George Irving Skinner, Norwich Sun, Mar. 25, 1926: Citizens
of Bainbridge were stunned when word came that their fellow townsman, Hon.
George I. Skinner had passed away very suddenly at his home in Brooklyn following a 24-hour illness from the
"flu." George Irving Skinner
was born in Sherburne Feb. 20, 1858 where his early childhood was passed. After his graduation from Madison University
he was assistant principal of Norwich Academy.
Later he took up the study of law under John W. Church of Norwich and
was admitted to the bar in 1887 and took up the practice of law in Bainbridge,
which place has ever since been his home.
Mr. Skinner was prominent in the public life of the town, county and
state, having served as postmaster of Bainbridge, head of the Foreign
Corporation Building Loan and Banking Law Bureau of the New York state, first and second deputy to
the superintendent of banking and finally superintendent of banking. Mr. Skinner was recognized as one of the
leading authorities on banking in the United States. At the time of his death Mr. Skinner was a
member of the law firm of Jonas, Skinner and Newberger of New York city; director of the Land Bank of the state of New
York and vice president of the Manufacturers Trust Company of New York
city. His judgment was requested for the
safety it assured; his counsel for the wisdom it contained. In November, 1891, Mr. Skinner was united in
marriage with Mary Elizabeth McCrea of Smithville Flats, who survives him. Also he leaves to mourn the loss of a most
devoted father, one son George McCrea Skinner, who is a practicing attorney in
New York city; three daughters, Mrs.
Irving Ives of Norwich and Margaret and Laura Skinner of Bainbridge. Mr. Skinner loved his home town and his
family spent at least six months of each year here, Mr. Skinner coming up from New York city each weekend
to be with them. Last Tuesday evening he
came back to Bainbridge for the last time.
Accompanied by his loved ones, his remains were brought from New York to his home on Greenlawn avenue. On Thursday afternoon prayer service was held
at the family home at 1:30 with funeral services at St. Peter's church at 2
o'clock. The body was placed in the
vault at Green Lawn cemetery. The
mahogany casket was covered with a blanket of roses and nature's choicest
blooms in sprays, wreaths, pillows, baskets, etc., were massed around the
casket and completely filled the front of the church. These were only slight tokens of the love of
friends throughout the country. The
honorary bearers were Lieutenant Governor Seymour Lowman, deputies in State
Banking Department, Judge Overocker and George Plant of Albany, David Hutton of
Rye, N.Y., Martin Cohen of New York city and Charles Gray of Greene. Active bearers were Ralph W. Kirby, Charles
H. Clark, Julien C. Scott, Edward Danforth and Thomas Collins of Bainbridge and
J. Johnson Ray, James J. Flanagan and James S. Flanagan of Norwich.
Skinner - McCray, Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, November 25, 1891: Smithville Flats--A very pleasant wedding
was celebrated at the residence of the bride's mother, Mrs. Mary E. McCray, at
half-past one o'clock, on Thursday afternoon November 19th, when
Miss Lizzie M. McCray was married to George I. Skinner, of Bainbridge, by the
Rev. P. Giffin. Earnest congratulations are extended to them
by their many friends.
Elizabeth (McCray ) Skinner, Bainbridge News, February 8, 1951: Mary
Elizabeth McCray Skinner, widow of the late George I. Skinner, died at her home
on West Main street in this village [Bainbridge] last Monday morning, Jan.
29. Mrs. Skinner was born July 3, 1866
at Smithville Flats, the daughter of Joseph L. McCray and Mary Elizabeth
McCray. Her childhood was spent at
Smithville Flats and she attended the Union School
there from which she graduated in 1882.
Following her graduation she attended Teachers College and later taught
school at Smithville for several years during which time she became acquainted
with George I. Skinner, who was principal of the school at that place. This acquaintance between teacher and principal
ripened into a romantic attachment and they were married Nov. 19, 1891, at
which time Mr. Skinner came to Bainbridge to live and practice law. He was appointed postmaster here and they
made their home on Greenlawn
avenue from which residence she was most
appropriately buried last Thursday afternoon.
Following Mr. Skinner’s term as postmaster here at Bainbridge he became
associated with the State Banking Department at Albany and the family usually spent their
winter months in that city returning to Bainbridge for the summers. Later Mr. Skinner became State Superintendent
of Banks. It was in 1920 that her
husband left the State Banking Department and became Consulting Vice-President
of the Manufacturers Trust Co. in New
York City.
During these years until his death in 1926 their winter home was in New York. Mrs. Skinner traveled extensively in this
country with her husband and in Europe with
her son. Following her husband’s death
she returned to their Pruyne Hill home in Bainbridge and she had lived there
and in the home on West Main
street for the past several years. Mrs. Skinner was a member of the National
Society of New England Women and of the Woman’s Club, of Bainbridge. She also served on the Board of the Woman’s
Club for several terms before her death.
