Obituaries (March 20)

Dr. Stephen M. Hand

Utica Saturday Globe, August 1910

 

Dr. Stephen M. Hand

1830-1910

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  The final summons came most unexpectedly to Dr. Stephen M. Hand, health officer and for many years a prominent physician of Norwich Tuesday morning.  Mr. Hand was passing down Brown avenue on a visit to the vicinity where several cases of spinal meningitis have recently occurred.  He stopped at the residence of Charles R Skinner, whose two little girls had fallen victims to the disease.  He sat down on the doorstep and while playing with one of the little Skinner boys and chatting with a lady visitor at the home, he suddenly sank back and expired before two brother physicians who were hastily summoned could reach him.  Dr. Hand was about 80 years of age and have been a resident of  Norwich for nearly half a century, returning here to reside and practice his profession at the close of the civil war in which he served as a surgeon.  For the past 25 years he had been the attending physician at the county jail and for nearly the same length of time was the health officer of the village, in which position he was the registrar of vital statistics.  He was always fearless in the discharge of his official duties and the enforcement of the sanitary rules of the community.  He was for many years a member of the Board of Pension Examiners, and for some time was the attending physician at the county almshouse in Preston.  He was always ready to go wherever his profession called him and responded promptly to the call of the poor who sought his aid in time of need.  He had been president of the County Medical Society.  He was a devoted member of the Broad Street Methodist church, which he had served as steward and for many years had conducted a Bible class in the Sunday school.  Dr. Hand was thrice married.  His third wife, who survives him, was so overcome by the tidings of his death that physicians were called to revive her.  He leaves an adopted son, Dr. John T. Hand, a leading physician in New Berlin and one of the county coroners.  Funeral services were held this afternoon at 2 from the home.  Burial was made in Mount Hope [Norwich, NY], Rev. H.L. Ellsworth, of Binghamton, a former pastor of the m.E. Church, officiated in the absence of the present pastor.

 

Alexander Lewis, 1832 - 1907

Chenango Union, July 25, 1907

Alexander Lewis died at his home in German [Chenango Co., NY], one and one-half miles west of this village, Tuesday, July 16.  His age was about 75 years.  Mr. Lewis had always been a resident of German, and for the past four or five years had been in poor health.  He had held the county office one term of superintendent of the poor and justice of peace of his town for several years.  He is survived by his wife, two daughters, Mrs. Henry King and Miss Minnie Lewis, and one son, Charles Lewis, of Binghamton, and one brother, Henry Lewis of McDonough. The funeral was held from the house Friday afternoon. The interment was in the village cemetery in McDonough [Chenango Co., NY].

 

Raymond Parshall

Chenango Union, July 25, 1907

Raymond Parshall, a carpenter employed by Cummings & Lamb, died at the home of Wellington Davis, South Broad street [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY] on Saturday from lockjaw.  He received a slight wound from a blank cartridge on July 4th.  The wound was cleansed and dressed and apparently was healing nicely.  Last Thursday, two weeks after the accident, severe pains set in and the physicians diagnosed the case as lockjaw.  Injections of anti-toxin were resorted to and temporary relief was afforded, but the disease had taken a firm hold and death followed Saturday morning.  Mr. Parshall was born in Cooperstown [Otsego Co., NY], where his mother and brother now reside, and was about 25 years of age.  He came to Norwich about three years ago, working first in Plymouth and for the last eighteen months in Norwich.  He was popular with his fellow workman and among the young people of the Methodist church where he was a regular attendant.  His mother and brother were with him at the end and accompanied his remains to Cooperstown.

 

Leach King

Chenango Union, July 25, 1907

Leach King, the nine year old son of Mrs. Hamilton King, who has been for several years a summer visitor at the North Cottage at Guilford Lake [Chenango Co., NY], was drowned in the waters of the lake Sunday afternoon.  Leach was out on the lake in a duck boat and was displaying his skill in handling the boat to his older brother and a little girl on the shore.  There was a heavy wind and considerable swell on the lake, and while standing up in the boat he lost his balance and pitched overboard.  The accident was witnessed by the children on shore whose screams brought Mrs. Foote, who started at once to the rescue with Frank King, the older brother.  Others were attracted by the cries for help but before any boat could reach the scene the young lad had gone down for the third time. The accident happened about half after five o'clock.  Searching parties were at once organized but it was nearly night in the evening before the body was recovered. The fatal accident cast a gloom over all the cottagers at the Lake.  Leach was a bright, active boy and popular with all of the summer people. whose sympathies go out strongly to the afflicted parents and brother.  Burial was at Newark, N.J.  This is believed to be the first death by drowning in Guilford Lake.

 

Orrin Wheeler

Chenango Union, July 25, 1907

The Winona, Minn., Herald of June 27, has the following:  The death of Orrin Wheeler, a former resident of Winona, occurred at St. Cloud on June 21, after a lingering illness of nearly six years, occasioned by a stroke of paralysis.  Mr. Wheeler was born in Oxford, Chenango county, New York in the month of July, 1834.  He came to Minnesota in 1862, locating in the town of Fremont, Winona county.  The following year he removed to this city, and soon thereafter engaged quite extensively in the grain business under the firm name of Bonner & Wheeler, which continued for fourteen years.  Later for a shorter period he was associated with Charles Bonner and S.Y. Hyde in a line of elevators upon the Southern Minnesota road, with headquarters at La Crosse.  In 1885 he removed to St. Paul where he remained for two years.  Returning to Winona he embarked in the mercantile trade, the dry goods business, on Third street, with W.T. Allen, who had been connected with H. Choate & Co.  In this business he continued for two years, disposing of his interest to Mr. Allen.  He again left Winona in 1890, finally locating at Suak Center, this state.  Subsequently he encountered business reverses, from which he did not recover.  Mr. Wheeler was twice married.  His first wife was Miss Olive A. Bassett of Norwich, New York.  They were wedded in 1857, and to them two children were born, namely, Curtis M., now located at Mors, Saskatchewan, Canada, being the railroad agent at that place, and who with his wife were in attendance at the funeral; the other son, Pearl, died in infancy, in this city, October 2, 1872.  His first wife died in St. Paul in 1886, and her interment was in Woodlawn cemetery.  His second wife was miss Frederica Looss of Winona, to whom he was married in this city, January 1, 1889.  From this union is a daughter, Harriet Frances, fifteen years of age, who with the son, C.M., and the widow of the family survive the decedent.  During the last four years Mr. Wheeler has been almost a helpless invalid and latterly had been cared for in a sanitarium at St. Cloud.  But at last the final summons came as a welcome messenger.  Mr. Wheeler was one of the pioneers of Winona and during his residence here was an active public spirited citizen in civic and religious affairs, ever foremost in public enterprise to promise the welfare of the community.  in 1871 and 1872 he was a member of the city council from the Second ward, where for many years he was a resident.  He was actively identified with the Masonic fraternity--a Knight Templar.  He was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal church, taking a zealous interest in the welfare of the parish, having been a warden in the church and a vestryman for many years.  He was one of the large, generous contributors toward the present edifice.  One of the beautiful memorial windows, now to be seen in St. Paul's church, is dedicated to his son Pearl, who died in 1872.  His remains were brought to this city, where had been his former home so long in his happy and prosperous days, accompanied by his wife and daughter.  The services were held in St. Paul's Episcopal church, on Monday at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and conducted by the pastor, Rev. Edward Borncamp. The pall bearers were members of the vestry of St. Paul's Chruch. A number of his old friends, pioneers of Winona, were in attendance to pay their last tribute of respect to the departed, and saw him laid to his final rest in beautiful Woodlawn cemetery.