USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts, Vol. III > Part 69
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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY
interests, and in this connection also his ability and initiative counted both for the extensive distribution of this individual car and for the advance and develop- ment of the general interest in automobiles. In 1919 Mr. Kehoe established the present enterprise, under the firm name of the E. J. Kehoe Company, Inc., the offi- cers of the concern being as follows: Edward J. Kehoe, president and general manager; Clara E. Kehoe, treas- urer; and George H. Humphrey, secretary. This or- ganization opened its history as agents for the Standard Eight motor cars and high grade used cars, with head- quarters at No. 182 Commonwealth Street, Worcester. With steadily increasing prosperity they gained a leading position in the automobile world of Worcester, and early in 1923 they extended the scope of their activities, taking over the agencies for the Hudson and the Essex cars. As the leading spirit in this enterprise, Mr. Kehoe holds a foremost position in commercial circles in the city of Worcester, and is an influential member of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce. He is prominent fraternally as a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and he is well known as a member of the Commonwealth Club. He attends the Presbyterian church.
Edward J. Kehoe married, on December 6, 1900, Clara E. Wilder, daughter of Jonas W. Wilder, who was affiliated with Ebenezer Butterick, of New York City, in the founding of the Butterick Publishing Com- pany. Mr. Kehoe has one daughter: Edna Claire, now the wife of Frederick Hardy, of Worcester, Massa- chusetts.
H. ELMER WHITE-In the construction world of Worcester County, Massachusetts, H. Elmer White holds a position of large prominence as manager of construction for the Miner Building Company, in which he is financially interested, and with which he has been connected for about thirteen years. A native of the State of Maine, Mr. White has been engaged in con- struction activities for about thirty-seven years, and with his broad experience and practical ability his work is now counting largely for the progress and permanent stability and prosperity of the city and vicinity.
Mr. White is a son of Henry H. White, who was born at Addison, Maine, and in early life was a blacksmith. Later he followed the sea for a few years and then became a carpenter. He was for many years superin- tendent of a contracting business. In his later life he was for a number of years engaged in the retail grocery business in Revere, Massachusetts. His death, which occurred in Worcester in 1915, removed from the com- munity a useful and respected citizen. The mother, Betsey S. (Nash) White, was born at Columbia, Maine, and died in 1914.
H. Elmer White was born in the town of Addison, Maine, one of the picturesque coast villages of Washing- ton County, April 19, 1862. Receiving a thorough grounding in the essentials of education at the local public schools, the young man followed the sea for ten years after completing his studies. In the year 1886 he located at Boston, where he secured a position as a car- penter's apprentice, in the employ of the firm of O. H. Drisko & Company, of that city. He remained with this concern for a period of eight years, then, in 1894,
came to Worcester to become associated with the Central Building Company in the capacity of superintendent. Continuing with this concern until 1912, he then formed his present affiliation, becoming manager of construction for the Miner Building Company as before stated. He also purchased an interest in the business, and as a stockholder and director of the company has since borne a definite and progressive part in their advance. Mr. White is a member of the Worcester Chamber of Com- merce and of the Master Builders' Association, and takes a deep interest in all progressive effort, especially in his own field of endeavor. Fraternally he is identified with Tuscan Lodge, No. 106, Free and Accepted Masons, of Addison, Maine, but otherwise has few interests outside his work. The family are members of the Baptist / church.
H. Elmer White married, on August 19, 1888, Alice A. Crowley, who was born at Addison, Maine, and they are the parents of four children: Milton E., Marion E. (Mrs. Everett D. Maynard) ; Marjorie E., married Robert L. Martin and has four children; and Mildred E.
KENNETH L. MORSE-Mr. Morse, who now holds a foremost position in the economic advance of Worcester County as general agent for the New Eng- land Mutual Life Insurance Company in the city of Worcester and its environs, is a man of broad public experience and keen business ability. Of Vermont na- tivity and a descendant of old New England pioneer ancestry, Mr. Morse is a son of Sidney and Emma (Stetson) Morse.
