| Notes |
- Detroit News, 20 Jan 1901: MARTHA CORNELIA WINDER / Widow of Col. John Winder has passed away / Her mind was bright until the last / She married one of Detroit's Most Estimable Citizens / Died in house where she had lived fifty-eight years / Was one of the founders of the Protestant Orphan Asylum
Mrs. Martha Cornelia Winder, widow of the late Col. John Winder, died at the family homestead, corner of Woodward avenue and High street, last night after a very short illness.
The attending physician pronounced death, which came at 9:30 last night, due to congestion of the lungs. Mrs. Winder had not been invalided in the least, her mental faculties remaining bright to the last. Saturday she felt strong enough to go out and make calls upon two sick friends, and even yesterday morning she was dressed and about the house. She passed away very peacefully.
The demise of this very estimable lady removes one who was widely known and beloved from the days of early Detroit for she and her well-known husband were pioneers in the City of the Straights. For sixty-five of the eighty-one years of her life she had lived here, coming from the east at the age of sixteen to be the wife of one of Detroit's most representative citizens.
Her maiden name was Martha Cornelia Strong and she was the daughter of Judge Elisha B. Strong, of Rochester, N.Y., a distinguished jurist and gentleman of the old school. The family was an old New England one. The late Mrs. Winder was born in Rochester on April 13, 1819, being in her 82nd year at the time of her death. She attended a young ladies' seminary at Canandaigua, N.Y.
While a girl, she paid a visit to the far western city of Detroit and here became acquainted with Col. Winder. The latter soon followed her to the east after her return and they were married in Rochester on September 19, 1836.
Coming directly to Detroit, they lived for a while at the only hotel the town afforded, a little inn standing near to the present site of the the city hall. Later they lived on Randolph street, where the Hotel STe Claire stands now.
Fifty-eight years ago they built the substantial homestead that still stands at the corner of Woodward and High. Here they lived the remainder of their lives. Here Col. Winder died, September 26 1897, and here Mrs. Winder died yesterday. When this old house was first built, it was the only structure of any kind on Woodward avenue north of the spot known as Grand Circus park. All was forest, tenanted by game of all kinds and by Indians.
Mrs. Winder had been an earnest and devout member of the First Presbyterian church ever since she came to Detroit, 65 years ago. She and her worthy husband followed the primitive congregation from its rustic little meeting house on the corner of Woodward and Larned street to the second site, which was on the corner of Gratiot and Farmer streets, where Hudson's department store now stands; thence to its third and final site, where today stands the handsome temple of worship in which will be held the absequies of Mrs. Winder.
Her prominence in charitable work made her widely beloved. She was one of the founders of the Protestant Orphan asylum and was for several years the only surviving member of the original board of directors. She was the first directress of the asylum from 1852 to 1860.
Two children were born to Col. and Mrs. Winder. Catherine, who died in 1864, and J. Elisha Winder, of this city.
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1818 - 1901 (82 years)
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