Person Page - 552

Gretchen J. Elsesser, 97
Sauk Rapids
Jan. 13, 1912 - July 27, 2009
Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, July 30, 2009 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, St. Cloud for Gretchen J. Elsesser, age 97, of Sauk Rapids who died Monday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Home, Sauk Rapids. Rev. Janine Olson will officiate and burial will be at Grandview Park Cemetery, Hopkins. Friends may call from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home, Sauk Rapids and one hour prior to the services Thursday at the church.
Gretchen J. Elsesser was born Jan. 13, 1912 in St. Louis Park to Leon & Gertrude (Gilbertson) Sewall. She married William Elsesser on March 2, 1930 in Kenyon, MN. Gretchen moved to the St. Cloud area in 1977. She was a cook at Washburn High School in Minneapolis for 17 years, retiring in 1973. Gretchen was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. She enjoyed bowling, fishing, and fancy work.
Survivors include her daughter and sons, Nancy (Marv) Bentley of St. Cloud, Todd of Rice, and Jeffrey (Betty) of Mounds View; 14 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren, and many great great grandchildren.
Gretchen was preceded in death by her parents; husband, William on June 8, 1972; daughters, Joanne Schulte and Sarah “Sally” Nelson; sister, Dorothy Duel; and brothers, Orman “Pat”, Ralph, Gordon, Jack “Warren”, and Earl Sewall.
A special thank you to the staff at Good Shepherd Memory Cottages for all their care, love and patience with Gretchen.
St. Cloud Times, 29 July 2009.³

Hardy Ropes Sewall was born in Newton, Mass., March 18. 1856. Fitted at Bath High School, Bath, Me., and entered college Aug. 29. 1872. Graduated July 13. 1876. Intended occupation, engineering.
He was a member of the Peucinian, Zeta Psi, Bowdoin Telegraph Association, Bowdoin Telegraph Company, and the Cleaveland Scientific Association. He was second director of the Bowdoin Telegraph Association in his Junior year, and secretary of the Cleaveland Scientific Association in his Senior year.
The fall after graduation he was employed in an engineer's office in Charlestown. Mass., and removed to Albany. N.Y. during the winter of 1887, when he entered the employ of the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company and the American District Telephone Company. He was also employed by the National Associated Press of New York as reporter of legislative proceedings during the annual sessions of the State Legislature. In 1878 he was appointed chief operator and given full charge of the plant of the District Telegraph Company of Albany. N.Y. He continued in the employ of the District Telegraph Company till the fall of 1883, when he resigned to accept a similar position with the District Telegraph Company of New York. Shortly afterwards he accepted an easier and more favorable position in Elizabeth, N.J., but was obliged to resign after a few weeks of service on account of ill health. He returned home and died on April 17, 1884. He married, Nov. 2, 1881, Miss Lillie R. Rockfeller of Bath-on-the-Hudson, N.Y., who. with one child, born July 16, 1883, survives him.

EULOGY ON HARDY ROPES SEWALL.
BY E. B. NEWCOMB.

