William Sidney Emay

William Sidney Emay. December 25, 1853 - October 31, 1901. , William Sidney Emay was placed in the Orange County Poor Farm in Goshen, New York as young child. Will's life changed the day after his eighth birthday in 1861 when he, along with several other boys from the Poor Farm, were taken to the Children's Aid Society in Manhattan, New York. On February 5, 1862 Will and a company of children left New York with Agent Friedgen to find new homes out west. The trip west took two full days and included taking two trams, a ferry, two trains and a four-hour wagon ride to reach Rushville, Indiana. , At the placing out meeting in Rushville, Will was chosen by Mr. J. Cook and family, who were local farmers. The Cooks were very kind to Will and treated him like family. When Will was 14, Mr. Cook told him he was considering moving to Kansas. Will wasn't comfortable picking up his roots again so he chose to stay in Indiana with the Duncan Family. , When Will turned 21 he received $100 and a horse to start his new life. After leaving the Duncan Family he worked for a local farm family and proved himself a good worker and a good man many times over. He would spend his life happily as a farmer. Will married Mary Frances "Fannie" Leisure on September 12, 1878. The couple would have four children together. , Will passed away at the young age of 47 from a fatal stomach ailment. He is remembered as a "loving husband and father and a kind neighbor."