Obituaries (March 6)

Gilbert Bowers

Utica Saturday Globe, January 1900

 

Gilbert Bowers

1818 - 1900

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  Gilbert Bowers died suddenly at the home of his son, Henry G. Bowers, in the town of New Berlin [Chenango Co., NY], January 8, 1900.  For several years he had been in poor health and for a few years had been nearly blind from a cataract on the eye, which owning to feeble health, could not be removed.  On January 1 last he suffered a stroke of paralysis which rendered him helpless.  Mr. Bowers was born in the town of Norwich in a house east of the Chenango river and near the Merton Reese farm, November 21, 1818.  The house still stands.  He was one of a large family of children of Ephriam and Esther Crandall Bowers.  His education was acquired in the district schools and he took up the occupation of farming.  He was a man of marked character, strong in his individuality and his beliefs.  In politics he was a Democrat and never failed to exercise the right of franchise.  He was a consistent Christian and a member of the Methodist church.  His memory was clear and ran back to the time when the century was young and Norwich was only an isolated hamlet.  He loved to talk of those days, but appreciated and admired the progress and improvements of the present.  He was married October 18, 1840, to Miss Harriet Pendell, who survives him.  He also leaves five children, Wallace W., of White Sulpher Springs; Harriet L., wife of H.G. Littlefair, of Holmesville; Frank C. Bowers, of North Norwich; Henry G. Bowers, of New Berlin, and Lewis H. Bowers, of Norwich,. Two brothers, Ephraim, of Norwich, and William, of Chenango Lake, and two sisters, Mrs. Clara Westcott of Preston, and Mrs. Polly Birch, of Munsonville, also survive.  There are 17 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren living.  Funeral services were held January 18, Rev. Robert Martin officiating. Burial was made at Plasterville.

 

Harriet H. (Pendell) Bowers

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph,  October 8, 1903

The funeral of Mrs. Harriet H. Bowers was largely attended from the home of her son, L.H. Bowers, at the Empire house, Wednesday afternoon, Rev. Samuel Moore officiating.  Burial was made in the Plasterville cemetery. The floral offerings were beautiful and profuse, and the music was rendered by a quartette composed of Mrs. Charles Brown and two sons, Dudley and Frank, and Mrs. Roscoe Johnson.  Among the many in attendance from out of town, aside form all of the children, were Mrs. Calvin Bowers, Clayton Baker, John Johnson, wife and son of DeRuyter; Charles Bowers of Sherburne.  Mrs. Bowers was a much beloved and widely known resident of Chenango county in which nearly all her long life was spent, and died at the home of her son, Lewis H. Bowers, proprietor of the Empire house on East Main street, Monday September 28, 1903, aged 79 years.  She was born in Wayne county, December 5, 1824, and was the oldest of the nine children of James T. and Agnes Pendell, four of whom survive; Mrs. Rosanna Case of White Store, Mrs. Lucy Potter of this village, M.R. Pendell of Cleburne, Texas, and Mrs. Wayne Belden of South New Berlin.  Her father was a first class carpenter and was employed in building the docks on the old Chenango canal, and on other public works.  When a young girl Mrs. Bowers came with her parents to Chenango county and resided in the town of Plymouth until she was 12 years of age, when they moved to Plasterville.  October 18, 1840 she was married to Gilbert Bowers, whose death occurred suddenly January 8, 1900.  Her mother died December 15, 1872 and her father, November 16, 1892.  Mr. and Mrs. Bowers resided in Plasterville where Mr. Bowers was employed for thirty years in grinding plaster at the large mill, until 20 years ago, when they went to King Settlement.  Here they purchased and lived on the Clinton place for five years and the Ryan place for nine years, having sold their former one.  At the Ryan place they conducted a very successful grocery business in the front of their residence, Mrs. Bowers having most of the management, until Mr. Bower's failing health compelled them to give up the business.  About five years ago they broke up housekeeping and lived among their children.  About a year ago she came to Norwich and made her home with her son, Lewis, at the Empire house.  Last May she visited her brother and sisters and children, until failing health caused her to return to Norwich and the following Sunday she was stricken with illness which resulted in her death, after two weeks' duration.  Mrs. Bowers was a woman dear to all who knew her, of a gentle, loving and cheerful disposition, which marked her entire life and was beautifully brought out in her last illness.  She retained all of her senses to a remarkable degree for one of her age, and was an intelligent, well read woman.  Deceased is survived by five children, Wallace W. Bowers of DeRuyter, Mrs. Horatio Littlefair of Holmesville, Frank C. Bowers of North Norwich, Henry G. Bowers of New Berlin, and Lewis H. Bowers of this village, 17 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

 

William H. Curtiss

Chenango Union, December 23, 1875

CURTISS:  At the residence of his father, Henry Curtiss, in North Greece, Monroe Co., Dec. 17th, Mr. William H. Curtiss, aged 22 years.

 

The announcement of the death of this young man will cause a feeling of sadness in the hearts of many in this community.  His earlier years were passed at White Store, in this town [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY]; and upon arriving at the proper age, he entered the office of the Chenango Telegraph, as an apprentice, where he faithfully served his time, and afterwards worked as a journeyman.  On the day before Christmas, one year ago, he left for the home of his parents--who had recently removed to Monroe County--for the purpose of spending the holidays, with the intention of returning to his work again.  Immediately after reaching home he was attacked by fever, which prostrated him for months; then an abscess in his hip developed itself, and he was an invalid until his death, which was probably hastened by the opening of the abscess, some three weeks since.  Young Curtiss was universally esteemed for his many noble qualities of head and heart, and among his youthful associates he was a general favorite.  His remains, accompanied by his stricken parents, arrived in this village on the Tuesday morning D.L.&W. train; and Alert Hose Company, of which deceased was an honored member, turned out and met the remains of their late comrade at the depot, and escorted the funeral procession to the outskirts of the village, towards White Store, where all that was left of poor Will was deposited in the family burial ground, on Tuesdays afternoon.  Peace to his ashes!