The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-01-21
REV. M. |. SEVERANCE
Eleven Years Pastor of the Old First
Church.

NtAfNis
The following obituary notice of
Rev. NJ. L. Severance, former pastor
of the Old First church, appeared in
the Burlington Free Press of Wednes-
day;
At his home at o'clock p. m. Thurs
day, Jan. 7th, the Rev. NJ. L. Sever
ance passed away in Lowell, dying
suddenly from a complication of dis
eases.
The funeral was held Sunday, Jan.
9Th, at ? O'Clock p, m. from the Con-
gregational church, of which he was
the pastor, the Rev. c. H. Merrill of
st. JOhnsbury officiating, assisted by
the Rev. Mr. Bartlett of Lowell. The
bearers were Deacon |. Stevenson, Mr..
F. Il. Bridges, Mr.. r. NJ. Patterson.
Mr. j. c. Young, Mr. r. II. Sanbom
and Mr.. n. E. Winget Mr.. Green of
Newport conducting the services.
The flortt offerings were profuse
and beautiful including a pillow of
chrysanthemums, roses and hyacinths
with the words, To Our Beloved Pas.
tor
The remains were taken Tuesday to
Bennington to be placed in the receiy-
ing vault until summer. when they
will be inferred in the family burial
lot.
Milton Leonard Severance was born
In Middlebury, Oct 18th. 1885. His
childhood and early manhood were
spent on his fathers farm, but having
an inmate thirst for knowledge, he de-
cided to prepare for college, making
the journey on foot from Burlington
TO johnson, whore he intended TO en-
ter the Academy He finished his pre-
paration at Burr and Burton Semi
nary, Manchester Vermont, and gradu-
ated from college at Mlddlebury in
1859. The next fall, he married Miss
Emily Augusta Spencer, and then took
the principalship of Ticonderoga
Academy which he held for two
years. He spent two years at Union
Theological Academy. New York city,
and finished his theological course
under his beloved Prof. Park at An
dover 1863. He was ordained in
1864 at Boscawen, n. H., where he re-
manned till 1868 and then became pas
tor of the Congregational Church at
Orwell. In 1880 he became financial
agent of Middlebury college for two
years, at the end of which time he
| accepted call to the principalship of
| Burr and Burton Seminary in Man
chester. He and his wife spent one
summer in travel in Europe and on
their return. he was called to the pas
torate OF the Old First Church in
Bennington where he remained
eleven years. At Bennington he
buried his wife, by whom he had the
| following children: Rev. Claude NJ:
Wilbert n; Carlton s.; Maude E..
and Herbert A. Severance In 1900
he married Miss Ella Barclay Stewart
of Chicago and removed to Burlington
where he made his home To them
was born one son, Milton Leonard
Severance, Jr. From Burlington he
accepted a call as pastor TO the Con
gregational Church at Lowell. where
he resided at the time of his death.
MIR. Severance is survived by his
wife his children, two grandchildren,
and by two sisters, Mrs c. NJ. Win
chester of Chicago, the eldest of the
family. and Mrs. Martha Knapp,
widow of Ex-Governor Knapp of Alas
ka, now in Seattle, Washington.
Mr.. Severance has been connected
with educational work as well as the
ministry during most OF his life, hav.
ing been superintendent of schools
two years in Boscawen while pastor
of the church there, principal of Burr
and Burton Seminary at Manchester
six years, and trustee of Burr and
Burton seminary during his residence
in Burlington
He was a member Of the Delta Up
silon Fraternity. of the Bennington
Battle Monument association, of the
Congregational Club Of Western Yer.
mont, of the Tichenor Club of the
Sons of the American Revolution, and
an honorary member of the G. A. r.,
having served as chaplain in the army
during the Civil War
In the words of one of Mr. Sever
ance's friends, quoted from a letter
received since his death, his perso-
nality is thus described: 1T is good
to know anyone so sympathetic, so
cordial, so genial, so cheerful and in.
terested in life, so young in spirit as
he vast is good to have known
such Christian gentleman" His
memory will be rich heritage to his
family and his children will rise up
and call him blessed