Jesse Stevens Obituary Transcription

Date: 26 Feb 1957 [unknown]
Location: Rochester, Monroe, New York, United States
Surname/tag: Stevens

This is a transcription of a newspaper clipping attached to Jesse's FindaGrave memorial. The source of the clipping has not been identified.

Transcription

Jesse Stevens, 94, of 351 Clarissa St., a retired grocer and for many years a leader in the Negro community here, died yesterday (Feb 26, 1957) after several years illness.

During his years in Rochester he was a baggage coachman, a headwaiter for an exclusive catering firm, a fuel oil contractor and grocer.

Mr. Stevens was an organizer of Trinity Presbyterian Church and an elder many years.

When the statue of Frederick Douglass, a national Negro leader, was formally presented to Rochester in 1901 at Central Avenue and St. Paul Street, Mr. Stevens was parade marshal. He also served as chairman of the committees which welcomed Mr. Douglass and Booker T. Washington when they visited this city.

As headwaiter for Teall’s, a catering firm, Mr. Stevens served many prominent persons, among them the late John D. Rockefeller, President Grover Cleveland and President William McKinley.

Mr. Stevens was born in Caroline County, Va., 30 miles from Richmond, and came here in 1883 after he was married to Miss Maria L. Mines. After obtaining work as a coachman for a wealthy Rochester family, he went back to Caroline County and returned with his bride.

With the advent of oil lighting, Mr. Stevens obtained the contract to furnish fuel for street lamps on the east side of the city. Later he also supplied East Avenue homes with lamp oil. Among his steady customers was Mrs. Maria Eastman, the mother of George Eastman.

In the early 1900s Mr. Stevens opened a grocery store at Spring and Favor streets. Several years later he moved into larger quarters at Spring Street and Caledonia Avenue, now Clarissa Street. In the 1930’s he closed the store and retired.

Mr. Stevens was a member of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church and a charter member of Empire Lodge, Grand United Order of Odd Fellows.

Mr. Stevens’ wife died in June, 1942. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Charles Price Sr. and Mrs. Robert Walls, a School 4 teacher; two sons, Lloyd and Robert Stevens; 14 grandchildren, among them Detective Charles H. Price Jr. and Patrolman Lloyd Stevens Jr., both of the Rochester Police Bureau, and Miss Barbara Stevens, also a teacher at School 4; 10 great-grandchildren; a sister Mrs. Agnes G. Campbell of Washington, D.C.; a brother, William Henry of Richmond, Va., and several nieces and nephews.

Empire Lodge will conduct a service at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Myers Funeral Home, 14 Oregon St. The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in Mt. Olivet Church, Adams Street, and burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery. Friends may contribute to the Federation of Churches Work for Senior Citizens in memory of Mr. Stevens.

Sources

• 1957 Find a Grave Memorial. FindaGrave.com, database and images ([1]: accessed 10 May 2023), memorial page for Jesse Eugene Stevens (23 Jan 1864–26 Feb 1957), Find a Grave Memorial ID 140362269, citing Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, Monroe County, New York, USA; Maintained by Carl R Wolff (contributor 48161895).