The Press., 1921-07-14

HnoQ to ms Dcu ana the end was not unexpected, yet his death is none the less a shock to his associates in the home office of the company and to insurance leaders throughout the country, for he had a national repu- tation. Edward Verrance, Preston was born in Wilmington Hollow, Tol- land County, June l, 1887. He was the second son of Joshua and, Caroline | (Eldredge) Preston, his father being manufacturer of leather in Willing ton Hollow and at one time connected with P. Jewell & Sons of Hartford. I On his paternaI side he was descended from Roger Preston, who, in 1885 was resident of Ipswich, Mass, and later lived in Salem, and on the ma ternal side from the Dimmick, FL I dredge and Hinckley families, long prominent in New England Major Preston received a country common school education. and moved to Hart ford at the age of 13 years to become a clerk in the grocery store of James G. Walker. He afterwards clerked for MT: Packard, Carlos Gfazier and H. Griswold & Co.,, southeast corner of Asylum and TrumbulI streets of which firm he became member on January l, 1861. On July 19, 1861 Major Pres ton was commissioned by Governor Buckingham to be first lieutenant and quartermaster of the Fifth Con- nectlcut Infantry, the first regiment organized in Connecticut to serve for three years. In September, 1861, Lieutenant Preston was detailed as acting assistant qnartermaster, First Brigade, General N. P. Banks's Divis- ion, in the Department of the Shen- andOah. In March. 1862, he was de- tailed as an aide-de-calnp on the staff of General O. s, Ferry. On February 1S, 1863, he was commissioned by President Lincoln as additional pay master, U. s. Volunteers," with the rank of Major, and this position he held until July 31, 1865, when he was honOrably discharged. Millions of dollars passed through Major Pres tons hands during the war and his accounts squared to a cent in the final settlement with the government. On June 9, 1865, Major Preston en- tered the service of The Travellers Ins. CO.-sOme days before he was finally discharged from the army. The Travellers was then in it's infancy. Major Preston contributed very large ly to the magnificent success which The Travellers has made. His duties required executive ability of a high order and his career from the outset was one of honor and integrity. The agents of the company admired, res- pected and loved him. He was an interesting and graceful speaker. Major Preston was a member of the Vetran Association of the Fifth, Con necticut and of Robert O. Tyler Post. G. A. R. He was also a member of the board of trustees of the Connecti- cutLiterary Institution of Sufield now the Suffield school. He was prominent in the Asylum Avenue Bap- t1st church, of which he was treasuret TOT over thirty years. He had also been secretary, treasurer and presi. dent of the Baptist Social Union of flle state. He was strong republican fiji politics and served as councilman ana alderman from the old Tenth ward On September g, 1863, Major Preston married Clara M., daughter of the late John, G. Litchfield of Hartford. A son, Harry Edward, died in 1893, but a daughter, Evelyn Wallace, lives al the family home. Major Preston never lost his interest in Willinston his native town. While his health permitted he came out occasionally in his car, and later in frequent let. ters planned to make his birthnIace the objective point of drive and de. plored the fact of inability to do SO The funeral was held from the Asy. lum Avenue Baptist church, of which he had long been a member, and haf for many years held the office of dea con, on Wednesday afternoon. Mrs Charles T. Preston, the only one O the large family remaining in Willing ton' was not well enough to be ore sent.
 South WiIlingtOn.
 Miss Helen Dimock af Hartford i, visiting at the home of MT. and Mrs Louis Dimock.
 Miss Grace Gurley returned hom,
 last week after a two weeks vacation in Anthony, R. |. -.ss-.. Arthur DuckWOrth of Michigan i
 visiting at the home of MT. and Mrs Andrew TOmaskO.
 Carl Smith and Munroe Usher lief last Wednesday morning, for Camp Ha zen at Chester Y. M. 0. A. camp, t
 be gone a week.
 The home economic club will hoI
 a very important meeting at the schoo
 house on Friday evening at 73( o'clock. The women of the towr whether members or not are request ) ed to be present. '-< - At the preaching services in Memo
 rial church last Sunday a letter wa read from the Rev. MT Allen of Nel l Jersey accepting the call to com
 here as pastor. He is expected abou
 September 1st.
 trap shooting contest was hel ? last Saturday afternoon at the Wi lingtOn gun club grounds. A tIntin dog was offered as a prize to the 4on getting the largest number of Bird There were three ties, and the shoC will be pulled off next Saturday. z Considerable interest is bein | shown in the work of the Rural ] = M. c. A. After game of base ba |, between chosen teams in the earl v evening, the boys all assemble in tn hall where a regular program of tn
 work is gone through. After whic
 the remainder of the evening is speI
 in social activities. s'e ELLINGTON.
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