Kenneth L. Morse was born at Thetford, Vermont, September 5, 1882. His early education was received in the public and high schools of his birthplace. He later entered Dartmouth College, from which he was graduated in 1902, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, then, after a post-graduate course, he received the de- gree of Master of Arts from the same institution in 1903. For fourteen years Mr. Morse was active as an educator, teaching school in various towns and cities of New England; then, in 1917, he became associated with the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company of Boston. His first affiliation with this concern was as manager of the North Worcester district, then, in 1921, in association with his present partner, Robert C. Hunt, he was appointed general agent of the company. The New England Mutual Life Insurance Company is so widely known that perhaps a resumé of its purposes and scope are unnecessary in this connection. In a record such as is comprised in this work, which goes back to the fundamental period of the various phases of business and finance, it is of interest to inscribe the original thought or motive of the founders of any im- portant economic movement. From the early annual reports of the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company, the attitude of the founders and their forward look towards the security of the home and the com- munity is well expressed. In the first annual report of the company, issued December 2, 1844, appears the words of the president, Judge Willard Phillips, LL. D., a graduate of Harvard University :
It has been the endeavor of every one concerned in the management of the affairs of the Company to rep- resent the subject in its true light, and not to excite
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BIOGRAPHICAL
overweening expectations, nor encourage the notion that such an institution offers to its members the means of speculation. The object is equality among the members, and a participation of the advantages of the Company, whatever they may be, in the proportion of the amounts contributed; and it is no part of the plan that some shall be benefited at the expense of others.
From the second annual report, issued December I, 1845, President Phillips is again quoted :
The great object in our association is the common and equal benefits of all the associates, which is to be attained by a just rate and apportionment of premi- ums; a fair, discriminating, and vigilant discretion in taking risks; a discreet economy in expenditures, and a judicious management and investment of the funds.
From the third annual report, issued December 7, 1846, the following is quoted :
The Directors in this, their Third Annual Report, have again the satisfaction of exhibiting to the mem- bers the continued prosperous condition of the Com- pany. The institution is a trust, jointly maintained by the insured members, wholly for their own general benefit, and is administered exclusively with that ob- ject. In its progress hitherto, the anticipations of its friends as to its useful and beneficent operations have been fully realized, while the most satisfactory indi- cations are given of the steady future extension of its benefits.
Not only as representative of this great concern, but as an individual and citizen, Mr. Morse is highly esteemed in the city of Worcester, and is counted among the thoroughly progressive men of the day. Fraternally he is identified with the Free and Accepted Masons, and in political matters he supports the principles and pol- icies of the Republican party. He attends the Uni- tarian church.
Mr. Morse married, on August 7, 1910, Mary Skin- ner, daughter of Edward P. and Charlotte Mitchell Skinner, and they are the parents of two children: Rich- ard Stetson, born August 19, 19II; and Elizabeth L., born October II, 1917.
ULRIC BRAULT, a well known figure in the public life of Southbridge, Massachusetts, for the past three years has served this community as Chief of Police, and both in his official capacity and as a citizen is highly esteemed by all the people. Mr. Brault is a native of Can- ada and a son of David Brault, who was born at St. Valentine, Canada, and was engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1916. He was a man of progressive spirit and the highest integrity, and com- ing to Southbridge in middle age, spent his remaining years in this community, where he became a highly esteemed citizen. The mother, Elise (Blais) Brault, was also born at St. Valentine, Canada, and still survives her husband.
Ulric Brault was born at St. Blaise, Canada, No- vember 6, 1889. His education was begun in the public schools of his birthplace and was completed in the parochial school of Southbridge, where the family had meanwhile removed. His first experience in the world of industry was in the employ of the Hamilton Woolen Company, of Southbridge, where he remained for a period of eight year, thereafter for about two years he was engaged at carpenter work, then identified himself with the police force of Southbridge. His natural ability and devotion to duty were the means of his advance in this connection, and in 1920 he was made Chief of Police
of Southbridge, and has filled this important office of the public trust continuously since. A man of lofty ideals and unfailing loyalty to his civic responsibilities, Chief Brault has done much to improve conditions in Southbridge and to increase the efficiency of the force. During the World War he enlisted, on October 4, 1917, in the United States Army Military Police and was sent overseas on July 8, 1918. He served for almost precisely one year with the American Expeditionary Forces in France, and upon his return to America received his honorable discharge from the service on July 16, 1919. He is a member of the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, the Loyal Order of Moose, and the Societe St. Jean Baptiste. He is an influential member of the Southbridge Chamber of Commerce, and is interested in all that pertains to the local advance. His chief recreative interest is in athletics and he was formerly professional lightweight wrestling champion of New England (1912). He attends the Notre Dame Roman Catholic Church, of Southbridge.
