1891 Necrologist Report
Transcribed and copyrighted April 2, 2001, by Lawrence B. Peet, Joliet, Illinois. Permission granted to copy for non-commercial use only. All in Italics and upper case surnames are added to or modified from the original by the transcriber.
(1891 Old Settlers’ Association of Will County, Necrology Report, as printed in the Joliet Republic and Sun, September 4, 1891, transcribed by Lawrence B. Peet.)
Eleventh Reunion, — Of The Tottering Pioneers. — One of the Largest Meetings of Will County’s Old Settlers held in Several Years. Notwithstanding the Ranks Have Been Sadly Thinned. —
Last year, in order to fill depleting ranks of the earliest settlers it was determined to recriut (sic.) with those of a later date, in order that the institution might live.
For those brawny and stalwart pioneers who first gave life to Joliet and whose kindly faces and gray hairs have so loved to see are silently and surely passing away and those of a decade or quarter century later will now take their turn as old settlers, and while these have grown up to manhood and worth and have become respirited citizens they can never inspire that reverence in which we all hold the memory of those gone, and the tall though bowed forms of the few that still remain with us and whose presence is so desirable at these annual reunions which are at once the mile stones of departing days, and the renewel (sic.) of the last ties with each other which bind them till they part.
Notwithstanding the large number who have died during the last year, amounting in all to forty-nine persons, there was a much larger attendance than should have been anticipated under the circumstances. The afternoon was given over to more to handskaking and talking over the early days, than to the routine business of the officers. A great many were present who had not attended the past few years.
The Old Ones Present.
Among those whom we recognized were: (Date is the year of arrival in Will County. – L. B. Peet)
Charles THAYER, Joliet, 1850.
Levi DOTY, Frankfort, 1844.
A. D. PECK, Homer, 1833.
James PATTERSON, Wheatland, 1852.
T. H. WIDNEY, Joliet, 1845.
Levi PIERCE, Morris, 1841. (Grundy County)
Miss Samantha WARREN, Joliet, 1833.
Andrew SMITH, New Lenox, 1833.
Mrs. L. S. PARKER, Lockport, 1838.
Mrs. Helen A. HENDERSON, Joliet, 1832.
Mrs. Nancy STEVENS, Joliet, 1831.
Wm. PADDOCK, Homer, 1834.
Fred. COLLINS and wife, Homer, 1833.
S. W. LULL and wife, Joliet, 1835.
Mrs. George GAYLORD, Lockport, 1835.
Mrs. SYMINGTON, Joliet, 1838.
Mrs. D. C. BALDWIN, Lockport, 1836.
Mrs. Frank HANFORD, Lockport, 1836.
George H. MONROE and wife, 1849.
Ed. CONLEY, Joliet, 1846.
Mr. D. C. BALDWIN, Lockport, 1834.
Mrs. James GOODSPEED, Joliet, 1844.
H. H. SPOOR, Jackson, 1844.
Theo. HARDER, New Lenox, 1836.
Amos. C. PAXON, Lockport, 1838.
John WHITE, Florence, 1840.
Mrs. Desire WADE, Joliet, 1835.
Sheldon YOUNG, Jackson, 1839.
Mr. Charles WEEKS and wife, Joliet, 1836.
Horace WAEKS, Joliet, 1837.
Wm. GOUGAR, New Lenox.
Mrs. S. F. SAVAGE, Joliet, 1850.
Jahn CORLETT, Custer, 1857.
L. M. CLAYES, Joliet, 1839.
Clark BAKER, Manhattan, 1850.
W. A. STRONG, Joliet, 1850.
W. H. ZARLEY and wife, Joliet, 1837.
John VAN HORN and wife, Plainfield, 1850.
Geo. EIB and wife, Jackson, 1839.
Hall S. MASON, Lockport, 1832.
Wm. E. HENRY, Joliet, 1850.
Mr. Geo. FINNEY, Joliet, 1840.
Judge DIBELL, Joliet, 1840.
Val RATHBURN, Joliet.
Egbert GILLETTE, Spencer, 1851.
Augustus EIB, Jackson, 1837.
Henry FISH and wife, Joliet, 1840.
J. M. REYNOLDS, New Lenox, 1834.
V. L. D. BARNEY and wife, N. L., 1836.
Mrs. Alvira WEBSTER, Joliet, 1850.
Hiram HARVEY, Joliet, 1833.
D. D. GREEN, Plainfield, 1842-
Thos. MAPPS, Elwood, 1840.
F. W. WOODRUFF, 1843.
Wm. MILLS, Joliet, 1839.
Thos. SPRAGUE, Joliet, 1838.
James L. OWEN and wife, Joliet- 1834.
Among those who came to the county in the ’30’s and ’40’s were:
D. C. THOMPSON and wife, Joliet,
Daniel GOUGAR and wife, Joliet.
Chas. C. SMITH, Channahon.
Jacob SMITH, Lockport.
Amos SAVAGE, Homer.
Mrs. Cary THORNTON, Joliet.
John GREEN and wife, Joliet.
Geo. B. DAVIS and wife, Channahon.
Edmund WILCOX, Joliet.
Francis NICHOLSON, Joliet.
