Abram BUTTS

                   BIR-MARRIAGE: "The Platt Clay Knickerbocker Genealogy" (KNKR0003)


--Owego Woman Will Observe 101st Birthday
-Owego--Owego's "grand old lady," Mrs. Sarah Knickerbocker, will observe her one hundredth and first birthday at her home at 45 Fox St. Thursday-a day when her scores of friends and members of her family all join in wishing her many happy returns.
Mrs. Knickerbocker, who has lived in Owego for almost 50 years was born in Dryden March 4, 1847, the daughter of Abram and Lydia Davis Butts.
The Butts were early pioneers of the Dryden area, her grandfather bringing his family there from Belvidere, N.J., when her father was only five years old. It was necessary to clear the land for their first home, a log cabin. There were nine children in the family, her father being one of twins.
On Oct. 22, 1868, Miss Sarah Butts married Clay Knickerbocker of McLean. He was a veteran of the Civil War, having enlisted in Company 1 of the 143rd New York Volunteers.
They started housekeeping in Dryden and moved to Hiawatha, west of Owego, in 1891 where they purchased a farm. Eleven years later they moved to Owego where Mr. Knickerbocker died on Jan. 7, 1930, at the age of 85.
The Knickerbockers had five children, three of whom are still living: Mrs. Griffin S. Pultz and Mrs. Winnie K. Snyder, both of Owego, and Fred Knickerbocker of the Union District of Endicott.
Although she has been blind for some time, Mrs. Knickerbocker has maintained her interest in family and world affairs. By means of the radio she has been able to keep abreast of events of the day.
Her interest in her ever-widening family increases with each added great-great-grandchild of which she now has six. When told the other day that her oldest great-great-granddaughter, Patricia Ballou, nine years old, had become so much interested in horse-back riding that she was saving all her money to buy her own horse, Mrs. Knickerbocker was delighted. She then recalled the days when she, herself, loved to ride horses. Always a lover of music, she is especially interested when any of "her" younger generation show any aptitude in that direction.
An ardent politician and Republican, Mrs. Knickerbocker was most pleased when she could accompany her family to the polls to cast their votes for the Republican party.
In addition to her three living children, she has six grandchildren: Mrs. Harold Rivenburg and Earle P. Knickerbocker, both of Owego; P. Clay Knickerbocker of Union district; Mrs. C.W. Carpenter of Pittsford, NY; Mrs. Leo P. Dorsey of Douglaston, L. I., and Herman Knickerbocker of Buffalo. She also has 15 great-grandchildren as well as six great-great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Knickerbocker will pass the day quietly with her family. Although still keen mentally she sits up for only brief periods, so that too much exceitement might prove to great a strain on her frail health. Because of this, greeting cards are received by the dozen. These, she can have read to her at her leisure without the excitement of personal calls.