The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog

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cows have roweti on Thanksgiving day, and as much as they will eat." It had long been his
custom thus to include even the cattle in the Thanksgiving feast.
Dr. and Mrs. Humphrey had ten children: Edward, James, Sophia, and John, were born
in Fairfield, Ct. ; Lucy, the first Mar}', and Henry, in Pittsfield, Mass. ; Zephaniah, the second
Mary, and Sarah, in Amherst, Mass.
In 1858, the surviving children and grandchildren of the family had the happiness of cele-
brating the Golden Wedding of their revered parents. It was an occasion for home gathering of
all the scattered branches of the household, and of grateful and tender rejoicings. The citizens
of Pittsfield shared heartily in the festivities, and manifested their interest by gifts which are treasured
as heir-looms in the family. The children of those friends in Fairfield who had welcomed the
young bride to her new home, in 1808, came to share the sunset glow of the fiftieth anniversary.
In the spring of 1861, Dr. Humphrey, after a short illness, during which rapturous gleams
and anticipations of the Heavenly state broke at intervals through the clouds of delirium, "fell on
sleep," April 3d. His burial was attended from the Congregational church, and a most appreciative
sermon was preached by Rev. John Todd, pastor of the church at that time. It was no
formal tribute, it was but the natural sequel of all that had gone before, that when he was
borne to the grave, the stores along the line of the procession were closed, all the bells of the
village were tolled, and those who had abandoned all other duty went in solemn order to the
place where the revered form was laid. A granite monument now marks the spot where he lies
in the Pittsfield Cemetery, inscribed with the text upon which he so delighted to dwell, both in
private meditation and in the pulpit, "Increasing in the knowledge of God."*
Mrs. Humphrey survived her husband several years, and died in Pittsfield, Mass., on
Sunday, December 13th, 1868, se. 83 years.
Among the most important of Dr. Humphrey's published sermons and addresses are :
Sermon before the Moral Society of Connecticut. New Haven, 18 15.
Sermon "On Doing Good to the Poor." Pittsfield, 18 18.
.Sermon before the Berkshire County Education Society. Lenox, 1818.
Sermon at the Ordination of the Missionaries destined to the Sandwich Islands. Boston, 1819.
Address commemorative of the Landing of the Pilgrims. Pittsfield, 1820. Second Centen-
nial Anniversary.
6. Address at his Inauguration as President. Amherst, 1823.
7. Sermon before the Pastoral Association of Massachusetts. " The Good Pastor." Boston, 1826.
8. Sermon at the Dedication of the Chapel at Amherst College, 1827.
9. Address. "Parallel between Intemperance and the Slave Trade." Amherst, :S2S.
10. Sermon on "Indian Rights and our Duties." Amherst, 1829.
11. Massachusetts Convention Sermon. "The Kingdom of Christ. " Boston, 1830.
12. Address before Teachers' Convention. Hartford, 1830.
13. Sermon before the American Sunday School Union. Philadelphia, 1831.
14. Sermon before the Students of Amherst College. "A Glorious Enterprise." Amherst, 1834.
15. Sermon on the Sixth Commandment. "Duelling." Amherst, 1838.
16. The Bible in Public Schools. "American Institute." 1843.
17. Valedictory Address on leaving the Presidency. Amherst, 1845.
18. Tribute to the Memory of Rev. Nathan W. Fiske, Professor. Amherst, 1848.
I think no reflecting mind can fail to notice in the foregoing simple and unaffected narrative of a great and good ma
indel>ted to his teachers and surroundings, and how thoroughly he was the resultant of hereditary and transmitted ii
s, and how clearly the latter made him almost indi-pcndent of the former. Eiiitttr.
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