Wyer Groves Sargent Journals 1845-1900 (PEO.45)

Journals of
Wyer Groves Sargent
Sargentville, Maine
1845-1900

Transcribed by Ruth F. Sargent

Wyer was the son of Benjamin Choate (1/13/1785-10/27/1855) and Susanna Cole  (7/15/1786- 10/11/1865) Sargent.

He married 1. Martha Eaton with whom he had seven children.  They were Rodney Sargent b. 6/11/1837, Martha Sargent  b. 4/22/1839, Susan Sargent b. 5/7/1841 died Apr. 10, 1893, Henry Wyer Sargent b. 10/7/1843, Angenette b. 9/28/1846, Lois Imogene b. 2/2/1850 died 7/5/1850, Welland Fairbanks Sargent b. 2/10/1853.

He married 2. Betsey Eaton Dodge-no children

He married 3. Maria Dix Gower and their child was Addison Sargent

Wyer kept a meticulous daily journal ( 1845-1900) which is a historical treasure as it relates daily events including births, deaths, community events and business details. A hard copy of the journal is available in the Sargentville Library.

In Memoriam

Dea, Wyer G. Sargent, who passed to the higher life July 16, at the good old age of ninety years and twenty-two days, is and will be, greatly missed by all who knew him, especially by the First Baptist Church of Sedgwick, of which he was an honored and active member for sixty-six years.  He was deacon of the church twenty-four years.  Whenever the officers of the church met on any matter of business, all wanted to hear first of all what Dea. Sargent had to say.  His words were well thought over by pastor and deacons for they felt that his advice was safe.  He did not speak hastily, but saw all sides, then gave his opinion.  He was always interested in all good work, every work that seemed to him to be for the advancement of the Master’s kingdom.  He took great interest in the Christian Endeavor work, especially in that of the Sargentville society, as he was an active member for a long time.  The last two or three years of his life he was not able to go out much evenings, and whenever he was not able to attend the consecration meeting, he sent a verse. The members all listened to hear the verse from Dea. Sargent, for it was chosen with care.  Dea. Sargent’s place seemed to be naturally among the leaders, whether on the water, or in business, or the church work.  Whatever he undertook was after due consideration and then it was pressed with vigor.  His interest in church work did not end with his own church, but in all Christian work he prayed and gave to the end that his work might be fruitful.  Not only do his three sons and one daughter feel his loss, but the community and church feel it as well; and as we think and speak of him now, we can only rejoice that we had him with us so long and that he did his work so faithfully.  What is our loss is his great gain. E.S.D.

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Ruth Sargent, Transcriber of Wyer’s Journals

Ruth Francis Sargent, Wyer’s great granddaughter, was born in her home in Sargentville on November 17, 1896. Her dad Arthur (1870-1916), a merchant, and mother Grace M. Snow (1871-1952), a school teacher, were married in Bangor on October 15, 1894. Ruth died in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1999 and is buried in Sedgwick’s Rural Cemetery.

In her book, Sargentville, Lest We Forget, Abby Neese writes that Henry, Wyer’s son, had this lovely home named Meadow Reach built for his son Arthur who married Grace Snow. Arthur and Grace had three children, Ruth, Phillip and Edward.¹

In the 1950s Ruth began the work of transcribing Wyer’s extensive journals.  Fred Marston described how she would do the work in sections and then share each section with her extended Sargent family.

Wyer’s original handwritten manuscript was donated to, and is in the collection of, the Maine Historical Society.

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¹Neese, Abby Sargent, Sargentville, Lest We Forget, Lincoln County Publishing Co., Newcastle, ME., 1994, page 34.

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Journals of  Wyer Groves Sargent