USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > The First Church of Fairfield : being a brief account of three hundred and twenty three years in the First Church, Congregational, of Fairfield, Connecticut > Part 11
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An early task of the Survey Committee was to define the purpose of the church, as follows: "The object of this church shall be to bind together the followers of Jesus Christ for the purpose of sharing in the worship of God and in making His will dominant in the lives of men, individually and collectively, especially as that will is set forth in the life, teachings and death of Jesus Christ."
Six meetings of the Church Survey Committee were held in 1954. A major task of the Survey Committee was to study and integrate the reports of the sub-committees which were working hard on their separate assignments. At the December meeting of the Survey Com- mittee it was agreed to condense the recommendations of the sub- committees into a unified report, to be followed by appropriate resolutions.
A Joint Meeting of the First Church and the Ecclesiastical Society was held in the Parish House on the evening of February 16th, 1955 to receive the report and take whatever action seemed desirable. The major recommendation of the Survey Committee was the construc-
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tion of a building between the Parish House and the church at the west end. Another recommendation of the committee was the possible installation of pews in the social room at the rear of the church sanctuary and thus provide for a larger attendance at the church services. It was recommended that the sum of $50,000 be raised to cover the cost of the new building, together with the necessary furnishings and carpeting.
The report was divided into a number of sections and the various recommendations were referred to appropriate church organizations or committees for further study. It was also voted at the meeting to appoint a committee of six members as a Planning Committee to make studies, employ professional counsel, and prepare recommenda- tions for such buildings and other improvements as shall seem most prudent. The sum of one thousand dollars was appropriated for the use of the committee. The following members were appointed to serve on this new committee: Mrs. Allen A. Johnson, Elbert S. Overbaugh, George L. Todd, George Anderson, William H. Dennler and T. Waldo Grumman.
At a Joint Meeting of the First Church and Society held on May 18th, 1955, the Church Survey Sub-Committees were ready with their final proposals. For example, the report of the Religious Edu- cation Committee was quite thorough in summarizing the needs of the church in that department. So also was the report of the Music Committee.
On behalf of the new committee of six members, to be called the Survey Improvement Committee, Mrs. Allen Johnson gave a pre- liminary report of progress. She stated that they were consulting with Rev. John R. Scotford as adviser. Mr. Scotford was making a specialty of church architecture. The committee also was consulting with Mr. E. D. Mortensen, a professional architect who had drawn up the plans for the alterations in the Stratford church. Mrs. John- son stated that her committee would be able to make a full report at a later date.
When the time arrived for a full report by the Survey Improve- ment Committee, Mrs. Johnson also submitted a separate report by Rev. John R. Scotford. Among other things he recommended two Sunday sessions for both the church and the church school.
The recommendations of the Survey Improvement Committee included changes in the Parish House basement in order to add
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three additional rooms for the church school. They recommended further excavation in the church cellar area in order to provide the choir with a room of their own and also a room for the women's organizations.
The committee suggested arranging for a financial campaign at an appropriate time in order to raise one hundred thousand dollars for the purpose of achieving the above objectives, plus some addi- tional items. The final recommendation of the Survey Improvement Committee was the appointment of a Long Range Planning Com- mittee to continue exploring the future needs of the church. Such a committee should be allowed to make use of professional con- sultants and then report back to a Joint Meeting of the First Church and the Ecclesiastical Society.
This final recommendation clearly indicated that some members of the church did not feel that the last words had been said about the future needs of the church in terms of buildings and equipment. Perhaps they wanted additional alternatives to be investigated before reaching final conclusions.
At a Joint Meeting of the Society's Committee and the Board of Deacons on April 8th, 1956 there was a report submitted by a special nominating committee which had been appointed on March 11th of that year and was composed of Leonard Beadle, Waldo Grumman and Russell Kinsman. The report of this special nominating com- mittee was accepted and a new committee was appointed, to be called the Long Range Planning Committee. The membership was as fol- lows: C. Herbert Bell, temporary chairman, Richard Arnold, Ralph Pumphrey, Mrs. Kenneth Johnson and Mrs. Jay Hoffman. This committee had the authority to add to its membership as need arose. Later Mr. Beadle became the chairman of this committee.
