USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume III > Part 87
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Mr. Shultes married D. Ida Multen, of Ashville, Cat- taraugus county, N. Y., and to them have been born five children: I. Madge, who became the wife of Whitmire. 2. Lamont, who is now in civil service, attached to the tax department of the State of New York, and making his residence in the State capital, Albany. 3. Glen. 4. Via. 5. Harold.
CHARLES RATER, who for seventy-seven years has lived in Chantanqna county, and since early man- hood has been a responsible farmer, cultivating for the greater part of the time an extensive acreage in Ripley, has prospered well in his farming and has for very many years been one of the representative agriculturists of that section of the county. He is almost considered to be a native of Chautauqua county, and he might well be so thought, for he was only three years old when his father came to the county and settled and by his actions throughout his adult years Charles Rater has proved himself to be a worthy American, useful, industrions, productive, enterprising, and always re- sponsible, able to make his own way, and to add some- thing to the progress of the community in which he labored. He has been a conscientious churchman, an energetic public official, and an interested and useful supporter of community affairs throughout his life, and has gained the good will and respect of his neighbors, and of other people throughout the county with whom he has become acquainted.
He was born in Germany, June 26, 1839, the son of Henry Rater, who later became a respected and pros- perous farmer at Mina, this county. Charles Rater lost his mother when he was very young, and he was only three years old when his father, in 1842, brought the family to the United States. Apparently, Henry Rater was of agricultural occupation in his native land, for as soon as he came to this country he settled upon a farm in Mina, Chautauqua county, N. Y., and there-
after passed his entire life in farming at that place. At the outset he purchased a tract of fifty acres, but later acquired a further sixty acres, and upon that, with the help of his sons, he prospered. The son, Charles, received the whole of his academic education in the district school of Mina, and after leaving school set willingly and industriously to work to help his father cultivate the family holding. As a matter of fact, Charles had learned and undertaken many minor duties in connection with the farm operation long before he left school, and he soon became an experienced farmer. He was always of industrions habits, self-reliant and capable, and quite early in manhood he embarked upon an independent farming enterprise, renting a farm at Mina. One year later he purchased from Charles Win- ter a farm of 175 acres in Ripley township and since that time that has been his home. He has farmed the acreage well, and has very much improved the property, adding to the house and barn, and raising the condition of the land. He has been enterprising in his farming, has had good success in sheep rearing and in dairy farming, and has quite an appreciable acreage in grapes.
Politically, he has been a Democrat for the greater part of his life, but he has never sought, nor wished for, political office. As a father, he has been interested in the school administration, and as school trustee has had part in its administrative affairs for many years. At one time also he undertook the responsibilities of tax collector for his district. By religions conviction, he is a Methodist, and he has been one of the substan- tial supporters of the local church of that denomination for many years. In his younger days he took active part in community movements, and has at all times been ready to support local projects that in his estima- tion promised well for some phase of the community. During the World War, he was one of the most loyal and patriotic in contributing to the various funds raised by the government and governmental agencies for the proper prosecution of the war.
On Sept. 22, 1864, when twenty-five years old, Charles Rater married Margaret Jane Gilburn, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (McPhee) Gilburn, of Ripley; the union has been blessed by the birth to them of five chil- dren, all of whom were reared to manhood and woman- hood, and to useful citizenship. The children, in order of birth, are: I. Frank, who married Minnie Marshall, and became an independent farmer in his native place, Ripley. 2. Henry, who married Lotta Hunt, and is also succeeding, as a farmer, with a property of his own in Ripley. 3. Bert, who has taken from his father's shoulders the burden of operating the extensive family holding. 4. Irving, who is also at home, and assists his brother Bert in conducting their father's farm. 5. Mrs. Nettie Belle Alday, wife of a successful Ripley farmer of that name.