Mr. Brault married, on May 24, 1920, Bertha Labrie, who was born in Montreal, Canada.
AARON AVERY (A. AVERY) WHITE, a mem- ber of an old family of Massachusetts, and a great- grandchild of Rev. Joseph Avery, pastor of the Congre- gational church in Holden, Massachusetts, for about fifty years, has become well known in Worcester County. In various lines of effort Mr. White has long been prominent in the city of Worcester, and his activities have counted very definitely for the general advance. He is a son of Rev. William J. White, who was born in Boylston, Massachusetts, and was active as a clergyman, and in other fields of Christian work until his death, which occurred in 1899. The mother, Harriet Reed Ames White, was born in West Boylston, Massachu- setts, and died in Worcester.
Mr. White was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, August 30, 1857. Educated in the public and high schools of the city, he entered the hardware business as a young man and for nearly twenty years was actively thus engaged. In 1896 he severed his connection with the interests with which he had so long been connected and established himself in business in the line of real estate and insurance, in which field he has since been active continuously. Acting both as a broker and an operator, Mr. White has done much for the promotion of ownership of homes among the people, and has also handled many important transfers in commercial real estate. For years Mr. White has been considered an authority on real estate values, and since 1910 has acted as appraiser for the Worcester County Institute for Savings. With offices at No. 714 Slater Building, he is doing a large and constantly increasing business, and both among his associates and the people generally he is highly esteemed as a man and a citizen. The interests of Mr. White's leisure follow various lines, and he is a member of the Worcester Horticultural Society. He is interested in raising fruit, and has taken many prizes and premiums for pears, peaches, quinces, grapes, and currants at the Horticultural shows held in Worcester. He is also a member of the Mechanics' Association. He has served as a deacon of the Piedmont Congregational Church for many years.
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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY
A. Avery White married, on October 30, 1891, Mary F. Stowell, who was born in Worcester, and they are the parents of three children: Hannah Hastings, married Randolph Catlin, of New York City; George A., who served in the World War as an ensign in the United States Navy, married Katherine Bradley, of Worcester ; and William Stowell, who served with the Harvard Naval unit during the war.
WALTER K. WILEY-In construction circles in Northern Worcester County Walter K. Wiley holds a prominent position as the head of the well known con- tracting firm of Wiley & Foss, active in building con- struction over a wide radius in and about Fitchburg. For more than thirty years Mr. Wiley has been iden- tified with this organization, which has undergone vari- ous changes, but has been continuously active in the growth and development of this section. A lifelong resi- dent of Fitchburg, Mr. Wiley is a son of Robert G. Wiley, who was born in Scotland and came to the United States as a young man, settling permanently in Fitch- burg.
Walter K. Wiley was born July 8, 1867. He received a practical grounding in the essentials of education at the public schools of Fitchburg, and thereafter served an apprenticeship at the trade of bricklayer and plas- terer. Following this trade as a young man, he very naturally learned the possibilities in the construction field, and being possessed of an ambitious temperament and more than ordinary executive ability, he was soon active in an independent way as a contractor. In the year 1892 was established the organization of which the present firm is the outgrowth. It was originally known as Gilchrist, Warner & Wiley, then with the withdrawal of Mr. Warner and the reception of his successor be- came Gilchrist, Wiley & Foss. Upon the death of Mr. Gilchrist the two remaining partners went forward under the firm name of Wiley & Foss, which still obtains. Throughout the entire period of its existence and the various changes of personnel the enterprise has gone steadily forward, and many of the finer buildings in and about Fitchburg have been erected by them .. Mr. Wiley, as the present head of the concern, is an able execu- tive and a practical man, and his success not only places him among the noteworthy people of the present day, but contributes materially to the general welfare. He is a member of the Fitchburg Chamber of Commerce, and is very prominent fraternally, being a member of Apollo Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; also the encampment and canton of this order, and the Benev- olent and Protective Order of Elks. He is also a mem- ber of Aurora Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Ma- sons, and all other Masonic bodies, including thirty- second degree.