At a Joint Meeting of the First Church and Society on April 9th, 1956, those present felt it to be unwise to undertake major alterations in the Parish House at that particular time. It was felt that the new Long Range Planning Committee should have the opportunity to carry out their task and be given sufficient time to bring in their recommendations.
As a compromise measure the motion was made and passed that the sum of $17,500 be appropriated and used for renovations in the Parish House, such as completing two rooms at the rear of the base- ment, extending the walls in the nursery room and making other
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needed changes. This decision is referred to in Chapter Twelve. It was also agreed at the meeting that the sum of $2500 be made avail- able to the Long Range Planning Committee in carrying out their studies.
The Long Range Planning Committee under Chairman Beadle soon discovered that their task had to be sub-divided into several departments. Mrs. Allen Johnson and Richard Arnold made a study of the church building needs. Mrs. Donald Robbins and Lawrence Sprouse studied the needs of the church staff. Mrs. Jay Hoffman and C. Herbert Bell studied the needs of the Youth groups. Mrs. William Pfeif and Ronald Streeter studied the facilities needed for the church school.
At a meeting of the First Church on May 19th, 1960, the detailed recommendations of the Long Range Planning Committee were sub- mitted for discussion and final action. The major recommendation was to build ten additional class rooms for the use of the church school, each room large enough to accommodate thirty pupils if necessary. It was also recommended that a room be provided for the choir. All such recommendations and suggestions were thoroughly discussed.
The following decisions were made at the meeting on May 19th:
I. That a Building Committee be appointed to carry out the plans recommended by the committee.
2. That a Fund Raising Committee be appointed, with authority to engage professional help.
3. That the present church debt be included in any Fund Raising campaign.
4. That the Church Council be authorized to appoint a General Chairman, a Building Committee Chairman and a Fund Raising Chairman.
It was also voted to authorize the employment of suitable architects with the request that they submit plans to be presented to a future church meeting. A final resolution expressed the appreciation of the church members for the hard work done by the Long Range Planning Committee and that the committee be discharged with heartfelt thanks to each member. A few days after the meeting, Matthew R. Blish was chosen as the general chairman for the project. Edwin C. Senger was appointed as the
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Building Committee chairman and George L. Todd became chair- man of the Fund Raising Committee.
A church meeting was called for Monday, October 30th, 1961 at 8 P.M., with the purpose of receiving the reports of the Building Committee and the Building Finance Committee and to take action thereon. Sterioptican slides were shown depicting the sug- gested additions and changes. The slides were explained in detail by Mr. Mather of the architectural firm of Lyons and Mather in Bridgeport.
After a full and free discussion three resolutions were passed at the meeting. The first resolution approved the recommendations of the Building Committee, involving additions, alterations and equipment. This resolution directed the architects to prepare detailed plans and specifications, and to put them out for bids at the proper time.
The second resolution approved engaging the services of Lyons and Mather, Bridgeport architects, with whom Fred C. Anderson, a member of the church, was to be associated.
The resolution approved the appropriation of thirty-one thou- sands dollars to be paid to the architects at the proper time, in connection with the completion of the plans and the letting of the contracts. Furthermore the resolution authorized the treasurer to borrow sufficient sums to meet the payments.
The third resolution, submitted by the Building Finance Com- mittee recommended the employment of the firm of Marts and Lundy to direct the work of raising funds for the building project. The resolution approved the appropriation of four thousand dollars for the fee of Marts and Lundy, and two thousand dollars addi- tional for the promotional expenses. The treasurer was authorized to borrow the necessary sums to be used in connection with the Fund Raising project.
During the late fall and winter the Long Range Plans were discussed at the various Colony meetings held throughout the parish. In this way it was possible to sustain the interest of many church members in the building project. On March 19, 1962, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond E. Rope of Marts and Lundy came to Fairfield for two months and stayed in the apartment of Mr. Edgar Riker.
