Within a few minutes after he left friends in Delhi to drive the few miles back to his farm at Fraser, Delaware county, at 8 o'clock, Sunday evening, Representative John D. Clarke had met death in a motor car crash in which he sustained a fractured skull. The accident happened at a notedly dangerous point in the highway a mile from Delhi [Delaware Co., NY], where there have been many other crashes. Mr. Clarke's machine side swiped a small coupe driven by William Foster, of Delhi, in which his wife and their two small children and four other children were passengers. The Foster car was completely wrecked but none of the occupants were seriously injured. Following the smash Mr. Clarke's car is said to have continued on the highway for about 100 yards; then the machine went through an opening in the guard rail and dashed down a thirty-foot embankment. During this descent the car struck a rock and was thrown against a free. By the force of the impact Mr. Clarke was thrown out of the car and sustained fractures of the skull. He died about 20 minutes after the accident just as Dr. John H. Marsh, of Delhi, arrived at the scene. Foster, driver of the small coupe, stated that he saw the lights of the Clarke car as it approached the brow of the hill and that he drove his machine well over to the side to give the oncoming car plenty of room. Clarke, apparently misjudged the distance between his own car and that of Foster, and sideswiped the smaller machine, throwing it off the road onto its side. It has been stated by nearby residents that the noise of the crash could be heard a mile away. Foster was questioned by state troopers, but was not held. John Davenport Clarke was a native of Delaware county, having been born at Hobart, Jan. 15, 1873, son of Capt. W.J. and Emaline Davenport Clarke. His early education was received in the schools of Delaware county and at Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., where he graduated with the degree of Ph. B. in 1898. He was a lawyer, having graduated from Brooklyn Law School. His wife, who survives, was Marian Williams, of Cheyenne, Wyo. Their only son, John Duncan Clarke, was assistant to the secretary of mines in the United States Steel Corporation until 1906, since then being secretary and treasurer of other mining enterprises. John D. Clarke purchased his farm at Fraser in 1915, since which time he had been prominent in agricultural affairs, for several years being a director of the Dairymen's League and known to almost all the dairymen of the state. He was an ardent sportsman and an enthusiastic trout fisherman along the streams of his home county At the time of death he was serving his sixth term as representative in Congress from the 34th New York District, which comprises the counties of Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Otsego. He began his congressional service in 1921, with the 67th Congress. He was re-elected to the 68th Congress after which there was a lapse of one term, due to his defeat for the Republican nomination by Harold S Tolley, now Binghamton's public welfare commissioner. But the next time up, Mr. Clarke turned the tables on Mr. Tolley at the party primary, was elected and re-entered Congress. [Bainbridge News & Republican, Nov. 9, 1933]
Word reached relatives and friends in our community of the death of Clarence Thackaway at the Sidney Hospital Sunday, November 12, at noon. His passing came as a release from many months of intense suffering He had received treatment at the Syracuse Hospital and later at Buffalo, but nothing seemed to give permanent relief, and those near to him could only wait, realizing the months that lay ahead. Clarence Thackaway had reached the age of 43 years. He was a nephew of the late Nelson Thackaway. Since a little boy of four years he knew no other home than that of Mr. and Mrs. Thackaway. He attended the old Guilford Union School, later attending Binghamton Business School. He was married to Miss Daisy Cox, of Sidney, who survives. A daughter, Phyllis, and an aunt, Mrs. Cora Thackaway Church, of Guilford, with whom he spent his boyhood days, also survive. He was manager of the M.J. Kipp grocery store in Sidney, also worshipful master of the Masonic Lodge. Funeral services were held from the Congregational Church in Sidney Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock. [Bainbridge News & Republican, Nov. 16, 1933]
Frank Lowman