Mr. Wiley married, in Fitchburg, on July 28, 1891, Anna A. Michaels, and they are the parents of two chil- dren: Robert A., who married Sarah Francis, and has one child, Margaret Lorraine; and Margaret, wife of Roy W. Schenck.
A. STANLEY LLEWELLYN-It sometimes hap- pens that a boy leaves school at an early age to make his way in the business world, encountering obstacles and surmounting them and acquiring an education as he
moves along. Others fail utterly to overcome the handi- cap of a meager schooling. In the case of Mr. Llewellyn school was deserted for a trade when he was quite young, but he later returned to extensive study, which has secured to him his present position in Clinton, Massachusetts. Mr. Llewellyn is a son of David and Annie (Livingstone) Llewellyn. The father was en- gaged in carriage manufacturing in his native place of Prince Edward Island, Canada, where the mother was also born, and died in 1909.
A. Stanley Llewellyn was born at Arlington, Massa- chusetts, February 24, 1887. As indicated above, he left the public schools to learn the trade of manufac- turing pianos, but reëntered again in 1907. Later he enrolled as a student at Colby Academy and graduated with the class of 1911, after which he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1915. From the time of graduating until 1917, he filled a position as manager of the Steinert Store, in New Hampshire, and two years later, in 1919, became associated with the Lockwood Green Company of Boston, and located at their mills in Camden, South Carolina, learning the tex- tile business. There he was advanced to the position of service superintendent of the Waterlee Mills, and in 1920 came to Clinton to occupy the same position with their Lancaster Mills, a position he continues to hold.
Fraternally he is a member of King Solomon Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, in New Hampshire; Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity; also Casque and Gauntlet fraternity; and the Senior Society. He is also a mem- ber of the American Legion, Chamber of Commerce, and American Society of Political Science. In 1917 he enlisted in the United States Army, was given the rank of corporal and stationed at Fort Constitution. Later he was transferred to Camp Pike, Little Rock, Arkan- sas, and commissioned a second lieutenant in October, 1918, reporting to the office of the Adjutant General at Washington, District of Columbia, for duty. In Feb- ruary, 1919, he received his discharge with the above- mentioned rank. In religion he is a Baptist.
Mr. Llewellyn was united in marriage, June 7, 1919, with Lucy Grey Anderson, a native of Richmond, Vir- ginia.
JOSEPH T. WITT-In the distribution of some of the leading makes of automobiles in the Worcester, Massachusetts, district, Joseph T. Witt is attaining a large measure of success. He is one of the well known and decidedly popular young men of this city, and has had experience in other lines of mercantile endeavor, but for the past six years has been engaged in his present field. Mr. Witt is a native of this city, and a son of George A. Witt, who was born in Lithuania, but came to the United States as a young man. He has now been engaged in the envelope business for more than forty years, having been associated with the Logan, Swift & Bingham Company, practically since his arrival in Wor- cester. He married Margaret Patterson, who also was born in Lithuania, and is now a resident of Worcester.
Joseph T. Witt was born in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, September 4, 1891. His education was received in the public and high schools of the city, and on completing his studies he entered the business world as a sales clerk in a leading clothing store of Worcester.
Walter K.Wiemy.
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BIOGRAPHICAL
Rising to a position of considerable responsibility in this field he continued along this line until the year 1917, when he opened his present business, entering upon the distribution of automobiles. Beginning simply with a sales agency for used cars, Mr. Witt continued in this line and limited his operations to this branch of the busi- ness until 1921 when he took over the agency for the Earl car, still carrying on a large trade in used cars. In 1922 he added to this interest the agency of the Ricken- backer car, also the Columbia Six. The business has grown rapidly, and Mr. Witt's ability and energy have developed a large and important business, now holding a leading position in his general field of activity in Wor- cester and vicinity, with his headquarters at No. 668 Main Street, and a service station at No. 875 Main Street. Fraternally Mr. Witt is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and he is a well-known member also of the Automobile Club. His religious affiliation is with the Roman Catholic Church of the Blessed Sacra- ment.
