Sarah Minerva Blakslee Packer (1807-1882)
Sarah was born on March 12, 1807, and was the daughter of gentleman farmer Zophar Blakslee and Clarinda Whitmer Blakslee.
One of fifteen children, Sarah worked on the family farm at an early age. Life for the Blakslees had its hardships, but they made due.
On January 23, 1828, Sarah married Asa Packer, a fledgling carpenter by trade, but a true gentleman who proved his worth and vowed to make something of himself. Little did Sarah know, perhaps, that Asa's calling to Mauch Chunk would prove to be so advantageous for their young family.
Sarah and Asa would have seven children: Lucy, Catherine, Mary, Malvina, Robert, Gertrude, and Harry. Their life together would be marked by tragedy, losing Catherine, Malvina, and Gertrude all before the age of two.
Sarah proved to be a devoted wife and mother as well as resilient in her stead, an equal to Asa's strength and determination.
After a long bought with cancer, Sarah entered into rest on November 17, 1882, her children, Mary, Robert and Harry, by her side. She was 74 years old.
Photograph Courtesy of The Asa Packer Mansion Museum
Sarah Minerva Blakslee Packer
