Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1921-08-02
N. Dayton Bolster.

| N. Dayton Bolster.
After abort illness following q Ion
period OF falling powers, N. Dayton Bo
ster died st bis home In South ParI
ABOUT O'Clock Thursday morning. Nj
oo'seer was one Of the best known cit
zens OF Paris, with wide acquaintanc
10 oxford County and the state.
MT. Bolster was born In Rumford Ma
~, 1850, the SON of Otis G. and Mari
l4Virgin) Bolster, and is q descendant o
Isaac Bolster, q native of England, VIII
settled In Uxbridge, Mass, In 1882, an,
was the founder Of the family in thi
country.
10 the latter part OF 1852 Otis G. Bolste
and his family removed to South Paris
which was ever after the home Of tn
subject of this sketch. Otis C. Bolste
purchased what was long known az tn
"old brick store" on Market SQUARE, an,
conducted 1t until his death in 1871. N
Dayton Bolster, after completing tn
course 10 the Paris schools and Oxfor,
Normal Institute, entered bis father
store as clerk, and was identified will
the business up to the time of bis death
Succeeding to the proprietorship Of tn
| business on his fathers death, he con
Quoted IL for considerable period alone
having for short time as q partner C
A. Robertson. In 1898 he took into part
nership Edwin N. Haskell, who had beer
clerk In the store, the business beipI
conducted under the name OF n. Dayton
Bolster & Co. Later the business wa
Incorporated under the name of the N
Dayton Bolster Co., and the store hal
been we'll known as the largest mercan
tile establishment in town. For the pas
two or three years Mr.. Bolster's placer il
the active management of the bushes,
has been taken by bis son, Morton V
Bolster.
As citizen Mr.. Bolster took an active
interest In everything which tended tc
promote the material and moral welfare
of the community. While not a church
member, he gave his support to the Con.
gregationsl church, was long clerk of the
parish, and for years librarian of the
Sunday School. In politics he was Re.
publican, aud had served on the commit.
tees OF that party, though he never
sought office. he was town treasurer
for some years, always an active partici.
pant in town meetings, and took part in
all the activities designed for community
betterment along any line. OF genial
and compsnionable disposition and an
optimistic temperament, be was univer-
sally liked, and could doubtless claim as
many personal friends as any man in
this part of the state.
In 1878 Mr.. Bolster was one of the in.
corporators who organized the South
Paris Savings Bank, and he continued a
member OF the board of incorporators up
to the time Of bis death, eiug the last
survivor of the 6fty men who constituted
the original board. In 1888 he was
chosen trustee of the bank, and contn.
ued as such thereafter up to the time OF
bis death. On the retirement of Alva
Shurtlef as president of the Savings
Bank in 1899, he was chosen president to
succeed him, and was annually re- elected
to the position until 1918, " hen he declined
to serve longer. He served forty-eight
years az q member of the board of incor-
porators, thirty.three years as q trustee,
and nineteen years as president.
On the organization of the Paris Trust
Co. In 1908, he was chosen director Of
the company and member of the exec
utive committee of the board of directors,
and continued as such for the remainder
of his life.
He was q charter member of Mount
Mica Lodge, l. o. o. F., and OF Aurora
Encampment, and was past noble grand
of the lodge.
Mr.. Bolster married Oct. 25, 1888, Miss
Ada May Morton of South Paris. To
them have been born four children, the
youngest of whom, Philip, was killed at
the age of Is by the accidental discharge
of his gun. Mrs. Bolster survives, with
the other three children, Elsie NJ, wife
of Donald P. Chapman, Miss Ruth M.
Bolster and Morton V. Bolster, all of
South Paris. he Is also survived by two
sisters, Mrs. L. W. Jack OF Woodfords
and Mrs. w. B. Gilbert of Canton.
There was large attendance at the
funeral, which was held at the residence
on Main Street at 2:30 Saturday after
noon. Rev. E. A. Morris of the Cougre-
gational church conducted the service,
and paid tribute to Mr.. Bolster as man
of the highest type, q useful citizen and
a Christian gentleman. The Odd Eel
lows were present in body, and acted
as escort to Riverside Cemetery, where
burial was in the family lot.