Researching family history is always more interesting when you can find an obituary for an ancestor. The obituary of John Good, Jr. was published in Belvidere, New Jersey in the Belvidere Apollo, Friday, November 17, 1871.
Found Dead. --- Last Friday morning, 10th inst., in this place, at the house of his son-in-law, Mr. Samuel Lockard, Mr. John Good, formerly of Mt. Bethel Township, Pa., was found dead in bed. Mr. Good, for some time previous to his death, was not in the enjoyment of good health. About a year ago he suffered somewhat from mental derangement, since that time has not had his former state of health. It was thought that he was gradually declining, but so sudden a death was not apprehended. His age at the time of his death was 63 years, 6 months and 24 days. His remains were interred at his former place of residence.
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| Graves located in the Miller Cemetery, Washington, Twp. |
John Good Rachael his wife
b. April 16, 1808 b. Sept. 14, 1824
d. Nov. 10, 1871 d. Jul. 7, 1869
63 years old seems a young age to die and why did he suffer from "mental derangement"? His much younger wife, Rachel, preceded him in death in 1869 at the age of 45. Her death left several young children; Emma, Josiah, Enos, Sarah M., and George motherless. John's first wife, Barbara Gruver, had died March 12, 1846 soon after the birth of her son John. Eight children from the first marriage: Margret Ann, Elizabeth, Ruben James, James Jefferson, William, Henry, Caroline and the infant John had also been left without a mother. No wonder the poor fellow was deranged. He suffered much in his life, loosing two wives leaving him with so many children to care for. Census records show that these children were farmed out to friends and relatives to raise, a common practice in this time period.
John Good, Jr. was born April 16, 1808 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania where his birth and baptism are recorded in the Nockamixon Church records. The parents are named as John Guth and Regina, of whom I wrote about earlier. His grandparents, Henry and Catherine Good, were the sponsors at his baptism. He only had one brother, George who eventually moved to the Williamsport, Pennsylvania area.
Census records reveal that he was a farmer. Jordan said this about him, "John became a farmer and was the owner of about one hundred acres of land. He was a man held in high esteem, and was a member of the Methodist church, in which he was a class leader and steward." John's son Henry, served his country faithfully in the Civil War. Henry had a son named George whose son Earl married Edna Frey and had a daughter named Dorothy Alice Good.
Sources:
- Belvidere Apollo, Friday, November 17, 1871. Microfilm copy of this newspaper is located in the Belvidere Library
- Find A Grave, memorial # 12193329 for John Good, Jr. with links to other family members.
- Saint Luke's Union Church, Ferndale, Nockamixon Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania: known as Nockamixon Church, Pa, B.F. Fackenthal, Jr., 1933
- 1850, 1860 and 1870 United States Federal Census online
- Jordan, et al. Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Vol.ll, New York; Lewis Publishing Co., 1905, pp 234-235.
Please see list of all My Revolutionary War Ancestors
Please see the Index to my “Who's Your Grammie” Blog
GENEALOGY IS A WORK OF HEART
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