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Birth:          3 Mar 1853 Hopewell, N.Y.
Death:          9 Sep 1931 Little Falls, Passaic Co., N.J.
Burial:         12 Sep 1931 Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Newark, N.J.

Notes
bio of Isaac Heyer Polhemus, in Williams College and Foreign Missions: Biographical 
Sketches, on google books:
Isaac Heyer Polhemus son of Abraham and Eliza B Heyer Polhemus was born in 
Hopewell New York March 3 1853 He is the grandson of Abraham and Cornelia 
Suydam Polhemus and of Isaac and Jane Suydam Heyer The immigrant ancestor was 
the Rev Johannes Theodorus Polhemus of Holland who came to New Amsterdam in 
1654 from Itamarca Brazil where he had been a missionary Among the more 
distinguished ancestors of Mr Polhemus was Eleazar Polhemus of whom the Annals of 
Newtown states that he was a learned jurist Burgomaster at Antwerp Holland 1310 For 
a long period this name has held a distinguished place among officers of state and 
men of letters in the Netherlands Abraham Polhemus the father of the subject of this 
sketch was a clergyman whose marked characteristics were courtesy earnestness 
devotion to God and to his family The early life of Isaac Heyer Polhemus from his fifth 
to his fifteenth year of age was spent in Newark New Jersey and his early education 
was obtained in the academy at that place He fitted for college at Holbrook's Military 
School at Sing Sing New York and entered college as a Freshman in 1871 He was a 
successful student and a prominent member of his class being a member of several 
college organizations and engaging in various college activities He was a member of 
the Delta Psi Fraternity of the Mills Young Men's Christian Association of which he was 
one of the directors and in which he was one of the committee on Sunday school work 
of the Lyceum of Natural His tory in which he was for a time treasurer and under the 
auspices of which he was one of the Senior Expedition to Newport and Nahant under 
the direction of Professor Tenney he was a member of the Glee Club of the Class 
Quartette the College Choir of the Class Baseball Nine of the Football Team of the 
Class Crew in which he was stroke and of the Skating Club in which he was a director 
He was for a time president of his class a member of the Shakespere Club editor of the 
Williams Review and of the Williams Athenaeum being secretary of the board of 
editors assistant librarian in the College Library received a prize for excellence in 
French represented the college twice at Intercollegiate Conventions in New York was 
Sophomore Orator at a Rhetorical Exhibition and speaker at the Senior Rhetorical 
Exhibition his subject being Conventionality read a poem at the Class Supper was 
President of the Class Day Exercises and was one of the speakers at Commencement 
the subject of his oration being The Way of the World The first year after graduation 
was spent in travel in England and on the Continent after which he became a member 
of Union Theological Seminary from which he was graduated in 1879 On June 18 of 
the same year he was ordained by the Reformed Church in Newark New Jersey and in 
the following October he was appointed missionary to Mexico under the Foreign Board 
of the Presbyterian Church being settled for a year in Zacatecas and another year in 
Mexico City Owing to the severe illness of his wife and the failure of his own health 
caused by the great trials of the mission he was obliged to relinquish his mission work 
and return home During the years 1883 1894 he had charge of the mission work of the 
Second Presbyterian Church of Newark New Jersey In this time he organized and 
became the first pastor of the Fewsmith Memorial Church Of his mission work in 
Newark the class secretary wrote that Mr Polhemus started his work in a single room 
building the next year a chapel seating 300 and after a few years a church seating 
900 It was an industrial church with gymnasium day nursery and other agencies 
usually found in a living church Compelled by reason of health to seek a warmer 
climate he received an appointment of the Home Board of the Presbyterian Church to 
Riceville Swan nanoa and Asheville North Carolina among the mountaineers which 
position he held during the period 1895 97 From April of the latter year to March 1901 
he was in charge of the Young People's Association House of the Fifth Avenue 
Presbyterian Church New York City In the spring of the latter year he was recalled by 
the Home Board of the Presbyterian Church to work at Marshall North Carolina 
remaining there until March 1903 when he received the appointment of the New York 
City Mission to become pastor of the Broome Street Tabernacle during the year of 
absence of Rev Dr John B Devins In September 1904 he was called to Brooklyn New 
York to The Branch of the Tompkins Avenue Congregational Church While keeping his 
membership in the New York Presbytery he held this position until September 1908 
when he was called to his present pastorate over the First Presbyterian Church at 
Unadilla New York From the little that can be gleaned from the history of the class of 
1875 it is quite evident that Mr Polhemus has been a most laborious and efficient 
worker in the various positions he has occupied and that as the secretary of the class 
records his wife has been in these labors his constant help Mr Polhemus was married 
October 2 1879 to Sarah daughter of Bartholomew and Sarah Wyles Brown of New 
York Of five children born to them two daughters are living Mrs Cornelia C Burrell wife 
of DH Burrell Jr of Little Falls New York and Miss Sarah Heyer Polhemus.
1900 in Manhattan, New York, N.Y. minister
1920 in Bloomfield, Essex Co., N.J. retired clergy

 

Parents
POLHEMUS Abraham ()
HEYER Eliza Brodhead ()

Siblings
POLHEMUS Isaac Heyer (3 Mar 1853 - 9 Sep 1931)

Marriage To BROWN Sarah Goodwin (9 Nov 1849 - Mar 1944)
    m. 2 Oct 1879 

Notes

Parents
BROWN Bartholomew (20 Mar 1815 - 1 Mar 1899)
WYLES Sarah Goodwin (25 Jan 1817 - 8 Dec 1849)

Children by BROWN Sarah Goodwin 9 Nov 1849 - Mar 1944
POLHEMUS Cornelia Cobb (3 Aug 1880 - 8 Aug 1963)
POLHEMUS Sarah Heyer (6 Sep 1883 - Jan 1978)

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