This is a hard one for me because to me lighting candles is a religious thing and then I started thinking about events where there might be candles, birthdays and maybe anniversaries.

I was on the NYS Historical Newspaper website and was searching for a specific article about a 50th anniversary party which of course since I was looking for it couldn’t find. When I stumbled across this article about my Great Grandmother Minerva Beardsley Weatherwax.

This blurb appeared in the Plattsburgh Press Republican in July 1901. It had to be devasting to lose the barn. I found a slightly different account in the Plattsburgh Sentinel on August 2, 1901.

I would say the only good thing about this fire is their house escaped and with the exception of My Great Grandmother Minerva, no one was home.

I have discovered in my research that this was not the only fire in my family. I will say I don’t recall ever hearing about this fire which either I wasn’t listening when my Great Uncle Leslie spoke or my grandfather never mentioned it, as he wasn’t born yet.

I don’t generally feel bad for my great grandmother Minerva as from all accounts she was not a nice woman but this helps me understand her a little more and feel a bit of compassion.