Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-08-22

ed one Of the finest families ever known
I'm Juniata county. Ths only remain
ing relative thsse whom I can recall b
the Hon. w. North 6tefrett, who h, I
think, . cousin Of the Doctor and the
Judge. The Pattefsons and the Ster-
retts were closely connected Alexan-
der Patterson, who founded Tuscarom
Female Seminary was son Of Squire"
John Patterson, and DIR. Sterrett's
grandfather, twas known as "Mer-
chant" John Patterson. These two
John Pattersons were cousins and mar
sled twin sisters, the Misses Lyons.
Mrs. DR.. Sterrett was sister Of the
Hon. John NJ, Kennedy, who was
formerly law partner Of the late
James Cloyd DOty, and is at present
one of the ablest Judges of the Com
mon Pleas Court of Allegheny county.
Another brother DIR. d. b. Kennedy is
q resident Of Oxford.
The effects Of the union of two such
rare strains Of blood could not fail to
show In the offspring. All of DR.. Stef-
rett's children were born in Juniata
county. The eldest Robert M. Sterrett,
Is the best known and most successful
druggist in the East End. James r.
Sterrett is member Of the Allegheny
County Bar and was closely associated
with the firm Of Kennedy and Doty.
DR.. John X. Sterrett ("Doctor Jack"
as he is afiectionately designated by his
friends) is an established physician Of
high standing. He IS happily married
and occupies a handsome residence just
off the fashionable North Highland
Avenue. Mary Dickey Sterrett is the
wife Of Charles r. Shuman, an excel
lent business man and successful mer-
chant, who formerly lived in Port Roy
al, but now resides at Ocean Grove,
California. The youngest daughter
Carrie Jeanette, is the wife Of L. e.
Robens, who is in the life insurance
business.
DIR. Sterrett removed from Juniata
county to Pittsburg in April, 1879. He
has since lived on one of the loveliest
residence sites in the East End, No.
1921 Penn Avenue, just in the rear Of
the East Liberty Station of the Penn
sylvanla Railroad. The house stands
in spacious grounds, well back from the
street, and though the aggressions of
commerce have hemmed it in on all
sides, they have not yet been able to
dislOdge the Doctor from his homestead.
The death Of his wife may, however,
result i'm the sacrifice to business pur-
poses of this last remaining beauty spot
of what was once the finest suburban
district of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Sterrett is now nearly 20 years of
age, and his life since coming to Pitts
burgh has been full of hOnOrs. He and
his brother. Supreme Court Justice
James p. Sterrett, were born and raised
on the Sterrett estate in Tuscarora Val.
ley. This farm was the next above the
Judge Lewis Burchfield place. Beyond
it were the farms of Robert Sterrett and
William Sterrett, and then came the
Kelly place, one of these farms now
owned by Attorney George c. Wilson,
of this city
Naturally, SO aged man was greatly
prOstrated by the loss of his life-partner.
For the first time in an acquaintance
of nearly twenty years l observed a
tinge Of dependency in the venerable
Doctors conversation and manner. In
his earlier days a man of heroic physique,
like his brother, the Justice, the effects
Of his bereavement were painfully notice
able in his sunken face and hesitating
step. But Of his dead wife he spoke
only in cheerful, hopeful accents. 1t
seemed to afford him the greatest con-
ISOLATION that she had said to him, short
ly before her death, that she suffered no
pain, and was passively gliding to what
she knew was a realm Of repose and
peace. The brief visit 1 paid to the
Doctor recalled the somewhat similar
interview we had at our last meeting.
In December, 1898, as 1 was about to
board Philadelphia Express, met DIR.
Sterrett IN the Union Station. On learn
ing that my stepfather, William NJ.
Allison, was lying dead at Mifflin, he
extended to me the first word of condo
lence had received, and was manifestly
grieved that he was unable to be present
at the funeral of his old and beloved
friend. The reversal of our positions
brought home to both of us a realization
of how small the world really is, and
the value of "a kind word fifty spoken {"
Both the Doctor and Mrs. Sterrett
had been aware for some months that
her ailments must result fatally, but
this knowledge had only drawn them
still more closely together. When they
went East early in June the fatigue of
the journey Frustrated her, and they
were obliged to stop over in Philadel-
phia four weeks. They then went OH
to her old home in Oxford, where they
remained three weeks, and on the way
back they again had to stop over in
Philadelphia three days. They returned
to Pittsburgh on the last day Of July,
and just two weeks later the end came.
Since girlhoOd Mrs. Sterrett had been
q member Of the Presbyterian church,
and at the time of her death was connect
| ed with the East Liberty Presbyterian
church, her pastor being the Rev. DIR.
J. +. p. Kumler. The Rev. Dr. Chess
man, of the Highland Avenue Presby-
terian church, conducted the services
ut the family residence. The funeral
was private, the remains being inferred
, in Homewood Cemetery on Thursday
afternoon last. w. NJ. A., JR.
Pittsburgh, Pa. Aug. 20, 1900.