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Author: catackett
Surnames: Chapin, Case
Classification: obituary
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Found in the "Auburn Daily Advertiser,"Auburn, N.Y., (Cayuga Co.) Wednesday,
December 23, 1908, pg. 7 (From the Buffalo Express)
SAW FOUR WARS, Former Auburnian died in Illinois at Ripe old age.
Mrs. Susan DIXSON CASE, one of the oldest settlers of Erie County, died December 6, 1908
at the home of her eldest daughter, Mrs. C. J. Vinecke, Galesburg, Ills. Mrs. Case was 96
years of age and up to within a few weeks of her death has enjoyed the best of health. She
was a representative of an old Revolutionary family; her Grandfather, Anthony Palmer,
having served with the Maryland volunteers, and died from a wound received from the
British near Baltimore during the war. At the time of Mrs. Case's death, five
generations of her family were living. Susan Dixson Case was born in the Town of Clarence,
Erie County, April 13. 1812. At that time the place was a part of the "Holland
Purchase," Clarence then included Alden and Lancaster. The log house in which she was
born still stands on what is called the Wall farm, one and one-half miles southeast of the
village of Clarence Hollow. Here her father, James Dixson, settled in 1809-10, coming into
the country from Maryland by the !
way of Cumberland valley to the Susquehanna river, near what is now Harrisburg, Pa., and
up the river to the Chemung valley, thence to the headwaters of the Genesee and down to
Genesee falls, now Rochester, thence west to Clarence. This journey was made with two ox
teams and wagons, and two saddle horses. Dixson brought with him from Maryland, two black
slaves, Jim and Joe. The blacks ran away a few years after coming to Clarence and escaped
to Canada. Dixson gave them their freedom and they returned later to visit him. James
Dixson was living on this land when Buffalo, then a small village at the mouth of Buffalo
Creek, was burned.
November 30, 1834, Susan Dixson married Colonel James Ely CASE, who died August 17, 1875.
Seven children were born of this marriage, but with the exception of three, all have since
died.Mrs. Case continued to live near her old home until after the death of her husband
and in the year 1890, she removed from the home of her youngest son, H.J. Case at Auburn
to Everett, Mich, the home of a daughter Mrs. Julia Turner. At Mrs. Turner's death she
went to live with another daughter Mrs. C.J. Vinecke at Galesburg, Ills., where she
remained until her death.
She is survived by one son H.J. Case of Auburn and the two daughters, Mrs. Katherine
Vinecke of Galesburg, Ills., and Mrs. Caroline Smith of Edinburgh, Pa.
Also by twelve grandchildren: Mrs. I.E. Pearson, W.C. Case and Mrs. C.H. Manro of Auburn,
N.Y.; W.E. Case of Waverly; H.J. Case of N.Y. City; Mrs. Caroline J. Norton of Galesburg,
Ills.; Mrs. Harrit L. Kennedy of Nome, Alaska; Mrs. Ada K. Estas of Galesburg, Ills.; Mrs.
Katherine R. Willetts of Brookline, Mass.; Mrs. Arthur T. Rockefeller and Mrs. Granville
A. Richardson of Roswell, N.M. and Ely Bennett of Buffalo, N.Y.; and twenty great
grandchildren, S.I., Nina, James T., John C. and Jo Sayles Rockefeller; Donovan
Richardson, Genevieve Kennedy, G.V. Estas and James E. Willetts: Willard C., Laura K.,
Hugh E., George C., Wheeler K., H.J., Mary J. and Robert Pearson; Almet M., and John M.
Case and Philip C. Manro. One great great grandchild, Isabelle M. Pearson.
Mrs. Case became a member of the Baptist Church of Clarence at the age of 18 years and
attended church at Hunt's Corners, north of Clarence village from the time the church
was erected up to the time she left the locality. Born during the War of 1812, she lived
to see four wars come and go; 1812, the Mexican war, the Civil war and the Spanish war.
Following a short funeral service in Galesburg, Dec. 8th, the body of Mrs. Case was
brought to Crittenden, Erie Co. where services were held at her old home before she was
laid beside her husband James E. Case, who died there 33 years ago. Mrs. Parintha Case
Chapin, youngest sister of James E. Case and wife of the late John Chapin of Buffalo was
present at the funeral.
The grandfather of James E. Case, Daniel Case of Canton, Hartford County, Conn., also
served in the Revolutionary army.
Mrs. Case has seen Erie county grow from a vast wilderness to a properous farming and
manufacturing county, and has seen Buffalo grow from a small village to one of the first
cities of importance on the frontier. During her time the Erie Canal was built and
steamship navigation, the railroad, the telegraph and electricity were developed.
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