Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-04-11
1OttenViIIeS Oldest and Best
Known Citizen Is Eighty-nine
Years Old.

Today /. p. Bedell, of Main street,
who is thought to be the Oldest man
in Tottenville, celebrates his eighty
ninth birthday and this afternoon a
family gathering will take place at his
home.
Mr.. Bedell was born in Pleasant
Plains in 1916. His father died at the
ripe old age of eighty-four years and
his mother at eighty-siX years, SO it
is easily explained why he is enjoying
good health at this time of life.
Mr.. Bedell was one of fourteen
children, all of whom lived to be over
seventy years old, with the exception
of his younger brother, John, who
died when he was twenty-three years
old.
When a NEWS reporter called at the
home of Mr.. Bedell, yesterday after
noon, he found the old gentleman
walking in the yard watching some
repairs to his house that the carpen-
tiers were making. He looked to be
as active as many men of fifty. In con-
versation with the reporter Mr.. Be-
dell said that at the present time he
felt quite well, although during the
past winter he had been very i'll, for
the first time in his life.
Up until the age of seventeen years
Mr.. Bedell lived with his parents on
the farm at Pleasant Plains, when he
started to learn the trade of carpenter.
After he had his trade he married and
settled in Tottenville. When he came
to this place it was like a great will
derness and Main street contained only
one house, the thOroughfare was
through green fields and lonely woods.
Mr.. Bedell built the second house on
Main street and many others through
out Tottenville.
One day in the year 1871, while he
was at work in his shop, he was told
that young william Slaight had died
and was to be buried at once, but that
ne undertaken was nearby and no coffin
was to be had, SO Mr.. Bedell set to
work and made a coffin, in which was
placed the body of Mr.. Slaight, and
Mr.. Bedell also acted as the under
taker. For many years after that Mr..
Bedell made collins for the residents
of Tottenville and ever since he has
been in the undertaking business.
At a meeting of a number of people
in Tottenville in 1910 it was decided to
build a church for the M~ethodists.
Mr.. Bedell was called upon and he
built old Bethel NJ. Z. church in Am
boy avenue, which u few years ago
was rebuilt. The corner stone of old
Bethel church was laid in 1871, the
work of building was started in 1912
and was ready for occupancy in 1913.
The first minister in old Bethel
church was Wesley Robinson and at
a revival he took in one hundred
members, and Mr.. Bedell has been
able to watch the congregation grow,
slowly but surely, all these long years,
until today it is one of the largest at
this end of the. Island, and they have
one of the finest houses of worship for
many miles around.
When Mr.. Bedell was twenty-five
years old he was married to Miss
Catherine Wood, of Pleasant Plains,
by Rev. Mr.. Beam, and some few
years ago he had the great pleasure
of attending the one hundred and first
birthday celebration of Rev. Mr.. Beam.
The minister has since died.
MI. Bedell has four children, they
are j. w. Bedell, the undertaken; J.
+. Bedell, the druggist, of Main
street; Miss Ida Bedell and Robert
Bedell. He has six grandchildren.
They are Lester Bedell, Herbert Be
dell, Joseph Bedell, Estella Bedell,
Elmont Bedell and Willis Larkins.
At the gathering this afternoon Mr..
Bedells sister, Mrs. Phoebe Marshall.
of Pleasant Plains, will be present.
Wednesday, Mrs. Marshall will he
eighty-four years old and she is SO
active that when it was suggested
that a carriage be sent to bring her
to ~Tottenville, She became quite in
dignant and said she guessed she could
go the way she always had, by the
railroad.