OBITUARY ---------------LOVIAH STARR
Loviah Starr crossed the plains in a covered wagon from Nebraska in 1860 with her husband, Matthew, and baby daughter, Carrie Jane. The trek took six months, the family arriving in Red Bluff in November where they spent the winter.
In the spring, the family moved to San Mateo Co. The nearest town was Redwood, tho Woodside was their post office. Here two other children, Julia and Frank were born. On April 18, 1868 Loviah died and in Matthew’s sad letter to her family in Ohio, he not only tells of her death but of the funeral that took place the next day that was attended by a large number of persons at the house and the sermon was delivered by a Methodist minister named Jones: after which about one half of the number then went to Redwood City with us, 12 miles distance. Loviah was buried in Mrs. Snyder’s Lot. So here too is Maud Snyder age 1 year and 2 months, who died Jan. 29, 1868 and is buried by Loviah Starr.
In the fall Matthew Starr left by ship with his motherless children to go back to Ohio as was Loviah’s dying wish to have them with her family. But the following year, he returned to Redwood with his son and sold his property near Woodside.
He went to San Diego for a time, worked at the Starr Mills (flour) in Vallejo and then back to Yuba City where he died in 1873 — five years after Loviah.
Lot 165
Letter written to Loviah’s relatives by her husband:
Dear Father and Sisters,
I seat myself to write you the saddest letter you have ever received from me. Thc three children and myself are all of my family this lovely night.
Loviah is no more. You have lost a daughter and sister. Her body is in the grave and the spirit with God. I have lost a wife the sharer of my joys and sorrows. She died Monday, the 13th at one o’clock. She had been failing very fast for five or six days and Sunday evening suffered considerable.
She called me about daylight and I saw she would be over her sorrows and pain soon. She had a fainting spell about 7 o’clock which lasted until eleven. She then revived and soon commenced to talk, saying a word at a time which lasted until noon.
Some of her advice was to you, that you must not mourn for her, that she was ready and willing to go. She had a good deal to say about little Frank and how much she was attached to him. I called Frank, took her hand and laid it on his little head. She then felt of his face. She then said a few words to the girls.
The clock struck twelve. She asked what time it was. Mr Fay said twelve. She said for them to go and get some dinner.
She only spoke a few words after wards and just after one she breathed her last and her spirit returned to God. She had her senses until the end. Mr. Fay and wife, Mary Durham and Calvin Ashley and Maria were here. She was buried yesterday at Redwood City on Mr. S. Snyder’s Lot. There was a very large number of persons here as I had a sermon delivered at the house at nine o’clock by a Methodist minister by the name of Jones. About one half of the number then went with us to Redwood City. 12 miles. We came back as far as Woodside and stayed overnight with S. D. Ashley and Whort Taylor and got home at noon today.
I cannot write anymore, now, as I don’t feel much like writing, and you will get a chance to see some letters that will be written to Dan and Jane giving more particulars, it is lonesome here all alone tonight. The children are asleep.
Your son and brother, Mc
|
