Obituaries (October 22)

Earl Roger Keith

Bay City Times, Bay City, MI, May 9, 1922

Earl Roger Kieth, aged 33 years, of Ridge road, died Monday evening, May 8, after a lingering illness.  He is survived by his wife, two sons, Billy and Jack, at home, his father, three sisters and one brother, of Comber, Ontario.

Harris Coats

Bay City Times, Bay City, , May 9, 1922

Harris Coats died last Saturday on the Midland road, at the age of 92 years and 14 days.  Mr. Coats was born in Pharsalia, Chenango county, New York, on April 22, 1830.  He is survived by his wife, one daughter, Mrs. Eva Jester, two sons, and one grandson, all of Bay City.  Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock from the home, with interment in Oak Ridge cemetery.

 

Newton Hayes

DeRuyter Gleaner, February 13, 1908

1908:  Miss Minnie Hayes was called to South Otselic Monday morning by the serious illness of her affianced, Newton Hayes.  At last reports Mr. Hayes had been unconscious for some time with no signs of improvement.  [DeRuyter Gleaner, Feb. 13, 1908]

 

DeRuyter Gleaner, February 27, 1908

Newton D. Hayes, only child of Willard C. and Nellie Newton Hayes, was born Sept. 9, 1883, in Otselic, N.Y. [Chenango Co.], living nearly all his mortal life in that town.  He was baptized in May, 1897, by Rev. A.E. Hall and joined the church of his choice.  Always a home and mother loving boy, pleasant, mirthful and ever thoughtful for the welfare of others; he has been an exemplary, industrious, noble young man.  Surely “death loves a shining mark.” And yet:

There is no death! What seems so is transition.

This life of mortal breath

Is but a suburb of the life elysian,

Whose portal we call death.

Having had a severe illness late in the past summer, he had never fully regained his former health when he again became ill in January when all that love and tender care could do was done for him; but the poor pain-racked body could not hold the spirit longer.  His last words were, “it is all right.”  Thursday evening, Feb. 13, he stepped outside the clay that had been his habitation for twenty-four years, five months and eleven days. 

 

Willard C. Hayes

Norwich Sun, March 19, 1925

South Otselic [Chenango Co., NY]:  Willard C. Hayes was born in Manlius [Onondaga Co., NY] January 3, 1854 and died at his home in this village on March 8, 1925.  When he was ten years of age he went to live with Mrs. Abbie Farnham, near Cazenovia and remained with her until he was 20 years of age.  Later he came to Mariposa to work in the creamery for Curtis Kenyon, and remained with him for two years.  In 1882 he was married to Nellie Newton.  Their only child, Newton died in 1908.  This great sorrow undermined the health of both parents, and three years later they sold their farm on the Ridge and moved to this village where they bought the home where he spent his last days.  His funeral was largely attended from the M.E. church where for many years he had acted as usher.  Mr. Hayes had worked continuously for over 25 years for the B.F. Gladding Company. 

 

Chenango County Historian's Collection

Willard C. Hayes was born at Manlius, N.Y., early in 1854.  His parents were Cornelius and Mary Drake Hayes.  When a boy about ten years of age, he was taken into the home of the Farnham’s between Cazenovia and Pompey Hollow, where under the kind care and Christian guardianship of Aunt Abby and the clean and brotherly associations of the son, (the late J.B. Farnham), he absorbed those rare qualities so essential to the making of the real man, the development of which his many friends bear witness.  Following about ten years of this exemplary home life, Billy (as he was known by all) was employed by farmers and others about Cazenovia and vicinity, still retaining his old home.  About 1878 he came to Otselic and after working for farmers for a time was employed at the Mariposa creamery for two seasons.  In 1882 he was united in marriage to Nellie Newton, daughter of the late A.D. and Adelia Newton of this town.  Resulting from this union, a son, Newton, was born to them in 1883, who died in 1908.  About 1890 Mr. Hayes engaged in farming, having purchased the J.P. Newton farm on the Ridge Road, which vocation he followed with much success, spending the winters with the Gladding Fish Line Co., in this village.  About 1910 he sold the farm and purchased a home here, where after months of suffering he passed away March 8th.  After establishing the new home he gave his full time to the Gladding works, where he was a trusted employee up to within three  months of his passing, at which time on account of his failing health he was compelled to retire.  It was instinctive in Billy to make friends of which he enjoyed a full share.  He was widely popular because he possessed those rare qualities which win friendship, always companionable and humorous at all times.  Loyal to his friends with an aggressive loyalty, and all who mourn his passing, remembering him with a keen feeling of personal bereavement.  Neighbor Hayes had never affiliated with any of the secret organizations here, but was a faithful and regular attendant at the M.E. church of which he had for many years been a member. Willing at all times to contribute his full share of the betterment and improvement of the church, which he loved and where he had so long been punctual at nearly every service.  He had no near relatives living, except the wife, who alone survives him. The funeral was largely attended from the church on Wednesday afternoon, March 11th.  His pastor, Rev. Granger in charge, assisted by rev. J.C. Whitney of the Baptist church.  Burial in Valley View, by the side of the son.  Included in floral offerings, which were many, were fine pieces from the M.E. Brotherhood and the employees of the B.F. Gladding & Co., who attended in a body.  Deep sympathy is extended to the widow and her aged mother by the whole community, all realizing however that we are all better for having known W.C. Hayes. 

 

Nellie E. (Newton) Hayes

DeRuyter Gleaner, January 18, 1945

Mrs. Nellie E. Hayes, a life long resident of Otselic township [Chenango Co., NY] passed away at the Woman's Relief Corps Home in Oxford, N.Y. [Chenango Co., NY], where she had been a guest since may of 1944, on January the 10th, 1945.  She was born on the Newton farm on the Ridge Road, the eldest of three children of Albert and Ordelia Babcock Newton, on September 1st, 1862.  In her young womanhood she married  William Hayes who died in 1925.  One of the greatest griefs of her life was the death of their only child, a son, Newton, who passed away in 1908 at the age of 25 years.  After many years of residence on the home farm on the Ridge Road she and her husband moved to this village and lived next to the Methodist church.  She was an active member of this church and gave many evidences of her love and devotion to her Lord in her years of active participation in the work of the church.  Her funeral was held from the church she loved on Saturday, January 13th.  The Rev. Guy Foye Crawford, her pastor officiating.  Her body was borne by neighbors who acted as bearers, being placed in the Russell F. Smith vault in DeRuyter until the springtime when it will be buried in the family lot in the Valley View cemetery [South Otselic, NY].