Charles Rater is fortunate in having all his children near him in his declining years, and to know that they are all satisfactorily conditioned in material things, and also that they have all lived lives of commendable steadiness and usefulness. If they, in their turn, gain the general esteem in the community that their father, Charles Rater, by his estimable life has gained for him- self, they will indeed have lived lives of enviable nse- fulness to the community and county. Others of his
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family, and of his generation, have also lived commend- able lives in the county, he being one of eight children born to Henry Rater. Charles was the third-born, and his brothers and sisters, in order of birth, were: Julius, Augusta, Henry, Levi, Selina, Allen, and Frank. The family is well known in Ripley and Mina, and all have succeeded in life.
EGBERT S. OSTRANDER, successful and re- spected farmer in or near Gerry, Chautauqua county, N. Y .. and a justice of the peace at that place, is a native of Chantauqua county, and comes of a worthy Ameri- can family of Swedish antecedents. Both on the pa- ternal and maternal sides, however, the genealogy is American for some generations back, his father being of the Ostrander family of Tompkins county, N. Y., born in the town of West Danby, that county, in 1829, in the Ostrander family homestead, and his mother having been of the Fargo family of Chautauqua county.
Eghert S. Ostrander was born in the town of Gerry, Chautauqua county, N. Y., Sept. 6, 1854, the son of David Ostrander, who was born Feb. 20, 1829, in West Danby, N. Y., and Maria Antoinette (Fargo) Ostrander, who was a native of Gerry, born there, April 17, 1833. His father was a farmer, possessed of a good property at Gerry, and there the boy was reared. During his early years of schooling. he attended the graded schools of Gerry, and later went to Jamestown to attend the Jamestown High School, from which he graduated in due course. From that time he has mainly followed agricultural occupations in or near his native place, and has taken interest in the local administration. Politi- cally. Mr. Ostrander is a Republican, and although during national campaigns he has not manifested a desire to cooperate actively in the local activities for the national party, he has always exhibited a keen in- terest in local affairs. He is a good neighbor, and has always been willing to aid, either financially or per- sonally, any cause which he thought might have good hearing upon the well being of the community. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in the affairs of the local Grange has for many years taken substantial part.
He has endeavored to live an upright, honest and use- fully industrious life, and his association and dealings with the people of Gerry during his long life have defi- nitely and markedly shown that he is, and has always striven to br, a man of good moral purpose, and that he is a man in whom they might place trust. In the administration of justice he has, since he was appointed justice of the peace at Gerry, manifested not only a spirit of the strictest impartiality in his finding, but also a judicial mind of high order. and more than a super: ial knowledge of the law. He is also a notary public, commis ioned as such by the State of New York administration. An earnest Christian, Mr. Os- trander has been a member of the Congregational church since carly manhood and he is a substantial supporter of the local church of that faith.
Ile was married. Sept. 23, 1875, to Celestia T. John- son who was born in Ellery, N. Y., Sept. 27, 1853, the daughter of Benoni and Sallie Maria ( Miller ) Johnson, of that place. To Mr. and Mrs. Ostrander have been born three children : 1. Forest Egbert, born Feb. 25,
1877; at present superintendent and general manager of the State Normal School at Tempe, Ariz .; married Marion Austin. 2. Fort Leroy, born Jan. 31, 1886; mar- ried Alice Freeman. 3. Alton C., born July 6, 1892; married Cecelia Anderson.
Mr. Ostrander has had good part in an important phase of the affairs of Chautauqua county during the last four or five decades, and rightly should have place in the county historical record. He has done well both in agricultural and judicial activities, and his private life has been enviable.
JAY KAPPLE BEDIENT, enterprising and suc- cessful farmer in Gerry, and continuing worthily the connection his ancestors have had with Chautauqua county for so long, comes of one of the pioneer families of the county. The name is encountered in the early historical records of Chautauqua county, and for gen- erations has been familiar to residents in the Gerry dis- trict; as a matter of fact, four generations of the Be- dient family have had home and existence upon the farm Jay K. Bedient now tills ; his grandfather was the pioneer, his father continued the development, he has maintained the farm in good bearing and condition, and he has two sons who, in their turn, may continue the connection of the Bedient family with the worthy agri- culturists of Chautauqua county. Certainly, the family should have good place in this historical record of the county.
