The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-04-28
OBITUARY.


MRS. MARY LATtMER SHELDON.
We find the following in the Burling.
ton Oa.) lIawkeye, taken from the
Davenport Democrat of a recent issue:
Mrs. Mary Latimer Sheldon. the
wife of Professor ID. :. Sheldon, of
Griswold college. died at half past nine
O'Clock last evening, after n long period
of illness and suffering. And thus pas
sed away II of the most remarkable
women In powers of mind and of will
of the age. And it was because she led
50 retired a life, confined TO her home
by i'll health. that she did not acquire
fame in the scientific and literary
worlds. Even rs it was, some of ike
most eminent of scientists aud authors
were her correspondents, and several
very noted scientific works embody
ideas presented by Mrs. Sheldon in her
letters. She had many acquaintance
aud numerous friends in Davenport, OF
course-formed during her long resi-
dence here, while Griswold graduates
in America and in foreign lands bless
her memory.
Mrs. Sheldon was born in Middlebu-
ry, Vermont, the daughter of one Of
the mosl prominent men in the state,
Captain Justus Footc, who ON
manded a Vermont company during
the war of 1872. She was the eldest OF
a family of eight children of whom
five survive her. She received her ed
ucation at Mrs. Cookies seminary In
M~iddlebury, at that time II OF the
most noted institutions of learning for
females in the United States. She
became an assistant in the seminary,
and it was while she was thus engaged
that nor morriauo with no-il = Shnl
don occurred. The wedding took
place in March, 1888, -forty-siX years
ago. The husband had received TO de-
vote his life to teaching, being a collie
giate, and a graduate from Andover as
well after sixteen years of devotion TO
the profession in New England, he and
his wife came to Davenport, in 1852,
TO engage in the founding of the Iowa
college under the auspices of the Con-
grcgational church. And the professor
has occupied the chair of natural scien-
ces in the college ever since although
the institution here passed into the
control of the Episcopal church and be-
came Griswold college.
During this period of thirty years
residence here, she has been of great
assistance to her husband in his profess
sion. She possessed a wonderful fac
ultv in managing the young and i'm
parting instruction. She had thorough
knowledge of the classics, was prof.
cient in Greek and Latin, knew He
brew well, and could instruct in
French and German as well "a Eng
I'll Che 1oi;nht"I ~ ossiat- the col.
lege students in their studies, and
many an evening class of them did she
form in her W home for instruction,
and inspire them with an enthusiasm
that no mere college routine could be-
stow. 1t was a pleasure for her TO do
this. She was very successful as a
teacher of elocution. Her general in
formation ON all subjects, political as
well as scientific and literary. was as
tonishing, and her correspondence with
people OF eminencc and fame on mat
lers connected with these subjects was
voluminous. Although All invalid, she
had wonderful will power, which has
kept her up for years. She would have
no physician, becaue she believed she
understood herself better than any
doctor could, and could better care for
her system. No appeals of husband or
friends could move her in this belief
and determination. With all her intel
lect and knowledge and will, she was
tender-hearted, loving and graceful as
the most gentle of her sex-and all her
long sufferings were endured heroically
and without murmuring. The fatal ILL
rocc --nn p~0--.~ -;-
The neal surviving relatives, who
mourn her loss with her husband, are
her sister, Mrs. Governor Gear, and her
brothers Mark and Graham FOote, of
Burlington, Iowa, and Moses Foole, of
Mobile, Alabama.