Hiram Farnham

Obituary-Marcellus Observer-Thursday, May 9, 1889 Provided By: Fulton History. Com

IN MEMORY HIRAM FARNHAM

After a protracted illness, , Hiram Farnham died at his home at West Hill, April 28 ult. For upwards of two years he had been suffering from a facial trouble, which was pronounced cancer by some of our medical experts. In August 1887, he paid Dr. Kingsley of Rome a visit and while there a plaster was applied by Dr. Kingsley, for the purpose of removing the so-called cancer. He arrived home on the same day he left in an exhausted condition, yet showing a great amount of will power as well as physical endurance. But little benefit , if any was derived from this visit to Rome, rather a decrease in vital energy and in increase of pain in the side of the head affected. Until the middle of March 1889, when it was decided by himself, family, and consulting physician to have an operation performed by a skilled surgeon, to see if relief might be obtained. Such an operation was made on March 20 to remove an accumulation of pus about the eye and cheek. The relief from pain was had but there was not enough of vitality left for him to recover and death resulted from exhaustion. A quantity of pus evacuated by the operation was placed in the hands of two eminent physicians to be examined under the microscope, and who report there was nothing of a cancerous or malignant nature about the deceased. Mr. Farnham was born in a log house upon the farm wherein he lived and died on the 15th of March 1812, thereby making his period of life a little over 77 years. He was a man, up to the date of his death, more familiar with old landmarks then any resident in his part of town. He was esteemed and respected by his many neighbors and friends and no calls for alms by the wayfarer or wanderer were passed unheeded. He had been the home of several poor & friendless humanity for a number of years each. His remains were followed to their last resting place in Shepard Settlement by a large concourse of mourning of relatives, friends, and neighbors.