Mr. Rope went to work at once with plans for the Building Fund Campaign. These plans included the setting up of certain com-
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mittees and the securing of an adequate number of workers. The theme of the program was "Working for the Church." The mem- bers were to be asked to set aside one day a month for 36 months and dedicate that day's income to the Building Fund. An attrac- tive brochure was prepared and distributed to the membership, entitled, "Forward with Faith."
One of Mr. Rope's early tasks was to conduct a survey into the potential giving capacity of the membership. This would enable his firm to set a financial goal. The estimate of the architects was that the total cost of the suggested building enlargement might reach $378,000. This estimate, however, was not the determining factor in setting the campaign goal. After a careful study of the results of the survey the victory goal was finally set at $200,000 and the challenge goal at $250,000. In other words the goal was linked to the estimated giving capacity of the membership.
One early step was the appointment of a Leadership Gifts Com- mittee under the chairmanship of Leonard Beadle, with Roger Welles as Vice-Chairman. Another early step was the securing of Team Captains and Hostesses for the church dinners. In all there were about 150 workers involved in the financial campaign, with four solicitors on each team including the captain, the teams being equally divided between the men and the women.
William J. Clarke was appointed as General Chairman of the campaign. John P. Bassett was chosen as Chairman of the Men's Section, with Mrs. Lawrence H. Sprouse as Chairman of the Women's Section. The six Division leaders were Robert H. Albrecht, Mrs. David R. Allen, Mrs. Armand A. Benoit, Mrs. Allen A. Johnson, Dr. Stuart L. Joslin and Ronald L. Streeter.
Mrs. Allen A. Johnson was also Chief Hostess for the church dinners with the following Co-Hostesses: Mrs. Matthew R. Blish, Mrs. Lewis W. Burr, Mrs. John L. Christie, Mrs. William J. Clarke, Mrs. Paul A. Park, Mrs. William J. Pfeif, Mrs. Charles F. Rundlet and Mrs. Lawrence H. Sprouse.
Matthew R. Blish was the Chairman of the General Building Ex- pansion Committee. Edwin C. Senger was Chairman of the Building Committee Section with the following members: Mrs. Armand A. Benoit, Mrs. William J. Clarke, William R. Hopkins, Kenneth E. Johnson and Malcom G. Wilber. George L. 'Todd was Chairman of
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the Finance Committee Section with the following members, John P. Bassett, Stanley J. Lonsdale and Roger P. Welles.
Two Congregational dinner meetings were held on April 9th and Ioth at which time the members voted to accept the two goals as suggested by Mr. Rope and his advisors. Also at these meetings the building plans were explained in detail and the members were given the opportunity to ask questions.
Following the two Congregational dinner meetings the members of the Leadership Gifts Committee went quietly to work soliciting subscriptions from a selected list of church members. There were thirty members on this Leadership Gifts Committee, in addition to Chairman Beadle and Vice-Chairman Welles. Through the efforts of this committee, 94% of the selected list of names made subscriptions to the Building Fund.
The Kick-Off Dinner for the general solicitation was held on April 26th at which time the entire Soliciting Organization of about 150 workers was present. Then followed four report dinners during a two week period, ending on May roth with a final report dinner.
All the prospective solicitors had been given careful instructions as to how to proceed with their work. Two solicitors were to go together for their personal interviews at the homes of the mem- bers. The work was not to be done either by telephone or by mail. At the final report dinner on May roth the total amount pledged was announced as being $241,326, spread over three years. The Women's Teams secured slightly more money in pledges than the Men's Teams.
On Friday evening, May 11th, there was a meeting of the Gen- eral Building Expansion Committee, together with the Campaign leaders and the two ministers. The purpose of the meeting was to plan a sound Follow-Up Program. Mr. Rope set forth certain lines of action that needed to be followed so as to avoid any serious shrinkage in the pledges.
There was to be a Committee to study the "turnbacks" and also to interview, a year later, those who pledged on a one year basis. There was to be a Committee to invite participation by new mem- bers as they joined the church during the three year period. Finally there was to be a Production Committee appointed to send letters of thanks and to keep the members informed about the progress of the Building Project, as well as the status of the pledges.
