FUNERAL RITES ARE HELD FOR ALEXANDER HAY
The funeral of Alexander Hay,96 (87,jh)of 360 Fifth street,
Jersey City, was held this afternoon from the funeral parlors of W. G. Conger, 78 Coles street, following a service held in the parlors last night. Burial was in the New York Bay Cemetery.
Mr. Hay died at his home Saturday following a short illness. He was born in Scotland Oct 31,1845(1854,jh), and had lived in Jersey City for 53 years. For the last 44 years he had lived in the house in Fifth street, where he died.
A mechanic by trade, Mr. Hay worked for a number of years for Cockburn Barrow Machine Company in 11th street, Jersey City. The members of the firm were his first cousins(William Barr, Pres. & Dougald S. Cockburn, Treas., jh).
He learned his trade in Scotland in Johnstone(Renfrew Co.,jh), where he was born and where he served a seven-year apprenticeship. He also served seven years in learning the
cooper's trade.
WAS INTERESTED IN SPORTS
Mr. Hay retired some 20 years ago, but remained active to the time of his death, although for the last year or two he had been unable to do much walking. His mind was alert to the last and he enjoyed listening to the radio. In his early
days in Scotland he was interested in athletics and the interest continued throughout his life. Up to the last, members of his family said, he listened to the important baseball and football game broadcasts and to all other sport news on the radio. He also listened to the war reports and insisted upon hearing the 11:15 o'clock news reports each night. He seldom went to bed before midnight.
An inveterate pipe smoker, Mr. Hay smoked to the time of his death. He never drank and his family could not recall that he ever took an alcoholic drink.
Although he ate various foods, his stand-by was oatmeal, which he insisted upon having every morning for breakfast, winter and summer. He insisted that it was one of the best foods in the world and often said that it was one of the things that kept him alive so long.
Mr. Hay was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church. When he first came to Jersey City he attended the Old Scotch Presbyterian Church in Mercer street, and when that congregation disbanded went to the Second Presbyterian Church.
RAISED PIGEONS AS HOBBY
His hobby was raising fantail pigeons. He started raising the birds in Scotland, and when he came to America he brought a pair with him and continued to breed them up to the day of his death. His hobby brout him into contact with many prominent persons and he was an intimate friend of T. A. Havemeyer, the sugar merchant, who was also a pigeon fancier.
Mr. Hay exhibited his pigeons at the bigger shows throughout the country and won many trophies, including medals and cups, which he proudly displayed in his home.
During his early days in Jersey City, Mr. Hay lived in the Horseshoe section, near the old No. 21 Public School, and knew many of the personages in downtown Jersey City, who later became famous in political and other circles.
Mr. Hay's wife, Mrs. Euphemia (McTaggart,jh) Hay, died 19 years ago. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Euphemia McKay and Mrs. Jean Ciano; three sons, William, Robert, and Archibald; seven grandchildren and one great-child.
Although he had been somewhat feeble in his later years, Mr. Hay often expressed the hope that he would live to be 100 years old, and his family said that he expected to reach the century mark. He had a keen sense of humor, which stayed with him to the last.
When he celebrated his 96th(87th,jh) birthday last October he had his picture taken with his great-grandson, and when the picture was about to be snapped he turned to the youngster and said, "Well, sonny, we seem to be on the spot today."
(From the Jersey Observer, Tuesday, June 2, 1942, jh)