Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-04-05
HOMESTEAD IS
BEING CHANGED
Mrs. Turner Gives Up Fa-
nous SsWaren Building.
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

tOIdo VI IulhlIuIC oiu OlhCl u
hold goods have been taken away for
some days past and this week the
place will be turned over to decora-
tors and other workmen who are to
~renovate and repair the entire house,
preparing it for the new proprietor
who takes possession on the fifteenth
of this month.
Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Turner have al
ready left the Homestead and are
domiciled in their new home on East
aynue. Mrs. Thomas F. Zettlemoy-
er, who is well known throughout
the vicinity, and who with her hus-
band, the general postmaster and
railroad agent at this place, have
been residents of Sewaren for near
1y twenty years, is now to assume
the management of the Old Home
stead, and on May l will open the
house to guests.
All of the second floor is already
engaged and some of the rooms on
the third floor rented for the sum
mer. Mrs. Zettlemoyer's reputation
as a fine housekeeper and as a fine
manager is a most satisfactory guar
antee for the success of this little
family hotel, and those who have
been so fortunate as to secure a home
with Mrs. Zettlemoyer are to be con-
graduated.
Mrs. w. F. Turner, who has been
for the past six years the genial host
ess of the Homestead, has already
established the reputation of the
house, and it has been one of the
most popular boarding places in this
county.
Its attractive locality, facing the
little park with here and there
glimDses of the blue nature of the
sound, and its close proximity to the
railroad station and trolley line, all
have enhanced the popularity and
convenience of this old historic
place.
Guests from all parts of this
try at different times have beer en-
tertained under its hospitable roof,
Mrs. Turner of Mother Turner" as
sh ewas almost invariably spoken of,
came with her husband and three
children to this country from Eng
land twenty-three years ago. After
living a few years in New York, the
family moved to Sewaren and for
n year occupied the dwelling in
which they are now to reside, hav-
ing purchased the same from Ernest
Boynton, for a permanent home for
Fred Turner and his family.
Mrs. Turner has had more thai
nifty guests in her dining room to
feed at m time, although the lodg-
ing capacity of the house was not
sufficient to accommodate more than
half hat number. Last summer ev-
cry room on West ayenue that could
be rented was taken by people who
came from the city to board at the
Homestead. Those who could not
be accommodated, while rooming
elsewhere, tool their meals with
Mrs. Turner, and had the privi
lege of using the large shady porch,
which was always the rendezvous OF
all the guests.
Mrs. Turner, who has passed her
SEVENTEEN milestone, has been an In
defatigable worker; always ambi-
tious to keep up the standard of her
house which she had established by
her generous table and hospitality.
Two years ago Mrs. Turner seemed
to be breaking down from the eff
fects Of her strenuous years in bus
mess and her family advised her to
give up the house and lead a more
quiet life. Later her health i'm
pIOfcu anu she continued the mdIl-
agement of the Homestead until the
present time, although last summer
she announced to her friends and pa
irons of the house that this would
be the last year that she would re-
main at the old place.
1t has been said that no one had
ever made a success of running the
Homestead as a boarding house I'M
RI hrC Ttrpn u. toOJy h~1I 0F - ,.-
years ago. She was noted for her
hospitality and was fond Of having
a. large family around her, enjoying
the merry parties which so often as
sembled in the large dining room in
the long winter evenings for music
and games. Birthday anniversaries
were also celebrated there in a most
~ enjoyable manner Mrs. Turner al
ways furnished a pleasant little sup
per to complete an evenings pro-
gram of songs and dancing.
Christmas was always a most
festive day at the Homestead. There
was the large three, most beautiful
ly decorated by Mr.. and Mrs. Fred
Turner, and after breakfast on
Christmas morning all of the guests
of the house, as well as the SER
wants, assembled in the dining room
to witness the distribution Of gifts.
The occasion was always a great
pleasure to each one present.
Through the generous courtesy of
Mrs. Turner no one was forgotten,
for she commissioned "Old Santa
Claus" to give some little gift to ev-
cry member OF the household, the
servants being always most gener-
ously remembered. Mr.. and Mrs.
Turner are both thoroughly English
and were from childhood brought up
to think no holiday was quite as fes-
tive as Christmas and always endea-
vored to celebrate this anniversary
In a royal manner, as circumstances
would permit. The Union Jack, with
the Stars and Stripes were always
draped with holly and mistletoe of
the Yuletide decorations throughout
the house. ~
Mr.. and Mrs. Turner have made
many friends during their six years