She was for several years a trustee of the Bainbridge Free Library. She was in her younger days an active member
of St. Peter’s Protestant Episcopal Church, a member of the choir and an ardent
worker in the Women’s Auxiliary. She is
survived by her son, Attorney George McCrea Skinner; and two daughters, Mrs.
Laura B. Storey, of Elmhurst,
and Miss Margaret I. Skinner, of Bainbridge.
A third daughter, Elizabeth M. Ives, wife of U.S. Senator Irving M. Ives
of Norwich,
died here at her mother’s home in 1947.
A grandson, George Skinner Ives, and a great granddaughter, Elizabeth
Turner Ives, live at Levittown, L.I. Funeral services were held at the old family
home on Pruyne Hill Feb. 1, 1951, at 2 p.m.
Interment was at St. Peter’s Cemetery.
The honorary pall-bearers were Ralph W. Kirby, Louis B. Fairbanks,
Clayton Sweet, Edwin R. Ringelka and Dr. Edward Danforth, of Bainbridge, and
John E. Carroll of Norwich. The bearers were Dr. Elliot Danforth, of
Sidney; Lambert Myers of Albany’ Leigh
W. Evans, Maxson S. Crumb, William D. Sutliff and Sidney R. Bennett; of Bainbridge. The Rev. James E. Wolfe rector of St. Peter’s
Church, Bainbridge officiated at the services.
Out-of-town friends and members of the family who attended the funeral
were Mrs. Agnes Cowap, of
Pelham Manor; Mrs. Mae Keeler Craig, of Mt. Kisco;
John E. Carroll and Mrs. Carroll, of Norwich; U.S. Senator Irving M. Ives, of Washington,
D.C., and George Skinner Ives, of Levittown.
Mrs. Skinner enjoyed life amply and long and she had to the end what
should accompany advance age—love, honor and troops of friends all of whom join
in extending praise and tribute to a truly remarkable woman who lived the
greater part of her rich and rewarding life in our midst. She was respected for the authority of her
opinions and judgment which were forthrightly expressed. But above all she was loved for her qualities
as a woman and mother; her sociability, her ready humor, her patience in time
of trial. These attributes made her the
equal friend of her neighbors and of all those who enjoyed her
acquaintance. Her good humor, her zest
for life and the somehow youthful spirit which survived in her until the end
were warmly and humanly appealing, and the pleasing memory of her vivaciousness
and kindly ways will linger on through the years. [Bainbridge News, Feb. 8, 1951].
Skinner - Ireland, Bainbridge News, June 17, 1943: The marriage
of Miss Charlah Ireland, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ireland, to
George McCrea Skinner, son of Mrs. George I. Skinner and the late Mr. Skinner,
took place Saturday morning in St. Peter's Episcopal Church. The Rev. James E. Wolfe performed the
ceremony. A wedding breakfast was served
at Hotel DeCumber, Sidney. The bride was attired in a gown of gold
brocade and matching hat. She wore a
corsage of white orchids. Mrs. Dow
Campbell, sister of the bride, was matron of honor. The best man was Dr. Roscoe C. Funk, of Scarsdale. Mrs. Skinner is a graduate of Syracuse University. After Teaching in Oneonta and Schenectady, she returned
to Bainbridge where she has been in business for the past few years. Her husband is an alumnus of Albany Academy,
Colgate university, and Albany
Law School,
and is practicing law at Bainbridge.
Ives - Skinner, Bainbridge Republican, October 28, 1920: On Saturday evening Oct. 23rd at 8
o’clock, occurred the wedding of two prominent young people of this village
[Bainbridge]. Irving M. Ives, son of Mr.
and Mrs. George A. Ives, was married to Miss Elizabeth M. Skinner, daughter of
Hon. and Mrs. George I. Skinner, at St.
Peter’s church, by the Rector, Rev. J. DeLancy Scovil. No more pleasing affair has ever been
included in matrimonial functions than this event whose beauteous and
attractive features characterized the ceremony from its initial step to the
conclusion of a happy wedding reception.
Pine trees and hydrangeas of the autumn shades elaborately and lavishly
decorated the interior of the church.
Orchid chrysanthemums rested on the altar and hydrangeas also marked the
pews and windows. While the guests were
assembling, Miss Janet Juliand, organist, played perfectly several
selections. At the strains of the
wedding march the bridal party entered the church and proceeded down the center
aisle to the chancel. The ushers,
friends of the groom, Kenneth Morrow, of Buffalo, Frank Fry of Rochester,
Walter Goldsmith of Oneonta and Edwin Collins of Bainbridge, proceeded the
maids of honor, sisters of the bride, Misses Laura and Margaret Skinner,
dressed in orchid taffeta gowns with silver lace trimmings and hats of silver
lace, carrying arm bouquets of orchid chrysanthemums. The lovely bride gowned in white satin and
point lace with court train and veil which was draped from point lace arranged
in a becoming crown effect carrying a shower bouquet of white roses and lilies
of the valley, was escorted on the arm of her father. The groom attended by his best man, McCray
Skinner met the bride where the impressive Episcopal service was rendered by
the Rector and completed at the altar.