Jay Kapple Bedient was born in Gerry, Sept. 28, 1884, so that he is yet in his early prime of manhood. He is the son of William and Addie ( Kapple) Bedient, both of whom lived worthy lives of kindly spirit and good neighborliness. In his youth, he attended the public schools of Gerry, and when his schooldays were over, he took part of the responsibilities of the farm man- agement and operation. In due course he became the head of the house, and is continuing to work the an- cestral estate with good profit. He is alert, intelligent, hard-working and enterprising, and is introducing many modern methods of farming with good results.
He is a prominent and active member of the local Grange, and is interested in all things pertaining to his calling. In politics he is a Republican, but has not been active in political affairs. He has the spirit which brings success, the spirit of assiduous concentration upon his own work, and he has accomplished, conse- quently, results in farming that have been gratifying and worth-while. During the war just ended he was consistent; he interested himself even more closely in matters of production upon his farm. But during those years his concentration upon his farming operations had a patriotic bearing. Like so many more loyal Amer- icans, strong in body and whole-hearted in love of country, his inclinations were oftentimes prompting him to take military capacity in the great struggle, but his family and the almost as vital maintenance of agri- cultural production from American lands forced him to greater effort in the prosaic, unheralded war labors of the home field. He faithfully did his part as a loyal American farmer to aid the government in its endeavor to bring such increased yields of foodstuffs that the threatened famines in allied countries would be met by American surpluses. It was a factor that has brought
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no individual recognition, save in the satisfaction that must of necessity have come to every American farmer who participated and eventually knew what a conse- quential part their combined effort had upon the for- tunes of the country and its allies. But in a volume of individual histories, such as this is, it is proper to make reference to such individual effort put forth at a time when the Nation, as a whole, was at war, and was in vital need of the whole interest of all its producers. And in the financial burdens which came upon the home people during the war, Mr. Bedient cheerfully took his full share, glad to cooperate in every way that was possible to him.
Mr. Bedient married, in Gerry, June 21, 1905, Hattie Johnson, born Nov. 26, 1886, in Gerry, the daughter of August and Gustava (Anderson) Johnson, who were both born in Sweden, but who lived for the greater part of their lives in America, and it Chautauqua county, N. Y. Her brothers are worthy and successful farmers of the neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. Bedient are the parents of two children: Jay Fletcher, born July 12, 1908; Sherwood, born Sept. 18, 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Bedient have a comfortable home, are very hospitable, and are esteemed by their neighbors.
HENRY SPRAGUE MACKINZIE is a native of Chautauqua county, N. Y., and after a successful career in industrial life in another State has returned to the scenes of his boyhood, and is taking consequen- tial part in the affairs of his native place. During the World War he came into prominence as a patriotic citizen and worker, loyally cooperating with the gov- erment in many phases of its work; he was chairman of the first Liberty Loan drive, and was a liberal subscriber, as well as an active worker, for the other governmental agencies, the Red Cross and the Young Men's Christian Association, when those organizations sought to raise funds for the purposes of their war work.
He was born on a farm near Dewittville, Chautauqua county, N. Y., May 16, 1879, the son of William P. and Mary (Lacodie) Mackinzie. The land upon which his father, William P. Mackinzie, settled in 1879, and upon which Henry S. was born, is still in the family, and at present is under the administration of the son named. The Mackinzie family was in the county earlier than the year in which William P., father of Heury S., acquired the property in Dewittville; a grandfather, Barnhart Mackinzie, came to the county much earlier, and may be considered to have been among the pioneer settlers.
