died aged 100y 7m 3ds; widowed; farmer; exhaustion, senile gangrene; informant Mrs Jane Oliver, Agawam

one of six children
son of Robert Ely & Jemina (Leonard) Ely

grandfather was Benjamin Ely
of Revolutionary War at Bunker Hill

m. Martha Amelia Avery in 1835
Martha b. c.1816
She was born 8 Apr 1816 Coventry, Conn.
dau of Amos Avery III (1783-1863) and
Marcia (White) Avery (1780-1837)
Martha d. 6 Aug 1857 at Agawam, Mass.
paternal grandparents were
Amos Avery Jr & Abigail (Loomis) Avery

children:
i. Julia b. c.1839 d. 02 Feb 1901 m. Charles Goodell
ii. Martha b. 25 May 1840 d. 05 Apr 1918 m. William H Herrick
iii. Jane b. c.1841 d. 20 Nov 1930 m. Hiram Oliver
iv. Marcia E b. 8 April 1843 d. 04 Sep 1917 m. William H. Stevens & Edwin C Smith
v. Elizabeth b. 20 Mar 1845 m. Antoine Larock
vi. Louiza b. c.1847
vii. Lucretia Amelia b. July 1848 d. 07 Jun 1915 m. Eugene Baldi
viii. son b. 31 Jul 1849
ix. Robert Ely Jr. b. c.1851
x. Harriet Orrie b. 19 Aug 1854 d. 18 Sep 1920 m. Arthur Trudeau
xi. Lucius b. 01 May 1856 d. 15 Apr 1864
[according to papers, Robert had 12 children; according to obit of dau Marcia, she was one of 10 children]

TO CELEBRATE 100TH BIRTHDAY
LONG LIFE OF ROBERT ELY
[excerpts of an extensive article with photo] still hale and hearty in spite of his advanced age; finely preserved old man; lives at south end of the Agawam bridge in a house he built himself 60 years ago; born in "Ireland Parish" then of West Springfield [later Holyoke]; attended school on "Sand Hill"; was a teacher in Agawam, Glastonbury, Ct. and Seneca, N.Y.; became a farmer on father's farm; was a surveyor and was proud of part he played in Enfield dam; was a musician; remembered the war of 1812, had artifacts and stories of Revolutionary War; remembered the building of the bridges in Agawam; was a stanch democrat, voted last for Roosevelt and voted in every election since coming of age until aged 98; active in the town affairs of Agawam; over 50 of his children, grandchildren, and other relatives were expected to attend the celebration
[published Sunday, June 2, 1907 in The Springfield Republican, also covered Tuesday, June 4, 1907 in The Boston Herald and details about the event appeared Tuesday, June 4, 1907 in The Springfield Republican]

FUNERAL OF CENTENARIAN
Impressive Services Over the Body of Robert Ely at His Home in Agawam
The funeral of Robert Ely was held Thursday afternoon at his late home on North Main street in Agawam. Four generations of the Ely family were present, with neighbors and friends, most of whom were also present at Mr Ely's 100th birthday anniversary last June. The face, touched with the majesty of death, was smooth and fair; the five-score years of earthly life seemed to have beautified, rather than marred it, and those who looked at the quiet sleeper felt that the century had gathered home one of its own as the autumn leaf in its rich beauty flutters to its rest at the bosom of mother earth. The coffin was covered with beautiful flowers, among which was a large collection of calla lilies with their green leaves and soft ferns. Rev. E. B. Dolan officiated, offering prayer and reading appropriate passages of scripture; speaking of the lessons that come from a long and useful life and of the joy which awaits all who trust in Christ when this life with all its limitations passes away, and one enters upon that broader, higher life which has no ending. Mr Dolan also read a rare poem of peculiar appropriateness. The burial was in North cemetery where Mr. Ely's kindred rest. In the words of the Bible record of the ancient fathers we record, "He was gathered unto his people," and the promise was vertified, "Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age."
[published Friday, January 10, 1908 in The Springfield Republican]

Robert's last will is avail on ancestry.com. He names the following individuals:
to his son Robert E. Ely Jr., daughter Martha Herrick of West Springfield, and daughter Jane Oliver of Agawam were all to receive the sum of one dollar ($1) each
daughter Elizabeth E. Larock of Worcester, Mass., daughter Amelia L. Baldi of Quincy, Mass. and Harriet Orra Trudea of West Springfield, Mass. the sum of twenty five ($25) each.
all the rest and residue was to daughter Marcia E. Stevens of Agawam, Mass. who was also named executor

LAWYER ADAMS TESTIFIES
Says Late Robert Ely Was Not of Sound Mind at Time of Making Will - Case May Go To Jury To-Day
[summary] Suit was filed by children Robert Ely Jr and Jane Oliver to set aside his will, generated in 1906, which left each of them $1 (one dollar). The bulk of his estate was left to the executrix, his daughter, Mrs. Marcia Stevens. Lawyer Scott Adams, a business associate of the late Mr Ely and the attorney who Mr Ely had called in 1906 to draw up the will, was called to testify on Wednesday, November 4th. Among other things "he went into considerable detail," Mr. Adams testified that Mr Ely's mental capacity "was not such to make him capable of drawing the will." The case was continued to the Thursday morning
[published Thursday, November 5, 1908 in The Springfield Republican]

WILL GO TO THE JURY TO-DAY
IMPORTANT WITNESSES TESTIFY
E.H.Lathrop and Mrs. Marcia Stevens, the Executrix, on Stand in Ely Will Case
[summary] The case will go to the jury this day after a four day trial. Case was heard in superior court before Judge H. A. King. Lawyer E. H. Lathrop drew the contested will which was drawn June 22, 1907 and the second will made by Mr Ely. Mr. Lathrop states he drew up the will based on what Mrs. Stevens told him her father wanted, then he went to see Mr. Ely who "assented to all the clauses," but a legal heir was left out of the will and due to this technicality, another will was created. Mr Lathrop reviewed all clauses of the second will with Mr Ely who gave his approval. According to Mr Lathrop Mr Ely was in charge of his faculties. Daughter Marcia testified she had been living in Agawam with her father since 1872, when she became a widow, doing housekeeping for her father until his death. She testified that her brother, Robert Jr., who ran the farm, did not provide a fair share of the farm's produce to her or her father. She said there were times when they did not have enough to eat in the house. She stated her father had no money and at least three times in the last 10 years he did not have enough funds to pay the taxes. She stated her brother quarreled with her father and told her father, "Take your farm and go to hell with it."
Judge King was to charge the jury the morning of November 6th.
[published Friday, November 6, 1908 in The Springfield Republican]

ELY WILL BROKEN
Centenarian of Agawam Found to Have Been of Unsound Mind
Springfield, Nov 6 - The first will which has been broken in Hampden County in 23 years was that of Robert Ely, the centenarian of Agawam, who was found today by a jury in superior court to have been of unsound mind when he made the document.
Mr Ely had just passed his 100th birthday when he executed his will and he died a few months later. By the will he cut off his son and two of his daughters with $1 each and gave his farm in Agawam to another daughter, Mrs Marcia Stevens. The property consists of 169? acres of valuable farming land, and this will now be divided equally between the testator's six children.
The jury was not required to decide whether or not undue influence was exerted.
[published Saturday, November 7, 1908 in The Boston Herald]

[thanks for assist from FAG contributor 47024642 from from Groton Avery Clan, p.845 and p.1186]