Democratic Union, Oneida, NY, January 2, 1873
Marriages
ACKERMAN - HAGER: In Rome [Oneida Co. NY] Jan. 1 at the residence of the bride's mother, Mr. John Ackerman of Oneida [Madison Co. NY] and Miss Mary E. Hager of Rome.
TAYLOR - LOFTUS: In Eaton village [Madison Co. NY] Dec. 25, by the Rev. Judson Davis, Mr. Ambrose Taylor of Lebanon [Madison Co. NY] and Miss Mary Loftus of West Eaton.
SHERWOOD - ALLEN: At Frank's Hotel, Durhamville [Oneida Co. NY], Dec. 25, by the Rev. F.H. Newton, Mr. Joseph Sherwood and Miss Flora Allen.
SMITH - HEFFNER: In Hamilton [Madison Co. NY] Dec. 22 by Rev. I.D. Peaslee, Mr. John Smith and Miss Annie Heffner both of Hamilton.
BIGELOW - BIGELOW: In Waterville [Oneida Co. NY] Dec. 28, by the Rev. D.W. Bigelow, assisted by the Rev. C.W. Adams, Mr. Charles C. Bigelow of New York City, and Laura A Bigelow.
ELMER - HAZARD: In West Eaton [Madison Co. NY] Dec. 17, by Rev. F.J. Whitney, James L. Elmer and Sophia Hazzard all of Erieville [Madison Co. NY].
SNYDER - CLARK: In West Eaton [Madison Co. NY] Dec. 18, by Rev. F.J. Whitney, Warren F. Snyder of Lenox [Madison Co. NY] and Linda M. Clark of Smithfield [Madison Co. NY].
HOUSEMAN - CLEAVELAND: In Stockbridge [Madison Co. NY], Dec. 17, by rev. B.H. Brown, Mr. John M. Houseman and Mrs Laverna Cleaveland all of Stockbridge.
ATWOOD - ROGERS: In Hamilton [Madison Co. NY] Dec. 18 by Rev. H. Harvey, M.D., Mr. E.F. Atwood of Obertin, Ohio, and Miss H.M. Rogers of Hamilton.
HENRY - SWIFT: In Hamilton [Madison Co. NY] Dec. 24 by Rev. W.R. Brooks, D.D., Mr. William T. Henry of New York and Miss Annie L. Swift daughter of A.B. Swift of Hamilton.
MARTIN - PICKERT: In Oswego [Oswego Co. NY], Dec. 18 by Rev. S.S.N. Greeley, Mr. John L. Martin Jr., of Clinton [Clinton Co. NY] and Miss Julia A. Pickert of Oswego.
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BARNETT - BULKELEY: In Norwich, Conn., Dec. 26, by Rev. Mr. -?-, Mr. M.D. Barnett of Rome [Oneida Co. NY] and Miss Annie T. Bulkeley.
The reception given by M.D. Barnett and bride at the residence of their father, M.D. Barnett, Esq. in this village on Tuesday evening of this week, as described by an eyewitness, was indeed a pleasant affair and we regret much at our inability to be present. There were some seventy-five or eighty persons present, filling the rooms with a gay and lively company. From the fact that Mr. Barnett had spent many of his early days in this village and that his lady had made previous visits to Oneida, rendered the reception particularly pleasant, as the former was stranger to none and the latter to comparatively few. Several ladies and gentlemen were present from Rome, where it is well known Mr. Barnett has for some years past been engaged as attorney and counselor-at-law. Mrs. Barnett was a resident of Norwich, Connecticut. We wish them a happy and prosperous life.
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Mr. and Mrs. John Quackenbush of Stockbridge [Madison Co. NY] celebrated their golden wedding Christmas Dec. 25, 1872, by the reunion of their children and in the presence of the relatives and friends of the family. Their children, eleven in number, were all present with the exception of one son who was unavoidably detained at home. Four of them, with their husbands and wives and the wife of the absent son came from LaCrosse, Wis., and one son with his wife came from Madison, Wis. to attend this fiftieth anniversary of their parents' marriage. This family is remarkable in this respect that it has remained unbroken for fifty years, a death never having occurred in it to mar its completeness. The youngest of the family is 24 and the oldest 49 years of age, and they are all sound in body and mind, with every prospect of living to a vigorous old age. The aggregate age of the eleven children is 429 years and 5 months. The average height of the sons, eight in number, is five feet eleven inches, the shortest being five feet nine inches tall and the tallest is six feet one inch. A gold-headed cane was presented to the father and a gold pin to the mother by the children. The presentation was made by the oldest son in a few feeling and appropriate remarks.
