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      You are here: Home / People / Polio Epidemic Claims Life of Whallonsburgh Resident Sherman Hoyt Mather

      Polio Epidemic Claims Life of Whallonsburgh Resident Sherman Hoyt Mather

      September 27, 2016 By Olive Alexander 3 Comments

      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

      matheryearbook
      Sherman Hoyt Mather – top left (Click to enlarge.)

      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

      Related Articles

      • John Shortsleeves (1883-1970) (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
      • People of Essex: Remembering Those Who Built the Foundation of Essex, NY (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

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      Filed Under: Obituary, People Tagged With: polio, Sherman Hoyt Mather

      About Olive Alexander

        Although I grew up in Essex on my grandparents’ farm and developed strong ties to farming, I wanted to see more of the world and experience the differences in cultures and people. I spent nearly fifty years in England, New Hampshire, Texas and New Jersey with trips to almost all of the fifty states and Singapore, an incomparable learning experience. I now live on property that has been in our family for three generations and still love the fields, the farms and the animals.

        Reader Interactions

        Comments

        1. Barbara Irish Smith says

          September 28, 2016 at 11:00 am

          My sister Patricia Irish White babysat for his family and she said he was the nicest person to work for and was kind

          Reply
        2. Barbara Irish Smith says

          October 1, 2016 at 7:22 pm

          I printed out the above history of Sherman Mather article and sent it to my sister Patricia Irish White and of course received a phone call right away how very happy she was to read it as it brought back so many memories of her babysitting for the family. My sister just turned 89 and her memory is still great!

          Reply
          • George Davis says

            October 4, 2016 at 5:48 pm

            Wonderful, wonderful! Thank you so much for passing the post along to your sister, Patricia Irish White, and thank you for sharing her enthusiasm here. I hope that other readers with long memories will be similarly inspired.

            Reply

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