“And help us to be true to the best that we know with hearts courageously hungry for the truth.”

Minneapolis Star | 2 January 1926

Minneapolis Star | 4 July 1941

Mrs. J Foster Terry SH to JH

January 1926

personal collection

Dear Jess:

I’m so glad you wrote me, and in the way you did, about Bill Foster’s going. In a cowardly way I had not written to his wife because I had not “lifted up mine eyes” and because I had been thinking in an all too human way only of the lonely, lonely way she must walk alone hereafter and the two babies she must lead and teach without his wise and loving help. I had written to his sister Maria because I knew what it meant to lose a well loved Brother and I knew where comfort lay.

Do you write to Mrs. Bill. You always had the gift of understanding sympathy. Their address is 304 Ontario St. SE, Minneapolis. I had a card at Xmas time with snapshots of the 2 little girls—one 3 ½ and one 8 months. Among other things it said “Bill is getting positively fat.” I had written them and told them we missed them last summer but that next summer they’d surely be here and we’d gather with the Jesse Halseys and have an old time reunion.

I understand he was take with pneumonia Xmas Eve and went to the hospital and daily the family here got telegrams of his condition. Pleurisy

--> set in and he died January 2^nd. Jo was teaching in the university too—I’m not sure what—psychology maybe too. One time she had charge of the correspondence courses they gave. She plans I hear to finish the year there. His body was not brought on—it was his wish that he be cremated and that to the family here was an added horror. His mother (so Mrs. Mourse Lafevre told me) is deeply religious and believed it for the best—only the cremation was a sort of sacrilege. (Personally I would not have been surprised had he willed his body to a hospital.) And unfortunately the cremation has given rise to some most unfounded conclusions. Cousin Amie Goodale in telling mother said, “But what could one expect for he did not believe in the resurrection.” I thought if that were neighborhood gossip you might through cousin Ida Fordham be able to slay it. No man who tho’t as deeply and thoroughly as he, could be unreligious. If his views were not all entirely orthodox, they were none the less sincerely religious and every one fought out with a fierce hatred for hypocrisy. Long ago he showed me a prayer he wrote. I learned it at the time and so to my regret did not write it down. Now I can recall but one line: “And help us to be true to the best that we know with hearts courageously hungry for the truth.”

If you have not written his family (in Water Mill) you might stress that religious side—for in your talk with him that evening here you found nothing but reverence I am sure.

I shall be glad to have your calendar—as you know.

Love from the Terrys to the Halseys,

Bess

P. S. I hope Helen is so pep-y and huskey that she is a regular gad-about. Did I tell you on the Xmas card of the twins we are waiting for in the spring? Little Pallas Napoleon and Cassandra Boneparte Fordham Terry, named for my great-great Aunts.

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49 No. Main | 1891

The Old Halsey House
April 23, 1891

"Grandfather, with his two brothers, had been apprenticed to a mason in New York City, where they built many of the buildings in Greenwich Village and on Canal Street. Some of these are still standing; one on Grove Street has the identical trim and fireplace and mantle as that in our Southampton house which grandfather acquired when business reverses in 1832 drove him back to the country. He bought a farm, with the help of an unpopular brother-in-law, and rebuilt an old house Cape Cod style. I am told (or was told) that my mother used to say that if she ever built a house, even though it was no bigger than a pepper box, it would have two stories. The ceilings were (and are) low, the doorways more so, and upstairs in only half of a room can one stand upright. Dormer windows have corrected this to some extent but added little to the exterior appearance of the house. Forty years ago I raised up the old lean-to kitchen and superimposed another storey with a gambrel roof so that the house is now half Dutch and half English—like historical-geographic Long Island itself." --Jesse Halsey

In 1891, the residents of 49 N. would have been: Charles, son Harry, daughter Abigail, and son Jesse Halsey--as Charles's wife, Melvina, had died about five years earlier. His eldest daughter, Lizbeth Halsey Post, was already married. In addition, Melvina's sister, Augusta Terry Halsey, and her daughter, Edna, became a de facto part of the household in 1889 after Wilman Halsey (Charles's brother and 'Aunt Gussie's' husband) died, although they continued to live across the street in the Halsey/Ruland/Honnet home. In addition, Harry married Ida Pettet at some point during these years. My best guess on this photos is that the child on the fence post is Jesse (age 10), the two men leaning on the fence on either side of him are his father Charles and his brother Harry, the woman in the center is likely Aunt Augusta, and the two younger women in the back, Lizbeth and Abigail (though one or the other might also be Edna or Ida).

Photo courtesy collection of Con Crowley.

The Last Will and Testament of Harry T. Halsey | October 31, 1903

On this 7^th day of October in the year 1903 . . .

The Petition of Ida P. Halsey of the town of Southampton in the County of Suffolk, N.Y., respectfully showeth that Harry T. Halsey of the town of Southampton in said County departed this life at his residence in said town of Southampton on or about the 30ths day of September 1903 leaving a last Will And Testament dated July 25, 1902, and a codicil there dated September 5, 1903, relating to both real and personal property and in which your petition is named as Executrix. That the said deceased left his surviving a widow your petitioner. Your petitioner further states the widow, all the heirs, all the next of kin of said deceased, testator, together with their residence and degree of relationship are as follows, to with:

Your petitioner: Ida P. Halsey, widow

Charles H. Halsey, father

Jesse Halsey, brother

Elizabeth White, sister

Abigail Halsey, sister

We Jesse Halsey, Charles H. Halsey, Elizabeth White, [Abigail F. Halsey in separate document from State of Pennsylvania, County of Montgomery] the undersigned, being full age, and heir and next of kin of Harry T. Halsey deceased, named in the petition herein do hereby appear in person and waive the issuance and service of a citation in the above entitled matter and consent that the last Will and Testament and codicil thereby of said Harry D. Halsey deceased bearing date July 24, 1902 and September 3, 1903 respectively be admitted to probate forthwith.

