Robert Fay of Eatontown Passes Away

He Was a Justice of the Peace and Belonged to Nine Societies

Robert Fay of Eatontown died on Wednesday night of paralysis. He was first stricken with the disease in July, 1900, while at a lodge meeting and he never recovered his former health. On the Thursday before his death he had another paralytic stroke, which was much more severe than the other. He was only partly conscious from that time until his death. He was 67 years old.

Mr. Fay was born at Eatontown and lived there all his life with the exception of a few years which he spent in California. He went to California while he was a boy in his teens. This was in 1849, when the gold fever struck the Pacific coast. He remained in California about ten years. He came of long-lived family, his father, Ethan A. Fay, dying at the age of ninety years. The family originally came from Vermont.

Mr. Fay belonged to a large number of societies, among them being the Masons, Odd Fellows, Red Men, Daughters of Liberty, Shepherds of Bethlehem and Firemen’s Relief association of Eatontown; James B. Morris Post and Junior Mechanics of Long Branch, and the Degree of Pocahontas of Red Bank. Three years ago he was elected a justice of the peace of Eatontown township.

He leaves two sons, they being Harry Fay of Red Bank and Frank Fay of Keyport. He is also survived by two brothers and two sisters, J. Dewitt and Ethan Allen Fay of Eatontown; Lucinda, wife of Isaac H. Sherman of Red Bank; and Miss Sarah Fay of Eatontown.

The funeral was held at the Eatontown Methodist church on Saturday afternoon. It was one of the largest funerals ever held at Eatontown. Delegations were present from most of the societies to which Mr. Fay belonged.

Rev. M. L. Ferris of Asbury Park, a former pastor of the Eatontown Baptist church, preached the sermon. The bearers were William Worthley and William Reed of Eatontown, Thomas Riddle and Junius Walling of Oceanport, and Isaac Mannon and J. W. Vandeveer of Long Branch. The body was buried n the West Long Branch cemetery.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, Apr 2, 1902

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.

  ---