USA > Massachusetts > The story of western Massachusetts, Volume IV > Part 16
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55
From preparatory school Mr. Somes went to Massa- chusetts State College, which is now the University of Massachusetts, and from this institution he re- ceived his degree of Bachelor of Science upon gradu- ation with the class of 1931. He then did graduate work at North Adams State College, and at Teachers College, an affiliate of Columbia University in the city of New York.
Mr. Somes' first teaching post was in the New Marlboro High School at Mill River in the south- western corner of Massachusetts, where he served as
principal from 1931 to 1942. In the latter year he became associated
as principal with the Powers Institute at Bernardston, remaining there until some time in 1943, when he became head of the science department at Port Jervis in Orange County, New York. Leaving Port Jervis in 1944, Mr. Somes ac- cepted the position of teacher of science and mathe- matics at Milford, Pennsylvania, which post he filled until some time in 1945, when he was appointed superintendent of schools at Sheffield, a post which gives him jurisdiction over the educational system of the towns of Sheffield, New Marlboro and Mt. Washington. Superintendent Somes' long, intensive and practical experience stand him in good stead in his able administration of the educational system of a large and progressive union of communities.
At Nassau, Rensselaer County, New York, John Somes was married on October 19, 1929, to Marion Jones who, like himself, came from Otis, Massachu- setts. Mrs. Somes is a daughter of Harvey D. and Caroline (Eurle) Jones. Of this marriage there are five children: 1. John D., who was born on January 31, 1932. 2. Austin H., born in June, 1933. 3. Timothy, born January 26, 1938. 4. Rebekah J., a twin of Timo- thy, also born on January 26, 1938. 5. Theodore A., born October 12, 1940. John D. and Austin H. Somes were born at Southfield; the twins Timothy and Re- bekah J. are natives of Mill River, Massachusetts.
Mr. Somes holds membership in the Berkshire County Superintendents Association, the Massachu- setts Superintendents Association, the New England Superintendents Association, and the American As- sociation of School Administrators.
DAVID WILEY MORRISON, M.D .- Since 1931 Doctor David Wiley Morrison has been practicing his profession of osteopathy in Pittsfield.
David Wiley Morrison was born in Quincy on October 8, 1908, the son of David W. and Hattie (Wiley) Morrison. In 1911 the family moved to Pittsfield, where his father was employed by the General Electric Company prior to his death on Jan- uary 10, 1948. His mother is still living and makes her home in Pittsfield.
Doctor Morrison attended the public schools of Pittsfield, graduating from Pittsfield High School. He then became a student at the Philadelphia Col- lege of Osteopathy, and graduated from that institu- tion in the class of 1931. After graduation Doctor Morrison returned to Pittsfield and began practice as an osteopathic physician, and has engaged in private practice there ever since. He is a member of the Massachusetts Osteopathic Society. His reli- gious affiliation is with the Methodist Church. He is a member of the Lions Club of Pittsfield, and on March 4, 1948 this club honored him with a chevron at special ceremonies to express appreciation of his ten years of service on its behalf.
He married at Milton on June 29, 1938 Ruth Faunce of Brockton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Adoniram and Mabel (Richmond) Faunce. Dr. and Mrs. Mor- rison have one son, David Winthrop Morrison, born in Pittsfield on June 23, 1942.
HINSDALE SMITH, JR .- A native of Spring- field, Hinsdale Smith, Jr., has made his birth place
Ler M. Ethier .
295
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
the scene of his business activities, in which he has achieved a career of notable success.
Mr. Smith's father, Hinsdale Smith also by name, was born about the year 1870, and is now living in Springfield, where he has long been successfully en- gaged in the manufacture of automobile bodies. Hins- dale Smith, Jr., was born September 20, 1901. He received an extensive education, which began in the public schools and continued at the Technical High School in Springfield, at Westminster, at Simsbury, Connecticut, and the Deerfield Academy, from which he graduated before going to Dartmouth College. From that renowned institution of learning in Han- over, New Hampshire, he received the degree of Bachelor of Science upon graduating with the class of 1926.
·
Mr. Smith's first employment was with the West- inghouse Manufacturing Company, where he was in the radio engineering department for five years. Am- bitious, however, for a business of his own, in 1931 he organized the Nikor Products Company to en- gage in the manufacture of photo-developing equip- ment. In the more than sixteen years of its exist- ence, through days of war and peace, this concern has achieved marked success.