Mr. Quackenbush was born in Canajoharie, Montgomery Co., N.Y. in the year 1800, and removed with his father to Oneida Castle [Oneida Co. NY] in the year 1812, where he remained until 1815, when he moved into the Stockbridge Valley, where he has ever since lived. He is a Hollander by descent; his great-grandfather having come from Holland about 1755 as a soldier in the old French war in the service of Great Britain. After peace was declared, he settled in Manhattan, now New York, and from him and a brother that came with him, have descended all by the name of Quackenbush. Mr. Quackenbush's grandfather served in the war of the Revolution as a bearer of dispatches and lived many years after the Independence of the United States was acknowledged by Great Britain with the subject of this sketch and died at the advanced age of ninety-five.
Mrs. Quackenbush was born in Sharon, Schoharie Co. N.Y. in 1804, and moved with her father, Joseph Stam, into the Stockbridge Valley in the year 1819 where she has lived always in sight of her old home ever since. Her great-grandfather came to his country from Germany just previous to the war of the Revolution.
Deaths
POND: In Knoxboro [Oneida Co. NY], Dec. 29, Annie Pond daughter of Tilden P. Pond, aged 4 years and 11 months.
CHAIMBERLAIN: In Verona [Oneida Co. NY] Nov. 25, Lowell Chaimberlain aged 80 years.
SHAVER: In Verona [Oneida Co. NY] Dec. 28, Robert Shaver aged nearly 61 years.
HUBBARD: A correspondent of the Utica Herald [Oneida Co. NY] says: Another soldier of the war of 1812 has passed away. At Oneida Castle [Oneida Co. NY], where he had lived forty-eight years, an estimable and honored citizen, an honest and upright man. Noadiah Hubbard on Christmas day, at the ripe old age of 90 years, gathered himself to his father's. He came to Oneida Castle in 1824, with his amiable and lovely wife, whom he married at Sunderland, Franklin County, Massachusetts, his former residence, and with whom he has lived sixty-three years, leaving her behind him at the good old age of 86 years. He was a soldier of the war of 1812 and was at the defense of Berlin in 1815. His vocation at Oneida Castle was always farming and for many years past he and his wife have lived with their son, Dexter Hubbard, Esq. who has made their old age one of their happiness and peace. The strongest attachment and devotion has always existed between the deceased and his wife and between parents and children. They had seven children, five of whom are still living. Noadiah retained his mental powers to the very last and his physical strength in a wonderful degree. Thus, another of the old landmarks has passed from our midst, beloved and honored by all who knew him.
JAYNES: A man named Jaynes who resides near State Bridge [Oneida Co. NY] was frozen to death near Irish Ridge [Oneida Co. NY] on Monday night of last week. The circumstances appear to be as follows: Mr. Jaynes, who is by trade a carpenter, started for Irish Ridge on Monday of last week to seek employment, but did not succeed in obtaining it and started to return in the evening. This was the last seen of him alive. He was found on Tuesday morning lying upon his back in the ditch, lifeless. Mr. J. we understand, was subject to fits and probably was attacked with one rendering him insensible, and in this condition froze to death. Mr. Jaynes was a man of temperate habits, about 65 years of age and leaves a family.
CONKEY; Walter M. Conkey of Norwich [Chenango Co. NY] Treasurer of the New York and Midland Railroad from its organization and for the last twenty-five years President of the Bank of Chenango, died of apoplexy, Sunday evening, Dec. 29th, at his residence in Norwich. Mr. Conkey had during the past few years become very generally known along the line of the Midland Railroad and was highly esteemed for his manly virtues, business qualities and strict integrity. A special dispatch received by the Utica Observer a few hours after his death states that Mr. Conkey is the second bank President, both holding positions long, that has died the past year.
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ISBELL: In North Adams, Mass., Dec. 22, Abner Isbell formerly of West Eaton [Madison Co. NY], aged 81 years.
