Sylvia Stafford (1800-1887)

STAFFORD, FLETCHER, MILLIKIN

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 8/2/2009 at 17:53:45

Maquoketa Excelsior, Maquoketa, Iowa, July 2, 1887.

OBITUARY-

Sylvia Stafford

Mrs. Sylvia Stafford, mother of D. A. Fletcher, who lived with him for the last 17 years, died at his home Saturday morning of old age. Mrs. Stafford was born in Duchess County, New York, April 14, 1800, and removed with her parents to Essex County, New York in 1812, and often times saw British vessels on the lake during the War of 1812. About the year 1825 she married to Adams Fletcher and they continued to reside in Essex County until the death of Mr. Fletcher in 1864. They had but one child, our townsman, D. A. Fletcher. Mrs. Fletcher afterwards married a Baptist minister, one of the early pioneers of Springfield, Illinois, by the name of Christopher Stafford, with whom she lived in Springfield until his death which occurred about three years later. She then came to this city to live with her son. Although Mrs. Stafford was very aged and had lived in an age when women had to work and endure many hardships unknown to modern life she was remarkably well preserved. Her natural powers of sight and hearing were up to her last illness as they ever were. For the seventeen years she has lived in this city and has never missed coming to the table for her meals until one week before her death. She became a professor of religion in her sixteenth year and was a sincere and earnest Christian woman throughout her long life. The funeral services were held at the home Sunday afternoon and were conducted by Rev. S. F. Millikin