I realize how inadequate I am to undertake the framing of a proper record, for the pages of our class history, of the life of our departed friend and classmate, H.R. Sewall; yet as this sad duty devolves upon me. I will submit a few thoughts concerning him, which have been hastily brought together.
Hardy Ropes Sewall was born at Newton, Mass.. March 18, 1856. His parents were Samuel G. Sewall, a graduate of Dartmouth, Class of '46. now a practising homoeopathic physician at Skowhegan, Me., and Sarah C. Sewall. née Otis, an accomplished lady of Woburn, Mass. While Hardy was yet an infant his parents removed to Augusta, Me., where he passed his early childhood and first attended school. The war of the Rebellion breaking out, his father enlisted in the 11th Maine Volunteers, holding a commission as captain. Hardy, with his mother, accompanied the regiment first to Yorktown and later to Norfolk, Va., where they remained in camp with Capt. Sewall for several months, until the regiment was ordered farther South, when they returned to Augusta. In 1869 the family removed to Bath, where Hardy finished his preparations for college, entering the Scientific Department of Bowdoin in 1872.
Concerning his college life we, his classmates, are all familiar. Before entering Bowdoin he had chosen for his life's work the profession of engineering, and while there pursued only such studies as would prepare him for that calling. Being blessed with a good memory and having the power of concentrating his mind upon his work, he easily prepared for the classroom. He had no desire for high rank, however, and was contented with what might be termed an average figure.
Having a taste for literature, he devoted much of his spare time to reading.
Physically Hardy was not so strong as his fellows, and there were, perhaps, evidences of that fell destroyer, consumption, which in after years ended his life just as it had reached the noontide of its usefulness. Nevertheless, he was active and energetic, taking a lively interest in gymnastics and outdoor sports, showing great proficiency in that direction.
In temperament, he was gentle, being blessed with a rare amiability of disposition, open-hearted and genial in social intercourse, generous and cordial in friendship, modest and unassuming in deportment, carefully considerate of the rights and feelings of others, and charitable to the fullest extent of his ability.
'76 did not have a member more loyal to its interests than he. He was possessed with the same spirit which so strikingly pervaded our class and even now binds our hearts together.
After leaving college, not meeting with immediate success in procuring employment in his chosen profession, Hardy went to Albany, N.Y., to accept a position with his older brother, Charles H. Sewall, who was then general manager for the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company, and also superintendent of the American District Telegraph Company of that city. Hardy served these companies in various capacities, making himself useful to them in whatever department he was placed, and winning the esteem of his employers for his faithfulness and ability. The former company carried on the National Associated Press of New York, and Hardy was detailed each winter to report the proceedings of the State Legislature, for which work he was peculiarly adapted. In 1878 the District Telegraph Company introduced a system of telephone exchange in their city, and Hardy turned his attention to this new enterprise, being appointed not only chief operator, but was given full charge of all the lines and plant of the company. Having now obtained a comfortable and lucrative position, he sought the hand of Miss Lillie R. Rockfeller of Bath-on-the-Hudson, was accepted, and on Nov 2, 1881, was united to her in marriage. A daughter, Pearl O.R. Sewall, was born to them July 16, 1883, and was a great source of joy to the happy home.
Hardy continued in the employ of the American District Telegraph Company till the fall of 1883, when he resigned to accept a similar position with the District Telegraph Company of New York City. His health, which until this time had been quite good, now began to fail, and he felt compelled, after three months' service, to tender his resignation.
Desiring to retain his services, the company offered him an easier and more favorable position at Elizabeth, N.J., which he with some hesitancy accepted. He held this position only a short time, however, being obliged, after a few weeks, to give up business altogether. Then, with his family, he went to his father's home at Skowhegan, where, instead of gaining, as he and his friends had hoped, he rapidly failed, and after two weeks of suffering passed away - a firm believer in the Christian faith - April 17,1884, aged 28 years 1 month. His remains lie buried in the cemetery at that place, the position being marked by an appropriate tablet.
Thus is briefly told the life of one of our class who has been taken away. Let us unite in extending our heartfelt sympathy to his relatives and friends who yet remain; and may we, as well as they, have faith to believe he is not dead, but still lives, and that when our eyes are closed to earth we too, if faithful, shall awake in full enjoyment of all the great Creator has in store for us. History of the Class of 1876; Bowdoin College, p. 153.

Sewall of Hingham, formerly of Livermore Falls, Maine and Braintree, Harold C. Sewall. Father of Mrs. Cora F. MacKay of Hingham, Nathaniel W. Sewall of Augusta, Georgia and Stanley C. Sewall of Sebastian, Florida. Brother of Justin W. Hill of Rochester, New Hampshire. In addition he leaves nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Funeral Service in Livermore Falls, Maine, on Saturday, at 2 p.m.⁸