Henry Sprague Mackinzie was educated in the De- wittville district school and at the Mayville graded school, and after closing his school days worked upon his father's farm. In fact, he began farm work long before he had left school, for before and after school hours, and during vacations, he was entrusted with the execution of many of the minor duties on the home farm. He did not remain long at farming after he had finished his schooling. He was naturally inclined to things of mechanical nature, and he decided to learn the machinist trade. Eventually, to follow his trade, he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and there remained, in re- sponsible employment, until 1917, when upon the death of his father he returned to his native place. His mother is still living, but as he, with his brother, was
appointed administrator of his father's estate, which also includes that of his grandfather, he decided to remain in the county and devote himself to the care of his mother, and to the affairs of the estate. He is the active administrator, and as such the actual man- agement of the farming properties devolve upon him and he has shown during the last two years that he has not forgotten the knowledge of farming that he gained in the days of his youth. Especially during the war did he attend closely to farming matters. As a manı of ultra-loyal spirit, his patriotism drew him heartily into war work and not the least consequential was his direction of the family agricultural properties. The food question, which was such a factor to the allies of this country, caused him to closely observe his farming operations, to prevent waste and to bring all possible acreage into bearing, so as to cooperate with the governi- ment in its desire to ship to Europe an immense quan- tity of foodstuffs, which quantity could only come by closer attention to farming by loyal American farm- ers. Enough has been written in national history of the effect the ultimate enormous surpluses of American foodstuffs had on the final victory which came to the allies, but little recognition has been given to the individual American farmer by whose long-sustained efforts the surplus came. However, in local histories such as this is, appropriate mention might be made of individual efforts of home people during the period when the theatre of war was practically the whole world, and when whole peoples, not only armies, entered into the struggle, which was of such vital consequence to the future of great nations. Another consequential, and more publicly known part taken by Mr. Mackinzie in war work was in connection with the national cam- paigns to raise funds for the needs of the nation in the prosecution of the war. He was chairman of the local committee for the first Liberty Loan drive, and was a substantial contributor and au indefatigable worker ; and he also interested himself actively in the work of raising the enormous funds needed by the Red Cross, the Young Men's Christian Association, and other governmental organizations, for war needs. Alto- gether, the war work record of Henry Sprague Mac- kinzie is commendable.
He is a member of the local Grange, and in politics is an independent voter. In local affairs, he is mani- festing much interest, and now that he is back among the scenes of his early days, he will probably take ac- tively to public work, for he is markedly public-spirited. He is able, capable, and will he an asset to his district. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. By religious preference, he is an Epis- copalian and has been a devout attendant at churches of that faith.
On Oct. 6, 1907, Mr. Mackinzie married Amy Covey, of Westfield, Chautauqua county, N. Y. They have four children : John, Drove, Lacodie, They lost one child, William, a fine boy, whom they reared to the age of nine years.
Heury S. Mackinzie is a man of marked intelligence and honorable purpose. His career in industrial life was good, and he is still in the prime of manhood so that he is likely to be of good service to the county of his birth.
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DR. MARION ANDREWS-During his years, sev- enty-five. all spent in Chautauqua county, Dr. Marion Andrews (Dr. by grace of the New York Board of Regents) has run the professional gamut, and has suc- cessively been an educator, a law student, a student of medicine, finally, in 1916 receiving a license from the regents to practice veterinary medicine. During thirty- five of the winters which have passed over his head, Dr. Andrews taught school in Irving, Fredonia, Portland and Brocton, and has kept at all times in close touch with the march of events. He is a son of Horatio and Minerva ( Thompson) Andrews, of Arkwright, Chau- tanqua county, N. Y., his father a veterinarian and farmer, who taught his son methods of treating animals medicinally. Horatio Andrews was road commissioner of the town of Pomfret for twenty-two years. There were six children in the Andrews family: Marion, of whom further ; Mary. Ullman, Frank, Leroy, and Amber.
