Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Obituaries (August 26)

Patrick Quinn
Utica Saturday Globe, October 1902
 
 
Patrick Quinn

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  Patrick Quinn, who died at his home on Adelaide street Saturday evening, was born in County Clare, Ireland, 82 years ago.  At an early age he came to America and for a number of years made his home in Virginia.  He came from that State to Norwich about 50 years ago and had since made his home here.  For many years he was employed by the late William R. Tiffany.  For the greater part of his long life he followed the occupation of farming.  Mr. Quinn enlisted in the United States Army during the war of the rebellion and was assigned to the Fifth New York Heavy Artillery, Company B, in which he heroically served.  He was honorably discharged and became a pensioner.  Patrick Quinn was a remarkable man in many ways.  He had a fund of Irish wit and though eccentric was generally of a happy, sunny disposition that drew many friends to him and made him one of the best known men in the village.  For years he pastured his small herd of cows in the northwestern part of the town, near the :"Red still," and during the summer season in the early morning and again at evening on his way to and from the pasture his voice became a familiar sound as he sang some old favorite song out of his rather limited repertoire.  He was a man who will be greatly missed from the community.  Besides his widow, Mary, he is survived by two sons, Richard J. Quinn, of Preston, and Matthew J. Quinn, of Middletown; two daughters, Mrs. M.W. Cox and Mrs. James J. Dolan, of Norwich; a brother, Thomas Quinn, of Wood's Corners, and four sisters, Mrs. Nellie Touey of King's Settlement; Mrs. John Brennan, of Norwich; Mrs. Margaret Hogan, of Utica, and Mrs. Betsey -?-.  His funeral was largely attended Tuesday morning from his late home on Adelaide street at 9:30 and from St. Paul's Church at 10 o'clock.  Rev. John A.  Hart officiated. Interment in St. Paul's Cemetery [Norwich, NY].  Among the out-of-town people in attendance were James Dolan, John F. Dolan and Miss Anna Dolan, of Oriskany Falls; Mrs. Daniel Laden and James Laden, of Oneida, and Patrick Keane, of Binghamton.

Oliver Beers
Otsego Farmer, Cooperstown, NY, March 29, 1907
Oliver Beers, an old and respected resident of Morris [Otsego Co., NY] died on Friday, March 22, aged eighty-nine years.  he has been in poor health for quite a while, his head bothering him a good deal.  Mr. Beers has lived in Morris and vicinity the most of his life.  He leaves one daughter, Mrs. Hyde Hunt, with whom he has lived and who has given him the best of care in his declining years, and one sister, Mrs. Lovina Beers Whitcomb.  Mr. Beers  was a man of means and left considerable property to his daughter.  The past winter, he took to his bed and declined from that time until death relieved him and he passed on to the other land.
 
Joseph Henry Fitch
1859 - 1914
Joseph Henry Fitch, well known in this city, died suddenly Saturday at his home in Rochester [Monroe Co., NY], aged 54.  His body was brought to Norwich [Chenango Co., NY], his former home, Tuesday and burial made in Mt. Hope Cemetery.  Mr. Fitch is survived by his wife and two sons, Harry and Edward Fitch, of Rochester; a daughter, Mrs. Otis Thompson, of this city; three grandchildren and one brothel, Frank E. Fitch, of Rochester.

Grace E. Storrs
Smyrna, NY, 1868 - 1911
Mrs. Grace E. Storrs died at her home in Smyrna [Chenango Co., NY] January 21, aged 44.  She is survived by her husband and 10 children:  Mrs. Charles Burchard, of Norwich; Mrs. Walter Brown, of King Settlement; John Storrs of Norwich; Ada Storrs, of Albany, and Mabel Storrs, Leon Storrs, Lamott Storrs, Leslie Storrs and Donald Storrs at home.

Alfred R. Kinney
New Berlin, NY, 1888 - 1911
Alfred R. Kinney died at the home of his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kinney, in New Berlin [Chenango Co., NY], Sunday February 5, 1911, aged 23.  He was a son of Elmer and Winnie Kinney, both of whom died several years ago.  Mr. Kinney had been in Norwich for some time, where he was employed as a baker by one of the local firms.  Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Wilson E. Tanner of St. Andrew's Church.  Burial was made in New Berlin.

