The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-08
GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT
MARY WILLIAMS BURIED BESIDE
HER LATE MISTRESS.

Aged Negro woman. VINO Served In only
Two Places, Laid at Rest I'm Greenwood
Beside Mrs. Gertrude L. Vanderbilt
~-nel Known Families at Her Funeral.
Mary Jane Williams negro servant who
changed jobs only once during her seventy
years of continuous service, was buried
beside her friend, the late Gertrude Leferts
Vanderbilt, the authoreas. In the Vanderbilt
plot. In Greenwood Cemetery on Monday
morning. When Mrs. Vanderbilt died four
years ago she asked that the old negress
be inferred beside her n Mrs. Vanderbats
family saw that the request was carried out.
Mary Jane williams was born In 1923.
Her parents were slaves belonging to the
Duryea family. but had been liberated
prior to the birth Of Mary. b little girl
became popular with the women Of the
Duryea family and was raised by them.
She was born in the home Of the late Miss
Helen Duryea at the corner Of Church
a~venue-then Church lane-snd Flatbush
avenue, which recently has been torn down.
Mary was a servant Of Helen Duryea from
the time she was old enough to be Of assist
moe until she was % years old. When Miss
Duryea died in 1885 she left the maid q COM
Portable income for the rest Of her days.
After the death Of Helen Duryea the
servant went to live with her parents for
a year or two. They had a little home on
Catherine street in the Fatbush region.
The street has since been closed. Then she
was induced to take service in the family
Of Judge John Vanderbilt, h husband OF
Gertrude Lefferts Vanderbilt. For thirty
years she remained with Mrs. Vanderbilt.
and left only upon the death Of her mistress
four years ago. While In the Vanderbilt
home Mary was more a companion to Mrs;
Vanderbilt than servant. q accompanied
her everywhere. The sight OF the two
rambling along together lau Ching n
chatting was familiar to Brooklynites.
among whom Mrs. Vanderbilt was widely
known because Of her writings and her
interest in public matters.
Practically all the old families OF Flatbush
we're represented at Mary's funeral at her
little home at l8S Snyder avenue On Mon
day. The Lefferts, the V~anderbilts, the
Zsbriskies, the Strongs, the Lofts the Dit
masses, the Walkers and Mrs. Lionel Garden,
whose husband is in the British diplomatio
service, and many others filed Grace Church
in Lincoln road, During the old woman's
illness they had called frequently TO visit
her and the little home was filed with floral
tributes when She died. The services were
conducted by the Rev. DR.. Lloyd Of the
Dutch Reformed Church, Of which Mary had
been a member for more than fifty years,
and by the pastor OF Grace Church, the rev.
MIR. Wyckof.
The pastor paid > tribute to Mary. and
when speaking OF -tLe value of rure good
ness" told OF her charity in dividing with
her friends who were less fortunate the
income that had been left her by Helen
Duryea forty years ago.
Il don't know that | can tell you Of any
Incidents out Of the ordinary in Mays
life,' said Mrs. James I. efferts last evening:
She was just a good. faithful ser-soui
that we all admired and loved very much.
She held TO her work and her duties too
faithfully ever e do ANYTHING striking
except to be good and faithful"
Mary, who was 81 when she died, came
of a long lived fam lily. Her older brother,
Thomas, who is 90 years old, became the
sexton of st. Paul's Church in St Paul's
Court sixty-eight years ago when the church
was begun by Matthew Clark son. Thor as
is still sexton emeritus" Of st. Paul's.
Another brother, Henry, died three years
ago in his eighty-ninth year.