Tryphena Colton Pardee
- Written by: Ron Nagy
- Category: History Topics
- Published: March 5, 2010
Tryphena Colton Pardee
January 18, 1813-February 16, 1905
Gerry, New York
Mrs. Pardee starts with a brief summary of her early life:
I was born in the town of Newstead, Erie County, State of New York. My maiden name was Tryphena DeLong the oldest of nine children, six girls and three boys, on the 18th day of January 1813.
My mother’s maiden name was Mary Edmunds of the town of Dudly, Worcester County Massachusetts. My fathers name was Martin DeLong. His parents lived at the time of his birth somewhere near Albany, New York but died when he was quite young.
Many are the bitter tales of his wanderings over the friendless homeless world.
My parents were among the early pioneers of the Holland Purchase on the Town of Erie (afterwards called Newstwed) Erie County New York. Our home was a log house, (and in that humble house the nine brothers and sisters were born) and our education was acquired in a log schoolhouse, and how sacred are the memories of that humble childhood home———–
Mrs. Pardee, a Spiritualist, lived to a very old age and wrote poetry. It seems she wrote obituary poems to the families of those who had lost loved ones. She taught school as a young woman.
Mrs. Pardee was a proud self-sufficient woman who humbly supported her self by writing poems for The Sunflower newspaper in her later years. In her early years her penmanship was flawless and as her years advanced one can notice the loss of eyesight and steadiness of hand.
