Obituaries (August 11)

William H. Philley

Utica Saturday Globe, July 1915

 

William H. Philley

 

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  William H. Philley died at his home on Division street Sunday evening after a brief illness, which had not been so severe as to confine him to the house until the afternoon preceding his death.  Mr. Philley was the son of Theron M. and Cornelia Carr Philley and was born in McDonough [Chenango Co., NY] 57 years ago.  He moved with his family to Norwich in 1896 and engaged in the milk business, retiring from which he entered the employ of the W.L. Scott Lumber company.  He stood high in the ranks of Odd Fellowship as a member of Canasawacta Lodge and was a member of the Methodist church of McDonough and a worthy, upright citizen. Besides his wife and aged mother he is survived by one son, Fred T. Philley; one brother, Fred M. Philley, of Windsor, and a sister, Mrs. W.L. Tafft, of Killawog.  Funeral services were held from his late home Wednesday afternoon at 2:30, Rev. Alexander Fraser, of the Calvary Church, officiating.  Members of Canasawacta Lodge and the employees of the W.L. Scott lumber company attended in a body and the commitment services in Mount Hope Cemetery were conducted by the Odd Fellows. The floral tributes were profuse and beautiful.

Bassil W. Smith

Afton Enterprise, January 13, 1927

Bassil W. Smith died at is home in Nineveh [Broome Co., NY] Sunday evening, aged 32 years.  He is survived by his wife, two sons, Paul and Robert, his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. George R. Smith, three brothers, Ernest R., of Burlington, N.Y.; Harry A., and Clifford A., of Carbondale, Pa; three sisters, Mrs. C.E. Walton, of Binghamton, Rona B. and Hilda C. at home.  A private funeral was held from the home of his father, Geroge R. Smith, Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. Burial at Nineveh.

Sarah Skelly

Afton Enterprise, February 3, 1927

Mrs. Sarah Skelly, who has been a resident of Afton [Chenango Co., NY] for the past 60 years, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Glenn Morgan, on South Main Street, Saturday, January 29th.  The funeral, which was held at the home Tuesday afternoon, was largely attended, showing the  high esteem in which she was held by her many friends and neighbors.  Several members of the W.R.C. of which she was a charter member, attended in a body.  Rev. Wm. Lathrop, pastor of the Afton M.E. church of which she was a member, officiated. Burial was in the family plot in Glenwood cemetery [Afton, NY].

Elias Pashley

Afton Enterprise, March 3, 1927

The funeral of Elias Pashley was held at St. Luke's Church, Harpursville [Broome Co., NY], Tuesday at 1:30, Rev. Davis of St. Luke's officiated.  Mr. Pashley passed away at the City Hospital at Binghamton Sunday afternoon after a long illness.  He is survived by his wife, two sons, William and Byron, and four daughters, Caroline, Alice, Margaret and Clara, also by several brothers.  Much sympathy goes out to the family from people of this community.  Mr. Pashley had been trustee of District  no 12 for nearly four years, always performing the duties of his office faithfully and well.

Clarence Gordon & Ethel Barnard

Afton Enterprise, February 3, 1944

Two young people died and two others were seriously injured Sunday night when the automobile in which they were riding, crashed into the side of a fast north bound freight train on the D.L.&W. railroad at Greene.  All the young people were residents of Afton [Chenango Co., NY] and had been visiting in Greene.

Fatally injured was Clarence Gordon of High Street, Afton, about 24, father of three small children, one born last week at Afton Hospital.  Miss Ethel Barnard, 16, daughter of Floyd Barnard of Main Street Afton, died Wednesday in the Binghamton City Hospital from injuries received in the accident.  A third victim, Daniel Capel, 20 of Afton, is in a critical condition at the same hospital.  Miss Barnard was one of three children.  Her father, a widower, is employed at the Afton Inn.  Her injuries included skull fractures, breast bone, and both arms.  Daniel Capel, 20 of Afton, suffered skull fractures, and multiple lacerations of the face and forehead.  Less seriously hurt was Mrs. Leta Bryden, 17, of Main Street, Afton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Jones, who received head and mouth lacerations and is now at the same hospital. 

The automobile crashed into the freight train at the crossing, several cars back from the engine.  It is thought the driver of the car never saw the freight train and was possibly blinded by the light from the passenger train on the siding.  A watchman was on duty but was on the upper side of the crossing.  Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at Tabor's funeral home for Clarence Gordon, the first victim of the terrible accident.

Ethel Barnard

Binghamton Press, February 3, 1944

Miss Ethel Barnard, 16, of Afton [Chenango Co., NY], who was critically injured Sunday night when the automobile in which she was riding crashed into a freight train on the D.L. & W. Railroad crossing at Greene, died in City Hospital at 12:20 o'clock this morning.  Body of the victim, daughter of Floyd Barnard of Afton, was removed to the Taber Funeral home in that community.  Other survivors include two brothers, Glen and Paul, both of Afton.  Clarence Gordon, 24, father of three children, also a resident of Afton, was killed in the accident.  He was the driver of the car.  Also critically injured was Daniel Capel, 20, of Afton, who is in City Hospital.  A fourth passenger in the death car, Mrs. Leta Bryden, 17, of Afton, is in fair condition at City Hospital.