IN MEMORIAM 



Just previous to the going to press of this report the wires flashed 

 the news of the death of Institute Conductor Fred E. Gott. There- 

 fore, I hasten to record therein this tribute. 



Mr. Gott was bom October 13, 1851, at Beach wood Farm, 

 Spencerport, Monroe County, where his grandfather settled early 

 in the nineteenth century, when western Xew York was a new 

 country. Something over a year ago Mr. Gott was offered an 

 attractive price for this farm and, although he had no sons to 

 succeed him and was beginning to experience the heart trouble 

 which proved fatal, he refused the offer and chose to die where he 

 had lived and labored. Here his life was spent. He drained the 

 fields which were unproductive and thus increased their yield 

 manyfold, and planted orchards. All this he did while burdened 

 with debt; but lived to see his outlay justified and to enjoy the 

 fruits of his labors. 



He was educated at Spencerport public schools, Parma Insti- 

 tute and Brockport Normal. 



For thirteen years he was justice of the peace. In 1891 he was 

 elected supervisor of the town of Ogden and held the office seven 

 years. In 1892 he was a delegate to the ISTational Republican 

 Convention at Minneapolis. In the fall of 1896 he was elected to 

 represent his district in the Assembly. He was a member of the 

 Grange, also of Etolian Lodge, 'No. 479, F. & A. ]\I. For over 

 thirtv years he has been a member of the First C^ongregational 

 Church at Spencerport and was at one time superintendent of the 



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