The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-11-25
CELEBRATES soth BIRTHDAY.
Mrs. Laurette Bingham, Of st, Johns
bury, Has Lived in One House
Since 1913.

DiHCt lOfDs
st. Johnsbury, Nov 23.-Mrs.
Laurette Bingham is today celebrat-
ing her ninetieth birthday at her
home on Church street, where she
has lived since 184S. Miss Laurette
Knight was born in Waterford, Nov.
"a, 1914, the daughter of Joseph and
Azubah (Taylor) Knight, the sixth
child in family of six sons and
three daughters, of whom she is the
last survivor. The youngest, Mrs..
Merrill Hazelton died in Illinois a
year ago. One sister, married Jacob
Ide and became the mother of Hon.
Henry Z. Ide, United States Minister
to Spain. At the age of nine the sub
ject of this sketch learned to spin tow
and weave and at fifteen her mother
died and the care of the family fell
upon her. The family moved to Iras-
burg when she was eleven years old
later she joined
the Congregational church there.
From the beginning she was regu-
lar attendant, often going on horse
back with her little sister riding on
the saddle behind her. At the age of
twenty-one years she married David
L. Jackson. and lived in Passumpsic.
Mr.. Jackson died in 1899, leaving
one son, William, who served as hos
pital steward with the Third Ver-
mont Regiment during the Civil War,
and was killed soon after in a steam
boat accident In 1S45 she married
John Calvin Bingham, who bought
the drug business here of DR.. Calvin
Jewett for the sum of $500 and made
this his home. At that time the near
est drug store was at Montpelier, 35
miles away. His two sons, Charles
and Henry succeeded him in the
drug business, the drug business
thus having been in the Bingham
family for the past sixty-four years
and Charles Bingham still continues
it. Henry Bingham died in 1873 and
Charles kept on in the business
alone.
Mrs. Bingham is one of the best
known ladies in ST. Johnsbury, with
host of friends among both old and
young. In length of membership she
is the oldest member of the North
Congregational church, having united
with it by letter on January 10, 1871.
There is one older member in years,
Mrs. Clarissa Proctor, who is SO
years old When the Seventy Club
was organized in 1891 Mrs Bingham
was elected vice president, and since
the death of the first president, has
held that office. She gave her birth
| day party to the club last summer as
the age of the members makes it hard
| for most of them to get out in the
| winter Until a serious illness a
| year ago, Mrs. Bingham never failed
| to be in her seat at church every
| Sunday and was actively interested
in the women's work of the parish
| She has always enjoyed good health
and although her early years were
the busy ones of a farmers daughter
and she was member of a large
family, her later years have been de-
voted to prettier tasks. She is a
splendid needle woman and has done
quantities of fine silk embroidery
She learned to knit as soon as she
could hold the needles and that handi
work keeps her busy now. Her home
is adorned with rugs she has made
both braided and drawn in. She has
one granddaughter, Miss Katherine
M. Bingham, who is a local photo
grapher of unusual ability.