Person:Phillis Jeffries (1)

Dayton Daily Journal April 3, 1905 v. 42, iss. 214 : pg. 10, col. 3

EGYPTIANS Will Conduct Sacred Rites of the Tribe OVER THE BODY OF MRS. PHILLIS JEFFRIES Which Was Shipped Here From Mississippi Last Fall and Has Been Lying in Vault Since That Time. With all the weird ceremonies and sacred rites of the tribe the body of Mrs. Phillis Jeffries will be interred in Woodland cemetery this afternoon by former tribesmen and women of the band of gypsies of which she has been a leader. A strange circumstance surrounds the burial of the woman, for at this late period it was thought essential to consign her material remains to the elements from which they came. Mrs. Jeffries died several months ago in far away Mississippi, her body being sent to this city in the fall. The body, instead of being given immediate burial, was deposited in a vault at Woodland cemetery and there allowed to remain until the present, probably through the dicates of custom not made obsolete by the ravages of time and progress. The earthly remains of the woman will be tenderly consigned to a grave and the ceremonies, interesting in the extreme, will be conducted by Egyptians representing several tribes. There will be an influx of the nomads, many coming here from Cincinnati and other towns throughout the state, while the various camps will also be liberally represented. Mrs. Jeffries, who was 80, was regarded as a remarkable woman. She was the wife of Henry Jeffries. She was one of the oldest gypsies in the United States and this circumstance will of itself be sufficient to bring many of the tribe here to attend the formal obsequies. The deceased was a member of the tribe to which Levi Stanley belongs. The latter is a relative of King Stanley, formerly of this city. Levi Stanley is said to be the oldest gypsy in the United States, being 90 years of age.

Dayton Daily Journal April 4, 1905 v. 42, iss. 215 : pg. 10, col. 3 Obsequies Of Venerable Egyptian, Mrs. Jeffries, Postponed. The obsequies of Mrs. Phillis Jeffries, the aged gypsy, will be held this afternoon at Woodland Cemetery, where the remains have been enclosed in a vault for several months. The burial was to have been made yesterday, but certain circumstances developed to make necessary postponement until today. The services will begin promptly at 1:30. Many gypsies from all parts of the state will be in attendance and owing to the exceptional interest attending such services, many other spectators will attend.

Dayton Daily Journal April 5, 1905 v. 42, iss. 216 : pg. 6, col. 5 SIMPLE Were the Services Attending Funeral OF MRS. JEFFRIES, VENERABLE EGYPTIAN Who Was One Among the Last of a Race That is Rapidly Becoming Extinct - Rev. Berger Officiates. "May the blessings of God descend upon you and your generation and bring comfort to you in this hour of afflictin when you mourn the loss of her who was to you a mother, sister and friend, and may He grant unto you life everlasting, through the blood of Jesus, for the sake of His Son. Amen." With these comforting words of distinct Christian spirit and with simple service the body of Mrs. Phillis Jeffries, hardy leader of a stalwart clan, and among the last of a race that is fast disappearing from among the ethnic peculiarities of the world, was gently consigned to the grave yesterday afternoon at Woodland cemetery on a plot of ground where sleep fathers and mothers that had gone before, and other kith and kin of the famous Stanley, king of the gypsies, and Queen Matilda. A bit of printed paper attached to the box in which was contained the casket announced that the deceased was Mrs. Phillis Jeffries, 70, the wife of Henry Jeffries, and that she had died at Arkansas City, Ark., October 3, 1904. Death was attributed to senile heart failure. Her husband had preceded her in death and their bodies now lie side by side in the graveyard with a beautiful marble shaft to mark the spot and tell the casual observer that not only two human beings, but an entire people has passed the way to extinction and the pretty marble but coldly points to the inevitable way that calls men and races alike. The body of Mrs. Jeffries was sent to Dayton immediately after death and deposited in the public vault at Woodland. There were no services at the time and nothing announced the departure of a soul beyond the inscription on the casket, "At Rest." Yesterday afternoon the body was interred. At 1:30 four carriages enterred Woodland. These contained 30 gypsies, surviving members of the famous Stanley tribe, several relatives of the dead woman and friends, a few coming from far away Arkansas, the remainder coming from Hamilton county. Another carriage entered the burial grounds and this contained Mr. S. E. Kumler and Rev. D. D. Berger, who conducted the obsequies. Rev. Berger has by some strange operation of nature officiated at every gypsy funeral held hereabouts for the past 30 years and to these innocent yet hardy tribemen his name is a benison. The cortege, joined by a hearse, awaited the reception of the casket at the vault and then proceeded to the newly dug grave. Here all was serene, save for the sobbing of the women, the chief mourners, which was itself the requiem. Many interested spectators stood by. Rev. Berger, after the casket, had been deposited in the grave, selected a text from the Revelations of St. John and then briefly testified to the uncertainties of life, the hope of the future, and the resurrection. He touchingly related the fact that 30 years ago he had officiated at the first gypsy funeral held in this section of the state and that the deceased was a little tot, a son of the woman over whose bier he then stood. He recounted the deaths that had weakened the ranks of the Stanley tribe, of these there having been about 30 in as many years, and then he offered prayer. Mr. Kumler then sang We Shall Meet Bye and Bye and Rev. Berger closed the service with a benediction as above indicated. The funeral, in charge of Berk, Fry, & Co., undertakers, was the personification of simplicity. The mourners returned to the city and left at once for the respective camps. Among the mourners there were Mrs. Molly Jeffries Harris, daughter of the deceased; William Jeffries, a son; Georgie, wife of Tom Pierson, one of the few surviving members of the Stanley tribe.

Dayton Daily Journal April 6, 1905 v. 42, iss. 217 : pg. 8, col. 2 Deaths Christiana Klous, 9 months, 1820 Dakota; infant WIlson, 1 month, 503 Homestead avenue; A. B. Levy, 54, city; Lola Himes, 1 day, 55 Linden avenue; Blanche Kibler, 25, 122 Xenia avenue; infant Schmeiser, 502 North Main; Phillis Jeffries, 70, Arkansas City, Ark.; Ellen Carry, 66, St. Elizabeth hospital.

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1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} New York City, New York, United States. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, 1820-97. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M237).

   Name: Phillis Jeffs
   Arrival Date: 14 Nov 1856
   Birth Date: abt 1836
   Age: 20
   Gender: Female
   Ethnicity/ Nationality: British (English)
   Place of Origin: Great Britain
   Port of Departure: Glasgow, Scotland
   Destination: United States of America
   Port of Arrival: New York, New York
   Ship Name: Osprey
   
   
   
   
   Source Citation: Year: 1856; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237; Microfilm Roll: 168; Line: 19; List Number: 1183.