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On Monday, May 21, 1962, a special meeting of the church was called to receive the report of the Expansion Fund Drive. The purpose of the meeting was also to receive the report of the bids and to determine exactly how far to proceed in the proposed ex- pansion.
The meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Leonard Beadle, at 8 P.M. and Dr. Robinson gave the invocation. Then Matthew Blish, Chairman of the General Building Expansion Committee, set forth the procedure to be followed in the meeting. First, Edwin Senger spoke on behalf of the Building Committee Section and gave the figures for the bids, making recommenda- tions. He was followed by George Todd, Chairman of the Finance Committee Section, who expressed his Committee's approval of the Building Committee's recommendations. William Hopkins spoke on behalf of the Church Finance Committee, endorsing the recom- mendations of the Building Committee. Then came the statement by Donald Edmonds, on behalf of the Church Trustees, expressing approval of the recommendations. Thereupon Mr. Blish read the joint resolution which had been approved by the committees men- tioned above. The resolution was as follows :-
"Resolved: that in accordance with the recommendation of the Building Committee and the Board of Trustees, the Building Committee be and hereby is authorized and directed to supervise the construction of building additions and alterations, including site work, and the installation of furnishings and equipment there- in; and on behalf of the Church to enter into any contracts neces- sary or desirable in connection therewith;
And further resolved: that in accordance with the recommen- dation of the Board of Finance and the Board of Trustees, the sum of $366,000 be and hereby is appropriated to the Building Committee to cover the cost of constructing and equipping said additions and alterations, the promotional expenses and fees in- curred in connection with raising funds for the Building Fund, in addition to the appropriation of $6,000 for promotional expenses and fees voted at the Church meeting of October 30, 1961, and the interest expense to be incurred through May 31, 1965 in connection with the financing plan hereinafter set forth;
And further resolved: that in accordance with the recommenda- tion of the Board of Finance and the Board of Trustees, the
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Treasurer be and hereby is authorized, when and as directed by the Board of Trustees, to borrow from time to time an amount not in excess of $300,000 from the Connecticut National Bank of Bridge- port, to finance a portion of the aforesaid appropriation of $366,000, of the appropriation of $6,000 for promotional expenses and fees voted at the Church meeting of October 30, 1961; and of the appropriation of $31,000 for architect's fees voted at the Church meeting of October 30, 1961; to issue demand notes from time to time in an amount not to exceed $300,000 in the name and upon the faith and credit of the Church; and said notes shall bear interest at such rate as may be determined by the Board of Trustees, payable monthly to the Connecticut National Bank, and said notes shall be paid, in part, from the proceeds collected from the pledges to the Building Fund, and, in part, from funds to be raised by the Church for that purpose on or after June 1, 1965;
And further resolved: that in accordance with the recommen- dation of the Board of Trustees, the Treasurer be and hereby is authorized to assign all or any part of the pledges to the Building Fund, when and as directed by the Board of Trustees, to the Connecticut National Bank as security for the payment of a por- tion of the aforesaid notes and to execute any instruments of as- signment required in connection therewith; and that the Board of Trustees be and hereby is authorized to obtain such guaranties of payment to the Connecticut National Bank from members of the Church or other interested persons as may be required to secure the payment of the remaining portion of the aforesaid notes;
And further resolved: that in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Trustees, the Church, as requested by the Connec- ticut National Bank, agrees not to mortgage its real property or any portion thereof, until and unless the aforesaid notes and any in- terest due thereon have been paid in full; and that the Treasurer be and hereby is authorized to execute and deliver such evidence of such agreement as the Connecticut National Bank may require:"
· A copy of the resolution was given to each member present since it also included a ballot expressing either approval or disapproval of the resolution. After the resolution was moved and seconded, a general discussion took place that lasted for about an hour. Ques- tions were asked and answers given. by the appropriate persons. Quite a few spoke both for and against certain aspects of the
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resolution. Finally the discussion ended when the vote was called for. The ballot vote resulted as follows: Favorable 131: Opposed 16. The special meeting was adjourned at 10 P.M.
