Sherman Hoyt Mather, farmer and District Superintendent of Schools, died in late August of 1951 after contracting polio earlier in the summer.  Despite heroic efforts, including the use of the Iron Lung, to save him he became the first Essex County victim of the disease.

Sherman was born in 1909, the son of Hoyt Mather and Anna Sherman Mather.  He graduated from Cornell in 1932 and married Madeline Woolsey in 1936.  They settled In Whallonsburgh and had three daughters and a son.

The summer and fall of 1951 was a frightening time for all of us as we watched some of our friends and neighbors fall victim to the previously unknown disease.

Sherman Hoyt Mather Photos

Cornell Yearbook 1932

Sherman Hoyt Mather Obituary

Sherman Hoyt Mather, a native of

Whallonsburg died at the Physicians

Hospital Monday, September 10, the

first fatality in poliomyelitis epidemic

in Essex County where twenty odd

cases have been reported in the past

two weeks.  The victim was taken to

the hospital where he was in a me-

chanical respirator or “Iron Lung”.

His condition August 28 was thought

to be improving until Sunday

when his condition became worse,

death coming at 5:30 o’clock Monday

afternoon.

The death of Mr. Mather, who was

District superintendent of the Second

Supervisory School District of Essex

County, was a distinct shock to his

large circle of friends and a great loss

to the community in which he worked

as an educator.

Sherman Hoyt Mather was born

July 26, 1909 at Whallonsburg, the

son of  Hoyt E. Mather and Annie

(Sherman) Mather.  He attended the

Westport High School from which he

Graduated with the class of 1928.

He received his degree of B.S. at

Cornell in 1932 and for four years

taught as instructor of agriculture

at West Lyden.  Mr. Mather was

United in marriage with Miss Made-

Line Woolsey, daughter of Mr. and

Mrs. Royal Woolsey of Canastota

August 27, 1936, and the same year

became district superintendent of

Second Supervisory District of Essex

County, moving to Whallonsburg

where in 1838 he moved to the Math-

er Homestead where he and his fam-

ily have since resided and where he

maintained an outstanding herd of

prize Ayrshires.  Mr. Mather, a mem-

ber of the Federated Church of West-

port, was active in all community af-

fairs for which he found time along

with his fine management of educa-

tion in his district.  He had served

as master of Whallonsburg Grange

for three years; was a member of

the Westport Glee Club,  and the

Westport Men’s Club; was a mem-

Ber of the Lake Champlain Golf Club

Of Westport; a member of the

Port Henry Kiwanis Club, later transfer-

ing to Kiwanis Club of Elizabethtown;

was a member of Plattsburg

Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Or-

der of Elks.

Surviving are his wife and four

Children.  Nancy, aged twelve, Linda,

Ten, Gail, eight, and Bruce, one and

one-half years.  He is also survived

by his father, Hoyt Mather and bro-

ther, Lee E. Mather, Whallonsburg

two sisters; Mrs. Nancy Manz, Scho

harie, and Miss Joyce E. Mather, Al-

bany; an aunt Miss Elsie Sherman,

Wadhams.  Largely attended funeral

services were held at two o’clock

Wednesday afternoon, September 12,

with burial at the family plot at

Wadhams.

The bearers were Ralph Lilly, prin-

ciple of Willsboro Central School,

Festus Smith of Willsboro, Ray Ben-

der and Roger Thomas of Westport,

Richard Moran of Whallonsburg, and

Dr. Paul Reed of Port Henry.

Published in the “Record Post, Ausable Forks, NY” September 20, 1951

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