Tames STARKWEATHER, Florence.
H. N. MARSH and wife.
Walter B. HAWLEY, Joliet.
Wm. HILL and wife, Joliet.
John HILL, Joliet.
Thos. H. HUTCHINS and wife, Joliet.
D. W. MILLS, Joliet.
Mrs. O. W. STILLMAN and wife, Elwood.
Frank MITCHELL, Wilmington.
Cnrtis MORSE and wife, Lockport.
J. H. FREY, Joliet.
Wm. OSTRANDER, Joliet.
O. B. SADLER, Joliet.
Thos. DOIG and wife, New Lenox.
John C. BAKER, Manhattan.
Clay CASSEDAY, Joliet.
Jonas LARRAWAY and wife, Joliet.
Mr. Barber selected as the committee to make out the list of officers for the ensuing year, Curtis MORSE, of Homer; Dwight HAVEN, of New Lenox; James PATTERSON, of Wheatland; Henry SNOAD, of Elwood; Frank MITCHELL, of Wilmington.
The committee reported as follows, which report was accepted anmd adopted:
Officers – President, Royal E. BARBER; Secretary and Treasurer. William H. ZARLEY.
Executive Committee – Thomas TAIT, Horace WEEKS, Samuel B. REED, G. D. A. PARKS, H. C. CASSIDAY, M. N. M. STEWART, W. H. LANFEAR, A. McINTOSH.
Vice Presidents and Census Takers – Curtis MORSE, Homer; D. C. BALDWIN, Lockport; S. J. WILLIAMS, Du Page; Jas. PATTERSON, Wheatland; Deacon GREEN, Plainfield; C. C. SMITH, Channahon; John KEELY, WESLEY; Selah MOREY, Florence; Sabez HARVEY, Wilmington; R. J. BOYLAN, Jackson; Clark BAKER, Manhattan; H. H. STASSEN, Green Garden; Fred WILKE, Washington; Willard WOOD, Crete; A. P. LILLEY, Will; D. L. CHRISTIAN, Peotone; Levi DOTY, Frankfort; Addison COLLINS, New Lenox; J. D. HENDERSON, Wilmington; G. H. WOODRUFF, Joliet; John G. SMITH, Custer; Merrill, Reed (Unclear. Is REED a surname or is Reed the Township? – L. B. Peet); J. H. DANIELS, Monee.
H. N. MARSH, of Joliet, was elected necrologist for the coming year.
Mr. Barber announced that the speaker expected to address the meeting, Judge BLODGETT, of Chicago, was unable to attend because of sickness. That he would do the best he could to entertain those present. No singing or speeches were given, and as the lowering clouds gave forbiding of a storm.
Mr. Barber said that he would hurry so that all could get home without getting wet, he asked the secretary to read the annual report which showed $25.81 in the treasury left over from last year. So far as reported there were in the following towns residents since 1850.
Wheatland, 48, Wesley, 10; Florence, 5; Jackson, 170; Lockport, 140; Wilton, 16; Manhattan, 5; New Lenox, 36; Homer’ 52; Monee, 10; Crete, 26; several towns had not reported.
The Busy Reaper.
Mr. Barber’s remarks were chiefly given to reading the necrolyical list, which shows with what relentlessness.
Death has worked among the pioneers since the last meeting a year ago. Forty-nine aged men and women have finished their work and gone to their reward as follows:
Geo. MUNROE, Amos F. PATRICK, Abijah CAGWIN, Thomas CULBERTSON, Joliet.
Henry STONE, California, formerly of Jackson.
Caleb BAKER, Joliet, formerly of Wilton.
Luther WOODRUFF, Joliet.
Dewitt C. SEARLES, Troy,
Almon WILDER, Crete.
Betsey GOODENOW, Jeneatte BAKER, Crete.
Rue M. REYNOLDS, Joliet, formerly of New Lenox.
James E. HOLMES, New Lenox.
Elizabeth ROBBINS, Wilton.
Alkin H. GORHAM, Homer.
Mary Ann NICHOLSON, Emily HOWK, J. F. DAGGETT, Joliet.
Mary HOGMAN, New Lenox.
Abba CUTTING, Joliet.
John BELZ, Joliet.
Mary McINTOSH, Andrew WHITTEN, Wilmington.
Mrs. Andrew HILL, Florence.
Thos. KAVANAUGH, Chas. LUTHER, Isabell O. KNIGHT, Mrs. Ann WILLARD, Wilmington.
Maria FELTER, Lockport.
Celia INGOLDSBY, Troy.
June BRADLEY, Joseph CALAIS, Hugh HERNAN, Joliet.
Mary KINNEY, Troy.
Mrs. E. RODGERS, Jackson,
Thos RILEY, Channahon.
Ann VERLEY, John CLIFFORD, Elizabeth ADAMS, Joliet.
Dr. B. F. ALLEN, California, Formerly of Joliet.
Hugh BOLTON, Joliet, formerly of Plainfield.
John GRIFFIN, Wm. W. PRINDLE, Lockport.
Mrs. John S. JESSUP, California, formerly of Wilmington.
Mrs. Caleb FOWLER, Channahon.
Geo. H. WOODRUFF, Joliet.