Children
Christina
C. Hay
Wilhelmina Hay
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Notes:
Easton Express, Saturday July 1938, page 2
Thomas A.
L. Hay, Former Official of County, Dies
Served
for 31 Years in Two Offices at the Court House.
Thomas Abraham Lincoln Hay, 77 years old, former prothonotary
of Northampton County, and a faithful public official with
a record of 31 years in two offices at the Court House, died
at 11:25 last evening at his home, 134 North Tenth Street,
this city. He had been in failing health for the past year
and had been confined to his bed since Sunday.
During his long political career, it was often said that "Tom"
Hay was the best known man in Northampton County and in his
campaigns for prothonotary he received support from both Democratic
and Republican voters. He was everybody's friend, was obliging
to all callers in his office and Eastonians and Northampton
Countians in every walk of life were saddened today on learning
that the popular retired official had passed away.
Sketch of Career
Thomas Abraham Lincoln Hay was born in Easton on October 27,
1860, a son of the late Thomas J. and Christina Kreidler Hay.
He was educated in the public schools and at the age of 17
years was graduated from the Easton High School in 1877. He
then entered his father's employ and until the year 1900, when
his father died they continued their business association at
the grocery at 641 Northampton Street.
In 1900 Thomas A. L. Hay retired from mercantile life and
entered the public service of the county as a clerk in the
office of Wilson H. Werst, then recorder of deeds. He remained
with Mr. Werst for one year and then moved over to the prothonotary's
office where he became a clerk to the late Samuel S. Yohe,
deputy to L. F. Giering.
He held the latter positon one year or until the death of
Mr. Yohe. L. F. Giering appointed Mr. Hay as successor to Mr.
Yohe and he held the poisiton of deputy until 1905 when he
was elected to the office of prothonotary. He was re-elected
to seven consecutive terms.
At the end of his last term Mr. Hay refused to be a candidate
to succeed himself. He was succeeded in 1932 by A. Thurman
Schlabach, who served four years as first deputy to his predessor.
Retired in 1932
After a continuous service of 31 years in the Court House,
Mr. Hay retired on the first Monday of January, 1932. Serveral
days later he was presented with a handsome gold watch and
chain by the office holders, deputies and clerks then in the
Court House.
On February 25, 1986, Mr. Hay married Miss Wilhelmina Daub,
of Nottingen, Germany, who survives him with two daughters,
Christine C., wife of John F. Wolfe, of 1841 Fairview Avenue,
Wilson, and Wilhelmina M., Wife of David C. Jones, of 24 South
Fifteenth Street. He also leaves five grandchildren: Margaret
L. Wolfe, Thomas Hay Wolfe, and Richard F.Wolfe, and Thomas
Hay Jones and David C. Jones. A sister Mrs. Susan Kotz, wife
of Dr. A.L. Kotz, died in January, 1931.
Active in Organizations
Mr. Hay was a member of the Brainerd Presbyterian Church;
Dallas Lodge NO. 396. Free and Accepted Mason: Easton Chapter,
No. 173. Royal Arch Masons: Pomp Council, No. 20, Royal and
Select Master Masons; Hugh dePayens Commandery, No. 19, Knights
Templar, Rajah Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Reading;
Easton Forest, No. 35, Tall Cedars of Lebanon; Easton Lodge,
no. 121, Order of Elks, Vanderveer Lodge, No. 1105, I.O.O.F.;
the Easton Board of Trade, Northampton County Historical Society,
and the Jacksonian Democratic Association. In 1902 he served
as president of the Jacksonian Democratic Association.
Throughout his life he was greatly interested in music and
he was an accommplished pianist. He was a graduate of the
Philadelphia Conservatory of Music and was a member of the
Orpheus Club, a propular musical organization in Easton 45
years ago.
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