A telegram received by Rev. George R. Gear Saturday night from the Associated Charities in Washington, D.C., states that information concerning the relatives of Mrs. Lilla Stone Pavy, wife of the late O. P. Pavy, famed Arctic explorer, is desired by that organization.
According to the telegram, Mrs. Pavy, was was well advanced in years, died in Washington of the infirmities of old age. The Washington organization sought to find relatives or close friends who could give directions as to the disposal of the body. The telegram would indicate that Mrs. Pavy, who was at one time well-to-do, died in destitute circumstances.
Mrs. Pavy was the daughter of the late Reverend and Mrs. Marsena Stone, both deceased. Rev. Stone was at one time pastor of the First Baptist Church here [1869-1872]. His daughter, Mrs. Pavy, graduated from Marietta High School. Later the family moved to Washington and the daughter was united in marriage to Mr. Pavy. While here, Rev. Stone built the house at the corner of Fourth and Scammel, now occupied by Frank McKinney.
The Stones and Pavys were well known in social circles, both in Marietta and Washington until a few years ago. Following the death of her husband, Mrs. Pavy gradually dropped her local connections and stopped corresponding with her friends. Mrs. Pavy had two brothers, William and George Stone. William is thought to be dead and the residence of George is not known.
Mr. Pavy received a large amount of publicity a few years ago on account of his expeditions into the Arctic regions. It is thought that upon his death his widow was left in poor circumstances and that rather than depend upon her friends for help, she concealed her identity and worked for her support.
Rev. Gear sent word to Washington that the body should be buried there. He stated Monday morning that in all probability, Mrs. Pavy is the last member of her family.
[Lilla May Stone Pavy was born in New York in 1852. She was working as a teacher of literature and music when she married Octave Pierre Pavy in New Orleans in 1878. Octave Pavy died while on the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition in 1884. Lilla married again in 1891 to Homer W. Case in Nebraska. The marriage was unsuccessful and she reverted to her birth name, as listed on a state census of 1915 in Newark, New Jersey, where her occupation was listed as "Bible writer." According to her obituary in the "Washington Times," August 1, 1920, Lilla May Pavy, aged 68, died of pneumonia at Walter Reed Hospital.]
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