Mary Louise (Obenauer) Holmes
Norwich, NY, 1876 - 1911
Mary Louise Obenauer, wife of Lucius  H. Holmes, died at the family home on Cortland street [Norwich Chenango Co., NY], Sunday evening, aged 35.  Mrs. Holmes was taken suddenly ill Sunday morning, and although everything was done by her physician and family during the day to relieve her suffering, death came in the early evening.  Mrs. Holmes was a member of the Congregational Church and of the Loyal Workers' Circle of King's Daughters, by whom she will be greatly missed. She leaves to mourn her early death her husband, and one daughter, Christine, her parents Mr. and Mrs. George Obenauer, one sister, Mrs. George Hudson, and brother, George Obenauer, all of Norwich.  Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from her late home on Cortland street, Rev. Paul Riley Allen officiating.  Burial was made in Mount Hope Cemetery [Norwich, NY].

Francis Chapel
Chenango Union, May 8, 1884
From a Sioux City (Iowa) paper we copy the following mention of the death of  Francis Chapel, a native of this village [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY] and well remembered by our older citizens.  He was a son of the late Joseph Chapel, and a brother of Mrs. C.B. La Hatt, of this place and Mrs. H.L. Bullock, of Fulton, N.Y. He was one of the pioneers of Sioux City, and one of its mot respected citizens.

Died at his home near Sioux City, Ia., Wednesday, April 23, 1884, Francis Chapel, aged 56 years.  The deceased was one of the old settlers of Sioux City, having come up the river with Dr. Cook to assist in surveying the town site.  He was born in Norwich, Chenango county, N.Y., and came to this city in 1855, remaining until 1860.  then he returned to his old home in Chenango county, married and engaged in the hotel business.  After spending eighteen years there, and wrecking his health and fortune, he returned to his farm near this city in 1878, and has resided there since.  He seemed in his usual health until shortly before his death, which was caused by hemorrhage of the stomach.  he leaves a wife, a son about 11 years, and a daughter 8 years old, to mourn the death of one of the kindest hearted of men. 

C.K. Smith, one of the party that came with Dr. Cook to survey the town site, gave the reporter this interesting talk about the deceased.  he said:  "The party was hired at Council Bluffs by Dr. Cook.  There was Frank Chapel, George Chamberlain, a man named Ross, Hiram Nelson--he located the claim on which Middle Sioux City stands--Frank Wixon--he recently died at Yankton--and myself.  We left council Bluffs in May, 1855.  Council Bluffs was a little Mormon village then--you dared not speak against the Mormons unless you wanted to hang.  Over at Omaha there were only two or three claim cabins.  The crossing of the Missouri was between Crescent City on the Iowa side to Forence, on the Nebraska side. There was where the Mormons crossed when they went to Utah.  We came through Crescent City--that was Mormon--and Calhoun close to where Missouri Valley now is, another Moron town. At the Little Sioux there was a ferry kept by Charles Larenter. At Onawa Henry Ashton kept a hotel and there was a store.  That was about all the settlement between Council Bluffs and Thompson town, a mile below the mouth of the Floyd.  There was were Dr. Cook wanted to make Sioux City, but Thompson wouldn't give him an interest in the place.  So we came on to where Sioux City is.  Joe Leonsis was living in a little cabin at the mouth of Perry creek.  Dr. Cook laid out the town on the west side of the creek, Sioux City proper, and then bought out Leonsis for $3,000.  While we surveyed the lots we boarded with Gus Traverse; that place is now the Spalding farm, two miles below the mouth of the Floyd. The only neighbors were Judge Townsley, who lived where Needham now has a cattle farm, north of Spalding's place, and two Frenchmen who lived further south toward the river.  All the men who were with Dr. Cook took claims.  George Chamberlains claim shanty was near where Van Keuren's house is on Seventh street.  Frank Chapel took the claim which he always held, and on which he died, the farm north of the fair grounds.  He was the first sheriff elected in the county, though one may have been appointed before that to organize the county.  He lived alone on his claim, and we used to go up from Sioux City Sunday afternoons to take dinner with him. In 1860 he went back to York State and it was there that his health broke down.
 
 

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