The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-01-02
A. %. GARDNER DIED
THIS MORNING
At POWNAl
Had Been Ia III Health For Six
Years
MAS A LEADING CITIZEN
Hac Hsia Many Places u Trust ana
Honor and Was Highly Respect
ed Throughout County

Abraham 3. Gardner died a. Cedar
HI" Ills home in Pownal. this morn
ing a. $50. Of heart failure. For the
last six years be has been In pool
health his last active participation In
outdoor lifo being during the hunting
season OF 1905, when. with party, he
cAmped on the Green Mountains. and
The large picture OF the hunters a1d l
their prizes. which acre three large
deer besides smaller game, which
hung on the wall az his home was
one OF his dearest possessions.
SIR. Gardner had an attack OF pneu-
monia IN 1907. which taxed his heart /
severely, and weakened that organ 30
much that il gradually wore out. lie
took a trip u Italy IN 1910 IN COM
pany with Dg. T.. T.. Potter and his
brother. j. " Gardne. from hicn
hc received some benCnt
Mr. Gardner was born Jan. &. lsoS,
and had re lived nutii Tuesday next
would have been SO years old. lie
was the son Of Samuel J., and Janette
fMerchant) Gardner. and was the cid
est child. He was educated IN Gates's
academy in Old Bennington. When
young man he entered mercantile lie
being employed in store in North
Adams.
Following his marriage IN 1880 90
Miss Andria Bates he look up iarm-
Ing as bis HOS work, and commenced
na ihs saue farm q whlrA BE died
He borrowed tl0o6 Of hts grandfather
10 stock his farm. His push and sue
cess may be realized when one learns
that in one Short year be and MS wife
crossed the fields 10 the Merchant
fam ana repaid the loan. This We
have heard him say. was ono OF the
proudcst moments OF his life.
His skin and ability and his ousi-
ness sense were highly developed for
SO Young q man, ana he was not many
years passed his majority when he
was chosen administrator Of the es-
tate OF the late Homer Merchant,
| which was a tremendous Responsible
ity. as the amount 20 be administered
was very large one for those DAYS.
How we'll he did ghe task IS Dow a
matter OF record, and its needless 20
say that ne did it to tho satisfaction
OF all. The reputation he gained On
this estate was so great that his sefy-
| ices were always In demand, and
since that timo he was constantly en-
gagged IN settling some ones estate.
IIe early took an interest in politics
and in 1856 he was elected town rep
resentatlvc He was soon rocognized
as the leader OF tho Republican party
in town and was always at tho head
OF town delegations 90 the state and
district conventions His political
acumen spread throughout the county
and he was regarded as one OF the
ablest of the coumty's strong men.
which was evidenced ny the fact hat
he vas nominated aud elected sena.
tor ia 1896, filing the position With
honor 10 the county.
He was president OF the pownal
Water company and he was in c,arpe
OF the work Of actual construction OF
tho plant in 1905, as his partner, the
late Gardner Parker, was TOO i'll 10
take any active part at that time. he
was q member OF Mount Anthony
lodge. T ana a. NJ. Of BcBnnmgton;
OF the Bennington Club. and og the
bennington lodge Of ELS. He was a
deacon OF the Pownaf baptist church
and one Of the largest glvcrs IN lis
support. He was chairman OF the now
church building committee and he did
business for the church far beyond
his physical ability Tho amicahlc
, and successful settlement OF the
church with tho contractors, which
, was consammated last month, was 2
source OF deep satisfaction 10 Mr.
, Gardner who had expended 20 much
J | OF his energy 10 bring il 10 pass.
i As a man, Abe as he was afiec
tionately called, had the respect ans
estem OF the entire community, OF I
generous, wholesouled nature, no on,
8 ever went 10 him asking a favor hu
+. received It. tie vas OF sociabli
/. and companionahle nature and whei
! ia health was a leading dguro in soc
\ ial gatherings. His place in the ,ovl
o viii be hard 10 all
1 Besides ris vile he is survived b,
\ FIVE children, Mrs. Arthur G. Parker
v Misses Jeanette II. and Lodisska, AM
: Daniel +. and A. B, Gardner, Jr.; b,
r. two grandchildren, Audria and Elsi'
Gardner; also. by two brothers. Mar