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INDEX
NOTE: Quite a few names of persons and places appear frequently throughout the book. Therefore in preparing the index, references have only been made to the first three or four pages in which these references occur.
Adams, 2 Adams family, 10
Betts, Susan Elizabeth, 87 Bibbins, Elijah, 29 Bibbins, Israel, 33
Akers, E. D., 46
Albrecht, Robert H., 122 Allen, David, 33
Allen, Mrs. David R., 122
Alves, John, 110, 114
American Temperance Society, 17
Anderson, Fred C., 93, 121
Bossett, Ludweg, 38
Bradford, Arthur, 50
Bradley, 2 Brewer, Francis H., 29, 50
Brewster, Lora, 81
Bridgeport Council of Churches, 48
Brown, Richard A., 94
Buckingham, Steven, 6
Buckley, 2
Bulkeley, Benjamin S., 50
Bulkeley, Elizabeth, 70
Bulkeley, Nathan, 29
Bullard, Florence C., 50, 64, 71 Bullard, H. C., 52, 64
Bunker, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth, 70
Bassett, John P., 110, 122, 123
Beadle, Leonard A., 119, 122
Beckwith, Kenneth, 80
Burr, Ebenezer, 22
Beecher, Lyman, 13, 26
Burr, Mrs. Henry S., Jr., 94
Beeman, Allen E., 63
Bell, C. Herbert, 119, 120
Burr, Jehue, 2
Burr, Mrs. Lewis W., 122
Bennet, Deborah L., 40 Bennet, Charles, 29 Benoit, Mrs. Armand A., 122
Burr, Thaddeus, 10, 13, 21 Burr, Theodore B., 38 Burr, W. Eben, 46, 102, 110
Berggren, Alfred, 81
Burr, William O., 29, 45, 46
Berggren, Ralph, 81
Burr, Mrs. William O., 59
Betts, Benjamin W., 87 Betts, Moses, 34
Bitting, Elizabeth Joan, 103 Blake, William, 78
Blish, Matthew R., 117, 120, 124
Blish, Mrs. Matthew R., 94, 122
Bliss, Daniel, 80
Anderson, George, 1 18 Armstrong, Robert, 80
Arnold, Richard, 119, 120
Atwater, Lyman, 17, 18, 19 Auchincloss, Mrs. Hugh D., 24, 76
Bacon, Leonard, 18
Bailey, Lewis, 46
Baldwin, Raymond, 78 Barker, Mrs. Daniel C., 112 Barlow, 2 Barstow, Robbins Wolcott, 104, 110, III Bartram, Job, 10
Burr, Andrew, 32
Burr, Captain, 21
Beecher, Louis A., 50
Burr, Frances, 24
Burroughs, George S., 24, 28
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Burroughs, Mrs. George S., 79 Burton, Charles E., 66 Bushnell, Horace, 18 Bushnell, John E., 23, 25, 63 Buttery, Arthur H., 38
Cable, 2 Cady, J. C., 24, 60
Cambridge Synod, 14
Carlson, William, 46
Cate, Dudley M., 110
Chase, Mrs. Truman N., 97, 114 Chauncey, Charles, 6 Chauncey, Israel, 5 Child, Amy, 41 Child, Elizabeth, 41, 71
Child, Frank S., 2, 20, 21
Child, Mrs. Frank S., 41
Child, Frank S., Jr., 39, 62
Child, Grace, 41
Child, Roger Sherman, 38 Child, Ruth, 41
Christie, Mrs. John L., 77, 122
Church of Christ, I
Clarke, Frank B., 77
Clarke, Mrs. Frank B., 77
Clark, Patricia, 102, 1IO
Clarke, Raymond, 68
Clarke, William J., 110, 122
Clarke, Mrs. William J., 122
Cobbett, Samuel, 4
Collier, Sir George, 32
Copley, 10 Cowles, W. Warren, 57, 59, 61 Curlee, Neil J., 94 Curtis, Henry S., 29
