Noah Agard, Jr.

I started working on the Agard family history twenty-four years ago and have taken the family up through the ninth generation. I am revisiting this monograph to flesh our all those ancestors a bit more. I will double check the citations (from when I was a baby genealogist), and edit the write-ups for a more narrative flow. Yesterday, when working on the the sixth generation I realized I hadn't done any research on the last child of Noah and Rebecca Ann (Fletcher) Agard. The only thing I had was his name, Noah Agard, Jr, his birth and death dates - 14 March 1866 - 15 Jan 1887. Poor Noah died just before his twenty-first birthday. Since the Agards are a long line of farmers, I assumed that Noah, Jr. was probably working on his father's farm at the time of his death. But I couldn't be certain. I checked the 1880 census and no occupation was listed for him. I went to the Fulton History website for newspaper articles. There I found that Noah died at his father's house. Still, no occupation. Further down the newspaper listings was an article from 1885. Bingo! The article pasted below is what I love about genealogy. I still would like to get his death certificate, and will work on that. The Watkins Democrat of June 24, 1885, told me what I really wanted to know about Noah, Jr.: “Noah Agard, Jr., a resident of Mecklenburgh, N. Y., who makes a business of coloring, retouching and throwing up with oil colors, photographs of almost every variety, is in town taking orders for work in his line. His prices are so much lower than the general average, for this kind of work, that his orders cannot fail of being numerous. He will call at your residence and receive your orders or they may be forwarded to his address as above, where they will receive prompt attention. We have seen some very fine specimens from his hands, which evince no little ability.”

Thankful Thursday - Noah Agard

I am thankful I came upon this letter written in 1869 by my great-great-great grandfather Noah Agard to his wife, Rebecca Ann Fletcher Agard:

February 28, 1869

Dear Wife:

“I bless the day thou was born.” Forty-five years ago this day what a stir there was in one little family; how one suffering woman having safely passed the trial of maternity looked thankfully on the face of her only living daughter and hopefully looked forward to a comfort and companion in the future years. We know how well those hopes were fulfilled and how often she had cause to “bless the day thou was born.”

Now in your midday with the care of so large a family upon you; may heavenly wisdom and patience be given you to so instruct and guide the children; that they to their latest day looking back, shall “bless the day thou was born.”

And, may many future years of usefulness and happiness bear you gently on to the fullness of Christian grace that shall enable you in looking back over a life well spent.

And forward in confident trust of a blissful future also to “bless the day in which thou was born.”

Your ever-loving husband,

Noah Agard