Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-02-27
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Hdator henne5ec Journal.
may not be amiss to record fnr tho
cement OF your kennebec readers. the d.ee..e
OF Mr.. and Mrs. Moses French of So Che
'erviile, who had come to be considered IN.
notahies in this vicinity bv reason NJ ,h.;.
age and the unbroken reI.,;ons - ~.
marriage life. Moses French was the e,da.,
and at the time of his death the only surxix;na
son OF I)ea- Joseph French of Chesterv;IIe
one OF the flrsf settlers in this then wilderness
Vi MAINE, man much respected for his
steriihg quart es, and Of Acknowledged in.
luehce among his neighbors and tow nspeonIe
ne was porn Nov. 9th, 1876 died Feb. 18th
iooZ, at the age Of s. years, three months
out little in excess Of the individual ag.s
attained by members OF the ancestral family
to which he belonged.
His wife, nee Edna Stevens was horn my
sd, l1s1 died Jan. 24th, 1882 at the age of
ID years, TWO months. She was the eldest of
family OF ten, children of John and Martha
stevens OF Wayne, who have lived to re-
'nsrkabie age. Mentioned in the order of
thelr decease, Martha Mrs. Sturdivant of Milo
died IN 1884 at the age of 40; Richard wa.
fatally injured by being thrown from hi. car.
rage IN 1853, at the age of 81: Jesse-Judye
stevens of Scheduled in 1866 aged 81:
Abel IN 1873, aged 81; Dolly-Mrs Wood of
WInthrop-in 1879, aged 50 Elizabeth-Mr..
Eiklns OF Fayette-in 1880, aged So John in
1881, aged 81; now Edna, at the age of o.
Two are still liying-Charity. Mrs Wing oe
Fayette. nearly 80, and David Steven. of
Keadfeld, past 10, hale and hearty-a record
OF longevity rarely to be 70 nd in one family.
Moses French married Edna Stevens
March 18th. 1919. To them were born eight
children, only three Of whom reached matur
ity. These are now living. Almost before we
OF the third generation knew it-not being
old enough TO remember the event-the:r if
teth marriage anniversary was at hand but
with little timely effort we were enabled IN
celebrate with them ''the golden wedding"
IN becoming manner. This was a sort OF
impromptu affair but when the 6O,h anniver
sary of their marriage day came round, it was
made the occasion of great gathering of kin
dred and neighbors. At the table sat the
bridegroom. then 50, with cousins and friends
of nearly equal age. Beside him the bride
with two sisters So and 10 wears of age We
then resolved 70 meet with them again in 10
years more, but their invitation to the mar
riage supper of the Lamb precedes our gath.
ering to them ''for they rest from their la
bors and their works do follow them"
For more than three score years they have
sat by one hearthstone. under the one roof
that has sheltered their home, rarely being
absent from each other more than a dav at a
time. The simple and regular habits of their
lives had peculiarly exempted them from
most of the ills that flesh is heir to, and they
moved among us in the full activities of old
age till last Thank giving day when the old
wife fell to the floor in fit of dizziness while
about her household duties at dinner time
and was not able to rise afterward nv her own
strength. A few days previously the husband
had been stricken with paralytic attacks that
were taking away the power of spec ch, and
making his steps to falter with weakness and
it was plain to those who watched the aged
pair that 1.-THE silver cord was loosed," and
the golden bowl broken and ere long ''the
pitcher would be broken by the fountain. and
the wheel broken at the cistern." Her death
preceded his three weeks, but from the time
he tottered to the bed side of his dead wife,
the ambition to longer remain was gone, for
the desire of his life had been gratifed-''he
had seen her through" The companions of
their youth are few and will soon all sleep
with ''the fathers" They had mingled with
five generations of men in their intercourse
with human society. three of whom had gone
out and in before them. Lifelong homes are
rarely to be met now. They rise up before
us like monument in the midst of the rest
less. changing life of to-day reminders of
the past. Chisel deeper their records that
the example they have set, and the influence
they have welded, be not lost forever.