Obituaries (July 8)

If reports are true, and the Times has reasons to believe they are, upwards of $5000 in currency were found about the premises of the late Edwin J. Fancher, on Watson street.  The fact is most surprising, as Mr. Fancher was supposed by many to have been a comparatively poor man; but the finding of the money shows him to have been wealthy.  It was believed that he had a little money and his known lack of confidence in banks led to a thorough and tedious search, it is said, which resulted in the finding a false bottom in a tool chest in his carpenter shop, in which was a sum variously stated from five to ten thousand dollars.  Though the persons making the discovery decline to advance a statement we are informed that the amount was just $5000 in greenbacks, tied in $100 packages.  It is believed the money had been in the chest a long time as a part of it was badly decayed and will have to be redeemed.  It also born an earthy smell.  Many of the bills are of an old issue.  A report has now come to the surface that he was seen to have a large purse well filled with bills when paying for a bill of lumber a few weeks ago; but no trace of the purse, it is alleged, has been found which leads to the belief that not all of Mr. Fancher's wealth has been discovered, or that a part has been stolen since his death.  The latter theory is credited by many, we are told.  It is found that his home, surrounded by about two acres of land, is not encumbered.  As stated, Mr. Fancher had no trust in banks, nor confidence in a bond and mortgage.  He is said to have been very saving except as to food.  His son and daughter are here--Unadilla Times.  [Bainbridge Republican, Feb. 22, 1899]

 

Died, February 21st, after an illness of ten weeks, Mrs. Elizabeth Bicknell of Babylon, Long Island.  Mrs. Bicknell was the daughter of Elisha Bishop whose home in his lifetime was the formerly handsomely well appointed residence by the river bridge [Bainbridge, Chenango Co.,  NY], now known as the Mrs. A.J. Barrows property.  Of the children of the family besides Mrs. Bicknell, there were Mrs. Henry Rockwell, Mrs. A.J. Barrows, George and Clark Benjamin, and Mrs. Byron DeMunn.  Mrs. Barrows and her brother Geo. survive the family, whose home was one the center of refinement and elegant hospitality.  [Bainbridge Republican, Mar. 1, 1899]

 

Augusta M. Corbin, widow of the late Samuel Corbin, died in Bainbridge [Chenango Co.,, NY], last Thursday morning, Feb. 23, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Jesse Whitman, aged 74 years.  Mrs. Corbin's illness was short.  She was attacked Monday morning early with violent bronchial trouble which complicated with latent heart difficulty rendered her sickness alarming from the beginning.  Mrs. Corbin was born in Bennettsville in 1825.  Her father was Phineas Bennett, who with three brothers, Abel a twin brother of Phineas, Arnold and Hiram Bennett, came when young men from New England and began the formation of the hamlet of Bennettsville.  Their four houses formed a cluster.  First came the Abel Bennett house so well known until within a few years as the home of his son, James W. Bennett, and which occupied the first corner of the western entrance to Bennettsville; then on the opposite corner across was Phineas Bennett's house, and nearby were the dwellings of Arnold and Hiram.  These brothers gave the name to that section and were subject to the same vicissitudes of pioneer life as were common to all settlers upon new soil.  They not only cleared the forests of timber but killed the wild beasts that inhabited them.  Mrs. Corbin's father's family numbered ten children and all were closely identified with Bennettsville and Bainbridge.  They were:  Susan, wife of Rev. Henry Robertson, who was for several years pastor of the Bennettsville Baptist church, also Justice of the Peace for the town of Bainbridge, Mrs. Samuel Scofield, Mrs. Pliny Kirby, Miss Sophia Bennett, Milton, Ira, Rufus and Benjamin Bennett, Mrs. Augusta M. Corbin and Mrs. B. Porter VanHorne of Montana--the latter being the only living member of this large family.  The deceased was married in 1845 to Samuel Corbin of the town of Afton who died in 1883 at the age of 60 years.  It was a happy union and the husband's death caused not only sorrow to his family but regret among a large circle of friends and business associates.  He was a genial man and had an extraordinary love for music.  He was noted for his skill in clarinet playing.  Upon the death of her husband Mrs. Corbin came to Bainbridge to live where her residence has been until her decease.   She was energetic and ambitious in character, and at the same time one of the most unselfish of persons by nature.  Her greatest pleasure was the prosecution of kind deeds where others were to be benefited.  She was generous, strong in family love, warm in friendship, conscientious in all life's duties.  The same strength of love she bestowed upon her friends she gave to the church of her choice, the Baptist church.  She was reared in that faith and was ardently true to it in all the fluctuations of passing time.  The Bainbridge church has lost in this faithful Christian woman one of its most steadfast members, and one whose place will not be easily filled.  Mrs. Corbin was tenderly cared for by her two daughters, Mrs. C.M. Priest and Mrs. Whitman, in her last sickness, and all that loving hands and assiduous attention could do was done for her, but to no avail.  She had suffered much but her last moments were peaceful.  Besides the two daughters mentioned Mrs. Corbin is survived by an adopted son, James Corbin, who was regarded by both parents with the same affection as their own children.  The funeral was held at the home of Mr. Jesse Whitman Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock, Rev. J.T. Barber of Walton, a former pastor of Mrs. Corbin's, conducting the services.  The casket was covered with handsome floral tributes to the memory of the deceased.  Among them were a wreath of beautiful combination by immediate relatives, a pillow by the two granddaughters, Mrs. Frank T. Barber and Mrs. George E. Whitman, a choice cluster of pink roses and carnations by Mrs. Fred L. Ames of Norwich, and numerous bouquets of sweet flowers from kind friends and neighbors of the departed one.  The remains were taken to Bennettsville for burial.  [Bainbridge Republican, Mar. 1, 1899]

