"The gradual scattering of the family has some grief in it . . ."

Rev. Charles E. Craven, D.D.

355 North Fullerton Avenue

Upper Montclair, N.J.

26 March 1933

 

My dear friend, Jesse Halsey:

For March 26^th I find the note: “Jesse Halsey, m. 1910.” So I am sending you and Mrs. Halsey my congratulations—and Mrs. Craven’s also. After more than 47 years of it we are so well persuaded that marriage is good that we like to send congratulations to younger voyagers on the matrimonial sea and tell them that it gets better as the years go on. We find marriage as comfortable as an old shoe—a wonderful old shoe which grows easier, but like the shoes of the children of Israel in the wilderness never wears out.

We wish you and Mrs. Halsey a happy new year together, with God’s blessing upon your work, your family, and your church. I suppose the days are here or soon coming when your children will be away from home at school or college. The gradual scattering of the family has some grief in it, but it comes gradually, and brings compensations of many sorts. These men and women that are our children and now have children of their own in different places certainly bring many new and varied interests into our lives.

The care of a large church in these days must fill your hand and heart with many cares and responsibilities, and I can imagine that active ministry was never more interesting, engrossing, and useful than now. May you have health and strength for it, and rich satisfaction in it.

Faithfully yours,

Charles E. Craven

Rev. Charles E. Craven | Obituaray

LONG ISLAND MOURNS DEATH OF DR CHARLES E CRAVEN | 1860-1944
[obit published Dec 22, 1944] The Rev Dr Charles Edmiston CRAVEN d. in Mountainside Hosp, Montclair NJ Sunday morning as the result of a recent fall in which he suffered a fractured hip. Son of the late Elijah Richardson and Hannah Tingey CRAVEN, he was b. in Newark 84 yrs ago. A grad of Princeton, class of 1881, he received his theological degree from Princeton Seminary and was ordained in the Presby minister in 1886. During this yr he married Anna S MCDOUGALL of York, PA. 25 YEARS IN MATTITUCK After early pastorates in Birmingham and East Downington, PA he was called to the Presbyterian church of Mattituck where he remained as minister from 1895 to 1913 and as teacher in his own private school for boys from 1913 to 1920. He returned to the ministry in 1920 as acting pastor of the Westfield NJ Presby ch and was called from there to the South Church of Montclair in 1922. Increasing deafness necessitated his retirement in 1927. WROTE MATTITUCK HISTORY He became known widely as teacher, historian and poet. An authority on LI history and genealogy, his History of Mattituck published in 1906 and Whittaker's Southold published in 1931 are standard reference sources today. Through his position as Stated Clerk of the LI Presby, which he held for 20 yrs, he became widely known throughout the comms of Eastern LI where he was a leader in church and civic affairs. In 1909 he was given his Doctor's degree by the Univ of Pittsburgh in recognition of his work. During his quarter of a century in Mattituck, Dr Craven was an influence in many fields. In the pulpit, he was profound, intelligent, sincere and deeply reverent, with an unaffected dignity that befitted his calling. In the Sunday School, he taught a Bible class of young men who now look back and remember the interesting discussions under his leadership and the social gatherings, parties, class sails and lively affairs that were carried out by the organization. Dr Craven had a keen sense of humor and the gift of putting into verse the story of many of the class adventures, copies of which are treasured by the participants. Other verses treated on the subject of Mattituck, the village he loved, but his especial writing talent was centered on historical matters. Dr Craven served on the Mattituck Board of Ed several yrs. He was a member of the draft board during WWI, an active member of the Mattituck FD during the early days of its org, of the former Board of Trade, Literary Society and took part in many other worthwhile projects giving unstintingly of his time and talents. Services were held at Grace Presby Ch, Montclair on Tues afternoon at 3 PM and at Mattituck Presby Ch Wed afternoon at 2PM, conducted by Rev Dr PE Radford, pastor. Burial was in [New] Bethany cem, Mattituck. Family links:  Parents:   Elijah Richardson Craven (1824 - 1908)  Spouse:   Anna S McDougall Craven (1863 - 1952)*  Children:   Virginia C Craven Lupton (1887 - 1978)*   Julia McDougall Craven Penny (1891 - 1983)*   James McDougall Craven (1894 - 1970)*  Sibling:   Charles Edmiston Craven (1860 - 1944)   Evelina Craven (1869 - 1960)*

Herrick's Camp - Whalebone Landing, circa 1927

Photo courtesy of Con Crowley, from a collection belonging to his grandfather, Captain Ed White, Jr., a copy of which is also available in the archives of the Southampton Historical Museum and Research Center.