The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-28
BURIED IN HER ARMCHAIR.
THE STRANGE WISH OF INNS. NOR
TOW FNITHFULLY CARRIED OUT.
The Chair Was Placed in . Big Box Made OF
Chestnut Plnnks, and the Corpse. Seated
in the Chair, Was in View, from the
Waist Tn, During tho Funeral Services.

The Chair Was Placed in . Big Box Made of
Chestnut Plnnks, and the Corpse, Seated
in the Chair, Was in View, from the
Waist Up. During tho Funeral Services.
PAwLING. n. Y. July 27.-The strange wish
OF Mrs. Siche b. Norton was complied with to-
day. and she was buried sitting up In her rock
Ing chair as she had died. Mrs. Norton was
the wife OF a well to-do contractor. She was
81 years old. She had been an invalid for two
years. and had spent nearly all OF that time In
her armed rocker. She had a horror OF the
ordinary burial. Six months ago she expressed
the wish that when she died she should be
buried in her chair. and abe told Richard D.
Kimn. the town wheelwright. exactly what
kind OF a box she wanted the chair placed in
before she was lowered into the grave. These
instructions to-day resulted in most unusual
scenes at both the house. where the funeral
services were held, and at the grave In tho
Pawlng Cemetery. whore the body was buried.
The Norton homestead is near the railroad
station. and many friends from out OF town
arrived on the o'clock train. Before that
hour the body OF Mrs. Norton was seated IN the
old chair and the chair was placed In the box
and stood Just inside the main entrance to the
house. whore all who entered saw IL. Kimlin
bad made a box OF chestnut planks two inches
thick. He had polished them brightly and
2 feet inches wide and feet 8 inches high.
II was on casters. so that 1t could be easily
rolled. 1t was built in two pieces. The
upper part. or cover. was two feet deep. As 1t
stood In the hall this cover was of. and the
body OF Mrs. Norton, sitting In her chair.
was In view from the waist up. 1t was dressed
In black, with a bit OF lace around the neck and
over the breast. fastened with an old-time
brooch. Over the back OF the chair was a white
blanket with blue figures that her grand
mother had woven and given to her. This was
drawn UP over her lap also. Mrs. Norton's
eyes were closed. Her face was composed. and
as she sat bolt upright at the door It was easier
to think that abe was asleep than that she was
dead and about to be buried,
All OF the friends who could get into the
house crowded in. The others gathered on
the lawn. The chairs In the room where the
services were held faced the boz and the rocker
and the body. The Rev. William A. Mackey.
pastor Of the Pawling Methodist Church. stood
beside the body when the services began. Two
singers were near him. FACING the box. and
long drawn out. There was u sermon. besides
the singing and the reading OF the Gospel.
When the pastor referred to the dead woman
every eye in tho room was turned on the sit
ting figure. Indeed. during the whole OF the
service scarcely an eye IN the room was turned
from 1t. When the services were over. those In
the room went out. giving those on the lawn an
opportunity to take last look at the body
Then the cover was put on the box. Closed up.
the box looked more like q refrigerator than It
did like coffin. Mrs, Norton was a, big woman.
and the box being OF the heaviest rlenkinE Oh
bearers to LIT 1t. 1t had been Mrs. Eortons
wish that she be taken to the cemetery in an
open wagon. and one OF Mr. Sorton's work
wagons. In charge OF Stub Bennett. was backed
up to the stoop, Two panks were then placed
and into the the wagon S where Il was I Strapped
Then the start was made for the grave
The cemetery Is on the slope OF q hill in sight
Of the house. All day workmen had been busy
there. They dug a grave and walled IL In with
brick and cement. For an, hour before the
village children played around the spot. The
mothers of these children gathered them
together near the stone fence that surrounds
the cemetery when they saw the line OF wagons
coming up the hill and the workmen put up q
derrick built OF three stout supports. with
centre. There were 200 persons around the
grave when the omen wagon drove up. 1t
took twelve men to lift the box from
boards was built and 1t was rolled to
hS a Td'F s sE ana d Shs the
down hv means OF the block and tackle. 1t
was delicate work. 1t requ red the issuing OF
many orders. which were shouted. and which
helped to take away the idea that funeral was
going on. Mr.. Norton himself assisted at the
then the nssamblage took on more solemn
aspect and the services at the grave were read.
After that big paving stone was placed over
the box in bed OF cement and the services
were over. The grave was filled in just as a
terrific thunderstorm broke. and many OF the
Ieopp w q lrenchpl n fheir hpme