*

Be it Remembered, That on this 7^th day of November in the year one thousand nine hundred and three before Nathan O. Petty, Clerk of the Surrogate’s Court of said County, personally appeared Edward P. White who being by the said Clerk duly sworn and examined, says: I was well acquainted with Harry T. Halsey, deceased, bearing date the 25^th day of July in the year one thousand nine hundred and two; that such subscription was made by the said Testator in my presence and in the presence of Edward H. Foster and William R. Halsey the other subscribing witnesses that the said Testator at the same time declared the instrument so subscribed by him to be his Last Will and Testament—whereupon at the same time I and said Edward H. Foster and William R. Halsey signed our names at the end thereof, at the request of the said Testator and that the said Testator at the time of executing and publishing the said Last Will and Testament, was of full age, of sound mind and memory, and not under any restraint. ---Edward P. White

*

GENERAL INVENTORY

Money in Southold Savings Bank with int. to Sept. 30, 1903.      751.22

Note                                                                                                    150.00

In. on note                                                                                          12.95

(Possibly int.. will not be paid.)

One third interest in business of Halsey, White & Halsey

Real Estate                                                                                         4,000

Wagon                                                                                                            12

Stock on hand                                                                                    487.25

Money “ “                                                                                           21.00

Bills Receivable                                                                                  39.00

One half interest in business of Halsey & White

Business estimated at $5,000 about

--Ida P. Halsey, Executrix

Note: Included in business estimate of Halsey & White:

Stock on hand belonging to Halsey & White

Contents of business bldgs 745

Scales                                      50.00

½ int. in Water Mill Scales   50.00

Buildings for storing             200

Farming implements                        $135

Live Stock                               90

Appraisers:

S.B. Livingston Bowden

S.W. W. Seymour White

Harry T. Halsey | Obituary

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Sea-Side Times | Southampton, N. Y.

Thursday, October 1, 1903

 

A Man of Sterling Character and Christian Fortitude

Harry T. Halsey died at his home in this village at six o’clock yesterday morning after a long and wasting illness from which he has suffered for many years.

Harry Thomas Halsey was born in Southampton November 12, 1864. He was the eldest son of Charles Henry and Melvina Terry Halsey. He was named for his two grandfathers, Captain Harry Halsey, of Southampton, and Mr. Thomas Terry, of Terryville, near Port Jefferson.

Mr. Halsey was a young man of broad intelligence and sterling character. He was educated at the old Southampton Academy. At an early age he united with the Presbyterian Church and was later made a ruling elder being one of the youngest men ever chose to set in that capacity.

A dozen years ago he entered into a partnership with W. Seymour White under the firm name of Halsey and White to deal in farm produce, farmers’ supplies, and coal. The business is still in a flourishing condition.

Very soon after embarking in business Mr. Halsey was seized with an alarming affection of the lungs and went to Colorado in quest of health. He returned the following year but little benefited, but through the skill of physicians and extreme care on his part the progress of the disease was arrested.

He has spent several winters in the South, in Virginia, Georgia, or the Carolinas, daring to remain at home only during the summer. For more than ten years he has made a hard battle for life and for the last year or two has been in very terrible condition.

Last winter he lived near Thomasville, GA, and when he returned home his friends finally realized that it was his last winter S[?]. He was sick most of the time and confined to the house during the past summer and [?] past summers but was [?] when the expected end actually came.

The funeral service will be held his home tomorrow after at half past 1 o’clock.

On October 19, 1899, Mr. Halsey married Miss Ida D. Pettet, a favorite teacher at the new Southampton Union School. No children were born to them.

Besides a widow and his father, Mr. Halsey leaves [behind a brother, Jesse Halsey, and two sisters,] Miss Abigail Halsey [and Mrs. Edward P. White.]

Letter from Ida P. Halsey* | 1904

Dear Brother Jess,

When Harry and I were talking about the little gifts, he asked what I thought of them and I said that yours seemed rather small. You will remember that Harry left me the balance remaining after paying the little sums mentioned, and I told him that you ought to have it. He said, “Do you think so, I’m glad to hear you say that,” and he smiled so contentedly.

I have reserved $400 for expenses, the stone will probably cost from $225 to $250—the expenses, you know, were $184.60. The amount in bank including interest on September 30^th was $751.22. The legacies amount to $275, including your own $50, so that leaves you $126.22.

For your Christmas gift, I have wanted to give you Harry’s desk and desk chairs. I can hardly bring myself to part with them—so I give you the use of them until sometime when I might wish them—it is more than likely that they will always be yours.

With our best wishes for today and every day,

Lovingly,

Ida P.H.

*Ida Pettet Halsey was the widow of Jesse Halsey's older brother Harry. She later married Eli H. Fordham.