Vital Records, Oxford, NY, June 20, 1913

 The Oxford Review, Oxford, NY, June 20, 1913

Births

In Oxford [Chenango Co., NY], June 12, 1913, a son, Carlton Copley [Loomis], to Ward and Eden(?) Copley Loomis.

In Oxford [Chenango Co., NY], june 14, 1913, a son, Frank Albert [Lowe] to George and Daisy(?) Brown Lowe.

Marriages

At the home of the bride's father, Willis A. Law, 633 Parry Street, Rome [Oneida Co., NY], Tuesday evening, took place the marriage of Miss Inez Mae Law and Robert B. Nevins, of Oxford [Chenango Co., NY].  The attending couple was Leroy W. Miller and Miss Inez Jones.  The ceremony was performed by Rev. R.N. Jessup.  Mr. and Mrs. Nevins left on a trip to New York and will be at home in Oxford after July 15.  For the past three years the bride has held the position of stenographer and bookkeeper in the office of the Oxford Basket manufacturing Company and has made many warm friends during her residence here. The groom is one of our young farmers who is well known as a progressive dairyman and agriculturalist.  

Mrs. Carrie G. Wheeler of No. 103 West End Avenue, Binghamton, and Arthur M. Rinehart, of Millona, Minnesota were married Saturday at 2:30 o'clock in Trinity Memorial Church by the rector, Rev. A.R.D. Hegeman.  Mrs. Wheeler is the widow of the late John P. Wheeler of Binghamton and formerly of Oxford, and Mr. Rinehart is a prominent real estate dealer of Northern Minnesota.

Deaths

Thomas C. Pettis, a resident of Oxford [Chenango Co., NY] 68 years, died at 11 o'clock Sunday evening at the home of his daughter, Mrs. R.H. Bills on Clinton Street.  The immediate cause of death was the infirmities of age.  Mr. Pettis was born September 14, 1824, at Fall River, Mass., and was the son of Nathan and Rhoda Allen Pettis.  While yet a young man he went to Esperance, Schoharie County, and learned the trade of cabinet maker, and after a few years, or about 1845, he came to Oxford and worked at his trade.  On the 3d day of November 1847, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Lownsbery, daughter of Jared Lownsbery, an old-time resident of this village. At the breaking out of the Civil War he enlisted in the 10th New York State Calvary, serving as Sergeant, receiving the commission of Second Lieutenant in the fall of 1864, and remaining until mustered out with the regiment.  Mr. Pettis returned to Oxford and again entered into business and in 1872 bought the James W Clarke house, now the St. James hotel, the foundation of which Jonathan Baldwin in the early days of the town had laid, prepared window frames, sash and doors for building a large hotel, but had left the work unfinished.  It was left for Mr. Pettis to change the building into its original plans and on September 23, 1872, he opened a hotel and named it the St. James. three years later he sold to William L. Daniels and James G. Van Wagenen and embarked in the furniture and undertaking business with Chas. Fraser, after a few years assuming the interests of his partner.  In 1866, his son-in-law, R.H. Bills, entered the business, which was continued till June 1906, when they sold to Brown & Seymour.  Although in his 89th year, Mr. Pettis was so young in spirit that one did not associate thoughts of age with him.  Of sterling character and whole-hearted geniality, he made and held many friends who will sincerely mourn his loss.  Besides his daughter, Mrs. Bills, he is survived by one son, Walter H. Pettis, of Harpursville, and a granddaughter, Mrs. Harry Dykeman of Kenwood.  The funeral was held at the house Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock, Rev. Theodore Haydn, rector of St. Paul's Chruch officiating. After the commitment service of the church at Riverview cemetery, the ritual service of the G.A.R. was used by Breed Post, of which the deceased was a member. The bearers were George P. Mead, B.M. Emerson, C.M. Weaver, S.J. Merton, M.H. Gibbon and C.O. Willcox.  Eleven veterans were present at the funeral.  

At Lestershire, Saturday, June 14, Worthington Newcomb Bowers, aged 66 years and three months, entered life eternal.  The deceased was a former resident of Oxford [Chenango Co., NY].  He was a son of the late Gilbert, and a brother of Luther E. Bowers of this town.  He was a member of the Baptist Church.  He was a man of pleasing personality, exemplified in his life the Christian grace of quickly forgiving injuries and of never forgetting kindness and had in consequence many warm friends who sincerely mourn his death.  His immediate survivors are his wife, one daughter, Mrs. Harry Blakeslee, and one son, Clarence Bowers. The funeral was held on Monday afternoon from his late residence and at the Baptist Church, Lestershire, and the interment was in the Lestershire cemetery.  There were many beautiful floral tributes testifying to the love and sympathy of his friends for his beloved family.  "May he rest in peace" and "May light perpetual shine upon him."

Mrs. Catherine Gordon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Ireland of West Bainbridge [Chenango Co. NY], died at the Methodist Episcopal hospital at Brooklyn on Friday last, where she had gone about a month ago for an operation.  Her age was 51 years.  Her body was brought to the home of her parents on Saturday, where she had made her home for several years. The funeral was held Sunday afternoon, Rev. Frank James, pastor of the Methodist church of Bainbridge, officiating. Burial was at West Bainbridge.  Besides her parents, Mrs. Gordon is survived by one son, Leo Gordon of West Bainbridge, and a brother, C.W. Ireland of Bainbridge.  

Pound, Wis., June 16:  Monday morning at 7:30 William Murdock, passed away at his home here.  Mr. Murdock was born in Oxford, Chenango County, N.Y., 65 years ago and he emigrated to Wisconsin settling in Oconto County in the portion afterwards set off forming Marinette County, where he had resided ever since.  He is survived by his wife and one son, Fred, and two daughters, Mrs. J.F. Conway of Duluth, Minn., and Hazel. The funeral was held from the Baptist church Wednesday afternoon, June 4th.

