Person Page - 599

Sumner Sewall, 67, pioneer aviator and Republican Governor of Maine from 1941 to 1945, a World War I ace (seven planes, two balloons) who teamed up with Juan Trippe in 1926 to fly the first New York to Boston airmail run, as Maine's Word War II Governor organized one of the country's first Civil Defence Corps. Later returned to aviation as President of American Overseas Airways, helped build it into a major transatlantic carrier before it merged with Trippe's Pan American in 1950. Time Magazine 5/2/1965
His military service is summarised as Enl: ERC Paris, France, Aug. 23/17. Private. Org: Hq Det Aviation Sec Paris France to Sept. 2/17; AS Tours France to Nov. 17/17; AS Tssoudon France to disch. Hon disch to acpt com: Jan. 7, 1918. Called into active serv as 1st Lt ASSC Jan. 8/18. Org: Sig Corps to -; 95 Aer Sq to -; ASA to disch. Eng: Champagne; St Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne. Awarded Fr L of H & citation for same; DSC & Oak Leaf Cluster; awarded Fr C de G; awarded Belgium Chevalier de l'Order de la Couronne. Overseas: Aug. 23/17 to Feb. 17/19. Hon disch for conv of Govt: Feb. 20, 1919.⁶

Susan B. (Sewall) Merriam, of Marblehead, formerly of Burlington, Danvers and North Reading, died October 31, 2006, at the Devereux House in Marblehead.Born in Winchester, August 14, 1939, she was the daughter of the late Philip W. and Janet (Greene) Sewall. She was raised and attended school in North Reading.
Mrs. Merriam was a homemaker and she cherished her family and friends. She was a very compassionate and caring person. She loved watching the sunrise in Rockport with her husband, Richard, and she loved the ocean. She also enjoyed going to Mohegan Sun with friends.
Family members include her loving husband of 49 years, Richard Merriam; her sons, Richard Merriam Jr. of Danvers, John Merriam and his wife, Lisa, of Middleton, and Michael Merriam and his wife, Jessica, of Marblehead; her daughter, Kathy McDermott and her husband, John, of Tewksbury; and her brothers, Philip Sewall Jr. of California and Jeffrey Sewall of Florida.
She was also the cherished grandmother of John, Jason, Brian, Kathryn, Christopher and Aidan.
Her funeral service was held November 4 at the Union Congregational Church, 148 Haverhill St., North Reading.²

She was a charter member of the Rev. James Caldwell D.A.R., Jacksonville, Illinois. It is entirely due to her efforts that the records of this branch of the family are so complete and all the data was in her possession at her death. She continued to live at the Barnes homestead, 415 West State Street, Jacksonville.¹

Mrs. Herbert C. Hunter, 80, former teacher of drawing at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, died Friday at Whitehall Sanatarium, Falls Church, Va.
Mrs. Hunter was the former Isabel Sewall, a native of Farmington. Va. She was graduated from normal school in Farmington in 1893, and after teaching elementary grades in Maine, she studied at Massachusetts Normal Art School.
Her late husband, to whom she was married in 1908, worked with the Weather Bureau here. From 1909 until her recent illness Mrs. Hunter lived near Franklin Park, Fairfax County, Va.
She joined the teaching staff at Sidwell Friends School in 1915, and except for a year at McKinley High School in 1917-18, she was at Friends until her retirement in 1934.
Survivors include two sons, Richard S. Hunter. 5420 Brier Ridge road, Falls Church, and Gilbert T. Hunter, Indianapolis, Ind.: a sister, Mrs. Helen S. Hunter, Boston; and five grandsons.
A memorial service will be held September 11 at Rock Spring Church, Arlington, Va., where she was a charter member. Burial will be in Newburyport. Mass.⁵

