Obituaries (October 26)

Bridget D. McMahon

Utica Saturday Globe, February 1918

 

Bridget D. McMahon

1830 - 1918

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  At the home of her daughter, Mrs. Owen Murtaugh, on Maydole street, Saturday, February 2, occurred the death of Mrs. Bridget D. McMahon, widow of John McMahon, aged 87 years.  Deceased had been in fair health up to about six weeks ago, when she began to fail, due to old age and the end came peacefully on Saturday.  Mrs. McMahon was born November 20, 1830, in County Clare, Ireland, and came to this country and to Binghamton about 1850, when she was married to John McMahen, and five years later they took up their residence in Norwich.  For many years the family resided on Lackawanna avenue and after the death of her husband, about 30 years ago, deceased made a home for her son, Michael McMahon, who was for years engaged in business on that street.  Mrs. McMahon was a faithful member of St. Paul's Church and of the Rosary and Sacred Heart societies.  Among the gifts she had made to her church was a window and the flag pole from which Old Glory now waves daily.  Of her nine children, deceased had outlived all but one daughter, Mrs. Murtaugh, with whom she had lived during the past few years. There are also surviving 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. The funeral was held Tuesday morning, at St. Paul's Church, Rev. Father Tiernan officiating. Burial was made in St. Paul's Cemetery [Norwich, NY].

 

John Donovan

Chenango Union, June 27, 1889

John Donovan, a well known resident of this village [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], died at his home this (Wednesday) morning.  He suffered form a sunstroke some time since, from which he died.  John was a character in his way, and a skilled gardener.  He leaves a widow and several little children.

 



Seymour Martin

Chenango Union, June 27, 1889

After a week of intense pain and suffering, Seymour Martin died at his residence in Oxford [Chenango Co., NY] at seven o'clock Friday morning, aged sixty-one years, from the effects of a very slight injury received ten days previous, of which mention was made last week.  A scratch upon his finger, from the point of a meat hook in his market, so slight that little attention was paid to it at the time and nothing done for a few days beyond the application of some simple remedy, was followed by inflammation and blood poisoning, which baffled the best medical skill, resulting in his death.  Mr. Martin was until the past year a resident of McDouough [Chenango Co., NY] where he held the office of Justice of the Peace for many years, and was widely known as a good citizen and an upright man.

 

Robert C. Odell

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, December 30, 1891

Robert C. Odell, aged 87 years, an aged and respected citizen, living in the southwest part of the town of Coventry [Chenango Co., NY], died suddenly of heart failure last Sunday morning.  His funeral will be held at his late residence at noon Wednesday, December 30th, and interment will be made in the Chapel Cemetery [Coventry, NY].  Deceased was in life a successful, industrious farmer, an honest man and a devout Christian.

 

Maria Chapel

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, December 30, 1891

The funeral services over the remains of Mrs. Maria Chapel, widow of the late Peter Chapel, of Sherburne [Chenango Co., NY], were held at the home of her daughter, Mrs. G. B. Munson, in that village Tuesday afternoon.  Mrs. Chapel was 78 years of age and a life long resident of Sherburne.  She leaves two children, Mrs. G.B. Munson and Sanford Chapel, of Sherburne.

 

Austin Odell

Chenango Republican, Oxford, NY, January 18, 1828

The body of a Mr. Odell was found in the Unadilla river, near Mount Upton in this county [Chenango] on the 9th inst.  Mr. Odell attended the polls on the second day of the late election and having partaken too freely of spirituous liquors, started for his residence about dark; the road he had to travel lay upon the bank of the Unadilla, into which he fell, and being unable to extricate himself, he perished.  The river soon froze over, and he was not found until the period stated above.  It was rumored that he was murdered by a person with whom he had a dispute on the day he was missing, but such appears not to be a fact, as no marks of violence were found upon him.

 

Notes on the Death of Austin Odell

Author Unconfirmed - possibly Ruth Odell, former Guilford NY historian

Austin Odell's death turned out to be an interesting story.  He was found dead in the Unadilla River.  No water was found in his lungs.  Never really knew what happened, although Robert Odell, Austin's son, stated to his children that he was murdered.  But as it so often happens the children weren't interested and never asked why he thought he was murdered.  A short time after I had discovered the story of Austin's death, another story was brought to my attention.  The story went like this. Every moonlight night in the month of October and November, anyone traveling the road near the Unadilla River at Batterson's Bridge would be met by a ghost rising from the Unadilla River.  Now I wonder if Austin's body was found November 6 in the river near Batterson's Bridge.  Do you think the ghost was Austin's?  I wonder.

Death Notices

Chenango Union, June 13, 1889

FLEMING:  In this village [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], June 9, 1889, Mr. John J. Fleming, aged 42 years.

BIXBY:  In Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], suddenly, June 3, 1889, Mr. Samuel Bixby, aged 86 years.

KELLEY:  In Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], June 4, 1889, Mr. John Augustus Kelley, colored, aged 40 years.

ODELL:  At Mt. Upton [Chenango Co., NY], June 9, 1889, Mr. Austin Odell.

PARKS:  In Pitcher [Chenango Co., NY], May 28, 1889, Mr. William Parks, aged 75 years.

BURGESS:  In Earlville [Madison Co., NY], June 1, 1889, Mrs. Henry Burgess, aged 50 years.

PRESTON:  In Mariposa [Chenango Co., NY], June 1, 1889, Mr. Lyman Preston, aged 88 years.

BUNNELL:  In Brooklyn, N.Y., June 8, 1889, Ethel May [Bunnell], daughter of K.E. and Mary E. Bunnell, aged 4 years and 7 months.  The funeral took place from their residence in Guilford [Chenango Co., NY], Sunday at 3:30 P.M.

DOUGLAS:  In Meredith, N.Y. [Delaware Co.], June 6, 1889, Mr. Edward Douglas, aged 69 years, brother of Dr. George Douglas, of Oxford [Chenango Co., NY], and brother-in-law of W.P. Chapman, of Norwich.

BENNETT:  At the Glen Haven Sanitarium, Cortland county, June 11, 1889, Hon. Abel Bennett, of Binghamton [Broome Co., NY], aged 71 years, formerly of Bennettsville, Chenango county.

ALDRICH:  In Pine Bush, N.Y. [Orange Co.], May 30, 1889, Mrs. Catharine Aldrich, aged 98 years, 6 months and 6 days, formerly of Guilford [Chenango Co., NY].

REEVES:  In Morrisville, N.Y. [Madison Co.], June 1, 1889, Minnie Blanch [Reeves], wife of Wesley J. Reeves, aged 29 years and 3 months.