Gertrude Evadean Groff Handy

  Diary

  1935

The year 1935 was a rather sad one for the family, on account of several deaths. That year Byron Wiley was living at the home of Fayette & Antoinette Groff. He was a first cousin of Antoinette Groff, as their mothers, Mary Ann Klock and Gertrude Klock were sisters. He asked mother to let him live there as long as he could. Father did not fully agree but mother thought is was her Christian duty to take care of him. One evening he was taken ill with an attack of angina. I went over to help take care of him, as mother and father were not well themselves. He died peacefully on either Feb. 1st and 2nd. I was there when he died. The funeral was held at the C. C. Lull Funeral parlors on Bridge St., with Rev. George Kling, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church officiating. Mr. Wiley had been born in the Crum Creek section. He was a carpenter and lived in Buffalo for many years. He was a prominent Mason, a member of both the Royal Arch Masons, #235, and the Lodge of Ancient Landmarks of Buffalo. He was buried in the Elm Lawn Cemetery in Tonawanda, where his wife, Helen Claus of Oppenheim had been buried. He was survived by their only child, George B. Wiley, of Buffalo.

One week later, on the evening of Feb. 8, Fayette Groff, while listening to the radio, had a very severe attack of angina. Dr. Feldstein gave him a “shot” in the arm. He never regained consciousness and died about noon the next day. The funeral service was held at home, and Rev. George Kling preached the funeral sermon. He was buried in the Groff family cemetery. I remember it was a beautiful, sunshiny but a very cold winter day. In the obituary in the “St. Johnsville Enterprise & News,” it stated the following about him. He was born in Crum Creek, Jan. 29, 1853, son of the late Benjamin & Lana Smith Groff. He spent his entire life on the family farm, and conducted one of the largest and most productive farms in the section. He was a faithful member of the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church of Crum Creek, and a member of the Crum Creek Grange for many years.

Mother and father never seemed old, as their minds were very active and they took an interest in everything going on around them. After father’s sudden death, mother kept up exceptionally well. I tried to go over to stay whenever possible to help Floyd with the work. Mother Handy offered to go over to stay with mother, to help Floyd, and to help pass the time away. After a couple of months, as mother Groff did not improve, Dr. Feldstein thought perhaps a change would help her, and so she went to visit Lucinda and Alta in their respective homes in Mapletown. She was planning to come visit Herbert & me and to stay at our house for a while. As I was a teacher, I could not be home to take care of her, until school was out. At the close of the school year, she was taken to her home in an ambulance. Lucinda & I stayed up there to take care of her. Later Mrs. Morris Collins also came to help take care of her.

Early in the morning on June 30th, Herbert called me on the telephone. I thought he was calling to ask about mother Groff. Instead he said he was calling to tell me that mother Handy had passed away during the night. She had been visiting at the home of Raymond & Genie Christman in St. Johnsville. She died from a cerebral hemorrhage. It was a shock for Genie to wake up and find mother dead in bed beside her. Mother Handy was born Oct. 5th, 1879 and was only 55 years old when she passed away. It was decided to have the funeral at our house. Margaret was having a bad spell with her back and couldn’t help get ready for the funeral. Herbert came after me right away, as we had a lot to do in a short time. There were so many things to do to get the house ready for the funeral. Without the help of our relatives and friends we could not have done it. Alta Weaver, Floyd Groff, Alma Miller, Ethel Haig, and Ruth Sheffield were some of those that helped to get the house in order. A couple of them made curtains, which I had previously bought, and put them up in the living-room. We decided to have the funeral in the dining-room as it was the largest room. Rev. Florence Hamilton, minister of the Inghams Mills Church, preached the funeral sermon. Clarence Lull had charge of the funeral arrangements. Margaret was able to come to the funeral. Friends of Herbert and Floyd had helped both of them. That night I went back up to Floyd’s.

