The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-11-09
PLALNFIELD
Jeremy S. Chamberlin.

"aS riedicu oub OF tne OTlglnal bOFeSl
by Mr.. Chamberlin's grandfather, and
portions of 1t remain in the family
possession to-day. Mr.. Chamberlm was
educated in the public schools. and in
tho old Barre academy under Dr.
Spaulding, whom all his life he FIRE.
quently quoted. He also studied two
years in the Baptist Theological in
stitute al Fairfax, then one OF the lead
ing schools of New England
In boyhood he had united with tie
Baptist church. and he was the last
remaining member of the old Plaindeld
and Marshfield society of that faith
which used to worship III what is now
he Johnson block Mr. Chamberlin
did not let the closing of his own
church slacken his Christian activities.
In those days there were preaching
services both in the morning and aft
.ernoon. Though living on farm four
miles away il was Mr.. Chamberlin's
constant custom with his family 10 ut
tend both these services. after which
he drove to Cutler Corners to hold At
4 O'Clock the Sabbath school. OF which
he was superintendent His .pupils new
er forgot him The Bible which they
Il u.
many of them came from far to attend
! Mr.. Chamberln's constant attendance
At church in Plaintield village was
| broken only by the need for him at
/ home after the nervous breakdown of
| his ambitious wife,
For in 1861 he had married Miss Emma
| Wilson, successful teacher in the
Plainfield village school Mr.. Cham
berlin himself had begun teaching at
/ IL and continued for seven or eight
| wears with success which Is still ~
| membered He was ALWAYS studinns.
a lover of historical, seientifis and re.
| ligious literature. When with his
| wife he took the home farm he soon
| found the value of her keen business
| ability. II was, this which aided him
| in no small measure to ride success
fully the financial breakers which |
rolled IN the wake Of the Civil war. !
The depth of this financial depression
is shown by the fact that the market |
price OF his farm shrunk $1,000 after
he had put in thirty two years improv
ing its actual value Many ,urren
dered their homes entirely Against
this tide he made good
In 1898 Mr. Chamberlin built the
large twostory house in Plainfeld vi.
laee which was his second and last
home He moved his family from the
farm in December Of that year The
Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance com
nanT soon sought his services as their
local representative For twenty years
he was, as the officials Of the company
testify in letter, their conscientious
and faithful agent" He kept this work
10 the end. inspecting fire risks with
in IA few days Of hi- death, For four
teen years he was also agent for the
Granite Mutual.
Mr. Chamherlin was modest and
would not let his townsmen send him
to the legislature as they desired But
his public service was long and valu-
able. He came to be a legal adviser
to the community. patient with all
coWers. For years the final question IN
the board Of civil authority was, Well
what does Jeremy say about tT' For
twenty years he was town clerk, rc
signing when he was 80 wears of aye.
For fifteen years he was selectman.
and was elected time after time when
he declined tho Office. Six wears be
had been school director, lister. road
commissioner and auditor He was in
constant demand for the settlement At
estates, and for counsel both public
and personal. 1t was common Ie
mark that he could be depended upon
and people knew whore 70 find him.
Mr. Chamberlin belonged to no fra
ternity hut tho Good Templars. which
he joined in the days when they were
active, but he was fraternal by IA
ture. He was Of remarkably even
disposition. always kindly. a pence
maker in the community. and loving
husband and father. His devotion 70
his invalid wife was unfalng. And
his endurance of his own fatal Illness
was brave and patient In spite of al
that loving care could de- he declined
slowly rs IA result of pneumonia
months ago. On October IS he passed
into rest.
Within few DAYS Of his seth we'd
ding anniversary, and on his daugh-
tiers birthday, he was buried Sunday
afternoon Oct. ~ The large house
his late home. was filled with mourn
ing friends and townspeople. also those
from Montpelier, East Montpelier.
Barre and Ausable, n Y Joseph Bart
lett had charge. and Rev. Arthur Hcw
lit ofliciated at the service, speaking
very convincingly upon the assurances
of immortal life The scriptures read
were from Psalm % ST John IL. and
Rev. 7. The text was "The steps Of
a good man are ordered by the Lord.
and the remark of neighbor wa
quoted that an appropriate text would
be MARK the perfect man." There
were beautiful floral tributes and The
burial was in the village cemetery
where by strange coincidence another
nan by the name of Chamberlin had
been buried that morning. The bearers ,
we're his son-in-law. Clement =. krl-
ogg. J. 4. Foss. Elroy +. beavitt and
D. W Moses The honorary pall-bear-
,rs were Rev J.. F. Fortney. Truman
Bartlett. r. n. Kiser Harry Parks
Fred L. Page and George King.
Mr. Chamberln il survived Ia his
wife, whose broken health made her
greatly dependent on his care. and Ly
his daughter Bertha Chamberlin Kel-
og. their only child. who did for her :
'ather all that loving and skillful at :
eutian could do. These have the svm-
lathy Of the community. The univer
al estimate Of Mr.. Chamberlin'- char
lcter j. represented hy THE quotation
rom a letter 10 Mrs. Kellogg; ~NmI-
ather lived such good life that lii.
,t-ilf aver 10 a l,aauftfft1 ,ra