West Eaton, Madison Co. NY: Abner Isbell, for thirty years a resident of this place, died at North Adams, Mass., on the 22d inst., aged 81 years. Mr. Isbell came to this place about the year 1840 and engaged in the carding and cloth dressing business, which he carried on for about twenty years, his site of business being on the site of what is now Barnes, Mitchell & Howe's woolen mill. He was ever known as a man of the strictest integrity in all his dealings with his fellow men, as well as a kind and indulgent husband and father. About a year since, he sold what real estate he had in this place to D.E. Darrow and in the month of May last he moved to North Adams, where he has three sons living. Edward Isbell, who is engaged in the livery and express business in this place, is the only one of the numerous family that resides here now. He received a dispatch on Monday, 23d inst. announcing the death of his father, and he started immediately for North Adams to attend the funeral.
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STEWART: Too late for notice in last week's Union we received the painful intelligence of the death, after a lingering illness, of Daniel Stewart in Brooklyn. Within one short week we are called upon to chronicle the sad news also of Robert Stewart's decease.
It was but a short time since Robert in his usual health went to Brooklyn to attend to his sick brother. He was there but a few days before being prostrated by a chronic difficulty with which he has been for many years more or less afflicted. The two brothers had spent the most of their lives together in business, with that true spirit of brotherly love and kindness, which should characterize more of our earthly relations. Starting life as farmer boys in the town of Fenner in our county [Madison Co. NY], they in early manhood manifested a speculative disposition which cropped out in the buying of grain in this and other parts of the State for the eastern markets. About twenty-five years ago they located in Chittenango and for a time were engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods. That being rather monotonous and not a very lucrative business at the time, they closed it up and commenced the business of distilling high wines, buying cattle and grain and laying fortune's foundation. They were universally esteemed for their high toned, straight forward, honorable way of dealing, and were two of the best businessmen that Madison County had to boast of.
No vain, glorious pompous exhibition of wealth was indulged in by either, nor were they parsimonious or niggardly in their dealings with mankind. They were devoted to their friends and would do almost anything to help those in whom they had confidence. Foes they had, and bitter ones too, but who has not when endowed with a positive nature and determination to defend his rights to the bitter end?
For a few years they were largely interested in the commission business in Buffalo, also in the Chittenango cotton mills of which Daniel was President, as was he likewise President of the National Bank, of Morrisville. Robert had twice represented the people of this district in the Assembly and was for many years and up to the time of his death, president of the Chittenango Bank. Robert leaves an estimable wife and a daughter of about eighteen summers to mourn his loss. Daniel leaves in sorrow and sadness a lovely young wife without a child to comfort her.
From symptoms too plain to be misunderstood, the remains of Daniel were placed in a vault to await the anticipated early demise of his brother. While working together through life as one, there seemed to be an appropriateness in their mortal remains being carried to their long resting place on the same day. when two such men are buried society has reason to mourn. Being middle aged men, and in the prime of mental vigor, it should cause a shudder to all reflecting creatures to think how small a space there is between them and the grave. Can we not heed those frequent admonitions and prepare for the life to come? Shall we continue in our worldly career until the short time allotted to us shall be exhausted in the whirl of business excitement and dropped into the uncertain abyss of eternity, without any assurance of a safe landing on the other side?
News Item
Erieville, Madison Co. NY: The sons and daughters of Mr. and Mrs. George Wells who live in this vicinity (I call them sons and daughters for they are too old to be called children) surprised their aged parents on Christmas day by making them an unexpected visit, bringing with them everything necessary for refreshment. It was truly a surprise to the old people. They had a pleasant time and the day, by them at least, may in truth be call "A Merry Christman," for the aged parents were not to be out done in the way of a surprise by those they had cared for and protected. Consequently the aged father made a trial of his luck in the way of a surprise by giving each one of the eight sons and daughters a present, $100 or its equivalent in gold-bearing bonds, retaining the same amount for his absent stepdaughter, Mrs. Levi Fletcher, who now resides in lake City, Minnesota. Of course the so-called children were surprised and beaten at their own game, and would have been more so, had not the old people in days gone by made similar exhibitions of their generosity towards them.