Mother Groff got gradually weaker. On July 10th, after Lucinda & I had tried to get her to eat her dinner and failed, she asked to be put back in bed. She died suddenly, but peacefully, in my arms. We called Dr. Feldstein and he said he expected her to die from heart trouble sooner than she did. The following account is take from the “St. Johnsville Enterprise & News.” “At her home in the Crum Creek section of the town of St. Johnsville late yesterday afternoon occurred the death of Mrs. Antoinette Groff. She has been in failing health for several weeks. Mrs. Groff was born at Crum Creek on September 28, 1856, daughter of the late John and Gertrude Klock Burkdorf. On Sept. 8, 1875, she married Fayette Groff. Thru-out their 59 years of wedded life they lived at the lovely Groff farm residence in Crum Creek. Deceased was a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, and of the Women’s Missionary Society of that church. She was a charter member of the Crum Creek Grange. Mrs. Groff was a woman of deep Christian character, whose passing will be mourned by a wide circle of friends. Surviving are one son, Floyd, who resides at home, two daughters, Mrs. Harry Davis of Mapletown, and Mrs. Herbert Handy, Fort Plain, also three grandchildren and five great grandchildren. The funeral will be from the home Saturday afternoon at 2, daylight saving time, Rev. George H. Kling, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of this village and of St. Mark’s, Crum Creek, will officiate. Interment will be in the family plot on the Groff farm.”

The day of the funeral was a beautiful, sunshiny day. Even though it was a sad day, we could not wish mother back. We knew that she was buried where she would want to be, next to her husband, Fayette, who had died five months previously. After the funeral a lot of people stayed at the house for lunch. Lucinda said it seemed like a birthday party for mother. We could not wish mother and father back. They had spent a long, happy, and useful Christian life together. (For further information about father and mother Groff, look in my permanent file for an account which I wrote about them.)

We hated to have to leave Floyd alone after the funeral. We went up to see and help him in any way possible during the summer.

During the early summer, our next door neighbor, Mr. Charles Ehle, died suddenly from a heart attack. He and his wife, Gertrude, had rented the large house west of us, where they planned to spend their retirement years. They were very congenial people and we spent many evenings together, talking and playing Pinochle. Gertrude continued to live there for several years. She finally persuaded me to join the Fort Plain Study Class. I had never thought I would join as I had so much necessary work to do on Saturdays. She finally persuaded me to join, as the meetings were held at 3 0’clock. I found if I carefully planned my work for the day, I was able to get ready by that time. I am glad she persuaded me to join, as I became an active member and was president for 2 years. I enjoyed the programs and work of the Club, and the chance to get acquainted with a larger circle of friends. I also was a member of the Community Club of St. Johnsville until it was disbanded in 1973. Bertha Robinson tried to convince me to also join the Buseness Girl’s Club. I never gave in, as “too much is too much.” By belonging to the Study Class I came to know more people in Fort Plain, belonging to the Community Club to be acquainted with more St. Johnsville people. By joining the Minden Home Bureau, I rounded out my circle of acquaintances.

The Following are facts about St. Johnsville people that we know;

Doris Bellinger married Harold Plank Oct. 26, 1935.

Bertha Wilsey married Clark F. Burkdorf in 1935.

Doris Hotchkiss married Nellis Smith on June 5, 1935.

Reuben Beekman died Feb. 8, 1935.

The above account of the marriage of Floyd and Marion was taken from the St. Johnsville Enterprise & News. We had known through the summer that Floyd went several times to see Marion at Mount McGregor. So we were not too surprised to hear in October that they were married. It seemed good to know that Floyd was no longer alone. They brought the house to life again with family gatherings and lots of company. We had many good times together. They lived there until Floyd’s death on January 5, 1964. Marion lived there alone for quite a while. Finally she decided it was too lonely to live in the country. It made it difficult to drive the car in winter weather. So she rented an upstairs apartment in the house of Mr. & Mrs. Cecil Haney on West Main St., St. Johnsville, where she still resides.