We've had snow showers all day, but no real accumulation of snow to report. It remains cold and there's been wind whisking the snow off roof tops all day. A good day to find things to do inside.

The full obituary for our friend, Paul Manghi is available now. Go to:
Guare & Sons Funeral Home

We had a very nice time with the Rossi's last night. Diane is a really good cook and Bill is always fun. We think plans for Joe's Pond Associations end-of-year meeting are beginning to shape up, thanks to so many of you sending your ideas by way of the poll page (see home page of our web site, www.joespondvermont.com) If you have an idea and want to express it, there's your chance.

Today I came across some new information on Rev. Levi Huntoon Stone, who was born in Cabot in 1806. He never went to college, but studied theology, and around 1835 became a Congregational minister. He preached in Cabot, Glover, Waitsfield, Northfield, and Pawlett. In 1849 he received an honorary degree of A.M. from Middlebury College and served as chaplin in the Vermont state senate, then served in the Civil War for about four months in 1861 as chaplain of the First Vermont Volunteers. He died in Castleton, Vt. in 1892 at age 85, but during his lifetime he was married no less than five times, fathered at least 14 children, if the information is correct. He married first, in 1829 Clarissa Osgood, of Cabot, with whom he had eight children before she died in 1843. His second marriage was in 1844 to Lydia Fuller, of Hardwick, who died in childbirth about a year later, as did the child. He married in 1847, third wife, Lydia Duncan, who was a cousin of his second wife, and they had two children. She died in 1852. He then married in 1854 Lucy Leighton Holbrook in Glover; she died in 1907. There were three children from this marriage. Last, he married Adeline French of Franklin, VT, but I found no date of the marriage or when she died; no children of this marriage.

Rev. Stone was apparently eloquent and much respected as a preacher. Life was exceptionally difficult in those days, and large families were common. Also common were multiple marriages. A man needed a woman to care for his children; and if widowed, a woman would often marry again as soon as possible as a matter of survival, especially if she had children.

The Stone family in Cabot was a very large one, and we frequently have inquiries about them. Levi came from a family of 10 children. There is a large monument in Durant Cemetery in Lower Cabot with information about the family.