Mr. Smith is active in business and civic circles as a member of the Windsor Locks Rotary Club. He is a member of the Congregational Church, and in politics is an adherent of the Republican party.
On March 30, 1938, Hinsdale Smith, Jr., married in New York City, New York, Marjorie Laighton, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, who was born on June I, 1903, and is a daughter of William B. Laighton and his wife, the former Florence Bean. William B. Laigh- ton, who was born in 1860, now resides in Florida, after a long and successful business career as sales manager of the Hood Rubber Company. Mrs. Flor- ence (Bean) Laighton is also still living. Mrs. Mar- jorie (Laighton) Smith is a graduate of the public grade and high schools of Waltham, and of the Bryant and Stratton Commercial School in Boston.
LEO M. ETHIER-For many years an expert in the machine tool industry of Springfield, Leo M. Ethier has made valuable contributions toward the growth and development of his community.
Mr. Ethier was born July 21, 1903, at Springfield, son of Mastai Edward and Felixina (Claremont) Ethier. His father was born in 1877, and was edu- cated in the Chicopee public schools. His mother was born in 1879.
Leo M. Ethier attended the public schools of Spring- field, and was graduated from the Technical High School evening classes.
In 1919 he became associated with the Moore Drop Forging Company as an apprentice die worker, a position he held for seven years. For the next four- teen years he held the position of journeyman die worker, and for one year was a foreman. In 1938, while still affiliated with the Moore company, he started his own business, and erected a plant in the summer of 1940, completing the building in the latter part of 1941. He equipped the plant with old machines which he had acquired and motorized. By the year 1942 he had gained so much success with his new enterprise that he was able to resign his position at the Moore company and devote his entire time to the WV.Mass. IV-8
new enterprises. In 1946 the company was incorpor- ated as the Northeast Tool and Engineering Co., and he became its president. The following year an expan- sion policy was instituted in the drop forging field, and work was begun on the construction of an additional plant. Under the management of Mr. Ethier the en- terprise has become successful and prosperous. In 1947 he started to build a drop shop which was put into operation during the summer of 1948.
Mr. Ethier is active in the life of his community. He belongs to the American Society of Tool Engi- neers, the Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club, and the Holy Name Club. In politics he votes inde- pendently, and in religious belief he is a devout Catholic, attending St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church at East Longmeadow. His hobby is making and exhibiting motion pictures, and he enjoys horse- back riding.
On September 3, 1934, at Springfield, Leo M. Eth- ier married Albertina Emmonds, daughter of Victor and Leontine Emmonds. Her father is a Springfield carpenter. Mr. and Mrs. Ethier became the parents of one child, Faith Bertina Ethier, who was born No- vember 22, 1936, and is attending public school at East Longmeadow.
DONALD ROBERT TABER-In Holyoke's ex- tensive paper industry an outstanding figure is Don- ald Robert Taber, member of a family long prominent in Western Massachusetts. Through his position as general manager and treasurer of the American Pad and Paper Company of Holyoke, Mr. Taber has become known throughout the paper industry. But important as is the place he occupies in the business world, it does not compare with his standing in Holyoke's community affairs or in the fields of health and welfare, education, cultural development, good government movements and religious activi- ties. Active in all these fields as well as in various civic, social and industrial organizations for years, Mr. Taber is also known for his affiliations with financial organizations.
Donald Robert Taber was born in Holyoke on November 1, 1902, the son of Cyrus Hezekiah and Annie Taber. His father, who was born in 1856 and died in 1942, was in the printing business most of his life. From 1904 to 1942 he was president of the American Pad and Paper Company and from: 1875 to 1904 he was a partner in the Holyoke fırın of Hubbard and Taber. Cyrus Taber was born ard educated in Holyoke. His wife, born in 1860, died in 1942.
Donald R. Taber was educated in the elementary and high schools of Holyoke and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, where he received the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1925. Immedi- ately thereafter Mr. Taber was appointed to the sell- ing staff of the Boston investment firm of Estabrook and Company, with which he continued until 1929. In that year Mr. Taber returned to Holyoke to as- sociate himself with his father in the American Pad and Paper Company. At first he was in the esti- mating department, but in 1935 was made clerk of the corporation. In 1938 he was elevated to the office of general manager and elected a director of the corporation. In 1939 he assumed the title of vice president and in 1941 he became treasurer and re-
296
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
signed as vice president. In these various capacities Mr. Taber has continued with the American Pad and Paper Company and played a vital role in developing not only that firm but the entire printing and paper industry.
