Necrology: Rev. Frederic Denison, 2nd great uncle

Necrology: Rev. Frederic Denison, 2nd great uncle

#52ancestors #12

presented by:

Diane Boumenot, One Rhode Island Family

One of my most famous relatives was my 2nd great grandmother, Eliza Fish Denison Stewart's brother, Frederic Denison. Born the second child and second son, into a large family of nine children, Frederic was a prominent figure in both Connecticut and Rhode Island history. This necrology is the only obituary that I have located of him and it does contain information that I didn't know before.  This article lists all the churches he ministered at and a list of the books and articles he authored. 

It is the personal information that I couldn't prove (beyond his childhood and marriage) was quite unknown to me. 

He was born in 1819 "in the Old Denison Homestead", which was the home of John Borodell Denison and his wife Phebe Lay and that house was torn down in 1883. The family moved into a house at 6 Willow Street in Mystic in 1839. (Grace Denison Wheeler's book Old Homes in Stonington, p. 99) When he retired, he moved to Providence and rented a house at 28 South Court St. with his surviving single daughter to live a quieter life and finished his writing career.  

H. Josephine Barber Stewart, my beloved grandmother

H. Josephine Stewart

1893-1992
my maternal grandmother

The Providence Journal, prob 28 Jan 1992
found in my family Bible, now in my possession

Like many obituaries in most families, clipped newspaper articles have eliminated the name of the newspaper and the date it was published. This time, I was lucky to find this same obituary (in typed text format) at the subscription site, GenealogyBank on 28 Jan 2018. My mother must have provided the information as it is accurate but quite sparse. My grandmother lived a long time after both her husband (1955) and her son (1951). She also outlived all of the people on her Barber side, including her siblings and her niece. She was 98 years 3 months 15 days old.

My grandmother lived with my parents for a number of years until she began to fail and fall even though she had a walker. The nursing home mentioned is where she fell asleep and did not wake up. I was glad that this obituary mentioned the clubs she belonged to as, like her daughter, my mother, she was an artist.

She would have been pleased to know that her great granddaughter would have two sons. 

Hannah was her first name and she hated it. Even her gravestone, says H. Josephine on it. She was named for her grandmother, Hannah Josephine Taugee/Tourjee/Tourgee (1847-1881) wife of James Albert Barber. That Josephine was said to look just like my grandmother and that's why she was named for her, plus she was almost born on the same day of the month of October and also died at the end of January. She was only 33 years 3 months 9 days old at her death.

Jo rests at Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic, CT with her husband Evans and her son, Evans Stewart, Jr.

Not a day goes by that I don't miss her and am grateful that my daughter remembers her. 

#52Ancestors #11

Evans Stewart, grandfather and business leader

Evans Stewart 1886-1955
beloved grandfather
founder of Victor Cleansing Co. in Providence

Obituary and death notice from 1955, glued into my family Bible
probably the Providence Journal, Providence, RI

The death notice at the bottom of the obituary gives the date of the funeral and burial of my maternal grandfather. I was too young to attend but I remember that my father's sister, Ann Broadfoot Crompton stayed with me until everyone returned from the funeral and the burial. It was a very long day.  My aunt and I sat on the couch on the sun porch at my grandparents home at 205 Wentworth Ave. When the hospital called to say my grandfather had died, my mother and grandmother took the train to Boston and my father stayed behind to confirm the arrangements. My mother told me that that was the only time she saw my grandmother cry. 

From these two newspaper accounts, I gained the name of the funeral home and the date of burial. They misspelled my grandfather's first name which was Evans, not Evan. This is the first obituary in which I am mentioned as grandaughter. My mother's brother died previously in 1951 and I am not mentioned as survivor.

All of the rest of this, I knew except that he was the former director of the National Institute of Dry Cleaners. I might be able to find out which year.
#52ancestors #11

Thomas H. Broadfoot, my father, my hero

Thomas H. Broadfoot, my father, my hero

cross posted with The Highly Caffeinated Genealogist

Obituaries and Death notice for Thomas H. Broadfoot
collection of Hannah Champlin Broadfoot, now in my possession, 2018

Thomas Harcomb Broadfoot (1917-1998)

My dad died in his chair in my parent's living room, comfortable in his pjs, slippers and bathrobe, after enduring the pain of lung cancer for many months. He slowly stopped breathing, just after midnight, with my hand on his arm. Late that afternoon he was talking and ate some food before becoming quiet and unresponsive. That's when the hospice nurse was called and arrived quickly with the pain medication and she called us to come right away. 

After he passed, I called his best friend (now deceased) who lived not far away and he kindly offered to write his obituary and fax it to the funeral home listed in the obituary. Many of the details are incorrect but neither my mother or I thought to correct what was sent. After some months, I sat down and asked my mother which parts were incorrect and we agreed. Now, it is time for me to correct these mistakes in my family tree so my daughter and grandsons won't wonder why what is "in print" was wrong.

The funeral home placed the notice in the Providence Journal and in the Cranston Herald and the Cranston Mirror. I don't think anyone put it in the Westerly Sun which was Dad's hometown paper. Dad was not born in Bradford. He was born at home at 7 Vose St. in Westerly. I continue to research his wartime service.

Many people came to his funeral and my family came to the graveside ceremony.

#52ancestors #9