Sunday, December 20, 2015

Memorial to Thomas Rodman Gardiner of Rhode Island in 1878 I.O.O.F. Proceedings of the Annual Right Worthy Encampment at Rhode Island


Memorial page for Thomas Rodman Gardiner, included in the 1878 Proceedings of the Annual Session of the Right Worthy Grand Encampment of Rhode Island for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Click on any image to enlarge it.


The booklet, which consists of about 67 pages, contains many names and has 5 other memorial pages, in page order:  [Please take all dates and places with a grain of salt, in case the informant was mistaken]
  • Horace Almy Manchester, born at Tiverton Four Corners, Rhode Island, in 1812; died at Stockton, California on April 30, 1877
  • Nathan Porter, born March 28, 1817 at Salem, Massachusetts; died January 6, 1878 at Sacramento, California
  • Francis Cusick, born August 7, 1822 in Omagh, County of Tyrone, in the North of Ireland; died January 21, 1878 at Providence, Rhode Island
  • Horatio Lewis Holmes, born October 24, 1815 at Lexington, Massachusetts; died January 9, 1878 at Providence, Rhode Island
  • Frederick D. Stuart, born July 12, 1814 at Brooklyn, New York; died January 25, 1878 at Washington, D.C.

Text of the memorial page dedicated to Thomas Rodman Gardiner:

Thomas Rodman Gardiner,
P.G.P.
Born in Lime Rock, R.I., March 28, 1840
Exalted into Moshassuck Encampment, No. 2,
Thursday, March 24, 1870.
Installed Most Excellent High Priest,
Thursday, January 1873.
Admitted into the R. W. Grand Encampment of Rhode Island,
Monday, August 4, 1873.
Installed Most Worthy Grand Patriarch,
Wednesday, March 7, 1877.
Died in City of Providence, May 10, 1877.
Aged 37 Years.

From brief online research, hopefully correct:  [corrections and additions requested!]

Thomas Rodman Gardiner was born at Lime Rock, Rhode Island, on March 28, 1840, according to the memorial page, though several online trees show his birth as February 22, 1840, though none are sourced.  His parents were William Henry Gardiner and Sarah  Holmes (Bradford) Gardiner, "Sally", who were born in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, respectively.

On June 17, 1863 at Smithfield, Rhode Island, Thomas Rodman Gardiner married Elizabeth Fredericks, daughter of William H. Fredericks and Sophia Mary (Jeffery) Fredericks.  Elizabeth was born about 1846 in New York City.  Thomas and Elizabeth had two children:
  1. Thomas Bradford Gardiner, born August 21, 1863 at Providence, Rhode Island; married Bonnie Louise Ferree
  2. Sophia Holmes Gardiner, born February 26, 1865 at Providence, Rhode Island; married Andrew John Guerin; possibly another marriage
As noted in the memorial, Thomas Rodman Gardiner died at Providence, Rhode Island, on May 10, 1877.  Sadly, his wife Elizabeth died not long after him, on February 22, 1881.  They're buried in the Grace Church Cemetery at Providence, Rhode Island.

In the 1885 Census of Providence, Rhode Island, their daughter Sophia was living with her aunt and/or uncle; she would marry Andrew John Guerin in 1888.  In 1885, Thomas was presumably at college or already started in his career as an engineer, which would eventually lead him to work on the Panama Canal.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.


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