Obituaries (May 2)

Charles H. Davis

Utica Saturday Globe, November 24, 1906

 

 

Charles H. Davis

Charles H. Davis, for 30 years an engineer on the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad, running between Norwich and Middletown, succumbed to a severe attack of pneumonia at his home at Summit [Schoharie Co., NY] on Thursday evening of last week.  Mr. Davis retired from active service as a locomotive engineer six years ago, went to a farm at the Summit and took charge of the railroad Pumping station located there.  He entered the employ of the Ontario & Western Company more than 30 years before and became one of the most trusted engineers in the passenger service.  Mr. Davis was born at Chenango Bridge [Broome Co., NY] 66 years ago, in 1840, being the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Davis.  In 1860 he was united in marriage to Laura Tyler, of Chenango Bridge, who survives him.  His mother, 90 years of age, is still living at Chenango Bridge.  He is survived by two children, a daughter, Mrs. Hattie A. Eilenberger, of Middletown, and a son, Fred H. Davis, of Ellenville.  He also leaves two brothers, George H. Davis, of Lisle, and Oliver H. Davis, of Norwich, and a sister, Mrs. Jennie Lee, of Killawog.  The funeral was largely attended Saturday afternoon at 1 o'clock, the remains being taken to Lisle, Broome county, for interment Sunday.  For the accommodation of the many friends who attended the funeral services trains 1 and 2 stopped at the Summit Saturday.

Almira Gibson

Chenango Union, March 13, 1884

In the city of San Francisco, California, on the 26th of February last, Mrs. Almira Gibson, a native of Norwich [Chenango Co., NY], died at the age of 78 years, after a brief illness.  She emigrated to San Francisco thirty-three years ago, and was regarded as one of the early settlers, when that city was but a skeleton, a shadow, compared with its present robust proportions.  She had lived long enough to witness the generation--or most all of it--that grew with her in Norwich pass away.  The Meads, Ransfords, Benjamin Chapman, the early Randalls, the Guernseys and Birdsalls, in the elder branch, and the Steeres, Mitchells, Hubbards, most of these preceded Mrs. Gibson.  The deceased was in youth and middle age a woman remarkable for the combination of singular beauty, vivacity, intelligence and energy.  At an early period it was her good or ill fortune to meet many distinguished public characters of the last age.  She had been a guest of Daniel Webster in her "teens."  Martin Van Buren and John Van Buren made her acquaintance.  She had been in the society of Aaron Burr; also was often a guest of the last Governor Marcy.  She had enjoyed the acquaintance of these notable men when a girl.  She was a favorite wherever she appeared, and although courted by the great and flattered, yet was not at all injured by vanity arising from the same. She was a woman of impulse, and seemed unconscious that she was otherwise than a grown child. She was as fond of medium people as of the rich and powerful, and we suspect preferred the former, as in their society she was free from restraint.  Her impulsive nature continued through life. She combined in a remarkable degree the blended qualities of youth and age; and when time had dimmed the shine of her large, lustrous hazel eyes and obscured her golden locks, she retained her colloquial brilliancy, and drew a little senate of young ladies about her.  Her means must have been ample, for her friends in want seldom failed of pecuniary assistance.  Had Mrs. Gibson boarded and given to charity a lump sum which she scattered, the press had written her down a philanthropist.  Her donations were unpretentious.  Mrs. Gibson was born in Norwich in 1805; removed to Lockport, N.Y., then a wilderness village, with the late Lot Clark, her step father, in 1828; was married in 1830, and removed to Augusta, Georgia and in 1851 settled in San Francisco, where her only child, a daughter, died in 1857, and her husband in 1863.

Betsey Lyon Knapp

Chenango Union, February 28, 1884

Seeing a notice of the death of Mrs. George kNapp of Guilford [Chenango Co., NY] last week, greatly saddened me, as we had been life-long friends, she being but one month older than myself.  We became acquainted in June, 1822, when we were but twenty years of age.  On visiting an uncle three or four miles east of this village [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], I found Betsey Lyon boarding there, she being  the teacher of their district school, to whom I was introduced.  We seemed to have impressed each other favorably, and soon confided to each other the history of our childhood and youth.  She told me she was the oldest child of Col. Lyon, who was killed at the battle of York, Canada, in the war of 1812, by the same explosion of the mine, secretly laid by the British, that killed General Pike, our commander, while taking possession of their batteries.  Betsey was then in the twelfth year of her age, and had one sister and two little brothers.  Their mother was left on a small new farm in the north east quarter of this town.  Betsey soon after came to this village, to live in the family of Joseph Fenton, one of our first prominent merchants, that she might have a chance to attend the village schools, and be getting an education.  Mr. and Mrs. Fenton were excellent people, and gave her a good chance. They were members of the Presbyterian Church, and I believe Betsey also became a member in early youth. She acquired an education sufficient to enable her to teach a common school, as soon as old enough, and thus support herself, and help her mother some. She and I studied together, evenings, while at my uncle's, to our mutual advantage, and I found her a noble, high-minded young lady; and we became warmly attached friends.  During her five years of school teaching, we often met socially, and always with pleasure and profit, on my part at least.  The last year before her marriage she taught in this village, in a school house on West Main street, near where her daughter, Mrs. Mandeville now lives, and boarded with Thomas Steere, who married her aunt.  The art to which my life had then become devoted soon led me to the cities, and enabled me to form the acquaintance of ladies of wealth and culture; but during my long life I have never seen one that I thought surpassed Betsey Lyon in all the best and highest attributes of woman.  [Norwich, Feb. 3, 1884, D.W.]

Sarah Francis (Steere) Crandall

Chenango Union, February 28, 1884

CRANDALL:  In Norwich [Chenango Co., NY], February 23d, Sarah Francis, wife of Thomas Crandall, aged fifty-seven years.
Deceased was born in the town of Norwich, and while a child removed with her parents and family to South New Berlin, where she spent the early part of her life. For the past fifteen years she has been a resident of this village.  She was a daughter of Timothy Steere, brother of Stephen and Mark Steere, who were among the pioneer settlers and founders of Norwich.  Since her residence here she has been in failing health, and has confined herself to her family and immediate circle of relatives and friends.  To those who knew her and associated with her, she has been a "living epistle."  Day by day her gentle influence has been felt by all.  Day by day she lived a pure, unselfish, Christian life. She believed in deeds rather than words, and in the passing years as they went by, although the kind and loving words were always hers, they were overshadowed by the patient, silent, powerful language of a Christian life, lived hour by hour, and those who saw the strength and beauty of a soul who "walked with God," were led to strive themselves for something of the truth which paints such pictures along the rough highway of life, and hangs them on its rugged walls. Dear, kind, patient, loving soul, thou has gone to thy reward.