GARFIELD FAMILY NEWSLETTER
AUGUST 2002
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT:
WWW.GARFIELDFAMILIES.COM
Jimmy Fagerburg Dick Garfield
BVFA36@aol.com garf6019@yahoo.com
Dear Readers:
July was a very slow month , many families, with thier children out of school were on vacation or doing family activies together I am sure. I am also thinking that August will be the same as July, although schools in this area will be starting in mid August. I had very little input, and few if any letters to the editer. This newsletter will be quite short, but will try and make it interesting. Thanks, Dick
NEW SECTION
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T VISITED THE GARFIELD SITE LATELY, WE HAVE STARTED A NEW SECTION CALLED THE "VETERAN'S ROLL CALL" WHICH YOU CAN ACCESS FROM THE MAINPAGE. WE HAVE LISTED ALL THE WARS AND CONFLICTS THAT AMERICANS HAVE TAKEN A PART IN SINCE THE FOUNDING OF THIS COUNTRY, PLUS THE PEACE TIME ARMED FORCES. IF YOU KNOW OF ANY GARFIELD, OR A SPOUSE OF A GARFELD, WHO HAS SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES PLEASE SEND ME HIS NAME, WHICH CONFLICT, DOB, DOD AND SPOUSE'S NAME. ALSO SEND THE REF # USED IN THE WEBSITE IF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
GARFIELD FAMILY STORY
The following is taken from the diary of a corpsman attending Pres. Garfield after he was shot in Washington, DC.
Mr. Crump was much distressed at the sad news, and said that he had had all the time
the strongest faith that General Garfield would get well. He said, "He was always so
cheerful and had so much nerve. Why, he used to astonish me with his jokes, even while
he was suffering horribly. Suffer? I should say he did. The first week or ten days it was
his feet. He kept saying, 'Oh, my God! my feet feel as though there were millions of
needles being run through them.' used to squeeze his feet and toes in both my hands, as
hard as I possibly could, and that seemed the only relief he could get. The day he was shot and on Sunday he kept talking all the time, but Monday he let up some, and then Tuesday morning the doctors shut down on his talking. Sunday morning, just after the big crowd had cleared away, I was alone with the General and Dr. Bliss. The Doctor sat on one side of the bed and I on the other. General Garfield had hold of Dr. Bliss's hand, and turned his head and asked me if I knew where he first saw Bliss. I told him I didn't, and he then said he would tell me. He said that when he was a youngster, and started for the college at Hiram, he had just fifteen dollars--a ten dollar bill in an old leather pocketbook, which was in the breast-pocket of his coat, and the other, five, was in his trousers pocket. He said he was footing it up the road, and as the day was hot, he took off his coat and carried it on his arm, taking good care to feel every moment or two for the pocketbook, for the hard-earned fifteen dollars was to pay his entrance at the college. After awhile he got to thinking over what college life would be like, and forgot all about the pocketbook for
some time, and when he went to look for it, it was gone. "He went back mournfully along
the road, hunting on both sides for the pocketbook. After awhile he came to a house
where a young man was leaning over a gate, and who asked him as he came up what he
was hunting for. Garfield explained his loss, and described the property, when the young
man handed it over. The President by this time was laughing, and concluded, 'That young
man was Bliss, wasn't it, Doctor?' The Doctor laughed and said yes, and when General
Garfield said 'he saved me for college,' answered, 'Yes, and maybe if I hadn't found your
ten dollars you wouldn't have been President of the United States.' The President laughed
at that, and said that if he got well, and made any mistakes in his administration, Bliss
would have to take the blame."
