As told to me February 29, 2004, by Olive B. Spargo, my great-aunt; around Christmas of 1920, Emma Jane Spargo, my great-grandmother, thought that since all of her children were grown, that she would go to the Utica Orphanage and bring home a baby just for the Christmas season. John was that baby.
Aunt Olive said that John was just short of 1-year old at the time. Interestingly, Aunt Olive said that Emma (and her husband James A. Spargo, Sr.)never officially adopted John, but that they just "kept him."
As John grew up, he was always in trouble of some sort. Spargo family oral history is full of humorous and at the same time, sad antedotes of John's antics and brushes with the law.
Eventually, John was incarcerated in Auburn State Prison, Auburn, NY. I don't know why he was there or what the term of imprisonment was, but according to an article I found in the "Auburn Citizen", John was in Auburn as of February, 1943.
According to my late father, James Spargo III, at some point, John was found to be insane and he was committed to Marcy Psychiatric Hospital, Marcy, NY where he died in 1976.
I met John at Marcy Psychiatric Hospital in Marcy, NY in the summer of 1967 while working as a "house-boy" for my grandfather, James Spargo,Jr. I was Granddad's driver for the summer and took him two or three times to Marcy to visit John.
John was built just like Granddad, short and stout. I remember that he hugged my grandfather, and rested his head on Granddad's shoulder. He was very nice and very affectionate.
John's sad life is a testimony to the cruelty of mental illness. He was brought up a child of privilege, but was stricken down by an invisible disease.
note: info provided by James Spargo IV
Aunt Olive said that John was just short of 1-year old at the time. Interestingly, Aunt Olive said that Emma (and her husband James A. Spargo, Sr.)never officially adopted John, but that they just "kept him."
As John grew up, he was always in trouble of some sort. Spargo family oral history is full of humorous and at the same time, sad antedotes of John's antics and brushes with the law.
Eventually, John was incarcerated in Auburn State Prison, Auburn, NY. I don't know why he was there or what the term of imprisonment was, but according to an article I found in the "Auburn Citizen", John was in Auburn as of February, 1943.
According to my late father, James Spargo III, at some point, John was found to be insane and he was committed to Marcy Psychiatric Hospital, Marcy, NY where he died in 1976.
I met John at Marcy Psychiatric Hospital in Marcy, NY in the summer of 1967 while working as a "house-boy" for my grandfather, James Spargo,Jr. I was Granddad's driver for the summer and took him two or three times to Marcy to visit John.
John was built just like Granddad, short and stout. I remember that he hugged my grandfather, and rested his head on Granddad's shoulder. He was very nice and very affectionate.
John's sad life is a testimony to the cruelty of mental illness. He was brought up a child of privilege, but was stricken down by an invisible disease.
note: info provided by James Spargo IV
As told to me February 29, 2004, by Olive B. Spargo, my great-aunt; around Christmas of 1920, Emma Jane Spargo, my great-grandmother, thought that since all of her children were grown, that she would go to the Utica Orphanage and bring home a baby just for the Christmas season. John was that baby.
Aunt Olive said that John was just short of 1-year old at the time. Interestingly, Aunt Olive said that Emma (and her husband James A. Spargo, Sr.)never officially adopted John, but that they just "kept him."
As John grew up, he was always in trouble of some sort. Spargo family oral history is full of humorous and at the same time, sad antedotes of John's antics and brushes with the law.
Eventually, John was incarcerated in Auburn State Prison, Auburn, NY. I don't know why he was there or what the term of imprisonment was, but according to an article I found in the "Auburn Citizen", John was in Auburn as of February, 1943.
According to my late father, James Spargo III, at some point, John was found to be insane and he was committed to Marcy Psychiatric Hospital, Marcy, NY where he died in 1976.
I met John at Marcy Psychiatric Hospital in Marcy, NY in the summer of 1967 while working as a "house-boy" for my grandfather, James Spargo,Jr. I was Granddad's driver for the summer and took him two or three times to Marcy to visit John.
John was built just like Granddad, short and stout. I remember that he hugged my grandfather, and rested his head on Granddad's shoulder. He was very nice and very affectionate.
John's sad life is a testimony to the cruelty of mental illness. He was brought up a child of privilege, but was stricken down by an invisible disease.
note: info provided by James Spargo IV
Aunt Olive said that John was just short of 1-year old at the time. Interestingly, Aunt Olive said that Emma (and her husband James A. Spargo, Sr.)never officially adopted John, but that they just "kept him."
As John grew up, he was always in trouble of some sort. Spargo family oral history is full of humorous and at the same time, sad antedotes of John's antics and brushes with the law.
Eventually, John was incarcerated in Auburn State Prison, Auburn, NY. I don't know why he was there or what the term of imprisonment was, but according to an article I found in the "Auburn Citizen", John was in Auburn as of February, 1943.
According to my late father, James Spargo III, at some point, John was found to be insane and he was committed to Marcy Psychiatric Hospital, Marcy, NY where he died in 1976.
I met John at Marcy Psychiatric Hospital in Marcy, NY in the summer of 1967 while working as a "house-boy" for my grandfather, James Spargo,Jr. I was Granddad's driver for the summer and took him two or three times to Marcy to visit John.
John was built just like Granddad, short and stout. I remember that he hugged my grandfather, and rested his head on Granddad's shoulder. He was very nice and very affectionate.
John's sad life is a testimony to the cruelty of mental illness. He was brought up a child of privilege, but was stricken down by an invisible disease.
note: info provided by James Spargo IV
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