Frank Lowman, who passed away at his home on the east side of the Susquehanna River, near Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], at the age of 66 years, following a brief illness, was buried from his late home last Wednesday afternoon, with Rev. E.A. Snyder pastor of the Bainbridge Baptist Church, officiating, and interment was in Greenlawn Cemetery [Bainbridge, NY]. With the passing of Frank Lowman, another of the "first settler" families of Bainbridge fades from the picture hereabouts. Mr. Lowman was a direct descendant of Samuel Bixby, who was among the very first settlers in this township. His mother was Fanny Bixby. The farm where Mr. Lowman has lived and where he died was part of a tract of land containing 390 acres deeded to Samuel Bixby by the state of New York January 12, 1789. The transfer was made to compensate him for failure of title of lands in Vermont deeded to him by the state of New York. This section was largely settled by so-called "Vermont sufferers," a name given to a group of men who lost their lands in Vermont when that state was held to be the owner of certain townships instead of New York, which had claimed and sold the same lands to settlers. The Bixbys first came to Bainbridge to settle in the spring of 1788. Their land was on both sides of the river, about two and a half miles east of this village. They were of English descent. Samuel Bixby and his eldest son, Asahel, built a log cabin on the south side of the river on lands now owned by Mr. Lowden. the site can be located even at this day by dirt embankments that were thrown up to protect the cabin. there were no roads then, the river being the only means of transportation. Later when the highway was opened a house was built just west of the present residence of Mr. Lowden. It was after the English cottage style with shingles on the sides. The cottage was completely covered with English ivy and quite picturesque. It was used as an inn in the days of the stage coach. It was torn down about 1879. Samuel Bixby's wife was Hannah Powers. they had six children: Hannah, who married Asa Stowell; Sibyl, who married (1) Edward Davison, (2) Henry Evans; Priscilla, who married Henry Ward, and never lived in Bainbridge; Samuel, who married Lois Mori, and Elizabeth, who married Russell Redfield. Samuel Bixby was a soldier in the French and Indian wars, being a member of a Massachusetts regiment. He was first sergeant in a Vermont company during the Revolution and fought in the battles of Bennington and Saratoga. He and his wife were Presbyterians and he was one of the original members of and a trustee of the Presbyterian Church in Bainbridge, called the Society of Silesia. The older members of the Bixby family in this vicinity were buried in the cemetery on the south side of the river just below the bridge. Some years ago their remains were removed to a plot in the new Greenlawn Cemetery where members of five generations of the family are now buried. The Bixbys were numerous in this vicinity at one time. The only living descendants of the pioneer Samuel Bixby, bearing the name, are Rev. Warren Bixby and his son, of Boston, Mass. His father was J.J. Bixby, deceased, a prominent lawyer who resided in Norwich. Frank Lowman had six ancestors who fought in the Revolution. He spent his whole life here except about twenty years in early manhood when he lived in the West. He leaves four brothers and two sisters; Seymour, of Elmira, N.Y., who was formerly lieutenant governor of the state of New York; Harry, who resides in Seattle, Wash.; Ned, of Montour Falls, N.Y.; and Ray, of Athens, Pa.; Mrs. Lena Bolich, of Sayre, Pa.; and Mrs. Lois Wilkin, of Birmingham, Ala. Frank Lowman was a man of quiet mien, of kindly disposition and possessed of an unusual capacity for friendship, having a host of friends in Bainbridge and in the country surrounding his home. He had greatly mourned the loss of his wife who passed away Nov. 3, 1929, and since her passing had been unable to do much work about his farm, which he dearly loved. He was an enthusiastic farmer and maintained a herd of about 60 head of Holstein cattle, of which he was very proud. During the past few years he had been under the efficient and understanding care of Miss Harriet Strong and during the past year his health had so greatly improved that he was able to attend to some of the tasks about the farm. This was, he felt, a privilege and made him very happy. The bearers at the funeral were Chas. Eldred, Fred Neidlinger, Ralph W. Kirby, Charles W. Ireland, Wiley Foster and Charles Weeks.[Bainbridge News & Republican, Nov. 16, 1933]
No comments:
Post a Comment