110 Years Ago Today Grace was Gone

Great Grandmother

Grace Lee (Clark) Wilson

July 2, 1875-June 24, 1904

Great Grandmother Grace Lee Clark was the youngest child of Jeremiah B. Clark and Harriet Cornelius Ogden. She was born in Westtown, Orange County, New York July 2, 1875 but raised in Goshen, New York after her father moved the family there by 1880. Jeremiah ran a meat market in the village of Goshen for many years.

Grace met and married a local Goshen boy, Jerome W. Wilson March 29, 1897 when she was 21 years old. Jerome’s parents were Walter Wilson and Mary E. Peck of Goshen. Jerome worked as a fireman for the Erie Railroad for a few years after their marriage. His father, Walter, also worked for the Erie Railroad as an engineer.

You’ll find Grace and Jerome’s marriage certificate and newspaper accounts in an earlier post titled:

 GRACE'S WEDDING

A daughter, Ella Mae Wilson, was born March 5, 1899. By 1902 Grace and Jerome had relocated to Hartford, Connecticut where Jerome continued to work as a railroad man. 

My grandmother, Viola Lillian, was born Feb. 4, 1904 in New Britain, Hartford County, Connecticut. Five months later (and 110 years ago today) Grace would be dead.

The Independent Republican, Goshen, New York, June 28, 1904

   Mrs. Jerome Wilson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Clark, of Goshen died at noon, Friday, in a hospital in Hartford, Conn., where she had undergone a surgical operation. The remains were brought to Goshen Sunday night and the funeral was held Monday afternoon at the home of her parents on West Main Street. The interment was at Phillipsburgh.
   Mrs. Wilson's maiden name was Grace Clark and she was born at Goshen 29 years ago and lived here until two years ago when she removed with her husband and children to Hartford. She is survived by her husband and her two daughters, Ella, aged five years, and Viola, aged five months; also by her parents, three brothers, David and Amos Clark, of Goshen, and Frank, of Paterson, and two sisters, Mrs. Dell Knapp, of Goshen, and Mrs. George B. Hewitt, of Middletown.

The Hartford Courant, Hartford, Connecticut, June 25, 1904, page 14

   Mrs. Grace W. Wilson, wife of Jerome W. Wilson, of No. 159 Russ street, died yesterday at the Hartford Hospital of Bright's disease. She was 28 years old and was born in Goshen, N. Y. Mr. Wilson is an engineer on the Central New England road.

Grace was buried in the Clark family plot at Wallkill Cemetery, Phillipsburgh, New York beside her sister Minnie who predeceased her in 1895. Her parents would be interred in this plot with her brother Amos R. Clark and wife along with their son George H. Clark. Minnie’s daughter, Laura and her husband, William Swift, are also with the family.

110 years ago today

Grace was Gone

Photos are from my personal collection.

OBITUARY SUNDAY Radie M. McFall, wife of James A. McFall died May 10, 1890

Staunton Spectator and General Advertiser

Radie Maria McFall was the wife of James A. McFall and daughter of Henry Harman and Eliza J. Fifer. Radie was born May 1, 1850 Augusta County, Viriginia and died May 10, 1890 in Mt. Solon, Virginia.

Wedding Wednesday Laura Fitzgerald and William Swift

Photo from Personal Collection

Left to right 1^st row

Groom William Swift, Bride Laura Fitzgerald, Cousin Ella Mae Wilson, Bridesmaid Nellie Hewitt and Best Man Harry Lee 

Orange County Times Press, Tuesday, September 28, 1909 published Middletown, New York

Miss Laura Isabelle, daughter of Eugene Fitzgerald, of Goshen, and William Swift, of Paterson, N. J., were married at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George B. Hewitt, 16 Myrtle avenue, at 4:15 o'clock, Sunday afternoon, by Rev. Floyd Crane, of Goshen. 

Miss Nellie Hewitt, cousin of the bride, acted as bridesmaid, and Harry E. Lee, of this city, was best man.

The Hewitt home was tastefully decorated with ferns and cut flowers in a general color scheme of green and white by Gilbert, the florist, and the ceremony was performed under a floral bell.

The ring service was used and the ring bearer was Ella May Wilson, also a cousin of the bride, who carried the ring on a heart shaped cut glass server.  The wedding march from Lohengrin was played by Miss Daisy Decker accompanied on the violin by John Ryan.

The bride wore light blue moire silk, embroidered with chiffon lace and carried a shower bouquet of white roses.  Her traveling gown was of dark green cloth, with hat to match.  The bridesmaid wore blue satin, trimmed with gilt and carried pink roses.  The ring bearer was gowned in white.

