Our Stained Glass Windows – Julia Leffingwell
The eighth and last article about people whose names appear on the stained glass windows in our beautiful sanctuary concerns Julia Frances Leffingwell. I have been able to trace her ancestry back to her great-great grandparents but I have found very little about Julia Frances herself. I do know that she was the daughter of Erastus and Sybil Freeman Leffingwell who “had a very large vineyard”. The recently complied Westfield School Census (1879-1907) reveals that Julia Leffingwell was a teacher in several different schools om 1893 until 1899 when she taught in the village school for an annual salary of $360.00, big money for those days!
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Our Stained Glass Windows – John W. Rodgers
Memorial Designation By Karl Shearer Some years go there was established a fund known as the John W. Rodgers memorial fund. This fund was established by Mr. and Mrs. William Rodgers, in memory of their son who died in World War I.
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Our Stained Glass Windows – Andrew Kelsey, Jr.
Andrew Kelsey, Sr. was an early settler in the town of Portland. He and his wife, Elizabeth House Kelsey, were the parents of eight children, three sons and five daughters. One of the sons, Andrew Kelsey, Jr., whose name appears on one of our beautiful stained glass windows, was born on July 18, 1829. His early life was spent on the farm with his father, who taught him to labor and be industrious. In a short time, he owned a good farm of his own and operated it at a profit.
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Our Stained Glass Windows – Philander and Jennie Bemis
The names of philander and Jennie Bemis appear on one of the beautiful glass windows in our sanctuary. Are you curious about them?
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Our Stained Glass Windows – House
Another of our stained glass windows bears the name of Cyrus House.
Mr. House was born in Westfield on February 10, 1825. He was brought up on a farm and educated in the “Common Schools”. When he was 3- years of age, he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church in the old Burch School House on Prospect Road. Rev. John Prosser was the minister who “received” him. On August 4, 1892 Cyrus House and Miss Ella J Kelsey were united in marriage at the home of Andrew Kelsey. Dr. S. H. Prather performed the ceremony.
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Our Stained Glass Windows – Hines
One name that appears on a window is Wm. T. Hines (Usually the name is spelled Hynes) Yes, his name was William True Hynes and he was a 49er, who left Westfield with a company of men headed by Mr. Ruben Wright to cross the plains and mountains in the search of gold in California.
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Our Stained Glass Windows – Emily Taylor
It is often difficult to find information in print about women who lived during the early part of the twentieth century. Mrs. Emily Taylor whose name appears on one of our stained glass windows is an exception. We find that she came to Westfield when she was only a few months old. She was born in Clinton, NY, on September 3, 1832. In 1853 she married Harvey M. Taylor, who died nine years later. To them were born five children, one of whom was Mrs. J. A. MacDonald who was the mother of Bessie MacDonald..
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Our Stained Glass Windows – Rickenbrode
The name from a stained glass window for this month is Jacob F. Rickenbrode who was born in 1826 in Pine Grove, Venango County, Pennsylvania. While living in Pine Grove he was married to Mary Schwab “A noble Christian woman”.
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