Obituaries (September 9)

Walter R. Furman

Utica Saturday Globe, October 1903

 

Walter R. Furman

Walter R. Furman, for over 50 years a well-known resident of the town of Sherburne [Chenango Co., NY], died suddenly Saturday evening, aged 86 years.  Mr. Furman had been in this village [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY] visiting his daughter and Saturday morning returned to Sherburne on the 9:28 Lackawanna train.  He rode with a milk team to the residence of Willis T. Hull, about a mile beyond the Spring House, with whom he had made his home for the past 11 years.  He was apparently in his usual health and Mr. and Mrs. Hull attended attended an auction during the day leaving Mr. Furman at home alone.  Miss Van Wagner, the daughter of a neighbor told him that the cows were out of their lot and he started out supposedly to look after them.  That was the last seen of Mr. Furman alive.  Some time after, as he did not return to the house, a search was started and his dead body was found in the Baptist Church yard a short distance from where he lived.  Deceased had suffered for many years with rheumatism and Coroner Wilcox, who was called, decided that his death was due to the hardening of the arteries, caused by that disease, combined with old age.  Mr. Furman's early life was spent in Oxford [Chenango Co., NY], where his father was a miller and he had followed that occupation all his life.  Removing to Sherburne over 50 years ago, he for a time conducted the Kirshaw grist mill and later established the Furman mill northeast of Sherburne village and conducted the business until a few years since when he sold out to Mr. Hull, who afterwards sold the mill to a Mr. Howard and the business has since been discontinued.  Mr. Furman was a man of good business ability, strictly honest in all his dealings and enjoyed the respect of all who knew him.  During the height of the gold fever in 1849-'51 he spent two years in California.  He was twice married, his first wife being Arzelia Kershaw, of Sherburne, who died in 1866, and in 1867 he married Hannah Vail of New Berlin, who has been dead about 15 years.  He is survived by two children, Mrs. Marvin A Smith, of Rexford street, this village, and Ambrose Furman, of Victoria, British Columbia; also by one brother, George Furman, who resides in the west.  His funeral was largely attended at his late home Tuesday forenoon.

Thaddeus Newton

Oxford Times, July 12, 1887

NEWTON:  At Afton [Chenango Co., NY], July 2, Thaddeus Newton, aged 90 years, formerly of Bainbridge.

Lorena Newton

NEWTON:  In Afton [Chenango Co., NY, Jan. 4, Mrs. Newton, wife of the late Thaddeus Newton, aged 69 years.  [Oxford Times, Jan. 17, 1893]

 



Mrs. Newton, wife of the late Thaddeus Newton, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Smith Doolittle, last Wednesday, aged 69 years.  The funeral was held Friday, Rev. L.L. Rury officiating.  The remains were taken to Oxford [Chenango Co., NY] for interment, Funeral Director Emens having them in charge  [Afton Enterprise, Jan. 12, 1893]  [buried Riverview Cemetery, Oxford, NY]

Lydia Ann Wheeler Newton

1827 - 1896

J.J. Bixby received a dispatch Saturday morning, announcing the death of Mrs. Warren Newton, who has been visiting friends in New York City.  She has been an invalid for several years, but for the past few months has been in better health.  Thursday,  her daughter, Mrs. Bixby, was summoned to New York by the illness of her mother, and Saturday morning brought the news of her death from congestion of the lungs.  Mrs. Lydia Ann Wheeler Newton was born at North Stonington, Conn., in  1827, and was the daughter of Dudley R. Wheeler, of that place. After graduating from Mt. Holyoke Seminary she came to Norwich to visit her brother, the late Chauncey Wheeler, who was engaged in business here ,and while his guest, met her future husband, Warren Newton.  They were married at North Stonington in 1851 and immediately came to Norwich where they have always made their home, which remained unbroken until the death of Mr. Newton in December, 1891.  Mrs. Newton was very active in public affairs and was interested in every movement for the betterment of the village and its people.  She was a member of the Congregational church and a generous contributor to all its departments. She was one of the original members of the Ladies' village Improvement society and for years its President.  The Y.M.C.A. appealed particularly to her and that institution has always been the recipient of her generosity.  Mrs. Newton is survived by her only daughter, Mrs. J.J. Bixby and by a brother and sister in Connecticut. The body was brought to Norwich on Tuesday morning, and the funeral will be held form her late residence on Thursday afternoon t two o'clock.