Immediately after the ceremony a wedding reception was given at the home
of the bride’s parents, which was handsomely decorated with chrysanthemums and
hydrangeas. Receiving the guests were
the bride and groom and their parents.
Mrs. Skinner was beautifully gowned in blue satin lace and jet, Mrs.
Ives in Blue georgette crepe.
Congratulations and good wishes were profusely bestowed to the happy and
popular young couple by a large number of friends of this village and relatives
and college friends from out of town. A
cateress from Oneonta served the refreshments which were appropriate and
delicious. The presents were many and of
great value, among the gifts were checks from Mr. Skinner of $1,000 and from
Mr.Ives of $500. The groom’s gift to his
bride was a very handsome platinum bar pin, set with diamonds and to his ushers
pearl stick pins. The bride is a very
talented young lady, brilliant in mind and beautiful in character and is a
graduate of Wellsley college. The groom
is a graduate of Hamilton College and now employed by the Guarantee Title and
Trust Company of New York City. He was a Lieutenant in the American
Expeditionary Forces and was in the service two years. Mr. and Mrs. Ives left by automobile late
that evening for a week’s trip. They
will make their home in New York City.
Elizabeth Minette (Skinner) Ives, Bainbridge News, July 10, 1947:
Mrs. Elizabeth S. Ives, wife of U.S. Senator Irving M. Ives, died at the
home of her mother, Mrs. George I. Skinner, at 60 West Main street, in this
village [Bainbridge], at five o'clock Monday morning, July 7. Her death was the culmination of a long
illness during which she had for many months been a patient at the Presbyterian Hospital
Medical Center
in New York City. Mrs. Ives was born in Bainbridge, March 8,
1897 and received her early school education at Bainbridge and in Albany, where she usually
spent her winters. She completed her
course at the Albany High School following which she entered Wellesley College from which she graduated in
1918. During her college years she was a
member of the Zeta Alpha Society. On
Oct. 23, 1920, she was married to Irving M. Ives, at St. Peter's Protestant
Episcopal Church at Bainbridge. Mrs.
Ives was the eldest daughter of Hon. George I. and Mary Elizabeth McCrea
Skinner. Her father, the late George I.
Skinner, was for many years prominent in the State Banking Dept. and was from
1917 to 1920 State Superintendent of Banks.
Following the Election of Al Smith as Governor, he resigned from the
Banking Department and became vice-president of the Manufactures Trust Co. in New York City. Mrs. Ives was a member of Emanuel Episcopal
Church at Norwich, and was active in the Women's
Auxiliary of the Chenango
Memorial Hospital. She was a charter member of Ag-wron-doug-was
(as-wron-doug-was) Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution at
Bainbridge. She was a member of the
Women's Auxiliary of the Warren E. Eaton D.S.C. Post of Norwich.
During her husband's activities in the State Legislature at Albany she
was for several years President of the Legislative Sewing Circle, an
organization of the wives of members of the Legislature, active in sewing for
various charitable societies. Surviving
her, besides her husband and mother, are a son, George Skinner Ives, who served
as a Lieutenant in the Navy during the recent war; two sisters Mrs. Laura S. Story, of New York
City, and Miss Margaret Ione Skinner, of Bainbridge, and a brother, George M.
Skinner, also of Bainbridge. The funeral
service will be held at St. Peter's Church in this village [Bainbridge], Thursday
afternoon, at 2:30 p.m., conducted by the Rev. James E. Wolfe, of St. Peter's
and the Rev. Lloyd S. Charters, of Norwich.
Interment will be in Greenlawn
Cemetery, in the family
plot. To those of us who have known
Elizabeth Ives through the years of her childhood and married life she was loved
for her personal qualities; her gayety, her courtesy, her good temper. It seemed an almost tragically inappropriate
destiny that a nature so kind and gracious and happy as hers should have had to
bear so heavy a burden of illness for so long a time. But a few days before her death she was
brought home to her family and friends with the prayerful hope that the change
in her environment might turn the tide of her malady toward recovery and there
is an inescapable sadness in the disappointment of this expectation. There will live for many years in the memory
of her friends the pleasing picture of this attractive, vivacious, impulsively
generous woman who always bestowed a genial smile and a warm and friendly hand to
those about her, and who, in company always led the merriment and the
conversation with rare tact and yet with a delightful modesty. She was a person always eager for the
acquisition of knowledge which she continually broadened by reading and study
and contact with kindred minds. Her own
was singularly alert and penetrating.
Her interests and sympathies extended over a great range of subjects and
activities which she put to fruitful use in many ways and especially during the
Red Cross work at Norwich
during the war years. Her life was so vibrant
before her last illness that it is hard for her friends to think of it as
ended. She will be missed and mourned,
not only here in Bainbridge, but by all who knew her and had been impressed by
the unusual vitality which always seemed to characterize her.
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