Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

On April 14, 1881, Mr. Holmes married Miss Agnes T. Trumpbour, by whom he has had three children: Everett and Leslie, who are at home; and Gerald, who died July 28, 1888, when but five days old. Mrs. Holmes is a native of EUen- ville, Ulster Co., N. Y. , and a daughter of John C. and Julia (Collins) Trumpbour, in their day well-known residents of that town. Mr. Trump- bour, who was engaged in a very successful bakery business, died at Stamford, Conn., June 22, 1899, at the age of sixty-four years. Her family is noted for patriotism, her paternal grandfather and great-grandfather having served in the Revolutionary army, the latter having been aide to George Washington, while her father was a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war. Her great-grandfather Craw- ford (on her grandmother's side) was ttie oldest Methodist minister in the New York Conference when he died at the age of ninety-one years. JWOOLSEY SELLECK, whose sudden death on Saturday, January 8, 1898, is still fresh in* the minds of the citizens of Stam- ford, was a prominent man in the locality in which he lived, and a native and lifelong resident of the town of Stamford. He was born February 22, 1840, in the house now occupied by David Bonner, and was the son of Joseph Selleck, who was in his day a well-known farmer of Stamford township. Joseph Selleck, the grandfather of the subject of this memoir, was born in the town of Stam- ford February 14, 1759, and lived to a very ad- vanced age, dying March 16, 1846. On Decem- ber 31, 1786, he married Miss Phebe Clock, who was a native of Darien, Conn., born November 17, 1 77 1, and they became the parents of six children, namely: Polly (who married James Bell), John, Jesse, Hannah, Joseph and Isaac. During the war of 181 2 he enlisted in the army, and served as teamster. Joseph Selleck, son of the above, was born in 1802 in the town of Stamford, in a house which then faced on Selleck street. He passed his entire life in his native place, where he en- gaged in farming, and, like his father, he also owned vessel interests. He married Emily F. Scofield, daughter of Richard Scofield, and their union was blessed with seven children — Emily COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 319 Frances, the widow of Harvey Iloyt; Pht'be C. (deceased), wlio married Gideon C. Ferris; Hen- ry R.. livinf^ in West avenue, Stamford; J. Wooi- sey; Isaac; Harvey, who was killed by lightning;; and Annie. Joseph was an active memlx.-r nl the Connecticut Slate militia, in wliiih he hel I the rank of captain. He was a Republican in politics. J. Woolsey Selleck attended the public schools of the town of his biith, aiul was reared to ai;"ri- cultural pursuits, which he followed all his iifi', also engaging in the market business, in C)li\i r street, from 1869 to 1S75. His career was a splendid example of a life of industry and ener- getic purpose, for he r(jse by his own exertion-; to a position of alUnence and inlluence, and maih: an enviable name for uprightness and honesty (<f character wherever he was known. His pleas- ant manners and kindly disposition won for him friends on all sides, and his generosity to tlie poor and unfortunate, though quietly exercised, made him their special friend, for he was never known to refuse aid if deserved. Mr. Sellerk was an ardent Deniocrat, always reaily and will- ing to do all in his power for the welfare of the party, in which he was a local power. Public affairs in his neighborhood received a considera- ble share of his time and attention, especially during the later years of his life; and being an energetic and efficient worker, and a man worthy the confidence of his fellovvmen, he became veiy popular in the ranks of Stamford's politicians. In 1885 he was elected selectman, and so well did he fulfill the expectations of his constituency that he was re-elected annually for the live slu:- ceeding years, during which time he discharged the duties of the incumbency with ability and faithfulness, never allowing outside influences or personal feelings to tiraw him aside from the path of duty. His straightforwardness and in- tegrity were never questioned. Mr. Selleck was married in Khnira, N. Y. , to Miss Helen M. St. John, daughter of Hiram St. John, and by her had four children, viz.: Emma Frances, Joseph Milton, Walter and Clara Helen. The daughters are both now ileceased; Milton is employed in the St. John Wood Working Com- pany; he married Mary E. Williams. In 1868 Mr. Selleck erected the residence occupied by his widow, and which stands just east of the house in which he was born. Mr. Selleck's decease, on the night of January S, 189S, v\asa shoi l- to the entire commufiity. Early in the evening he went to spend a few social hours with I)(\iitt lietts. a neighbor, and started fur hume alimit li 11 o'clock. At 6 o'clock Suiul.iy nioruing Mrs. ^•^:l- leck, unable to account for her husbantl's con- tinued absence, sent an employe to Mr. Betts' to ask whether he had spent the night with his friends, and on his way through the fields Mr. Smith discovered the dead body of his employer. Hurrying back to the house with the news, the f unily nntifnid Medical Examiner Rowell, who responded (]uickly and rendered a verdict of death from apoplexy. The body was removed to the house, not many yards liistant, as soon as Dr. Rowirll gave permission, and on Wednesday, January 12, was laid to rest in Woodland Cem- etery Stamford. The funeral was largely at- tended by peoi^le in all ranks of life. Mr. Sel- leck was deeply mourned by his wide circle of friends and acquaintances throughout the \'icin- ity, who realized that in his lieath Sta[nford lost one of her best citizens. Mr. Selleck was a great lover of sport, and was an experienced hunter, having spent many weeks in the enjoyment of that pastime in Canada. BEV. THEODORE L. DIBBLE, now living retired in the town of New Canaan, I-'airfield county, is a native of Westchester county, N. Y., born July 8, 1836, in Pound Ritfge. He is of English descent, his great-grandfather having been one of four brothers who came from Eng- land and settled in this country. Simeon Dibble, grandfather of our subject, a farmer in Westchester county, N. Y. , died in 1876, aged eighty-four jears. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. He married Mary Brown, and to this union were born one son and three daughters. The father svas a worthy member of the Bedford M. E. Church. Jonathan Dibble, son of Simeon and Mary (Brown) Dibble, was born at Pound Ridge, N. Y., and was reared in that place. In early manhood he went from the home farii) to New York City, where he followed the trade of locksmith for a number of years. He married Mary M. Cogg- shall, a native of Pound Ridge, and they had five children: Theodore L. ; Samuel, who is now a resident of Stamford, Conn.; George B., of Jer- sey City; and Frank B. and Annette A., both de- ceased. The father passed from earth in 1855, a devout, lifelong member of the M. E. Church. Theodore f.,. Dibble in his youth lived in New York City, and was given a iiood education in the elementary branches, atteiuiing tlu; public schools and also a private school. l'"or s;;ven \ears he was employed "n mercantile Inisiness, after which he resumed study at Bedford, N. Y. In 1858 he commenred teaching at Poimd Ividge, continuing to follow that profession for six and one-half years, until, in the spring of 1864, he en- 820 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. tered the ministry of the M. P. Church. He \vas first (jrdahicd deacon March 12, 1865, and in 186S was ordained elder, this time in Brooklyn, N. Y., in Grand street. His first pastorate was at Frankiinton, Schoharie Co., N. Y., where he remained ihiring 1S64-65, and following that, in 1866-67-68, he was at Eastport, N. Y. In 1869-70 he was pastor of the Church in Graham avenue, Brooklyn. Next year he was transferred to the Iowa Conference, in 1871-72 having a Chinch at Fairview, Iowa, and in 1873 at Green I5ay, that Slate. From this time until 1879 he was in the Muskingum (Ohio) Conference, having charge of a Church at Mt. Vernon, in 1875; Mt. Pleasant, 1S76-77; Zanesville, 1S77; Newcom- erstown, 1878. In 1879 he was appointed to the Church at Silver Mine, Fairfield Co., Conn., in the New York Conference, and here he continued for about three years, at the end of which time he was made pastor of the Church at Vista, N. Y. , where he continued for five years. After that he was located at Silver Mine for another year, and on April 1, 1889, he received a call from the Rensselacrx'ille (N. Y.) Baptist Church, which he accepted, being regularly installed as pastor of that congregation on June 5, 1889. His service in that covered a period of two years, after which he returned to Silver Mine, and passed the re- maining years of his ministry acting as pastor of the New Canaan Baptist Church from Januar}', 1S92, to January, 1896. Rev. Mr. Dibble was in active service in the Church for thirtj'-two years, and has all his days been a devoted servant of the Master, in his private life and intercourse with his fellow men striving to live up to those principles of faith and duty which he upheld in the pulpit. He is beloved and esteemed by all who know him, especially in the neighborhood where he is spending the days of his retirement, and where by years of service he has endeared hiinself to many and made hosts of warm friends. Our subject was married, in 1861, at Pound Ridge, to Miss Mary M. Schofield, daughter of James Schofield, and they have one daughter, Fannie J., who is a source of comfort to them in their declining years. iON. CHARLES H. PECK. Occasionally one meets a man whose abilities and force of character have enabled him to make such good use of meagre opportunities for mental develop- ment, that one queries what he might have be- come had he cni(jyed a more favorable training in his youth. The subject of this sketch, a well- known agriculturist of Newtown township, re- ceived in his youth an academic education only,