Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1920-01-09
ADA B. CALLENDER'S
INTERESTING HISTORY
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Continued from page one)
they proceeded to cross the lake and
entered the apartment of Captain de
haPlace where Allen demanded the
surrender of the fort "n the name of
the Great Jehovah and the Continent
al Congress"
Amos Calender and his son Noah,
then only a boy, were among the 81
men who crossed the lake with Allen,
and entered the fort. 1t was also Amos
Callender's commission to proceed to
take the fort at the head of Lake
George, which he did without difficulty,
as it was occupied by only one man
and woman. Calender was also
sent to Hartford, Conn, in charge of
a party of prisoners taken at that time.
Miss Ada Calender, whose death re-
calls these historic deeds of her an
cestors, was herself educated at New
ton Academy in Shoreham and later at
Miss Haskells School in Castleton.
She was a person of keen literary
taste, and of fine character. A sister,
Emma c. Calender, was one of the
pioneer woman doctors in Vermont,
and practiced for a time in Middlebury,
in the old house at 4 Weybridge street.
Miss Calender taught for time in
her youth, but after the removal of
the family to Middlebury her life was
devoted to the care of an invalid moth
er, who was confined for years to a
darkened room, and for whom she
sacrificed everything. Notwithstand-
ing this personal sacrifice, she was an
important social factor in the educa-
tional and church life of the commun-
ity. After her mothers death she sold
her Weybridge street home and spent
several years in California, where she
suffered no little hardship but escaped
injury the night of the great Frisco
earthquake" After this catastrophe,
she made an extended trip in Europe,
residing for several months in Oxford,
where her cousin Cyrus Wicker, was
student.
The latter years of her life she spent
her winters in New York, making Mid
dlebury her summer home, but keep
ing up her active interest in church
work, and in the Hawthorne Club,
which she helped to establish, and in
the Ethan Allen Chapter of the d. A
r. AS already stated, the existence of
this organization was due almost solely
to- her own efforts Having secured the
necessary number of charter members
through her personal appeals, she ac-
cepted the post of Chapter Regent and
the meeting of organization was held at
her Weybridge street house.
Her interest in current events, even
up to her final passing, was unhagging
and her opinions on political and social
conditions showed remarkable insight.
To her love of the beautiful in nature,
books, music and the fine arts, was
added a practical idealism which was
always for the promotion of the best in
community life Although shut in for
the greater part OF the time recently
with suffering from an organic heart
trouble which she bore most stocally,
she had lately had the treat of at
tending the literary lectures of Prof,
William Lyon Phelps, and of meeting
this interesting visitor.
OF late years Miss Calender had
rooms at J. Wesley MurdoCk's on
North Pleasant street, where her death
occurred. She was for 45 years a mem
Der OF the Congregational Church. and
her funeral was held there Monday,
the Rev H. c. Newell officiating
Floral tributes from manyw friends
were abundant. The funeral music con-
sisted of organ selections by Prof l. ].
Hathaway The bearers were Charles
l. Button, Prof c. E. Bryant, J. W
Murdoch, Prof M R. Sanford, Prof
" c. Harrington and John A. Fletcher
Burial was in the old family lot in
Shoreham,
Among the out-of-town people pres
ent were her cousin, Mrs George Wick
er of Melrose, Mass, and Dr. and Mrs
A. w. Bingham of New York.