HomeMy WebLinkAboutSexton, Myron AugustinMYRON AUGUSTIN SEXTON
Myron A. Sexton was born July 1819 in Madison County, New York to Augustin and Hannah
Sexton.
By 1850, he and his wife Hannah (Harvey) Sexton and daughter Evaline “Lina” (b. Feb. 1848)
were living in Enfield on his farm. Son Joseph was born June 1857. Between 1860 and 1865,
Myron and his family moved from the Town of Enfield to the Town of Ithaca where he had
purchased a 100-acre in Section 56 on the northside of the intersection of Mecklenburg Road
and Westhaven Road.
In 1875, the New York Census recorded Myron, Hannah and son Joseph being joined by
daughter “Lina” and her family—husband Noah Dimmick Keator and their 10-month-old
daughter Emma Louise.
The winter of 1879-1880 was a disaster for Myron Sexton’s family. Beginning on January 4th,
1880, son Joseph died at 23 years of age. Later that month, daughter “Lina” died on the 30th
not quite 33 years of age. Five days later, granddaughter Emma Louise died at the age of 5
years. Three days after Emma died, Myron’s wife Hannah succumbed on February 7th at age 58.
The Ithaca Journal on February 7th carried this article:
“Mrs. Myron Sexton died this afternoon, making the fourth person of her family who
have fallen victim to the terrible disease that has scourged the Sexton household, the first being
Joseph, the next Mrs. Keator [“Lina”] then the little daughter [Emma], and now the aged
grandmother.
Mr. Keator has gone east in hope of warding off the fever. Mrs. Sexton’s funeral is
announced among the regular obituary notices.”
Noah Keator died six months later August 3rd at age 42. Only Myron survived this disaster which
was reported either as Typhoid Fever or Malarial Fever. Water samples from the family well
were taken and analyzed by Cornell University which found “poisons in the water”. (See the
attached record of Ithaca Journal news items regarding this incident.)
Myron survived and later remarried to Jane (Parmalee) Slawson and moved to her residence in
Knowsville, Orleans County, New York where he died March 8, 1901 at the age of 80 years. His
remains were returned to Ithaca to be buried with members of his family at Ithaca City
Cemetery.
Sexton-Keator Monument
Ithaca City Cemetery
Myron Augustin Sexton (1819-1901)
Hannah (Harvey) Sexton (1821-1880)
Joseph Harvey Sexton (1857-1880)
Eveline “Lina” (Sexton) Keator (1848-1880)
Noah Dimmick Keator (1838-1880)
Emma Louise Keator (1874-1880)