GEORGE SMITH.
Sudden Death of a Well-Known South Wallingford Man—Was a Successful Farmer and Merchant.
Mr. George Smith died at his home in South Wallingford village Saturday afternoon, October 17th, after a very brief illness of pneumonia. He attended the funeral of Mr. Stephen Phillips in Danby on Wednesday afternoon preceeding, and was apparently in his usual health when he left home to attend the funeral. Upon returning home, however, he complained of feeling cold and thought he had taken cold. The symptoms rapidly grew worse and developed into pneumonia. Though the best medical skill was brought into requisition, the disease baffled such efforts, and Mr. Smith’s spirit took its flight in less than three days after be-coming ill.
Mr. Smith was born April 26, 1823, in the town of Rupert. His parents were Norris and Hannah (Lobdell) Smith, the father being born in Connecticut in the year 1800 and his mother in Pawlet in the year 1799. His father died when he was very young, and his mother’s death took place in 1877, at the age of 78 years.
At the age of ten, Mr. Smith took up his abode with the family of the late Silas Hulett of Danby, but after three or four years he found employment with the late Erastus Kelley of the same town for a couple of years, and then with Eli Oatman of Middletown for a like period, after which he re-turned to Danby and again worked three seasons for Mr. Hulett. He also worked at building wall for various farmers for several seasons and was em-ployed by the late Foster Otis for one year.
June 2, 1852, Mr. Smith was married to Anna L. Thompson, daughter of the late Israel Thompson, who survives him, and two years later removed to Chittenden, returning after two years to carry on the Foster Otis farm in Danby, which he subsequently purchased and retained ownership of till the spring of 1859, when he sold it to the late William Vail and purchased a farm in Mount Holly in company with his father-in-law, to whom he sold his interest three years later.
During the succeeding few years Mr. Smith purchased and sold a number of farms in Mount Holly and Wallingford, and in the spring of 1867 purchased of Fuller & Crapo the stock of general merchandise in the so-called Allen store at South Wallingford and continued in trade there for nine years, seven of which he acted as postmaster. In 1876 Mr. Smith purchased the home where he died.
Of the five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the first three died of diphtheria within the short space of four weeks, another died in infancy, while the last one, Jennie, grew up to womanhood, became the wife of Mr. R. M. Tracy of Boston, in which city she died in 1892, leaving two daughters and a son. June 2, 1902, Mr. and Mrs. Smith celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage.
The funeral was largely attended on Monday at the deceased’s late home, the Rev. H. Clay Searles of Danby officiating. Mr. Charles Nichols had charge of the details of the funeral, and a quartet, composed of Mrs. J. F. Edmunds, Mrs. D. A. Maxham, Mrs. Elizabeth Nichols and Mrs. Flora Fuller, sweetly sang a number of well-known selections. The interment was in the Dan by Cemetery. Among those from out of town in attendance at the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Barney Aldrich, Miss Jennie Eddy, Mr. Andrus Ingram and Mrs. Sherman of Rutland; Mr. Bradford Rogers and Mrs.Ida Gifford and daughter, Vera, of East Dorset, and Mrs. A. B. Chadburn of Mechanicsville.
Card of Thanks.
We the undersigned wish to thank the many friends for their sympathy and assistance during the illness and death of our beloved husband and grandfather, also to Mr. Taft, who played, and to the quartette, who rendered several beautiful selections, and the many friends who contributed flowers.
MRS. GEORGE SMITH.
MASTER GEORGE TRACY.