Marion Andrews was born in Arkwright, Chautauqua county. N. Y., July 18, 1845. He grew up on the home farm, attended the district schools, and later took more advanced courses at Fredonia Academy and at the State Normal. At the last-named institution he quali- fied as a teacher, and as before stated taught in Chau- tauqua county schools during the winter season for a period of thirty-five years. He studied law for two years, read medicine with Dr. Bradford two years, and was always a great lover of horses. This led him to take up the practice of veterinary medicine, a profes- sion in which his father was quite skillful and one in which his son, Marion, has been a helper, and to whom he had passed along much of his knowledge. In 1916 Dr. Andrews was licensed to practice and has since maintained an office in Fredonia. For two years he was State cattle inspector. He is widely consulted on miat- ters pertaining to horses and is an authority. He was in charge of the construction of the race track at the Chautauqua County Fair Grounds, and is as favorably as he is widely known.
GEORGE FLOYD TUCKER-There are a num- ber of young men in Chautauqua county, who at the rutset of their careers had decided to follow the oceu- pation with which their fathers had long been identi- fed, namely, that of farming, and they have given them- selves over wholly to this task and made a considerable success of it to the present time. George Floyd Tucker is a good example of the splendid American young man wh , well exemplifies this type. He was born in West- told. July 28. 1820, a son of Walter A. and Grace ( Eddy) Tucker, the former one of the influential men of this region of the State, who followed farming all through his life, and was actively identified with all the loca' movements herrabouts.
Ge rge Floyd Tucker received his education in the ditri : : ho d- of hi- native place, and after graduating from the . m bitstions worked with his father, assisting the elder man with his duties on the farm. Ile re- mained thus employed until 1908, in which year he purchased the farm property of John Frieze, one of the model places of the region, consisting of 126 acres of excellent agricultural land. llere Mr. Tucker carries on extensive dairy a'd general farming industries and
is, in addition to these, a fine developer of pure-bred horses. Mr. Tucker has remodeled the place since taking possession, and his place is one of the finest hereabouts. His barn is a large one and the house in which he resides has all of the latest improvements, making it an ideal place to live in. In politics, Mr. Tucker is a Democrat and is an ardent adherent of the principles and policies of this party. He is also a mem- ber of the local Grange, and is a leading member of all movements undertaken to advance the public weal. He is a splendid citizen.
Mr. Tucker was united in marriage, June 28, 1899, with Lizzie Ann Ostrander, a native of Elmira, N. Y., a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charley Ostrander, old and highly respected residents of Westfield. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker are the parents of one child, Merle Stanley, who is at present engaged in business with his father on the old homestead.
AXEL EMMETT CREE, son of the late Charles Emmett and Sophie Louise (Anderson) Cree, was born in far away Sweden, Feb. 22, 1876. At the age of six, in 1882, he arrived in this country with his parents, they settling on a farm in the town of Busti, Chautauqua county, N. Y. After completing his studies, he be- came interested in farming, was successful in his oper- ations, and through industry and close application became prosperous and influential. He became the owner of the farm upon which he resides. On Dec. 27, 1920, Mr. Cree established a general merchandise store in the village of Busti and is conducting the same under the firm name of A. E. Cree & Son, and their business is now a profitable one, Mr. Cree having a wide circle of friends and well known on account of living in the town from boyhood. Mr. Cree is a Republican in poli- tics, and for eight years has been highway superinten- dent for the town of Busti. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Patrons of Husbandry, and the Baptist church, taking a helpful interest in the work of all these organizations.
On Dec. 23, 190t, Mr. Cree married (first) Ruth Nellie Myers, of Erie, Pa. They were the parents of one son, Robert Wayne, born Nov. 7, 1902. Mrs. Cree died Jan. 14, 1903. Mr. Cree married (second) Feb. I, 1910, Amelia Christine Johnson, and they were the parents of a daughter, Marian Isabelle, born July 22, 1012. