Funeral of Stephen W. Wheeler
New Ipswich Historical Society
October 14, 1925
OCTOBER 14, 1925
NEW IPSWICH
Funeral of Stephen W. Wheeler
The funeral of Stephen W. Wheeler was held at the Congregational church Saturday afternoon. Rev. James T. Berry of Mason officiated. The American Legion had charge of the services both at the church and at the cemetery. Mrs. Marion Batchellor of Greenville sang "Lead, kindly light" and "Nearer, my God, to Thee." The services at the cemetery were conducted in a blizzard.
Mr. Wheeler enlisted at the very beginning of the Civil war in the 6th Massachusetts and then in the 26th Massachusetts and was mustered out at the close of the war. He was never wounded.
The survivors are a stepdaughter, Mrs. Walter S. Thayer; stepson, Harry Chandler of Providence, R. I.; two nephews, Herbert Chandler of Wilton and William Chandler of Ashburnham, and a niece, Miss Alice E. Chandler of this town.
Those present from out of town were Mr. and Mrs. Herbert W. Chandler. Robert and Lyman Chandler of Wilton, N. H.; Mr. and Mrs. William Chandler, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Chandler, Ashburnham; Frank Laughton, Ayer, Mass.; Arthur S. Thayer, New York city; Paul Chandler, Miss Ruth Chandler and Jack Chandler, Providence, R. I.
Photo Archives
Dedication of the WWI Monument Boulder on August 22, 1919. Stephen Wheeler attended this ceremony and banquet which was held afterwards at the Appleton Academy grove.
Pony Blood Stone
The legend is that a highway robber in the 1880s named Pony Blood would wait on the top of this boulder and attack and rob people passing by.
This boulder is a familiar sight to those folks who live on Timbertop Road. It is now commonly called the Jesus Rock.
Any truth to this legend?
James Roger diary entry
The beginning of the New Ipswich Historical Society
21st March 1913
Dull and mild, first day of Spring, also Good Friday, the earliest date it has been for many years. Eclipse of the moon due tomorrow morning, nearly the hour when darkness covered the earth when Christ was on the Cross. David and Daniel at Spoffords’ in the afternoon. I sawed and split some old wood. Got letter last night from Am. Security Co. Washington about Col. Whitman's a/c. Got postcards from Canaan for Easter.
The Wheelers were connected to the Chandlers and the Thayers. Stephen spent his summers in one of Walter Thayer's buildings and some winters with Chandlers. He was on the Board of Directors of the NI Savings Bank. His father (or grandfather?) was a Revolutionary War vet. He spent many winters in St. Cloud Fla with the Thayers and an occasional winter in Providence RI with the Chandlers. He was found dead supposedly from smoke inhalation sitting in a chair with his feet propped up in front of a woodstove with its door open on a cold October day in a cottage on Walter Thayer's property. He should have made an early trip to Florida.