Obituaries (April 19)

Mary Esther (Powers) Hopkins

Died about 1939

Mr. and Mrs. George Page and Horatio Powers attended the funeral of their sister-in-law and aunt, at Franklin last Wednesday.  Mary Powers Hopkins was born in this place May 6, 1861.  She was the only daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Powers.  She is survived by her husband, one brother, Wesley Powers of Oneonta, two nieces and two  nephews, Alvin Powers of Sidney and Horatio Powers of White Store.  The funeral was held at the Howard Funeral Parlors at 2 p.m.  The body was placed in the vault to await burial at Franklin [Delaware Co., NY] in the spring.  She was sister of the late Charles Powers.  78 years old.

Saloma Cerelia Hopson

Died December 1, 1935

The death of Mrs. Saloma Cerelia Hopson, widow of Eugene Hopson, occurred Sunday, December 1, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Henry H. Laroher, in Columbus [Chenango Co., NY].  Mrs. Hopson was born December, 4, 1851, at Milford, the daughter of James Lane and Saloma Phillips.  Her childhood was spent in South New Berlin [Chenango Co., NY].  In 1871 she was united in marriage to Eugene H. Hopson, whose death occurred in 1921.  Mrs. Hopson was a member of the Universalist Association.  Besides the daughter mentioned, one son survives, Edward Hopson, a resident of Columbus.  Five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren also survive. The funeral service was held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Community church at Columbus, Rev. Fred Leonard officiating and burial was made in Lamb's cemetery. 

Frederick W. Hopkins

Died in February 1943

Frederick W. Hopkins, former O.&W. ticket agent at Randallsville and for many years a resident of North Norwich [Chenango Co., NY], died at Dobbs Ferry, N.J., Tuesday, aged about 85 years.  The body is expected to arrive in Norwich Thursday night at 6:50 via the Lackawanna railroad, and funeral services are scheduled for Friday afternoon at 2:30 at the Breese Funeral Home, with Rev. L.S. Charters officiating.  Burial will probably be made in the North Norwich cemetery but not until spring. A son, Herbert S. Hopkins, former editor of The Norwich Sun, survives.

Leslie Elbert Hooker

Died December 2, 1935

Leslie E. Hooker, father of Mrs. Chester A. Miller, of 62 Ford avenue and a member of the New York State Bar association, passed away yesterday morning at his winter home in San Mateo, Fla.  Mr. Hooker, who was 78 years old, was a native of Otsego county.  After practicing law in this county and in Binghamton, Mr. Hooker moved to the New England states, where he became prominent as the inventor of a process which revolutionized the tubing industry as far as the manufacture of radiators and cartridges was concerned.  He developed a process whereby soft metal could be pressed through an annular opening to form a tube instead of being drawn by means of a punch.  This method of extrusion was revolutionary in that it divided the number of operations necessary to produce a tube of soft metal such as brass, copper, lead or other alloys.  It greatly deduced the cost of producing tubes as compression was used instead of driving. The molecules were pressed together instead of drawn apart as they were in the drawing process, which had been used up to the time of the invention  During the World war, the United States Cartdidge company at Lowell, Mass. took over the method of manufacturing shells by extrusion and it was in this branch of work that Mr. Hooker's invention became widely known. The company found it had only a fractional number of defective cartridges as the sidewalls did not split when fired. The government became interested in the process and, following tests, specified Hooker's cartridges for use in machine guns on all combat airplanes. These shells were used extensively during the latter part of the war, and it is estimated that the Lowell firm manufactured over 2,000,000 cartridges up to three inches in diameter.  Licenses to manufacture cartridges by his extrusion methods were secured by the governments of France, Italy and England.  Mr. Hooker experimented in the development of seamless tubes for the Liberty airplane motor, then in the process of construction by the government.  His process resulted in the making of metal torpedo caps for railroads and it is now used in the manufacture of all sorts of collapsible tubes.  The radiator of the car used by Barney Oldfield to make his famous speed record in 1914 was supervised by Mr. Hooker when he was general manager of the Metallic Shell & Tube company at Pawtucket, R.I.  During this period, Mr. Hooker experimented successfully with the method of extrusion rather than drawing and the result proved a stronger tube at less expense.  The deceased was born in South Edmeston, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Hooker.  He was educated in the district schools and studied law in New Berlin under H.H. Harrington.  Admitted to the State Bar association in 1880, Mr. Hooker practiced in New Berlin for several years before moving to Binghamton, where he lived for about 20 years.  In 1882, he married Miss Cora E. Lamb of South Edmeston.  Mr. Hooker retired about 15 years ago and since then had resided at his summer home in New Berlin and at his winter home in San Mateo.  He was in ill health when he left for Florida in September and late last month his condition took a turn for the worse.  Mrs. Miller has been at his home for several weeks.  Surviving are his wife and daughter; one son, Ross B. Hooker, East Providence, R.I.; and several grandchildren.  Oneonta Star.