Berkeley County WV
Obituaries and Death Notices
Sam BOYD
A negro man, Sam, belonging to Mr.
John E.
Boyd,
of Berkeley County, VA. died on the 8th inst. He was 21 years old at the time of Braddock's defeat, making him
115 years old at his death. He was the first colored man owned by Gen. Boyd, of Berkeley County. [The Pittsfield Sun. 1849-07-26 - Transcribed by Pam Rathbone]
William W. Dugan, died March 22, age 57 years 11
months. He was born at Martinsburg, Va., in 1824 and moved to St. Charles Co.,
in 1838. He leaves a wife and five children. Services were at St. Charles
Borromeo Church.
(Source: St. Charles Journal, Jan. 1882. Submitted by
Joanne Scobee Morgan)
Anna PITNEY
Junction City Pioneer, ANNA PITNEY Dead at 97.
The town's oldest resident Mrs. Anna Magdalene Pitney, 97, who had lived in Junction City (Oregon) for 74 years,
died Tuesday afternoon.
Funeral Services will be Friday at 2 p.m. in Junction City Methodist Church with the Rev Joyce S. Kendall officiating.
Interment will be in Odd Fellows Cemetery at Junction City. Murphy Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Mrs. Pitney was born in Martinsburg, W. VA., Jan. 31, 1859, and came to Oregon with her parents in 1872. Here she
married Marcellus B. Pitney, the son of Oregon pioneers and the young couple went to Junction City to make their
home.
Since her husband's death in 1895, Mrs. Pitney kept roomers and boarders. She took an active part in civic affairs
and traveled extensively. She was a life-long member of the Methodist Church.
Mrs. Pitney led an active life until a fall about a month ago. Since then she has been in the hospital and Sunset
Lutheran Home.
Survivors include three daughters, Misses Modena and Mary, both of Junction City, and Mrs. BEULAH B. FRY of Vancouver,
Wash.; a granddaughter, ANNA JANE PITNEY of Whittier, Calif.; and two brothers, M. M. HOLLIS of Eugene and J.T.
HOLLIS of Vancouver, Wash., a son Hollis, preceded his mother in death.
[Eugene Register Guard, clipping not
dated but probably 1958 - submitted by Darlene Griffith]
Taylor, George William
Hark! Gabriel blows his horn and the angel of death
swooped down and, without a moment’s warning, severed the life line of a noble
man last Saturday, February 10. George William Taylor
answered the call without a pain or struggle, so far as earthly minds can
ascertain. His journey had come to an end. His maker required his assistance
in the great beyond. He was ready and the spirit that had lived in the body
for almost 50 years departed to the unknown from whence it came. Fifty years
on earth without a blemish. Wish to the great ruler that such could be written
of most of us. George had not been exactly well but was not complaining. He
made daily trips to his home just south of town and on Saturday expressed his intention
to the writer of going down immediately after the noon lunch and returning in
time for the meeting of the afternoon. At dinner time he had not returned and
at the request of his sister, Merrill Weldy went to find the reason. Imagine
the astonishment and great shock to the boy when on turning around the south
side of the house, he found the prostrate body of his uncle. He telephoned the
shocking news to his sister, Marguerite, and immediately the writer and Carl
Winters rushed to the scene, followed closely by Dr. Melvin. The body was
carried into the house and laid upon a couch, but the doctor soon stated that
life had been extinct some time, and George’s earthly career had come to a
most sudden and unexpected end. He had been in unusually good spirits the day
of his death, but the weak heart had clogged and the flow of life blood
suddenly ceased. George William Taylor was born at Bedington, West Virginia, of John
Wesley and Barbara Taylor during the great struggle between the north and
south, it being the 28th day of April 1862. His early childhood was spent at
the place of his birth, but a few years later the family moved to southern
Pennsylvania where he grew to
manhood and learned the profession of a druggist, after which he ran a store
of his own for a number of years. Early in the year 1894 he came to Montana and was a resident of Chester ever since. He was a man of
exemplarily habits, esteemed by everyone who knew him, and was a great worker
in the church, having been an elder in the Presbyterian Church from its
organization. He never took any great interest in the struggles of an active
business life, preferring to lead one of quietness around home. The remains
were extremely lifelike when they were taken to the church Monday afternoon
where the Rev. Dr. Holford preached a magnificent
sermon with some appropriate music. The body was then removed to the depot and
taken to Havre to be prepared for shipment
to the east where it will be laid aside his mother and where the sweet
blossoms of spring will soon burst into new life, a fitting emblem of the new
life just entered by the beloved brother. The body was accompanied on its long
journey by Merrill Weldy, the nephew of the deceased and to whom he had been a
constant and ever faithful friend from almost the day of his birth. It
sometimes becomes the duty of an editor to pen for publication matters that
tear at every heartstring, and having known the dead man from childhood and
having had him for a quiet, faithful counselor for many years, this becomes
one of the hardest tasks it has been our lot to record, and was it not for the
great goodness of the man and knowing that it means eternal peace and comfort,
we could not do it. The sister of the deceased, Mrs. B. B. Weldy, was so
prostrated by the suddenness of the shock that she was forbidden to attend the
services; however, with good medical attention and the great kindness of many
willing friends, she is recovering her usual health. To this little woman, the
blow will fall the hardest because the lost brother had been a constant
companion during her years of suffering, but with the knowledge of the good
life of her brother, she will be able to bear the burden with less heartache.
Besides the sister with whom the deceased had lived so long, he leaves three
sisters and a brother at the old home in Pennsylvania, and an unlimited number
of friends. The writer, on behalf of himself, wife, children, and relatives,
wishes to express sincere thanks to all the many friends who were so ready to
render any possible assistance; to Dr. Melvin for the promptness in his calls;
to Dr. Holford for the many things he did in arranging the funeral and his
comforting words; to the pall bearers for their services in so tenderly
conveying the body on its last earthly journey; to the choir for the excellent
music; to the undertakers for the most efficient services rendered and great
kindness shown; to his friend, Carl Winters, for his faithful services; to the
several men who cared for the remains during the two nights; and, in fact, to
everyone who in any manner assisted in the last tribute to a good man. May our
own ending be as peaceful and as glorious as was Mr. Taylor’s. [Chester Signal
(Liberty County, Montana), 2-15-1912 - Sub. by Kathie Marynik]
Harriet WILSON
Died on the 2nd day of December 1841. at the house of Dr. Hammond, in the county of Berkeley. Mrs HARRIET WILSON,
wife of Rev Lewis F. Wilson. Three Sabbaths before her decease, Mr. W. driving his wife and infant child to Falling
Waters church where he expected to preach the Gospel, their horse took fright and ran off. The vehicle was upset
and the whole party were thrown out. Leaves children of her own and a little step daughter.
(27 January 1842 -
"Watchman of the South" - Submitted by B. Ziegenmeyer)
