1892-01-24 Death: Clara Voorhees · New Jersey Slavery Records

Identifier

NJS-EVE-01060

Source

Obituary of Clara Voorhees in the New York Times

Obituary of Clara Voorhees in the Princeton Press

"PRINCETON'S COLORED COOK DEAD," New York Times, January 26, 1892.

Obituary of Clara Voorhees, Princeton Press, January 26, 1892.

Event Description

On January 24th, 1892, a Black woman named Clara Voorhees died in Princeton. She was a long-time Princeton resident and was aged between 96 and 98 years, according to information provided in two obituaries. She had been born in slavery and was freed at the age of 25.

The following is a transcript of the obituary published in the New York Times on January 26, 1892:

"PRINCETON’S COLORED COOK DEAD.
PRINCETON, N.J., Jan. 25.—“Aunt” Clara Voorhees, the oldest colored woman in this part of the State of New-Jersey, died yesterday in her ninety-seventh year. She was known by every graduate of Princeton College for her last sixty years. Here she had lived all her life, and from the time of President Carnahan she had always cooked the big dinners on all the big days of the college. Her name was known far and wide."

The following is a transcript of the obituary published in the Princeton Press newspaper on January 26, 1892:

"Clara Voorhees died at her residence on Witherspoon street this week, at a very advanced age. From a record in her own Bible, she was born May 10th, 1793. While the notice in the column of deaths gives her age as 96, it is thought by some that she was even older. She was born near Scott's Corner and was raised by Matthew Rue, a great-grandfather of Mr. Geo. II. Dey of this place. She was one of a pair of twins, Flora Stryker, who died in 1882, being a twin sister. Both women were of excellent character, and were highly respected. In 1806 Mr. Rue sold the two likely colored girls to John Joline, who was said to have wanted but one, Flora, who was large and stout, but their owner would not part them, and so "Lord" Joline bought the time of both, paying $350 for Flora and $150 for Clara, the subject of this sketch. They were to become free on reaching the age of twenty-five. A this time they were said to be seventeen years old. Work at the hotel (the Nassau) proved to be too hard for Clara, and about a year later she went to service with Joseph Bullock, on the present John F Phillips farm. Afterward she served Rev. Geo. S. Woodhull's and President Ashbel Green's families. She was for a long time in the Green family, and Gov. Green, a grandson of President Ashbel Green, has always taken an interest in her welfare. Among the keepsakes highly valued by Aunt Clara, is a painting of Jas. S. Green, Esq., taken when he was a young man. She also possesses a desk which the late Dr. John N. Woodhull is said to have used as his study table while in college. In later years, she was with Dr. Schanck's family a faithful servant, and her business affairs have been in his care for a long time. She owned the house in which she died, and had a small sum of money in the Savings Banks, a provision for her funeral. Clara was famous as a cook, and many of the alumni of Princeton, now venerable men, have partaken of "Commencement dinners," prepared under her direction, in the days of Carnahan's administration, and even the early years of Dr. Maclean's. At the last of these dinners served for Dr. Carnahan, he told her, "Clara, this is the best dinner you have served for us, and you have now been cooking our Commencement dinners for thirty years." The new turnpike was chartered in 1807, and was built shortly after. She had a vivid recollection of the opening of that road, which took place when she was at Mr. Bullock's. Her husband died very many years ago and no children survive her."

Event Type

Death

Date

January 24, 1892

Date Certainty

Inferred

Location of Event

Princeton

Related Event

1882 Death: Flora Stryker

Primary Participants

Clara Voorhees (1793-1892)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02520
Role: Deceased Person
Age: 98
Status: Free
Verbatim description from source:
"“Aunt” Clara Voorhees, the oldest colored woman in this part of the State of New-Jersey"

Record Contributor

Indy Davis

Princeton & Slavery Project

Jesse Bayker