Mr. Witt married, on March 14, 1917, Florence G. Coonan, who was born in Worcester, and they have one son : Joseph T., Jr., born May 29, 1918.
JAMES B. GETTENS-Since 1920 James B. Get- tens has been successfully engaged in business for him- self as an electrical contractor in Leominster, Massachu- setts. He has had a most thorough and extended tech- nical training, followed by experience of the most valu- able kind, and is known in Leominster as an expert in his line.
Mr. Gettens was born in Gardner, Massachusetts, Sep- ember 7, 1889, son of James B. Gettens, a native of Hem- ingford, Canada, who was engaged in the reed industry during the greater part of his life, and of Nellie (Driscoll) Gettens, who was born in Gardner, Massachusetts, and died in Leominster in 1911. He received his early and preparatory education in the public schools of Leomin- ster and in Franklin Union of Boston, and then became a student in Lowell Institute, which is connected with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He con- tinued study and work in the electrical engineering de- partment of that institution, and when his studies were completed, accepted a position in the electrical depart- ment of the Watertown Arsenal. His next position was with the Edison Company of Boston, and when he again made a change it was to go to Worcester, Massa- chusetts, where he became associated with the Economy Electrical Company, The Coghlin-Wilson Company, and others. In 1920 he removed to Leominster and engaged in the electrical contracting business for himself. He has been most successful in that enterprise, and has rap- idly built up a lucrative business. He is known as one of the most expert electricians in the city, and has handled some important electrical contracts. During the World War he was in civilian employ, and was as- signed to the Boston Navy Yard, where for two years as first-class electrician, he was engaged in delicate and important electrical work. He is a member of the Leo- minster Chamber of Commerce and of the Alumni As- sociation of Wentworth Institute, and fraternally is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus. He is an at- tendant of St. Leo's Roman Catholic Church of Leo- minster.
On August 14, 1916, James B. Gettens married Sadie Campbell, who was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Carter) Campbell, and they are the parents of two sons: Francis Herbert, who was born September 27, 1918; and William J., who was born May 17, 1920.
JAMES H. WALSH-After serving as letter car- rier in Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Mr. Walsh now occupies the position of Postmaster for this community, having been appointed in 1916 by President Wilson and reappointed 1922 by President Harding. He is a' son of James and Bridget (Donnelly) Walsh. The father was born in Cork, Ireland, and en- gaged as a combmaker until his death in 1886. The mother, also deceased, was born at Athlon, Ireland.
James H. Walsh was born at Leominster, Massachu- setts, July 25, 1862, where he secured his education in the public schools. After leaving school he worked for ten years with the F. A. Whitney Carriage Company, then entered the civil service as a letter carrier. He resigned from that position in 1912 and became president of the Hedley Coal Company of Leominster, which busi- ness connection he retained until appointed Postmaster in 1916.
He is a' fraternal member of the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, and a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He served as a second lieutenant of Com- pany K, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, from 1880 to 1883. He is affiliated with Leominster Historical So- ciety, and is a communicant in St. Leo's Roman Catholic Church.
Mr. Walsh married, January 6, 1887, Lillian L. Quinn, a native of Brandon, Vermont. One son was born to them, James H., Jr., who served in the United States Navy during the World War as a seaman from 1917 to 1919. He is now practicing law in Fitchburg, Massa- chusetts, with the firm of Walsh & Walsh.
FELIX A. LAJOIE-In the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, the work of caring for the dead is placed in the hands of a group of men whose ideals are of the highest, and whose sense of responsibility is in keeping with the seriousness and the sacredness of the work which comes to their hands. In this group Felix A. Lajoie is a representative figure. A progressive man in his field and interested in all that pertains to pro- fessional and community advance, he is a member of a family long prominent in the city of Worcester. He is a son of Andre G. Lajoie, who was born at St. Simon, Canada, and came to Worcester as a young man, entering the meat business here and winning substantial success. He was counted among the successful merchants of this city during the thirty-seven years of his business activity here, and continued in the same line of endeavor until his death, which occurred in the year 1918. He married Elmira Belisle, who was born in Canada, and died in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1895.
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