Daniels, Gibson I., 11 I
Davenport, John, 5
Davis, David, 71
Day, William Horace, 50, 66, 80 Dean, Leon A., 94
Deming, Wilbur S., 40, 1 13
Deming, Mrs. Wilbur S., 113
Dennler, William H., 118 Dewitt, Dr. and Mrs. Edward W., 69, 77 Dewitt, Katherine Anne, 69
Deyo, Arthur W., 45, 80, 81 Deyo, J. Eltinge, 29, 44 Deyo, John M., 44, 45, 50 Deyo, Mrs. John M., 44 Deyo, Sarah, 44 Dimon, Moses, 29 Doe, Prof. and Mrs. Albin Noyes, 93 Donaldson, John M., 38
Donaldson, William H., 38, 50
Downs, Rebecca, 22
Draper, Robert, 94 Dwight, Timothy, 14
Edmonds, Donald J., 124
Edwards, Jonathan, 8
Eliot, Andrew, Jr., 9, 10, II
Ellis, Alden, 41
Elm Cottage, 47
English, James F., 80, III
Eunice Dennis Burr Chapter, 40, 72
Faith Chapel, 42
Ferguson, John, 78
Forsyth, John A., 64, 83
Forsyth, John B., 38
Franklin, Benjamin, 10
Freed, R. Paul, 83
Fresh Air Home, 42, 47, 48
Garth, Brigadier-General, 32 General Court, 1, 2
George A. Smith Post, 72
Glover, Deborah, 87
Glover, Helen Wardwell, 87
Glover, Katherine, 87
Glover, Samuel, 87
Glover, William, 87 Gold, Lieutenant Governor, 4
Gold, Colonel Abraham, 25
Gold, John, 20, 25, 32
Gold, Major Nathan,2, 25, 31
Gold, Samuel, 20, 32
Gorm, James, 46
Gould Homestead, 25
Could, Katherine M., 36 Gould, Elizabeth B., 36 Gould, Julia B., 36
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Grant, John H., 57, 65, 66 Gregory, William, 60 Gross, Sophie, 101, 114 Grumman, T. Waldo, 118, 119 Grumman, Mrs. T. Waldo, 77
Half-Way Covenant, 2, 3 Hall, Ruth, 59 Hall, Warren L., 100 Hanbrock, Julia, 81 Hancock family, 10 Harper, Alanson C., 103, 117 Harper, Mrs. Alanson C., 103, 110 Harry Hall Company, 68 Hartford Theological Seminary, 17 Hatch, David Phillips, 74, 78, 79 Hatch, Mrs. David Phillips, 80 Hatcher, Melvin, 78 Hellman, Mrs. Walter, 78 Hauge, Nelsen, 94 Hendrick, Peter, 33 Hewit, Nathaniel, 15, 17, 25 Hill, 2 Hill, Horace, 44 Hill, Thomas, 21, 99 Hippolitus, Ida, 68 Historical Society, 34, 72, 77
Hobart, Noah, 5, 7, 8
Hoffman, Mrs. Jay, 119, 120 Holcomb, Governor, 38
Home Guard, 38 Hooker's Survey, 2 Hope Chapel, 24, 42, 44 Hopkins, William R., 122, 124 Hoskins, Fred, 80 House, Samuel L., 110 House, Mrs. Elizabeth, 1IO, III Hoyt, 2 Hull, Mrs. David, 29 Hull, 2 Hume, Dr. and Mrs. Walter F., 82 Humphrey, Heman, 14, 15, 25 Hunter, E. Carlisle, 59
James, Mrs. Walter B., 24 Jennings, 2 Jennings, Annie B., 24, 50, 52
Jennings, Charles B., 59, 62, 83 Jennings, Jeremiah, 33 Jennings, Moses, 29 Jennings, Oliver G., 24 Jennings, Mrs. Oliver, 47 Jennings, Oliver B., 24, 29, 35 Jennings, Peter, 33 Jennings, Walter, 24 Jesup, 2 Johnson, Mrs. Allen A., 81, 118 Johnson, Kenneth E., 110, 122 Johnson, Mrs. Kenneth E., 1 19 Jones, John, 27, 80, 84 Joslin, Dr. Stuart L., 122 Judd, Mr. and Mrs. Frank L., 64 Judson, David, 29
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