Stephen S. Green
b. 6 January 1839, d. 15 January 1928
- Stephen S. Green was born on 6 January 1839 in South Starksboro, Addison County, Vermont.
- He married Charlotte S. Cornell on 6 January 1865.
- Stephen S. Green became a widower at the 27 June 1918 death of his wife Charlotte S. Cornell.
- He married Frances Elizabeth Poyfair, daughter of Jeremiah Poyfair and Ellen Flynn, on 5 January 1924 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, New York, at 554 Fifth Street, at the home of the bride.
- The following appeared on 6 January 1924 in the Buffalo Courier: Most men may be content to spend their eighty-fifth birthdays snoozing before their grandchildren's fireplace, but not of these prematurely old ones is Dr. Stephen S. Green. Dr. Green's way of celebrating an eighty-fifth birthday is to start on a trip south. A trip for his health? Not Dr. Green. The kind of trip he favors for such an occasion is a wedding trip.
The marriage of Dr. Green, who has lived for several years at No. 354 Massachusetts avenue and Mrs. Frances E. Simkins, seventy-four years old, took place yesterday afternoon at the bride's home, No. 554 Fifth street, Niagara Falls. A wedding trip was in order for today, and today, it happens, is Dr. Green's eighty-fifth birthday.
So Dr. and Mrs. Green will do honor to the birthday and the wedding by leaving this morning for Baltimore, thre to take a steamer south to Jacksonville, Fla., where they will spend the winter. On their return north, they will live in Niagara Falls.
Dr. Green's sense of humor has been going strong for eighty-five years just as he has, and neither seems to show signs of wearing out.
"You know, they tell me that any woman would have married me for a trip south," he confided solemnly on the eve of his wedding day. "But I give you my word of honor that I didn't hold the trip out, as bait for the lady.
"Our years of friendship helped my suit. We have known each other for twenty years. When her former husband was alive and my late wife was alive, the four of us were family friends. Her husband was the Rev. William E. [sic] Simkins He was pastor of the Methodist church in Niagara Falls for years. We know that we could have his approval and that of my wife if they could know we are to be married.
"Our wedding will be small. The minister and his wife will dome in during the afternoon. There will be a few of Mrs. Simkins' friends and my Niagara Falls relatives. Then we will have a dinner there and come here for the night. Sunday morning at 9 o'clock we will leave for Baltimore.
"You young people may think it strange that we are being married at our time of life and wonder why we are doing it. I can explain. It is merely for the comfort and companionship that our married life will bring us."
Dr. Green is as imposing in figure and as gallant in manner as any bride could want her bridegroom to be. He stands up straight to every inch of his six feet and two inches of height. His hair, moustache and goatee are gray, sprinkled with black.
His erect bearing came from service in the navy during and after the war of the rebellion, as he, a true northern soldier, refers to the Civil War. He was commissioned an officer, and served in the capacity of surgeon. After he left the navy, he practiced medicine for nine years in a little town on the Hudson, near Poughkeepsie. He left the Hudson town to come to Buffalo, where until a few years ago he was active in his profession.
Dr. Green was packing an old-fashioned bow-topped trunk preparatory to his wedding journey.
"I hate this job. I'm going to make her do it from now on," he said, with a chuckle. Dr. Green's chuckles are real chuckles, long, low rolling ones, not any of your thin laughs that go by the name nowadays.
"And by the way, why do I have to answer so many questions? Isn't the bridegroom the least important part of a wedding?
"But wait, I have one more thing to say, the most important thing of all. Don't forget to mention that the lady I am marrying is the best-looking lady in Erie county." - Stephen S. Green died on 15 January 1928 at age 89 in Niagara Falls, New York, at 554 Fifth Street at his residence.
- Frances Elizabeth Poyfair became a widow at his death.
- The following appeared on 16 January 1928 in the Buffalo Evening News: Dr. Stephen S. Green, 89, Civil War veteran, and apracticing physician in Buffalo for nearly 50 years, is dead at his home in 554 Fifth street, Niagara Falls. Dr. Green died Sunday.
He was born in South Starksboro, Vt. Jan. 6, 1839, and received his early education in the schools of his native state. He was graduated from the University Medical College of New York city, March 2, 1864, and joined the U. S. navy as an assistant surgeon March 5 of the same year. For a time he was surgeon on a vessel plying between New York and Liverpool and later on the sidewheel steamer Alaska, running between Panama and San Francisco. He was honorably discharged Dec. 5, 1865.
The following year, Jan. 6, he married Charlotte S. Cornell and settled in Lagrangeville, N. Y., where he practiced medicine for several years. In 1875 he came to Buffalo where he continued to practice medicine until his retirement in 1924. Dr. Green's wife died June 27, 1918 and on Jan. 6, 1924, he married Frances E. Simkins, who survives him.
Dr. Green was a member of Queen City Lodge 358, F. & A. M; Keystone Chapter 163, R. A. M; Hugh de Payens commandery, Knights Templar, Ismalia temple and a life member of the Buffalo Consistory. He also was a member of Bidwell-Wilkeson Post 9, G. A. R., and the Medical union.
He was one of the organizers, a charter member and past president of the Vermont society. For six years he was district physician of the board of health. In 1888 and 1889 he completed a tour of the world.
Dr. Green is survived, besides his widow, by two daughters, Mrs. B. G. Mering of Hollywood, Cal., and Mrs. John Matchett of Toronto, Ont. The funeral will be held at the family residence at Niagara Falls, Tuesday afternoon, at 2:30 o'clock and at the Johnson & Wilkins Co. mortuary, 448 Delaware avenue, Wednesday afternoon at the same hour. Burial will be in Forest Lawn.
The Rev. Milton B. Prate of Niagara Falls will officiate at the services.
- Last Edited: 25 Jul 2013