The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-10
WILLIAMSTOWN
Interesting Life Ended When Mrs. Fanny
WILDER, Towns Oldest Resident, Died

1
WILDER, Towns Oldest Resident, Died
The funeral of Fanny ~ WILDER was
held at the home of Mr.. and Mrs George
L. Colby, Sunday, Rev. William N. Rob-
erts, a former pastor of the Methodist
Episcopal church, officiating. The burial
was in the cemetery at East Brookfeld
beside her husband, Asa George WILDER,
who died in 1907. Charles NJ Edison of
Montpelier, an old neighbor and long time
friend of the family, was in charge of the
services. The bearers were all relatives,
George y, WILDER and George t. Colby of
Williamstown and Charles C. and Wal
ter A. Clifford of East Randolph, Other
relatives present were Mr.. and Mrs. John
B. Goodrich of South Royalton, Mr.. and
Mrs. A. S. Winchester, Mrs. Fanny N.
Covell, Mrs. Lucy Whitney and Mr.. and
Mrs. w. P. Briggs. A number of cousins
living in ether towns were unable to be
present. Among these are c. r. Allen
and Asa Harrington of Barre, Oliver Ba-
con of Morrisville and Mrs. ENERGY Allen
of East Randolph. The only living sis
ter, Mrs. Celia A. Clifford of Randolph,
was also unable to come.
Mrs. WILDER, who was the Oldest person
in Williamstown at the time of her
death, passed away Friday morning, at
the home of her daughter, Mrs. Colby,
having reached the age of 90 years on
Nov. IA last.
She was born in Brookfeld Nov. a.
1926 the third child of eight sons and
daughters born to Jedediah and Celia
(Cushing) Allen. Jedediah was the son of
Nathan and Esther (Paine) Allen, who
were among the early settlers in Brook
field and who came from Pomfret, Conn.
On the Paine side, she was related to
Judge and Governor Paine, father and
son, who were prominent in the early
history of this town and Mortified. On
the Allen side, she was related to Ethan
and Ira Allen, whose parents came from
the same town as Nathan Allen, Pomfret.
Conn.
The farm on which Fanny n Allen was
born was afterward known as the Stey-
en- Wilcox farm and is now owned by
Harry Fleetwood When she was young
girl, probably between 10 and H. her ia
Their moved to East Brookfield branch, to
the farm later known as the S. s. Briggs
farm, now owned by Gardner Poor. From
both these places she attended the dis
trict school not far from George
Spragues in East Brookfield
The deceased was married March s,
1851, to Asa George WILDER Of Woodbury..
They lived for time in East Brookfeld,
later in Elmore and then returned TO
East Brookfield to the first farm on the
left in the gulf later called the Sprague
farm Then they went to Woodbury. for
a time where George Il. WILDER was born;
returned to the village of East Brook
field, where they lived for few months
in the house on the corner opposite the
old Union store, moved from there to
the Burroughs farm, now owned by A. d..
Reed, and finally TO Williamstown in the
spring of 1875 to the place where George
T. Colby now lives.
Six children were born to Mr.. and
Mrs. WILDER, the two now living being
the youngest. Mrs. WILDER Joined the
Centenary NJ f. church in Williamstown
about 1876. Her husband, Asa G. WILDER,
died March 10, 1907
Mrs Wilber's father, J. S. Allen, while
living on the Briggs farm mentioned
above, beside carrying on the farm, kept
tavern" one OF the many to be found
IN those days on all main roads IN the
state This was before the time Of rail-
roads and big teams with freight passed
through East Brookfeld on their way
from Boston to Montpelier and Burling
ton.
The Ira Day turnpike, as the road
through the gulf was first called, was
finished the year she was bornSls25. For
many years there was a toll gate on this
road near the house now occupied by
A. A. Reed, where all must pay toll ex-
cept those going to mill.
As a girl she spun and wove homespun,
both linen and wooden, used tallow can.
dies for lighting, used maple sugar with
q little loaf for company. Log houses
and fireplaces were common.
Interesting were the "reminiscences she
told and the life she lived