Henry S. Doolittle

Bainbridge Republican, October 6, 1921

Henry S. Doolittle, 65 years old, residing on a farm bordering the state highway about two miles north of Afton [Chenango Co., NY] dropped dead in his home about 6 o'clock Sunday night.  The immediate cause of his death was excitement over the automobile accident in front of his home at 5:15 o'clock Sunday afternoon in which one man was killed and another injured, according to Coroner P.A. Hayes, of Afton who was summoned.  Doolittle had been suffering from valvular heart trouble.  The accident in which Bert Vrooman, of Otego, suffered fatal injuries resulting in his death shortly afterwards and a man identified as James Harrigan of Binghamton was injured happened not more than 100 feet from the Doolittle residence. It is believed that the man who has been confined to his home for three years saw the Dodge automobile leave the road on a turn in front of the house, crash through a railing at the side of the road and plunge over an embankment turning upside down on the railroad tracks.  Following the accident several excited persons entered the Doolittle residence to use the telephone in summoning aid for the injured men.  The unusual excitement is believed to have taxed Doolittle's weakened heart, causing his death shortly afterward.  His wife who is his only survivor wasn't in the house at the time.  Members of another family living in the house with the Doolittle were also in the house.  Doolittle was a farmer and had lived in the vicinity of Afton virtually his entire life.

 

Grace Newton

Sidney Enterprise, May 3, 1945

The largely attended funeral of Miss Grace Newton, who died in her sleep early Monday morning at her home, 22 Gilbert street [Sidney, Delaware Co., NY], was held at the Methodist church Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock.  The Rev. Roy T. Henwood fo West Pittston, Pa., a former pastor of the Sidney Methodist church, officiated assisted by the Rev. Wilton J. Dubrick, pastor of the local church.  Miss Grace Newton, daughter of George E. and Susan R. (Bixby) Newton, was born in Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY].  Her early years were spent in Bainbridge and in Sidney where she was employed in the Clark silk mill.  Moved to Binghamton in 1901 where she was associated with Mrs. H.H. Sanders in china painting and artists' supplies, later becoming a member of the firm in their State street store.  In 1913 she left Binghamton for Schenectady where she operated a studio of china and glass decoration.  Due to inability to secure proper china the studio was closed in 1918 and for some time she represented the Mary Cummings gowns, of Louisville, Ky. covering New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.  In 1822, with Miss Marie Kenny, she opened the Grace-Marie Gown shop in the Press building in Binghamton.  Following a serious illness in 1824-25, she returned to her Sidney home to recuperate.  Later in 1925, with Miss Nita Hanes, she opened the Sidney hospital, corner of River and Patterson streets.  In 1928 she was in charge of  the Community house of the Ballston Lake Improvement society at Ballston lake.  She was called home late in 1929 to care for her father and an aging aunt.  Here she was active in the Methodist church and was a member of building committee of the new church built in 1933.  She was a member of the Official Board, president of the Ladies' Aid and an active member of the Harvester class until her last illness which began in 1943.  Miss Newton was highly esteemed in the community and had a wide circle of friends who extend sympathy to those bereaved.  She is survived by her sister, Miss Alma B. Newton, with whom she resided, of Sidney; two brothers, Alvin W. of Sidney, and Raymond A. of Schenectady; a niece, Dorothy C. Newton of Schenectady, and four nephews, Lt. James R. Newton, Army Air Force; Corp. Roger T. Newton, Ordinance Division of Ari Force, England; Aviation Cadet Raymond J. Newton, Bunker Hill, Ind., and Seaman 2/c Dudley A. Newton, Norman, Okla.  Burial was made in Greenlawn cemetery in Bainbridge.  [Note:  probable burial in St. Peter's Churchyard, Bainbridge, NY where her name is included on the Newton family monument] 

 

Frederick Quimby

Sidney Enterprise, May 3, 1945

Frederick E. Quimby died at his home in Baldwinsville [Onondaga Co., NY] April 18.  Funeral services were held April 21 at his home, Rev. W.H. Anderson, pastor of the Baptist church, officiating.  Interment was in Riverview cemetery at Baldwinsville.  Mr. Quimby was born in Sidney [Delaware Co., NY] Jan. 2, 1868, and for many years was a resident of Unadilla.  he is survived by his wife, Helen (Briggs) Quimby, and two daughters, Mrs. Lucy Belyeau and Mrs. Fay Long, both of Baldwinsville.