College in 1824, he began immediately the study of law at Norwich, and in 1827 was admitted to the bar as a practitioner.  In the same year he selected Bainbridge for his home, and entered upon the practice of his profession in partnership with the Hon. John C Clark, at one time a Member of Congress from this Congressional District.  By a close application to business and a faithful discharge of all trusts committed to him, he soon won the confidence of his fellow citizens and built up quite a remunerative practice.  On the 9th of September 1829, he was united in marriage, by the Rev. Norman A. Adams, to Miss Leapha Bush, sister of the Hon. Joseph Bush, of this village, and for more than twenty years he was blessed with the companionship of a delicate, but true and devoted wife. She brought to him eight children, five of whom died in infancy, and three now remain to mourn the great loss so suddenly brought upon them in the death of their honored father.  After a lingering and painful illness this faithful wife and loving mother bid farewell to the dear ones of earth and entered into the paradise of the saints gone before.

 

In 1851 he was married to Miss Sarah McMurray of New York city, a most estimable lady, and one who, for nearly thirty years, has been all that any husband could expect of a wife.  Loving, gentle, kind and forbearing, a solacer in his troubles and sorrows, and a sharer in his joys and pleasures; she now remains in her widowed loneliness, to mourn the sad loss which has fallen with such a shock upon her.  May the Father of All Mercies send His holy spirit to comfort her in her bereavement with the assurance that He is ever the widow's God!  As "in each life some rain must fall, some days be dark an dreary," so Mr. Sayre's life was no exception to this general rule, or sentiment.  But after he had passed the meridian of life, trouble came upon him, and yet, through it all he carried himself like a Christian gentleman, and finally emerged into the sunshine of a quiet life, broken in earthly fortune, it is true, but with a character "unspotted" from contact with the world and worldly things, and filled with the "unsearchable riches of Christ."  The highest eulogy which can be paid to him is to describe his character in the plainest terms.  His whole life, private and public, was marked with modesty, purity, unblemished integrity, a firm and sound judgment, and an unostentatious hospitality.  He possessed a highly cultivated mind, and was a faithful and judicious expounder of the law.  He never encouraged one neighbor to go to law with another for the sake of getting a case; but always, if he saw no just cause for action being brought, advised them to settle the differences between each other without the aid of the law; and the confidence with which he inspired men, by his noble and unselfish advice and counsel, was unbounded.  For more than half a century he was not only an humble communicant of the episcopal church; but was also for all those years a true and faithful officer, either as a warden or a vestryman, in St. Peter's parish in this village, and was the junior warden of the parish at the time of his death.  He was an earnest, zealous churchman, and was always ready and willing to do the duty of a Lay-Reader when the Rector happened to be absent, or when the parish was without a clergyman.  Faithful in every trust, constant in his attendance upon the services of the church and the holy communion, and in all his duties as a churchman, he leaves behind him the memory and example of one who "showed his faith by his works."

 

All classes and all denominations loved and honored the church in him.  For such sons the church may well rejoice and give thanks, even while she mourns that her earthly courts shall know them no more.  His loss and absence we must lament deeply, and yet, when we consider his eternal blessedness in the translation for such it surely was, from this world to a life of never ending joy and peace, it seems almost a selfish mourning, for, like the good Cornelius, his prayers and his alms have gone up for a memorial before God; and while his name was echoed with sorrow here, it was whispered and carried upward by angels, embalmed and kept ever fresh in that realm of eternal day. He has gone to join an innumerable company of angels and the spirits of the just men made perfect; and above all he sees His face, and His name is written upon his forehead by whose most precious blood he has been redeemed.

 

Knowing so well the true Christian life our dear departed friend led while on earth; yea, that he was almost snatched from  his knees (while kneeling around the family altar pouring out his soul in prayer to God) up into paradise, can we mourn as those who have no hope?  No! no!  Far from it!  On the contrary we comfort ourselves with soul-comforting words:  "They which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him."  --  E.L.J.