with comments by Alex Brooks
Thursday, March 12, 1824: This morning the old widow Buten was found dead in her bed. Today I tended to Father. He is thought dangerous.
Friday: Today the funeral of the widow Buten was attended at the Presbyterian meeting house by Priest Hunter. I could not attend for taking care of Father. Tonight Father was in great distress part of the night. Deacon Pierce prayed with us tonight.
Saturday: Today I tended to taking care of Father. He continues growing weaker and appetite fails. Today Deacon Hunter came and prayed with Father and tonight Mr. Amos Chapman and Brother Wm watched, and Wm thought Father was dying for a few moments and then revived but in great pain.
On Sunday his father was puking and having spells of “lying drowsy.”
Monday: We do discover this morning about three hours before light that Father is struck with death. He continues puking blood by spells and in great distress and some of the time he grew so weak that he could not raise the blood, and it is thought that he choked to death and expired betwixt eight and nine o’clock and underwent a great many hard struggles, through the pangs of death he had his senses it was supposed, until his last moments and to appearance while his last agonies that he was deaf and blind and died with uplifted hands to Heaven and such a scene I never but once before could reach to the bottom of my heart. He cautions us while on his death bed prepare yourselves children for death before it is too late.
George’s father Beriah Holcomb (1748-1824) was the second eldest son of Josiah Holcomb (George’s grandfather, 1717-1805), who was the first of this family to come to Stephentown. Josiah moved here with his family from Simsbury, Connecticut. and leased from the Patroon Stephentown farm lot 24, comprising 59 acres, on 6 December 1786. When they came to Stephentown, Josiah was already 69, and his son Beriah was 38. The lease was transferred to George’s father Beriah only three years later, on December 28, 1789. George was born a little over a year later. He was the last child born to Beriah and Lucretia Holcomb. George’s mother Lucretia was 40 years of age when he was born.
Josiah died in 1805, when George was 14, which is about the time that George started writing this journal. George never mentions his grandfather Josiah in these pages.