 

George G. Benjamin died in Bainbridge [Chenango Co.,, NY] Monday evening at 9:30 o'clock in the home that had been the Benjamin and Bishop homestead for over three-quarters of a century.  Mr. Benjamin was in his eighty-second year, but had not seemed an old man.  He had been usually well through the winter but when attacked by grip a few weeks ago his strength gradually weakened.  He was able to walk about and to go up-street and even went out into the yard at 5 o'clock before he died.  Mr. Benjamin belonged to one of the old representative families of Bainbridge.  His father was Moses P. Benjamin, a merchant, who died early in life leaving a wife and three small children, George and Clark and Jeannette A. Benjamin.  Later Mrs. Benjamin married Elisha Bishop of Oxford, who had lost his wife and was left with two daughters, they becoming Mrs. Elizabeth Bicknell of Long Island, and Mrs. Anna Rockwell of Scranton.  Mr. Bishop came to Bainbridge to reside and also became one of the leading merchants of the town, and George Benjamin, the decedent, was associated with him.  Both retired from business after several years.  Marriage and death had decimated his family so that Mr. Benjamin was the only  member left in Bainbridge.  Reference was made to the family history in last week's Republican in connection with the notice of Mrs. Bicknell's death.  Then we said there were two of the family left, Mr. Benjamin and Mrs. A.J. Barrows of Dorchester, mass.  One week's time has swept off the last representative in Bainbridge.  Mr. Benjamin was gentle and kind and had the respect of all.  He will be missed from our midst as his familiar figure has been with us beyond the memory of the oldest citizen.  The funeral will be held from Mr. Benjamin's home, which has been in the care of J. Homer Hodge for several years, Thursday (tomorrow) afternoon at 2 o'clock, Rev. A.H. Grant of St. Peter's church conducting the services.  The vestry of the church will act as pall bearers. Interment will be in the cemetery connected with the church.  [Bainbridge Republican, Mar. 8, 1899]

Mrs. Helen Lyon Ames, 36, of Binghamton [Broome Co., NY], R.D.1, died Saturday morning at her home after a sudden illness.  She is survived by her husband, Howard; two sons, Francis and Bernard; two daughters, Harriet and Beulah; her mother, Mrs. Harriet Lyon and five brothers, Frank, Orville, John, George and Harold Lyon, all of Binghamton, R.D.1; two sisters, Miss Mildred Lyon of Binghamton R.D.1, and Mrs. Vern Hicks of Sayre, Pa., and several nieces and nephews. the body was removed to the Ackley Funeral Home, 206 Vestal avenue.  [LMD notation:  d. 1940]

The funeral of Mrs. Helen Lyon Ames was held at 2:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the Ackley Funeral Home, 206 Vestal avenue. The Rev. William Bartz officiated.  Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Pearsley sane, "Sunrise Tomorrow."  The pallbearers were John Adriance, Everett Whittaker, Myron Potter, Oscar Eddy, Wilbur Jobson and Fred VanLoan.  Burial was in Chenango Valley cemetery [Binghamton, NY]. [LMD notation: d. 1940]

Fred Harris, aged 17, of Afton [Chenango Co., NY] met death Friday night, two miles out of Bainbridge, on the road to Sidney, when the car which he was driving crashed head-on into a truck driven by Wilbur Cooper of Plymouth, Pa., who was on his way to the Epworth League camp meeting at Sidney.  The road was slippery and it is thought that Harris did not see the truck until too late.  He was hurled from the car to the highway and killed instantly.  Cooper was taken to the Bainbridge hospital for treatment but his injuries were not considered serious.  Sixteen of the Epworth Leaguers who were on the truck were treated at the camp.  Two friends of Harris who were riding with him were slightly injured.  The funeral of the Harris boy was Tuesday, with prayer service at the home at 1:15 p.m. and service at the Baptist church, of which he was a member, at 2:00 p.m.  Mr. Walter Phipps rendered three solos.  Burial was in Glenwood cemetery [Afton, NY].  [LMD notation:  July 3, 1931]

Another of those sudden deaths incident to railroad life occurred Wednesday evening at about 7:30, when Richard R. Murphy, a section boss, well known in this village was the victim.  He was on the work train which was going towards Binghamton when the train stopped on account of the block signal being shut against it.  Mr. Murphy stepped off the train apparently to see what had caused the train to stop, or possibly thinking the train had arrived at the depot.  This point is a short distance north of the village where the railroad crosses a creek and the bridge is some twenty-five feet above the bed of the stream.  Mr. Murphy evidently failed to notice that the car had stopped on the bridge and as he stepped off he fell the entire distance, striking his head on the abutment or rocks below and cutting a deep gash in his forehead and killing him instantly.  Dr. Hayes and Dodge were at once summoned but the man was beyond medical aid and the body was tenderly conveyed to the saddened home on South Main Street.  [LMD notation:  Nov. 22, 1916]