Sawyer Family Bible Records | Sawyer Genealogy

SAWYER Family Bible *Sawyer Message Boards

Surnames in this Bible: Sawyer, Varney

Other surnames on this page but not included in the Bible: Cahill

SAWYER FAMILY BIBLE

BIRTHS

Alvan George SAWYER

Born in Cape Elisabeth ME April 1. 1825.

Elizabeth Watson VARNEY

Born in Portland ME may 27, 1850.

Eva Stanwood SAWYER

Born in Chelsea Mass April 11. 1852.

Henry Holmes SAWYER

Born in Charlestown Mass. June 24 1854.

MARRIAGES

Alvan G. SAWYER and Elizabeth W. VARNEY Married Sept 19 1848.

DEATHS

George SAWYER. Died. Nov 25. 1850.

There is a leaf or flower pinned to the page with the following newspaper obituary:

In Windham, Ma, 24th ult, Mrs. Eliza Collins VARNEY, wife of Ezekiel VARNEY 74 years 4 mos.

Mrs. VARNEY had lived with her husband nearly forty eight years. For twenty seven years she had been a worthy member of the Congregational church; for the last fifteen or twenty years had seldom been able to attend public worship. Very gradually her "strength was weakened by the way" by a slow consumption. Her disease was, at times, very distressing, and toward the close of life, increasingly was almost constantly so. But her mind seemed scarcely affected by the weakness of the body and remained calm and unclouded to the last. To the last moment apparently she was unselfably thoughtful for the comfort of others. Much as she would have enjoyed society, and the opportunities which health affords, she uttered no murmuring word, but felt that it was all right, as being what her Heavenly Father saw best for her.

She was not naturally inclined to speak very freely of her religious feeling, or at least shrunk from obtruding them, but was ready, if the occasion required, to speak of Jesus as the foundation of her hope.

During the last few weeks of her life she was much in the habit of "speaking to herself in Psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs" repeating, generally in a whisper, such sciptures as the 23rd Psalm-"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" and so forth.

When she took her bed for the last time, not expecting to rise from it again, she said.

"Jesus can make a dying bed

Feel soft as downy pillows are"

And from time to time, such hymns as

"Jesus lover of my soul."

"Gently Lord, O gently lead me."

"Nearer my God to Thee."

Sometimes a prayer for patience would be expressed in the words of a hymn. She rejoiced in the confidence that her husband and all her five children were partakers of the same hope. With one exception, they were all able to be with her during the last few weeks of her life, to do whatever affection could do, to soothe her sufferings.

And while they have, through sympathy, suffered with her, and will doubtless still suffer in the recollection; they may yet rejoice in the hope that she "was made perfect through suffering."

Footnotes: Submitted by John Whalen to be published by AncestorHunt.com.

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The following census records for this family were easy to locate quickly using the Census Records at Ancestry.com ,

1860 United States Federal Census Records show:

Charlestown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Page 387

Alvin G. SAWYER, age 37, Cooper, born ME.

Elizabeth W. SAWYER, age 37, born ME.

Eva S. SAWYER, age 8, born Mass.

Henry H. SAWYER, age 6, born Mass.

Ellen CAHILL, age 23, Domestic, born IRE.

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