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Obituary: News Clipping Scrapbook of Jessie Rublee, presumably from the Jamestown Post Journal
A. H. Stafford Dies At Home
Former County Clerk and Prominent Figure in Civil War Veteran Circles For Long Period of Years Passes Away at the Age of 82 Years
(From Wednesday's Evening Journal)
Austin H. Stafford of 500 East Fifth Street, a former county clerk of Chautauqua county, a former national commander of the Union Veteran legion and a former senior vice commander of the Department of New York, Grand Army of the Republic, died at his home this morning at 8 o'clock. He was 82 years of age and is survived by his widow, Mrs. Louisa M. Arnold Stafford; a son, James P. Stafford of this city, and a sister, Mrs. E. J. McConnell of Mayville. A daughter, DeLeo, wife of Frank W. Davis, died in December, 1904, and two sons, Homer and Bruce, and two daughters, Inez and Effie, died in infancy. The funeral will be held from the home Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock, Rev. Dr. George L. MacClelland of the First Presbyterian church officiating, and the interment will be in Valley View cemetery, Ellington.
Mr. Stafford was born at Ellington on Aug. 27, 1843, a son of Lieutenant John A. and Polly Rubblee Stafford, and received his education in the common schools of that village. While still a young boy he worked in a wollen factory and later learned the carpenter and cooper trades. In 1862, he enlisted at Ellington in Company B, 112th New York Volunteer infantry, the regiment of volunteers being recruited in this country for service in the Union army, being transferred to Company K on October 12, and served thruout the remainder of the Civil war, being honorably discharged at Raleigh, N.C., on June 13, 1865.
Returning to Ellington after the war, Mr. Stafford operated a cooper shop and planing mill for several years, discontinuing his activities of this character after sustaining a severe injury to one hand in the mill. He then became engaged as a butter buyer for New York commission merchants, still residing at Ellington. In 1882 and 1883 he represented the town of Ellington on the county board of supervisors, and in 1884 was elected county clerk on the Republican ticket, serving from 1885 to 1887, inclusive. After retiring from office he resided in Mayville for over a year and came to Jamestown with his family in the spring of 1889, forming a partnership with the late Joseph M. Walter under the firm name of Walter & Stafford, pension attorneys and notaries public, with offices in the First National Bank building, where he was located up to the time of his death. A few years later he acquired the interest of Mr. Walter in the firm and continued the business alone with his son, James P. Stafford, formed a partnership with him under the firm name of A. H. Stafford & Son, to engage in the insurance business in 1911, this firm continuing up to the present.
Mr. Stafford and Miss Louisa M. Arnold were united in marriage at Ellington on Feb. 6, 1869 and they celebrated the 50th anniversary of that event at their home in this city in 1919. Mrs. Stafford had several ribs fractured when she fell at her home a short time ago and Mr. Stafford's death was doubtless hastened by the fact that, while in a weakened condition, he assisted her to her feet.
Always interested in the affairs of the Civil war veterans and all patriotic movements, Mr. Stafford was long prominent in the Grand Army of the Republic and in the Union Veteran legion and received high honors from both of these organizations, serving as senior vice commander of the Department of New York, G.A.R., and as national commander of the U.V.L. He held practically every office in James M. Brown post, No. 285, G.A.R., of this city at one time or another and at the time of his death was senior vice commander of the post, also quartermaster of Encampment 95, U.V.L. He enjoyed the unique distinction of having served as commander of three Grand Army posts, H. C. Sturdevant post of Kennedy, Elial F. Carpenter post of Mayville, and James M. Brown post of Jamestown. He had also served as president of the Chautauqua County Veterans' union, which holds an annual reunion at Chautauqua, and was a familiar figure at state and national encampments of the G.A.R., frequently attending these gatherings of old soldiers as a delegate.
In the activities of the veteran association of his own regiment, the 112th New York Volunteer infantry he was always deeply interested, serving as president of the association and being general chairman of the committee which had charge of the arrangements for the reunion of the 112th on the 50th anniversary of the departure of the regiment from Jamestown for the front on Sept. 12, 1862, held in this city in 1912 with veterans in attendance from several states. When the national encampment of the Union Veteran legion was held here several years ago he was serving as national commander and was in general charge of all the arrangements. Not only in social gatherings of Civil war veterans and their families did Mr. Stafford take a deep interest, but in him the spirit of comradeship took the form of practical assistance to those in need and it is safe to say that no man in Chautauqua county has ever done as much along the line of relief for the suffering and the distressed and the needy as he. He devoted a great deal of time to visiting the sick and the afflicted, giving substantial assistance without ostentation, and was known among the old soldiers thruout the county for his many deeds of charity. He was a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church of this city and a regular attendant at its services.
For the past year or more, Mr. Stafford had been in poor health, and for the past 14 weeks he had been unable to attend to his business duties, being confined to his bed for the past month.
An amusing anecdote, from the November 11, 1925 Buffalo NY Evening News:
REPORTED DEAD, HE SEES HIS FAMILY PHYSICIAN
JAMESTOWN, November 10--A. H. Stafford, 84 years old, 500 East Fifth Street, was greatly surprised to read Saturday in the newspapers that he had died. He immediately consulted his family physician, whom he says confirmed the fact that he was very much alive. Mr. Stafford, who is a Civil war veteran, requested the press to correct the report of his death, saying many friends in Buffalo and Western New York would wonder why they had not been invited to the funeral.
The error was due to the announcement of the death in Midland, Mich., of a brother, Joseph C. Stafford, who was the first volunteer from Chautauqua in the Civil war.
Census:
- 13 Jul 1860. Listed as Homer A. Stafford, a clothier apprentice, in the Household of Joseph B. & Polly (his mother) Hessle.
- 11 Jun 1870. Listed as Austin Stafford, a cooper, in the household of Warren and Harriet Arnold.
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1843 - 1926 (82 years)
