Barton Gardiner, son of Phineas and Thankful Gardiner Stillman, was born in Hopkinton, R. I., July 2, 1814. He was one of a large family of children, and early learned from his noble and devoted mother, the joy and the blessing of each helping the other. At the early age of twelve he went out to work and conscientiously brought home his earnings to his parents, to make the family more comfortable and independent.
When sixteen years old he felt a deep conviction of sin and experienced the joy of pardoning grace and then a deep desire to make a public profession of religion. Taking a change of clothing he walked several miles to the Old Hopkinton church, and all alone, and unexpected, offered himself for baptism and church membership. Elder Matthew Stillman baptized him and he immediately entered into active Christian service.
His sense of personal duty, so common in New England among the Puritans, guided him in life and made him esteem it a joy and a privilege to sacrifice in order to carry out his deepest convictions. This made him a devout Seventh-day Baptist, a thorough temperance man and an ardent reformer even to helping the runaway slaves on the under-ground railroad.
At an early age he learned the trade of harness-making of Joseph Spicer, and later opened a shop at New London, Conn., and attended church at Waterford, walking on Sabbath mornings the five miles to church. Here he proposed, what was then new to them, that they have a Sabbath-school, and he was elected superintendent. He always expressed a feeling of joy that Rev. L. C. Rogers was one of his Sabbath-school scholars.
His constant industry and economy enabled him to lay up several hundred dollars, and he began to think about getting him a home. To this end he visited DeRuyter and finally decided to locate there and carry on his business. In 1837 he opened a shop in DeRuyter village and in two years had enough to build, end entirely pay for, the large and commodious house he has since made his home.
On Nov. 19, 1839, he was happily married to Miss Sophronia H., daughter of Matthew and Welthea Wells, and soon after entered the house prepared with so much care for their home. In this home were born six children, Welcome E., who died in 1890; S. Marie (Mrs. T. R. Williams); Barton G., Jr., editor of the Brookfield Courier; Phineas M., of Phoenix, N. Y.; George A., who follows his father's trade in DeRuyter, and Celia E. (Mrs. W. H. Cossum) of Chicago, Ill.
DeRuyter in 1839 was a center of life and power. The DeRuyter Institute was growing rapidly and receiving a wide patronage, several manufacturing industries were carried on, two lines of stages East and West and one North brought passengers and goods, and about a dozen stores did a thriving business. In these business, educational and church interests Barton G. Stillman took an active and worthy part. He was trustee and president of DeRuyter Institute, active in church and society work, and a leader in the temperance and abolition movements.
But his house was the center of life and helpfulness, where the students loved to come and most of our older ministers and leaders found a welcome under his hospitable roof. That home founded on the Bible and the family altar has been a blessing to hundreds and perhaps thousands. His faithful and noble wife passed away four years ago, while his older daughter, Mrs. Williams, kindly cared for both parents in their declining years.
As old age came on, those early traits of New England Puritanism mellowed wonderfully, and he seemed like a shock of corn fully ripe for the harvest. He passed peacefully away Feb. 24, 1904, in his ninetieth year. The funeral services were held on Sabbath morning in the church he loved so well, and the sermon preached by the pastor from Prov. 16: 31. His body was laid to rest in the cemetery nearby, by the side of his beloved wife. L. R. S.
