Obituaries (July 11)

Lena Caroline (Kern) King

Utica Saturday Globe, March 1915

 

Lena Caroline (Kern) King

1894 - 1915

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  Lena Caroline Kern, wife of John King, died at the Norwich Hospital on Monday morning, aged 30.  Mrs. King had been brought to the hospital from her farm home southeast of the city on Saturday.  She was in a very critical condition and succumbed to a difficult operation undertaken as a last resort.  Deceased was born in Germany and came to Norwich with her parents about 24 years ago. She attended the Norwich schools and in October 1914 married John King, who, with a step-daughter, Edna, survives her.  The accompanying picture shows her as she appeared several years ago.  Besides her husband she is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Kern, two brothers, William Kern, Jr., and Emil Kern, and three sisters, Mrs. Floyd Genung, Mrs. Joseph Purdy and Miss Rose Kern also survive.  Funeral services were held from the home of the parents, 11 Delaware square, at 1:30 and from the Congregational Church at 2 o'clock, Rev. Paul Riley Allen officiating.

 

Andrew Reynolds

Chenango Telegraph, January 13, 1876

Andrew Reynolds, aged 10 years, a son of Mr. Thomas Reynolds, butter merchant, whose place of business is under the First National Bank, of Binghamton [Broome Co., NY], and for some time a newsboy engaged in selling the Times upon the street, was run over on the Erie Railway, at the Front street bridge, at about half-past twelve o'clock on Saturday, and so seriously injured that he died soon after.

 

Mrs. Rathboney

Chenango Telegraph, January 20, 1876

McDonough [Chenango Co., NY]:  The funeral sermon of Mrs. Rathboney, a former resident of this town, was preached by Rev. J.D. Webster in the Baptist Church on Sunday the 9th inst.  She was brought here for burial the Monday previous and lies beside her kindred in the old grave yard on the hill.  It is a restful place to sleep--all the winter the evergreens chant mournful requiems, and all the summer sigh, and talk sweet memories, and sigh again; but the birds sing hallelujahs--they are heralds of the future.

 

Clinton Weed

Chenango Telegraph, December 3, 1874

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  On Friday afternoon last Clinton Weed, a switchman at the Midland yard, was so seriously injured that he died the next day.  He stood upon a gondola which was backing down the Auburn Branch, and nearing the switch he jumped off to turn it. As he jumped his foot caught, or his ankle was turned so that he was thrown, and before he could recover himself the train ran him down and passed over him.  His right leg was injured below the knee and the left one down to the knee.  His cries soon bro't help and he was quickly taken to his home near by and Drs. Church, Beecher and Wescott were called.  His right leg was amputated and the gash upon the left one sewn up as best it could be, but all to no avail, for the unfortunate man died about noon the next day.  "Clint" was a son of Roselle Weed, of East Norwich, and up to the time of his employment by the Midland, some two years ago, he worked for Smith Steere Jr.  He was a faithful young man and leaves a family who have the sympathies of our entire community in their misfortune.

 

Frank E. Burdo

Chenango Telegraph, December 3, 1874

Our village readers and many others will remember Frank E. Burdo, who was formerly a conductor on the Midland and a boarder at the Eagle, and afterwards the Spaulding House. Frank was what is termed a "genial, whole souled fellow," and because of his free-heartedness and love of sociality, was led in a bad way, and finally ended his career in a station house in New York city, on Thursday morning last.  The Rome correspondent of the Utica Herald thus speaks of him, and the particulars of his sad life.

 

Rome [Oneida Co., NY]:  This morning, while eating breakfast, the following sad telegram was received by one of our citizens.  "New York, Nov. 27--Frank Burdo was found dead last night.  Will send remains to your care. Will you get burial place for him at the cemetery?  Will write."  How quickly did this message recall the familiar quotation, "One more unfortunate, rashly importunate, gone to his death."  But a few short years ago, Frank Burdo occupied a position in society, as well as in business life, such as any young man might envy. At the time of which I write, he was a passenger conductor on the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg railroad, during the administration of Superintendent Addision Day, and had won his preferment not less by his native manliness and gentality that his unswerving application to his work.  In a few years he rose from a very humble station to the position of which I speak.  But, alas, the tempter came, just as he may come, in one form or another, to all of us, when Frank was in the height of a prosperous and happy career.  To him the wicked one appeared in the depths of the wine cup.  The remaineder of the story is soon told.  The descent down the incline of inebriety was rapid.  Position after position was secured and lost, the butterfly friends who stood by him as long as money lasted, deserted him, and ever after, could be found in the throng of men who jeered at his misfortunes.  But were your reporter permitted to draw the curtain, he might exhibit to the world another picture of an heroic and undying wifely devotion.  Occasionally Frank made a noble effort to snap asunder the chains which enthralled him, but men (rumsellers and others) were found right here in this city, who, knowing his past life, and of his efforts to reform, did not scruple to put the bottle to his lips, and thus assist him down the broad road to perdition.  Last Monday, after more than a week of entire sobriety, he went to New York in quest of employment as a street car conductor, but on Thanksgiving day, when happiness reigned supreme at almost every  hearthstone in this broad land, the spirit of Frank E. Burdo passed thorugh eternity's portals.  Let us, in conclusion remember what possibilities stretched out before him, but a few short years ago, and with his faults, tenderly consign his remains to their last resting place in the silent city. The precise manner in which the unfortunate man met his death, has not yet been learned. The body will be conveyed to Bridgewater [Oneida Co., NY] tomorrow for interment.

LATER:  A letter received this evening states that deceased went into a drug store yesterday forenoon, to have a leach applied to a bruise over his eye.  After the application he sat by the stove a long time, and at last started to go out, but was unable to walk.  He was at once taken to the nearest station house, where he died in a few hours, after which his relatives (who did not know of his presence in the city) were notified of his death, and took charge of his body.

Burdo was the son-in-law of Hon. Henry O. Southworth, formerly of this county [Chenango], now of Rome.