GARFIELD HISTORY
Vital Records to 1850
Royalston, MA
BIRTHS:
GARFIELD:
Abigail dau. to Moses and Polly July 16, 1820
Andrew Bliss son to Moses and Polly April 21, 1807
Ansel U. son to Ansel and Elvira July 7, 1844
Gardner son to Moses and Polly Nov 5, 1805
Ira son to Moses and Polly March 25, 1810
Julian Atherton dau. to Moses and Polly August 17, 1824
Lucy dau. to Joshua and Abigail October 23, 1782
Marry dau. to Moses and Polly October 25, 1803
Moses son to Moses and Mary October 11, 1816
Nancy dau. to Moses and Polly February 9, 1813
Nelly dau. to Joshua and Abigail January 15, 1784
Susan Maria dau. to Moses and Polly March 25, 1811
_____, ch. to Moses and Mary March 24, 1814
_____, dau. to Ansel H and Elvira Mar 26, 1846
_____, son to Ansel H and Elvira October 10, 1847
_____, dau. to Moses Jr and Mary S December 13, 1849
GARFFIELD:
Hannah dau. to Joshua and Abigail June 25, 1794
GAFFIELD:
Anna dau. to Joshua and Abigail Ostober 11, 1788
Caleb twin son Joshua and Abigail July 12, 1786
John twin son Joshua and Abigail December 8, 1791
Joshua twin son Joshua and Abigail July 12, 1786
Nabby twin dau. Joshua and Abigail December 8,1791
MARRIAGES:
GARFIELD:
Andrew B and Hannah D Dwennell of Millbury int Dec 1, 1834
Anna and Silvester Walker of Townshend, VT March 31, 1813
Ansel H and Elvira Raymond November 8, 1838
Charles and Betsy Harrington March 16, 1797
Deidamia of Warwick and Silas Chase, February 11, 1788*
Hannah and Eliphalet Chase July 28, 1813
Lucy and Gideon Horton December 16, 1801
Lucy M ( d Artemus and Judith, a 27) & Charles W King both of Worcester October 3, 1847
Moses and Mrs. Mary Reed of Winchester NH November 30, 1837
Moses Jr and Mary Salina Boom of Richmond NH int Dec 30 1848
Nelly and David Cook July 16,1815
Susan M and David S Southwick Nov 6, 1834
GEIRFIELD:
Moses and Polly Bliss February 6, 1800
DEATHS:
GARFIELD:
Eli son of Moses and Polly May 10, 1802
Ira son of Moses and Polly May 10, 1800
Joshua May 6, 1828, a 76 Lung Fever
Mary dau. of Moses and Polly April 24, 1806
Nancy April 3, 1840 a 27 GS6
Polly [Mary G.S.] wife of Moses August 4 [3, G.S.6] 1836, a 56
_____, ch of Moses and Mary April 5, 1814 a 12d
_____, widow of Joshua March 15, 1831 a 75 old age
NOTE: While researching the vital records of some of the towns in Mass. I have found the following spellings of the name Garfield: GAFFIELD, GAFFILLE, GAFFORD, GAIRFIELD, GARFFIELD, GARFIELD, GEARFIELD, GEIRFIELD, and GERFIELD.
In the Vital Records of Royalston, MA I found 8 of the 11 children of Joshua Garfield and Abigail Rawson, 2 had their last name listed as Garfield, 1 had Garffield as the last name, and 5 had it listed as Gaffield, all from the same parents.
UNIDENTIFIED GARFIELDS
Can anyone make a connection on the following Garfields
as to their parents or family line?
1850 Census
Town of Hague - County of Warren - State of New York
Garfield, Elizabeth age 30 Female Head of household - from Vermont
Garfield, Amelia E. age 10 Female b. N.Y.
Garfield, Lydia E. age 9 Female b. N.Y.
Garfield, William H. age 7 Male b. N.Y.
Garfield Melissa age 6 Female b. N.Y.
Garfield, Henry age 5 Male b. N.Y.
Garfield, Mary A. age 2 Female b. N.Y.
Garfield, Charles L. age 1/12 Male b. N.Y.
Garfield, Oliver age 34 Male Farmer - from Canada
PICTURE OF THE MONTH
THIS IS A COPY OF THE BILL FROM THE UNDERTAKER FOR
THE FUNERAL OF PRES. JAMES A. GRFIELD
THERE ARE OTHER BILLS FOR OTHER SERVICES AS WELL, FOR A TOTAL
OF ABOUT 30 PAGES. ANYONE WANTING A COPY OF THE WHOLE SET I WILL
HAVE THEM COPIED FOR YOU AT MY COST PLUS POSTAGE.
