St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-03-17
Mrs. c. M. Stone.
June 30, 1s3l-March IL, 1909.

On Thursday evening at about six
o'clock death came very suddenly and
quietly to Mrs. Stone. She had been
shut in since the first of November. On
February she was taken much worse
and since that time she had steadily
grown weaker. During all her illness
| she had retained keen interest in her
friends, and in church and civic events,
| and her mental vision was never dim
med. While there was no expectation
that she could recover, nothing had oc
Cured on Thursday to indicate that the
end was so near, when suddenly she fell
asleep.
Sarah Fairbanks Stone was the only
surviving child of Gov. Erastus and
Lois Crosman Fairbanks and was born
in this town. She received her educa-
tion at st. Johnsbury Academy, Round
Hill Institute, Northampton, and Mt.
Holyoke Seminary, in the days of Mary
| Lynn 1lOlll lHC ldIICI luSlllullOH Sic
was graduated Nin the class OF 1851.
After teaching for while in St. Johns
bury Academy, as assistant to James K.
Colby, she was married on May 4, 1858,
to Charles Marshall Stone, who died in
| Jacksonville, Florida, March 12, 1890.
| During the 35 years which her husband
| a6ItpH tha (olaI0n;o., e1aa ,
| though often unknown contributor to
| its columns.
She united with the North Congrega-
tional church in 1850, and since that time
has held and graced every honorable
position in the church which a woman
might hold. For 25 years she was
superintendent of the primary and inter
mediate departments Of the Sunday
school. Being lover of children this
was work which she greatly enjoyed.
For the last 25 years she has been regis
trar of the church; she was for several
years president of it's Home Missionary
| society, and long member of it's execu-
tive board. She was always interested
in the Vermont Branch of the Woman's
| Board of Missions and served as its sec
retary and vice-president for Caledonia
| county.
Mrs. Stone had Travelled much in our
own country. She went several times
to Florida, and crossed the continent for
the first time three years after the
opening of the Union Pacific railroad.
During the past nine years she has spent
much time in Pasadena, with her young
est son, and has made the journey to
California and return eight times in that
period
She was one of the charter members of
the Womans Club, organized in 1882,
and had continued her connection with
and lively interest in the club till the
present time. She has also been a valu-
ed member of the Conversation Circle
since it was formed in 1898
Mrs. Stone was the last of her genera
tion in notable family. Notwithstand-
ing the social position which her birth
accorded her, and her superior ad-
vantages for broad culture, she was to a
remarkable degree simple and demo-
cratic in her tastes, and unassuming in
her bearing. No one can ever stand in
the unique relation to the North church
and to the community which she occu-
pied. Her many years of intimate rela-
tionship to the children gave her oppor-
tunities for extended acquaintance which
few possess, and many of the friendships
thus formed have continued through
life. She seemed to have a genius for
friendship. "How she loved u.s. twas
that which made her dear" She was
of merry heart, tender, sympathetic and
benevolent. Her home was always a
hospitable one and her unusual conver-
sational gifts made it privilege to be a
guest there. 1tis not usual to find in
one person so full and we'll balanced
development on all the three sides of her
nature, the social, the intellectual, and
the spiritual. Her strong faith permeat-
ed all her life, and was triumphant in the
hour of death.
Mrs. Stone leaves three children, Miss
Mary E. Stone and Arthur F. Stone of
st. Johnsbury, and Philip H. Stone of
Pasadena; also four grandchildren,
Edith L., Robert L., and Eleanor F.,
the children of Mr.. and Mrs. Arthur
F. Stone, and Theodore F., the son of
Mr.. and Mrs. Philip H. Stone.
How beautiful to live as thou didst live!
How beautiful to die as thou didst die
At setting of the sun, without sigh,
A in a he hact that low rnt,IH cr;,y