 |
Acton Memorial Library |
Civil War Records of Robert Wayne
Obituary and funeral notice for Robert Wayne
Maynard News, September 8, 1911
Robert Wayne, who died September 5th, after a long experience of ill health, was born near St. John, N.B., in December, 1842. In 1849 his father settled in Acton with his wife, four daughters and three sons. After being in Acton only a year, he died after a brief illness, leaving his widow and children dependent upon their own resources.
Robert was only eight years old when his father died, but as soon as possible began to care for himself, living for several years with Mr. Bullard in the old parsonage. Subsequently, he worked in Boxboro and when Captain Frank Whitcomb was raising a company to serve in the Union army for one hundred days enlisted under his command with his brother James, who was then only seventeen years of age. The company was mustered into service July 18, 1864, and discharged October 27th. During his service he contracted disease which no doubt clung to him all his life, though he was averse to applying for a pension, so long as he could work and reluctantly submitted to an examination for a pension only a few years ago, that simply in the interest of his family.
Here it should be noted that all the Wayne sons did service in the Union army; for not only did Robert and James serve their country as above stated, but the oldest brother John served in Captain Tuttle’s company and went through Baltimore, April 19, 1861, re-enlisted and continued to re-enlist until he was mustered out at the close of the war.
Mr. Wayne was a member of the Isaac Davis post and always interested in the welfare of its members.
After the war Mr. Wayne learned the carpenter’s trade and was always a very industrious and faithful artisan. He had the reputation of making his employees’ interest his own and some times was thought to carry this idea so far that he worked harder and longer than his remuneration required and to sacrifice his own health. It is thought by some who knew him well that if he had been more careful in these respects he would have suffered less and have lived longer. But when remonstrated with along these lines, his reply was “I work because I like to work.” In his delirium toward the last he thought himself engaged in the kind of work that engrossed his mind and taxed his strength all his life. He had the satisfaction of living to see all his father’s children more than ordinarily successful in life, his own children fitted to act well their part and his wife will provided for with reference to the possible exigencies of what remain of her life. |
Maynard News, August 15, 1911
|
The funeral of Robert Wayne was largely attended in the Congregational church last week Friday afternoon. It was in charge of Undertaker Page. Rev. E.C. Hayes read the scriptures and conducted the services of prayer. Mrs. Lizzie Taylor Eorbush sang “Over There,” and “In the Beautiful Isle of Somewhere” very effectively. Rev. F.P. Wood rendered the address. In the presence of a large number of Isaac Davis post, G.A.R., he was moved to pay a special tribute to the services of the Union soldiers, saying that any honors that it is possible to render them are not more than they deserve and though their departed comrade entered the service rather late, July 18, 1864, he probably enlisted as soon as his health would allow and at the darkest time in the whole war. As it was, he came home a physical wreck and if his younger brother, James, had not been with him to care for him, might have died in the service. The G.A.R. ritual was conducted at the grave and interment was in Woodlawn.