The death of Mr. Theodore L Sewall, while not unanticipated, occurred rather suddenly yesterday morning at 6 o'clock at the family residence on North Pennsylvania street. For a number of years Mr. Sewall has known that his life was in danger from tuberculosis. Two years ago he spent the winter South and last winter and spring he was in New Mexico and Arizona, having given up all business in the hopes of recovery. He returned to Indianapolis late in the spring and was here for several weeks. A specialist came on from New York to see Mr. Sewall and advised his going to a sanitarium at Poughkeepsie. N.Y. This Mr. Sewall did, but found he was not benefited and returned home the last day of November. Soon after his return he became worse and went to bed, and his decline since that time has been gradual. Mr. Sewall was a gentle man, kind, courteous, a scholar of high attainment, and one whose character, honesty of purpose and unwavering fidelity stamped him as unusual.
Mr. Sewall came to Indianapolis in 1867 to make a visit. He was asked to start a preparatory school for boys, and in September of that year he opened the Boys' Classical School. Associated with him as an advisory board were some of the most influential men of the city, including Albert Fletcher, A.W. Hendricks, N.A. Hyde and others. Mr. Sewall also had a fine corps of instructors. The school was a success and the property at the northwest corner of Alabama and North streets was bought by Mr. Sewall for the school. In 1880 Mr. Sewall married Mrs. May Wright Thompson, one of the leading teachers in the Indianapolis High School. In 1882 they opened the Girls' Classical School, which was a success from the start Both schools were carried on, Mr. Bewail having charts of the one for boys and Mrs. Sewall the one for girls. This was continued until 1889, when the boys' school was sold and both Mr. and Mrs. Sewall devoted themselves to the girls' school. Mr. Sewall taught languages and other branches and on him devolved the financial management for which he was pre-eminently qualified. He was a good business man and the success of the school was his great ambition. Mr. Sewall was a man of fine literary tastes and one of the most prominent members of the Indianapolis Literary (formerly the Gentlemen's Club). He was president the season of 1890-1891, and was its secretary several years. All his work in the club was valuable and thoroughly prepared. One, in particular, which created great interest was a history of the club with sketches of the prominent members, which is described as "an interesting characterisation of individuals." Another paper was a review of "Marie Bashkirtseff," of fine literary quality. He was a fine critic and discriminating; a modest man, so much so that only those who knew him well realized his real worth. He was one of the organizers of the Contemporary Club, and served as its secretary four years. He was also a member of the Art Association. In faith Mr. Sewall was a Unitarian. He was identified with the First Presbyterian Church. His parents have been telegraphed, and other relatives also. The time for the funeral, which will be conducted by Rev. M.L. Haines and Rev. N.A. Hyde, will be announced later.
Thomas Lovett Sewall was born at Massillon, O., Sept., 20, 1853. His father and mother were of old Massachusetts families. He was a descendant of Chief Justice Sewall, Rev. Joseph Sewall and the second Chief Justice Samuel Sewall. Mr. Sewall attended school at Wilmington, Del. and entered Harvard College in 1870 and was graduated in 1874, the seventh Sewall in the direct line to receive a degree from Harvard. Mr. Sewall continued for two years, taking a post graduate course and receiving the degree of LL.B. He has entertained many noted people, and among his guests was President Eliot, of Harvard. His father and mother and brother Frederick will arrive to-day from Chicago, and his brother, E.D. Sewall, will come tomorrow from Milwaukee, and a sister from Connecticut. The funeral will probably be held Thursday.
The Indianapolis Literary Club, at its meeting last night, took informal action on the death of Mr. Sewall. A suitable memorial will be prepared. The club will be represented at the funeral. The Indianapolis Journal, 24 December, 1895.⁶

A shoemaker and farmer of Augusta, Maine, however Coney describes him as a tanner and says that he is reputed to have tanned the first leather in the valley of the Kennebec River. He served as a militiaman in Capt. Daniel Savage's company of Augusta, Maine and took part in the expedition against Bagaduce (Castine.)^3,7