The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-01-23
DR.. NORMAN ssAvER
Prominent Vermont Clergyman Dead
at Rutland

Rutland. Jan. 21--The Rev. DR.
| Norman Seaver OF this city, noted OF
ator and sacant died this morning a
his home on South Main street. TIL,
funeral will be held Sunday Afternoon
at 2.30 o'clock at the Rutland Congre
gational church OF which he formerl,
was pastor
DR.. Seayer was born in Groton
Mass. April 20, 1894, and with his fan
lily moved at an early age to Boston
He was the son of Norman Seaver, q
lawyer and Anna Maria Lawrence, a
member of the famous Lawrence fam
lily OF Massachusetts,.
Dr.. Seaver attended Boston Latin
school and thence went TO Williams
College, where he graduated in 1854.
After his graduation he studied law
with a prominent firm in Boston and
was admitted to the bar at the age OF
Il years. lie practiced at his profes.
sion for two years. and then, feeling
a call for the ministry, he went to An
dover Theological Seminary. Later,
in 1860. DR.. Seaver came to Rutland
as assistant to DR.. Silas Aiken, pastor
OF the Congregational church. When
Dr. Aiken retired two years later, Dr.
Seaver was made pastor, filling that
position for eight years
From Rutland he was called to the
First Presbyterian church OF Brook
Ign. \. Y, where he was contempor-
airy of Henry Ward Beecher, with
whom he frequently changed palpits.
For eight years he retained that pas
torate. At the end of that time the
Rutland church again tried TO secure
his services, but he had pledged him
self to 20 to Syracuse. n Y. wher.
he served another eight years pastor
ate, leaving there to go to St. Paul,
Mimi. DR.. Seaver felt that eight ycars
was sufficiently long for pastor to
in one church and at the end
Of another period OF that length he
left, st. Paul returning to this city,
where he intended TO live and give
I'D pastoral work He was asked TO
supply one Sunday in the Montpelier
,hurch and he made such an impress
sion upon the parish that upon urgent
request he served them Tor eight
years, going to that city from Rut-
and. where he kept HIS residence.
Since severing his connection with
he Montpelier Church DR.. Seaver
lad lived in Rutland and had suppl
ID at different times nearly every
church in the State. His
,roadminded view of Christianity fit
ed him to mi acceptably any pulpit.
I is stated that for week in Chlca
20 he preached in Jewish syna-
Iogue.
In 1866 Middlebury College confer |
ed the degree of doctor of divinity |
pom him. While DR.. Seayer was
aston In Rutland he preached a
sermon at the time OF |
resident Lincolns assassination,
ven the pulpit steps being used to |
eat the throng of people who crowd |
d to hear him, and at the memorial |
ervice. commemorative the 50th an
iversary OF that tragedy, he gave in |
he same church the memorial ad- |
ress.
DR.. Seaver was married to Caroline
. Daniels of Rutland, who died jan
airy !, 1906. In 1906 DR.. Seayer mar
led Mrs. Ellen s. Pond. who sur
ives him
Dr. Seaver was a prominent Mason
nd an Odd Fellow. having held Off.
rs in both OF these orders lie was
$50 d member OF the nights of Pyth-
s He belonged to the Sigma Phi
ollege fraternity and. in his prime,
as an athlete of recognized Prov
~.
DR.. Seayer received many honors,
eing selected orator at many gather
gs of prominence. He was loved
Y the common people and many are
e "reminiscences of the older resi-
ants of Rutland of how he held his
spellbound moving them al
rnately TO tears and laughter by his
ords.
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