Lafayette Conover Dead

He Died Last Friday From a Stroke of Paralysis

He Was One of the Wealthiest Farmers of Monmouth County and for Many Years was a Political Leader in Marlboro Township

Lafayette Conover of Wickatunk, one of the wealthiest and most widely known farmers of Monmouth county, died on Friday of paralysis, aged 79 years. He had been in failing health for several months but had been confined to the bed only ten days. He was active in both body and mind until stricken with the shock that terminated fatally. His funeral was held on Monday at the house and was conducted by Rev. A. I. Martine, pastor of the old Brick Reformed church at Bradevelt.

Lafayette Conover was a direct descendent of the Covenhoven (or Conover) family that came over from Holland in 1680 and located on Manhattan island. The first of this family to locate in Monmouth county was John Conover, great-grandfather of Lafayette Conover. He came to this county in 1704 and settled on the farm of the late Peter G. Conover at Bradevelt, which is still in possession of the Conover family. Conover's sons were John Lyell, Lafayette, Stacy P., Garrett P. and Charles. Garrett, who lives at East Freehold, in the only one who survives. Stacy P. died a number of years ago and John Lyell died about a year ago on the homestead farm. He also had three daughters, all of whom are dead.

Lafayette Conover was born in 1822. He attended the district school until he was fifteen years old and his services were then needed on the farm. He worked on the farm with his father until 1846, when he married Elizabeth Schenck, daughter of William R. Schenck of Marlboro township. She survives him and he also leaves a son and a daughter. The son is ex-Freeholder Charles E. Conover, who lives across the road from his father's farm, and the daughter is Mrs. Jennie Millspaugh, wife of Charles Millspaugh, who lived near her father's place until a few months ago, when the family moved to Brooklyn. Two other children died in infancy.

Upon his marriage in 1846 Mr. Conover moved to Nut Swamp, in Middletown township, on a farm which he and his brother, John Lyell Conover, bought together. Two years later he returned to Marlboro township and bought the farm of his wife's father, on which he lived until the time of his death. This farm adjoins the farm on which he was born and also adjoins the farm of his brother, Stacy P. Conover. Besides engaging in farming Mr. Conover conducted a distillery for a good many years, but of late years the distillery has not been in operation. He was very successful as a farmer and he was reputed to be one ot the wealthiest farmers in Monmouth county. The farm on which he lived is one of the finest in the county. The house is large and of commanding appearance and the outbuildings and grounds are kept in fine shape. He also owned the farm on which his son lives and the farm on which his daughter lived until her removal to Brooklyn. The farm on which his son lives formerly belonged to Judge Spader. The farm contains a little over one hundred acres and Mr. Conover paid $18,000 for it. This was during the civil war, when farm land was very high.

In practice Mr. Conover was a Democrat, and he had been active in the political affairs of the county and of the township in which he lived. He served for seven years on the board of freeholders and was a member of the committee that built the new court house and jail after the original buildings were destroyed by fire. He had been a member of the township committee of Marlboro township and collector of the township. He was active in political affairs at the time when ex-Judge John W. Herbert was leader of the Republican party in Marlboro township, and many a hard-fought battle was waged between them at primaries at Marlboro village at the time when voting was done by squad and when the followers of the rival leaders would line up on either side of the public road to be counted. Mr. Conover had always been associated with the old Brick church and was one of the largest contributors toward its support. He was at one time director and treasurer of the Keyport transportation company and a director of the Freehold and New York railroad.

Mr. Conover's life was characterized by honesty and strict integrity in all his dealings. He was of a warm-hearted, genial nature, and was held in high regard by all who knew him.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, Jul 17, 1901

Some additional excellent resources for your research are:

• New Jersey Census, 1772-1890 - Ancestry.com

• Calendar of New Jersey Wills, 1670-1760 - Ancestry.com

• Interment.net - NJ ~ New Jersey Cemetery Transcriptions on the net.

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