Following the ceremony a wedding supper was served, prepared by Mrs. Hewitt.

The gift of the bride to her bridesmaid was a diamond brooch, and the groom's gift to his groomsman was a diamond scarf pin.

At 8:09 Mr. and Mrs. Swift took the Erie for New York and Washinton, D. C., and after October 15 will be at home at 62 Main street, Paterson, N. J., at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Bogert, relatives.

The bride is a daughter of Eugene Fitzgerald, of Goshen, and has been making her home at the residence of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Clark, of that place.  She is a member of the Methodist Church of Goshen.  The groom is a designer and warper in a large silk mill in Paterson and is a member of several societies of a social and fraternal nature.

The friends of the bride and groom remembered them with many handsome gifts of cut glass, china, checks, linen, furniture and other useful and ornamental things.

The out of town guests were:  Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Clark, Miss Viola Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Bogert, Miss Martha Ainlay, Mr. and Mrs. Orlando Masker, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mathewson, of Newburgh; Miss Mary Lewis of Attleboro, Mass.; Mrs. Alexander Frazer, of New York City; Mrs. David Pullis and Mrs. Abram Doremus, of Hampton; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Waring, of Maybrook, and Mrs. Anson Gibson, Miss Mabel Gibson, Mrs. Dell Knapp, Miss Hattie Knapp and Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Clark, of Goshen.

Note:  Laura is my first cousin twice removed. I know—confusing! Laura was the daughter of Minnie I. Clark and Eugene Fitzgerald. Minnie I. Clark was the daughter of Jeremiah B. and Harriet (Ogden) Clark. Minnie died when she was only 27 years old so Laura spent much of her time at her Clark Grandparents’ home. Grandmother Harriet (Ogden) Clark is pictured above in the 2^nd row between William and Laura.

Casper Kimber Sells Horses, Cows and Sheep to Samuel Clowes 1748 Goshen, New York

William J. Coulter was a veteran newspaper man from Orange County, New York who published his column “Genealogical & Historical” in the local newspapers. He was respected for his knowledge of local history and genealogical work with Orange County families.

Mr. Coulter published an article titled

“WHERE WAS WIRKESWORTH?

A Very Old Document Comes to Hand.

One of the Oldest Orange County Towns”

that was printed in the Wantage Recorder, Deckertown, Sussex County, New Jersey June 20, 1924 issue. Sussex County is Orange County’s neighbor to the south. Mrs. Minnie Topping, a Kimber descendant from Unionville, New York, loaned a document to William J. Coulter. I am also a Casper Kimber descendant. He is my 7^th Great Grandfather and the progenitor of the family in Orange County.

The ‘very old document’ was a bill of sale dated 1748 when Casper Kimber sold all his horses, cattle, sheep and other items to Samuel Clowes:

“This indenture made the first day of (this figure or figures are faded) in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty-eight, between Casper Kimber of Wirkesworth near Goshen in Orange County, in the colony of New York, Weaver, of the one part aid Samuel Clowes, of Jamaica in Queens County, on Long Island, Gent, of the second part, witnesseth that the said Casper Kimber for and in consideration of the sum of 55 pounds lawful money of New York to him paid at or before the ensealing and delivery of these presents the receipt whereof is duly acknowledged to be paid by the said Samuel Clowes wherewith the said Casper Kimber doth declare himself to be fully paid and satisfied, Hath bargained and sold and the said Casper Kimber doth bargain and sell  unto him the said Samuel Clowes all and every of the horses, cattle, and other goods now in the possession of the said Casper Kimber he conveys to said Cloves, to witt:

“One rhone mare, one black stalyon three-years-old with a blaze in his face and down his nose; one yearling horse colt, black with a blaze in his face and branded C. C.; four cows one a black one, one white and two red ones, with different marks, some of them have a ha panny piece nick under each ear; one steer three years old; one steer two years old; three yearlings and two calves, that have no marks or are marked with a half nick under ear of each; twenty five sheep on foot, one pewter dish and one pewter spoon; one black horse and one bay branded  F. C. B.”

Then follows the usual bill of sale guarantees and legal conditions drawn up with legal precision, and evidently by a lawyer.  To it written a clear bold hand is the signature “Casparus Kimber”. “Sealed and delivered and quiet possession given by the delivery of the said above mentioned pewter spoon part of the properties answering to the purport of this present writing in the presence of John Sackett, Jr., George Kimber”.