Thomas Henry WEIR

                   NOTE:
Only daughter of John Philip and Elizabeth Stuart Fonde.  she was born in Alexandria, Virginia or in Washington D.C., sister of Charles H. Fonde.  Her tragic story is told in Magnolia Cemetery.  She married Thomas H. Wier, native of Nassau, a resident of New Orleans and of Mobile.  He was big and jolly, a favorite in the family and outside it.  He died at age 50 years in 1864, a war year, under trying circumstances.  A man of high integrity, he had become involved in the disappearnce of some funds in his charge; after his death, the misappropriation was traced directly to the son of the head of the firm.  The whole matter was held from the public but according to family tradition, it killed Thomas Wier.

Only one child of Sarah and Thoma Wier grew up, John F.S. Wier.  The initials probably stand for John Fonde Stuart Wier.  Born in 1850, John Wier was only two years older than Henry Fonde.  they grew up like brothers.  Henry Fonde, having lost his own mother, looked to "Aunt Sarah" for mothering.  His foster brother, John Wier, became ill with an organic trouble, Bright's disease.  He died after several years of ill health.  This explains the unusual inscription on his tombstone: "Let me sleep, Mother.  The days seem long."

Aunt Sarah continued a close association with her brother, Charles H. Fonde.  Henry lived with her part of the time.  And after his first wife, Lula Redwood, died, he wanted to have Aunt Sarah take charge of his motherless little girls, Dora Fonde (Little) and Corinne Fonde (of Houston).  He finally managed it.  The children were in her charge until he married Alice Broun and made a home for them.

Alone again, Aunt Sarah lived in her little Dauphin Street Cottage and then in rented rooms about the city.  She said that she had lost so many that she loved that she was afraid to let herself love anyone again.

She was an accomplished needle-woman.  She made shirts and suits for John Wier and for Henry Fonde that were expert tailoring.  In her later years, she made a white house coat of Albatross for Henry Fonde to put on at meal times on hot days.  She would not have considered having him come to a meal in shirt sleeves.  the white coat should have been kept.  It would have been interesting.  A tiny gold thimble, given to Aunt Sarah as a child may still be in possession of Gertrude Fonde Kilborn.  With it the little Srah did her daily task of find hand-sewing.  Sewing for those she loved was her greatest pleasure in old age.  She was widely known and loved in Mobile.  She died at 68 years.