John Malster

 Marietta Register, November 16, 1889

John Malster of Waterford died at the residence of Moses Malster in Waterford Township, Wednesday, and was buried at the Palmer cemetery yesterday, November 15.

He was the son of Christopher Malster who came to Palmer Township in 1795, tow years in advance of his wife who made the journey from Pennsylvania with a two year old child on horseback. 

John was born in Palmer, September 2, 1800, and was therefore past 89 years of age. His life has been spent in this county and through all his active years was one of hardship. As early as 1822 he made a trip south on a flat boat and had he been at the recent reunion would have outranked James Stowe and Christopher Greene in years and ante-dated them as flatboatmen.

He was a farmer and stock-raiser, though a man of a business turn of mind. He sold goods in Palmer for Col. Stone 55 years ago and afterwards clerked for Chapin and Fearing in Beverly.

In his diary he noted that he "had raised and bought wheat and made twenty-five barrels of flour which he sold to Col. Stone at $2.50 a barrel and trusted him six months without interest. I have bought and sold wheat for 28 cents a bushel and oats for 12-1/2 cents and hauled them to Harmar."

He never married. He was a genial and kind-hearted man. A supporter of his county paper and quite a reader. Since the announcement of the Tri-Weekly, his letter was received at this office asking for this edition. He was scrupulously honest and thoughtful in business matters and allowed no debts to stand against him. In his death a pioneer and old-time citizen is gone.