Joseph William Severy

Joseph William Severy, Jr. was born January 7, 1887, in Norwich, Connecticut. His father, Joseph Severy, was a laborer from Louisiana and his mother, Emily Browner, was a laundress from Virginia.[1]

During his youth, he enrolled at the Broadway School and McKinley Avenue AME Zion Sunday School.[2] He later attended New Haven High School and graduated from Norwich Free Academy. In 1911, he enrolled at Sheffield Scientific School with a plan to study civil engineering. However, by December The New York Age reported that he had “broken down in health, due to overstudy, and his parents were advised to give him a rest.” He withdrew from Yale and returned to Norwich.[3] On April 4, 1912, he died at the age of 24 from acute parenchymatous nephritis.[4]

[1] "Connecticut, Deaths, 1640-1955", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F773-1P1 : Wed Jan 08 12:55:45 UTC 2025), Entry for Joseph W. Severy and Joseph Severy, 7 January 1887. [2] “Norwich,” The New York Age, January 3, 1907, 8, https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/34493976. [3] “Norwich, Conn.,” The New York Age, December 14, 1911, 8, https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/33460402. [4] “Obituary,” The Day, April 5, 1912, 7, https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/; "Connecticut, Deaths, 1640-1955", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7K2-ZLN : Tue Jan 21 15:04:59 UTC 2025), Entry for Joseph W. Severy and Joseph Severy, 4 Apr 1912.