The Portland daily press., 1898-09-15
FIVE GENERATIONS.
They We're Present on tho 95th Birthday
of Mrs, Martha MoNeily.

AT the beautiful country home Oh byron
E. Moore of Boston, there was family
gathering, Tuesday, September 10, to
celebrate the 95th birthday anniversary
of Mrs. Martha McNelly.
1t was perfect autumn day, beauti-
full spot on the banks of the Sebasticook,
and delightful occasion for all the par
Elephants. A rustic table was spread
beneath the apple trees, which was loaded
with good things galore.
At an early hour in the day the clan
began to gather from all the points OF
the compass, from Benton, Clinton,
Canaan, Pittsfeld, Palmyra, Bangor,
Fairfield, Waterville, Portland, Deerlng
and eyon from Barre, Mass. They calne
in single and double teams and buck
boards; all laden with good thinks to
tickle the inner man. By noon the pas
ser-by might have thought good-sized
campmeeting was in session by the collec-
ton of teams around the grounds. Mean
while the joyful meetings of long sepa.
rated relatives and greetings of the
honored grandmother took up the time
until dinner was ready.
The aged Mrs. McNelly is the last liv.
ing representative of the second genera
ton of the descendants of Michael McNel-
ly, who settled in Clinton, about 1913.
He was of Scotch-Irish descent, born
in 1869 at sea, while his parents were OF
the way to this country. They Handed
at, or near Philadelphia, where they set
tied. Michael served for several years in
| the artillery of the Pennsylvania CONT
nentals, receiving his discharge in 1881.
He then was on an armed vessel of the
colonies.
About i7s3 he drifted to the Kennebec
and settled in Clinton. He married, in
| l7S5, Susan Pushaw of Fairfield, and
began to hew home for his family out
of the virgin forest on the banks OF the
Sebasticook. Nine children had come to
them, when the mother died, in 1910.
In 1918, as a man of 60, his martial
spirit impelled him to again enlist. and
as private in the 34th Infantry, he
marched away to do battle with the coun-
try's enemy. In September, 1873, he was
severely wounded at Armstrong, Lower
Canada; and in July, 1915, he was mus
tered out.
For this service he received pension of
S72 per year. He was a man of fine edu.
cation, and was, until enfeeDled by age,
possessed of strong Intellectual powers.
He died in 1e4S, at the home of his son
William in Benton.
His son William married Martha
Roundy of Clinton, who, the sole sur
viyor of this generation, was the person
in whose honor this gathering, today, was
held.
Among the 107 persons present were six
of her children, all that are Low living:
Henry McNelly of Clinton, Mrs Isabelle
Written of Palmyra, Mrs. Phebe Joy of
Clinton, William McNelly Of Benton, JOB
McNelly of Clinton, and Mrs. Martha
Moore of Benton.
The grandchildren and great-grand
children were legion, while there was one
great great grandchild, Margaret b.
Kinds of Portland; the five generations
being Mrs. Martha McNelly, William Nc
Nelly, Mrs. George Libby, Mrs. Albert
IL. Kinds and Margaret Kinds.
The Oldest person present was the
houored grandma, So, and the youngest
Aizina Robinson, 3 weeks.
After the dinner, several pictures were
taken. An original poem, writ
ten by Miss Abbie NJ. Roundy Eof
Rando oh, a second cousin of Mrs. NC
Nelly, was read by Charles A. Bean.