In the meantime Mr. Taber has established him- self as an outstanding leader in various phases of es- sential community activities. The positions he holds with public and quasi-public organizations suggests the scope and importance of these activities. He is vice president and a director of the Holyoke Tax- payers' Association; president and a director of the Holyoke Branch of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; a trustee of the Holyoke Public Library; a director of the Holy- oke Hospital and a deacon of the First Congregational Church of Holyoke. His activities in the financial field have led to his election as vice president and a trustee of the Peoples Savings Bank and as a di- rector of the Morris Plan Banking Corporation of Holyoke. Mr. Taber is also a member of the Lions Club of Holyoke, the Holyoke Canoe Club and Beta Theta Pi. Through his business and professional activities he is a member of the honorary engineering fraternity, Theta Tau, and is a former president and director of the Paper, Stationery and Tablet Manu- facturers Association.
Mr. Taber and Ida Mary Webber were married in Holyoke on August I, 1929. Mrs. Taber is the daughter of Frederick S. Webber, retired Holyoke business man, and of the late Ida Maria (Sibley) Webber. Mr. and Mrs. Taber are the parents of three children: I. Elizabeth, born on October 16, 1931, who in 1948 was a student at the MacDuffie School; Ann Sibley, born on April 15, 1935, who at that time was studying at the Highland Junior High School; and Donald Robert Taber, Jr., born on May 2, 1940, then in grammar school.
FRANCIS HENRY KING-A native New Eng- lander, Francis H. King has practiced as a profes -: sional engineer in three New England states-Con- necticut, Massachusetts and Vermont-and has been chiefly concerned with electrical engineering in the city of Holyoke in Western Massachusetts almost continously, excepting for periods of service in the military and civilian departments of the United States government, since January of 1931.
Mr. King's father, the late Thomas Francis King, who died on February 14, 1945, came to Holyoke many years ago and became a leading figure in in- surance circles in that city, being manager of the Holyoke district of the John Hancock Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut. Thomas Francis King married Helena Hatton, and to them the son they named Francis was born at Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on March 18, 1907. His education began in the public grade and high schools of Holyoke, and was continued at the Worcester Polytechnic In- stitute in Worcester, from which he received the de- gree of Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, class of 1928. He attended army and navy aero- nautic schools and has flying ratings.
In July, 1930, Mr. King entered the reserve officer training course at the United States Naval Air Sta- tion in Pensacola, Florida, where he studied until
February, 1931. In the previous month of January, 1931, he had become an electrical engineer connected with the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department, being attached to an electric station equipped with both steam and hydro generation. This position he filled until August, 1933, when he became assistant super- intendent and electrical engineer of the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department. After serving in this capacity until October, 1937, Mr. King at that time went to Burlington, Vermont, as superintendent of the Burlington Electric Light Department. The cri- sis presented by World War II resulted in Mr. King's being drawn into United States government service, first as a power consultant of the power branch of the Office of Production Management, and later as chief of the emergency section of the War Production Board. This phase of his career extended from Oc- tober, 1941, to May of 1942. Between May, 1942, and October, 1945, Mr. King was an officer in the United States Army Air Corps, and was on active duty as chief of the Electronics Section of the Resources Division at Headquarters of the Army Air Force. He held the rank of lieutenant colonel. Upon his release from the army in October, 1945, he became manager of the Holyoke Gas and Electric Depart- ment, the position which he has continued to fill competently and successfully to the present time. Mr. King is now Signal Officer on the General's staff of the 67th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard with a rank of lieutenant colonel.
Mr. King has become identified with various phases of the business and civic life of the city of Holyoke. In the line of his professional interests he belongs to the American Institute of Electrical Engi- neers, the Institute of Radio Engineers, and the American Public Power Association, of which he is acting president. Mr. King belongs also to the Uni- versity Club, Ethan Allen Club, and Burlington, Vermont, Lodge of Elks.