Mrs. Alice D. Hooper, a resident of this village [Oxford, Chenango Co., NY], died in the town of Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], Monday, aged 58 years.  She had been in ill health for some time. She went to Bainbridge to keep house for her son, Charles Hooper, who is engaged on a lumber job.  The body was brought to this village by Seymour & Jacobs, undertakers, and the funeral held at her home of Butler Street Thursday afternoon.  Rev. R.A. Gates officiated.  

David Wilbur, or as he was sometime called, David Pittsley, a lad of 16 years, was drowned while bathing in the river at Robinson's mills early Tuesday evening.  Wilbur worked for Arthur Rice, who is on Dr. Hitchcock's farm and who was burned out this spring, and after supper took a pair of old overalls and said he would go in bathing.  He could not swim and took a board along to aid him while in the water.  Sidney Dungey and Cleon Marshman with others were on the dam fishing and saw him 20 yards below them paddling around and endeavoring to swim.  Soon after it was noticed that the board was floating and Wilbur nowhere to be seen.  Surmising that an accident had occurred, Dungey and Marshman got a boat from above the dam, which was filled with water and took time to empty and commenced a search and soon found the body in about four feet of water which was recovered by hooking a paddle in the suspenders of the unfortunate young man.  Coroner morse was immediately summoned and reported the case as above stated. The body was brought to Seymour & Jacobs undertaking rooms and the funeral was held from there yesterday afternoon, burial being made in Riverview cemetery.  Wilbur was the youngest of a family of eight children and while an infant was taken by Henry Pittsley, though not legally adopted.  His mother was killed in a railroad accident two years ago and her remaining children had been placed in orphan asylums.  In June 1910, while drawing milk for James McEneny, Jr., in McDonough, he was injured in a runaway and remained unconscious three days from concussion of the brain. Since then, he had complained considerably of having dizzy spells.  Wilbur was a bright fellow and well-liked by those who knew him best.  He had worked for a number of farmers in this vicinity, and many will regret his untimely death.

The death of Thomas Harrington occurred at his home a few miles east of this village [Oxford, Chenango Co., NY] Sunday night, after a long illness at the age of 87 years.  Mr. Harrington was one of the oldest residents in this vicinity having spent nearly all his life here, his occupation being a farmer.  He is survived by his wife, three daughters, Mrs. Albert Meade, Mrs. Watson of Binghamton, and Mrs. George Cornish of Oklahoma, and one son Edward T. Harrington of Oklahoma. The funeral was held from the house, Wednesday, and was in charge of Eastern Light lodge, F.&A.M. of which he was the oldest member.  Interment was in Sylvan Lawn cemetery.

G. Sherman Hotchkiss died at his home in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Friday, June 12, after an illness extending over four years.  Mr. Hotchkiss was a son of the late Amos Hotchkiss of Smithville [Chenango Co., NY], and will be remembered in Greene, having with his family spent the summers for the past years in this village.  He was connected with the Pinkerton Detective Agency for a number of years, and while thus engaged traveled extensively, covering nearly the entire globe. The past few years of life he was engaged in the insurance business.  He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Ida Lyon Hotchkiss, one daughter, Miss Lena Hotchkiss, and a son, Harold Hotchkiss, a brother and sister, Judge Albert Hotchkiss of Binghamton and Mrs. Mary Wilson of Chenango Forks.

William Riley, aged 19 years, of Norwich [Chenango Co., NY], was drowned in the Hudson River at Troy [Rensselear Co. NY] Sunday afternoon when a rowboat in which he and three other young men were enjoying a sail, was overturned.  His companions managed to reach the shore alive.  He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Riley, who received word Monday that the body was found early that morning.  During the last few years, young Riley had been employed at the store of Chapman & Turner and J.A. LeTarte in Norwich.  A few months ago, he accepted a position in a trading stamp concern at Troy and was to enter the employ of a tea company Monday morning.

The body of Frank L. Howes, aged 63 years of DeRuyter [Madison Co., NY], was found floating in the Erie canal at Canastota early Sunday morning.  He was seen in the business section late Saturday night. Because of the body floating so soon after drowning it was apparent that he met death before reaching the water. An autopsy performed disclosed that heart disease, from which Mr. Howes was a sufferer, was the cause of death.  It is the opinion that Mr. Howes suffered a fatal attack while standing near the canal and fell into the water.

Mrs. Minerva Hayes Place of Mt. Upton [Chenango Co., NY]:  The death of Mrs. Place occurred at her home in the north end of the village on Monday evening June 2d.  Mrs. Place was the oldest inhabitant and had retained her health and faculties in a remarkable manner up to her last sickness which dated from about the first of the present year.  She was born in the town of McDonough, this county [Chenango Co. NY], in 1820, and was the daughter of Friend Hayes.  She had reached the age of 93 years, 3 months and 3 days.  All the mighty strides that marked a new era in the world's history, in discoveries, inventions and achievements in every branch of human progress that differcatiated the 19th century from all that went before it, was spanned by her single life. She was married to Foster C. Place on January 19, 1842, and most of her life since was spent on the farm where she died. During all these years, in themselves an ordinary lifetime, she exemplified the merits of a nature essentially home loving and domestic in its tastes and aspirations, enjoying the esteem of three generations and preserving her interest in passing events and the drama of life going on around her until the last. Deceased leaves surviving her one son and two daughters, H.F. Place of this village and Misses Vinnie and Fanny(?) Place who resided with their mother and made her declining years the ideal transition from a long life of activity to its close in age and infirmity, that is one of the fine things to which too much honor cannot be shown.  One son, Leander C. Place, died in 1898.  C.H. Graves