Forrester Lowrey Page and Van Petten Families

Peter Van Patten In Evansville, at the residence of his son, Dempster Van Patten, on Sunday morning, March 8th, of old age, Peter Van Patten. He was born in Albany Co., New York, May 19th, 1797, which made him nearly 80 years of age. About the year 1819 he married Miss Lany Relyea by whom he had nine children, six sons and three daughters, who are all living except one son who died in the army. After fifty-one years of married life his wife died and for fifteen years he has lived among his children. He came to Wisconsin in 1842 and settled in the town of Porter on a farm on the banks of the Catfish where he lived for ten years when he sold that and bought a farm near the Wilder school house where he lived until he came to Evansville. He has lived all together about nine years in this village. He was converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal church when he was eighteen years old and has lived a consistent member of that church for about seventy-one years. He had acceptably filled the office of Class Leader, Steward and Trustee until the infirmities of age released him. Two weeks before his death he was in his seat at church and enjoyed the service but he said to his pastor at the close "I am almost through." In the afternoon, he in company with his son Hiram attended the service at the Seminary and left his testimony for Jesus. On Wednesday of that week he was taken sick from which sickness he never rallied, but peacably went downt to the river of death. When his pastor called to see him he said "I am almost through" and selected the text which he desired at his funeral. He died at 1:30 o'clock Sunday morning. His funeral was largely attended at the M. E. church on Monday afternoon, his pastor, Rev. H. Sewell, conducting the services assisted by Prof. Coleman and Rev. Mr. Gowen. March 31, 1886, The Enterprise, Evansville, Wisconsin