On October 1, 1935, Francis H. King was married at New York City to Dorothy Davenport, a daughter of William and Belle (Shearer) Davenport of Green- field.
WALTER BURKE ENRIGHT-A native son of Pittsfield, Walter Burke Enright seems to have de- cided at an early age that his career lay ahead of him in the automotive field. He became one of the pioneer automobile dealers in the "Capital of the Berkshires," and in the course of nearly a quarter of a century has by industrious attention to fostering his business, and by dependable service to the public, built up a following which has made him not only one of the most successful, but one of the most popu- lar men in that line in Berkshire County.
Born on March 4 in the year 1900, Walter Burke is a son of the late Frank M. and the late Margaret A. (Burke) Enright, both of whom were also natives of Pittsfield. Frank M. Enright prior to his death in 1907 was associated for twenty-three years with the Holden and Stone Department Store. Mrs. Margaret A. (Burke) Enright died in 1938. The young Walter Burke Enright, after beginning his education in the local public schools of his birth place, entered the Michigan State Automobile School, from which he graduated in 1923. In the following year he estab- lished himself in the garage business at 300 New West
.
297
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
Street in Pittsfield. From the first he was successful and his activities expanded, especially when he began to offer specialized service in wheel aligning, frame straightening, and brake service.
It was in October, 1944, that Mr. Enright obtained the franchise for the famous Nash line of cars in Pittsfield, which he continues to hold at this time. Early in 1948 a new and modern brick and concrete structure was completed for Enright's Motor Sales. In this building of sixty-five by one hundred and ten feet, all operations of Enright's Motor Sales will be combined. Ten salesrooms are ample and attractive, and the service department continues to be modern and highly efficient. Mr. Enright has ten employees in the various departments of the business.
Mr. Enright is a Roman Catholic in religion, being a communicant of St. Mark's Church. He belongs to the Father Mathew Society, a Catholic order de- voted to the promotion of temperance. Mr. Enright, whose favorite recreation is fishing, has a pleasant summer residence on the shores of a lake near Pitts- field.
At Pittsfield on October 1, 1929, Walter Burke En- right was married to Cecelia Elizabeth Owens, a daughter of Charles J. and Sarah (Ward) Owens of Great Barrington. Of this marriage there are three children: 1. Walter Owens, who was born at Pitts- field in May, 1931, and is now a student in Pittsfield High School. 2. Virginia Elizabeth, born at Pittsfield in June, 1932. 3. Charles Francis, born also at Pittsfield in February, 1937.
MARIE WEIS HAZEN-An able and experienced business woman, Mrs. Marie Weis Hazen is better known throughout Western Massachusetts for her active interest in children's causes, and for her many tireless services in civic affairs.
Mrs. Hazen is a daughter of Joseph B. and Isabel McMillan Weis, and was born at Franklin, Ohio, on November 11, 1896. Her father, who was born at Tonica, Illinois, on November 29, 1862, and gradu- ated from the University of Illinois with the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1882, was a noted chemist and the inventor of safety paper. He came to West- ern Massachusetts in the year of 1908 as president of the Perfect Safety Paper Company. At present Mr. Weis is still active in business.
The young Marie Weis attended public school in Holyoke, where the Perfect Safety Paper Company had its plant and where accordingly the family had taken up its residence, and continued her education at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where she was in the class of 1918. During the years 1925- 1927 she served as secretary to her husband in the early days of the Hazen Paper Company.
It is Mrs. Hazen's earnest belief that if we would improve and advance the level of civilization we must improve the individual, and that to accomplish this, the process must be begun in early childhood. Her activities, accordingly, are largely concerned with work for and with children. She is a member of the Holyoke School Committee and of the Holyoke Children's Aid Association, being a former president and present member of the board of directors of the latter group. She also serves on the Governor's Recess Commission on Juvenile Delinquency, as well as on the Council of Social Agencies.
Mrs. Hazen was one of the founders and a sus- taining member of the Junior League, and has long been active in the Holyoke Women's Club, of which she is first vice president. She also belongs to the Holyoke Canoe Club. Her religious affiliation is with St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
Marie Weis married John Norman Hazen (q. v.), at Holyoke, Massachusetts, on June 19, 1920. Mr. and Mrs. Hazen are the parents of a son, Thomas Norman Hazen, who was born on April 2, 1935, and is now a student in public school.
JOSEPH G. KOSSICK-An important figure in the retail automobile world, Joseph G. Kossick heads the Automobile Sales Company, Incorporated, Ford agency at 95 Liberty Street, Springfield.
Mr. Kossick was born in Harwood, North Dakota, on March 12, 1891, the son of Joseph and Julia (Sol- ga) Kossick. His father, born in 1865, was a yard- master for the Great Northern Railroad. He died in 1932. The mother, born in 1869, died in 1907. Joseph Kossick was educated in a Roman Catholic parochial school at Moorehead, Minnesota.
Founder of the Automobile Sales Company, Incor- porated, Mr. Kossick is that concern's president. Three of his children, two sons and daughter, are associated with him in the business. The agency not only sells passenger cars and trucks, all bearing the Ford insignia, but also maintains a complete service, parts and accessories department. Mr. Kossick is active in the Springfield, Massachusetts State and Na- tional Automobile Dealers Associations, in the Spring- field Chamber of Commerce, the Old Timers Club, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Springfield Country Club. He is a communicant of the Holy Name Roman Catholic Church, Springfield.
Mr. Kossick married Martha F. Lang, daughter of John and Lizzie Lang, Minnesota farmers, at Moore- head, Minnesota, on June 25, 1912. Mrs. Kossick was born at Felton, Minnesota, on February 2, 1891, and is a graduate of the Minnesota State Normal School. Mr. and Mrs. Kossick are the parents of five chil- dren: I. Dolores Diana, born October 27, 1915; 2. Joseph George, Jr., born April 19, 1920; 3. Mary Jane, born January 5, 1924; 4. William Lang, born August II, 1926, 5. Daniel Murray, born November 24, 1931.
The first of the children, Dolores Diana, now Mrs. William Stuart King, was educated in the elementary and high schools and Colby Junior College. She is the mother of one daughter, Diana King, born July 20, 1946. Mr. King is a Ford dealer in Westfield.
Josesph George Kossick, Jr., was educated at Cathe- dral High School, Springfield, the New York Military Academy and is a graduate of American International College, Springfield. He is a veteran of World War II, having served in the European Theater of Opera- tions and participated in the celebrated Battle of the Bulge. When he was discharged at Camp Devens in 1946, he was holding the rank of captain. He is now associated with his father in the dealer agency.
The secretary of her father's company is Mr. Kos- sick's second daughter, Mary Jane. She obtained her high school education at both Cathedral and Classical High Schools and later studied at Edgewood Park Junior College, from which she was graduated.
William Lang Kossick has studied at Holy Name Parochial School, Cathedral High School, the New
298
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
York Military Academy and Wilbraham Academy. Following his graduation from the last-named institu- tion, he entered American International College, where he is now a student.
The youngest child of Joseph G. Kossick, (Sr.), Daniel Murray Kossick, was a student at Cathedral High School in 1946, now at Wilbraham Academy.
MAGNUS F. PETERSON-A son of Andrew W. and Johanna Peterson, Magnus F. Peterson was born at Worcester, Massachusetts, on March 22, 1893. He attended public grade school and high school in his native city before starting in his first employment as a cost accountant with the Morgan Spring Com- pany of Worcester. In 1913 he came to Western Massachusetts as a cost accountant with the Chemical Paper Company of Holyoke. His career was inter- rupted in 1917 by the call to the colors in World War I. In June of 1917 he became an enlisted man in the United States Navy, and after serving until May, 1919, he received his honorable discharge with the rank of lieutenant junior grade. He did not at once return to Massachusetts, but became, in 1919, secretary and treasurer of the Cost Association of the Paper Industry, located in New York City.
In the following year, Mr. Peterson came to Springfield as accountant for the United States En- velope Company, thus beginning an association which has endured for more than a quarter of a century. His progress with this large, nationally known concern was rapid. In 1923 he was appointed assistant treasurer of the U. S. Envelope Company, and in 1930 he was made secretary while remaining as assistant treasurer. In .1937 Mr. Peterson was elected to the board of directors of the firm, and in 1940 he was designated as treasurer, and also be- came a member of the executive committee of the board of directors. These posts he continues to administer at the present writing.
Mr. Peterson is a director in the Springfield Na- tional Bank, a trustee in the Springfield Institution for Savings and a director in the Springfield Street Railway.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.