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George Foster Prentiss
b.1858-09-28; d.1916-11-03; Florence, MA, US; Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University, 1916-1917 (p.518)
(contributed by Scott Prentice on 2013-10-10)
Born September 28, 1858, in Windham, Vt.
Died November 3, 1916, in Florence, Mass.
George Foster Prentiss was the son of Asahel Omar and Hannah Silsbee (Johnson) Prentiss, and was born in Windham, Vt., September 20, 1858. Through his father, whose parents were Reuben Prentiss, Jr., and Roxana (Upham) Prentiss, he traced his descent to John Upham, who settled in Massachusetts in 1635 and whose son, Phineas, was a lieutenant in King Philip's War. His mother was the daughter of Cyrus and Hephzibah (Page) Johnson, and a descendant of Capt. Timothy Johnson, who came to America from Kent County, England, about 1670 and settled at Andover, Mass. He had at least three ancestors who served in the Revolution -- Jonathan Upham, Nathan Page, and Reuben Prentiss. An uncle fought in the Civil War.
He received his early education in the preparatory department of Oberlin College and at the Monson (Mass.) Academy. In 1880 he entered Amherst College, taking his B.A. there four years later. He was a student in the Yale School of Religion from 1884 to 1887.
Mr. Prentiss was ordained to the ministry of the Congregational Church at Bridgeport, Conn., in May of that year, and until December, 1893, served as pastor of the West End Church. His next charge was in Winsted, in that state, where he was located for four years. He closed his labors there in December, 1897, and the following month accepted a call to Davenport Church, New Haven. He served that church for eight years. From November, 1906 to September, 1907, he was pastor of the Congregational Church at Cambridge, N.Y. He went from there to Schenectady, N.Y., where he was pastor of the Jay Street Congregational Church for four years. About six months before he left Schenectady, this church united with the People's Church, forming the United People's Church, and of this latter organization Mr. Prentiss became associate pastor During 1910-11 he served as moderator of the Hudson River Association of Congregational Churches. His last charge was that of the Florence Church at Northampton, Mass., to which he had been called five years before his death.
Mr. Prentiss had unusual musical gifts, which proved of great value to him in his work. While pastor of Davenport Church, he served as president of the New Haven Oratorio Society, and in Schenectady he was president of the Philharmonic Choral Society and musical editor of the Citizen.
He died at his home in Florence, November 3, 1916, the direct cause of his death being anaemia, which came as the result of a nervous breakdown. Burial was in the Center Cemetery in his native town.
His marriage took place June 28, 1887, in Derby, Conn., to Sarah A, daughter of Lucius and Mary (Naramore) Gilbert. They had no children. Besides his wife, Mr. Prentiss is survived by his mother, two sisters, and a brother.
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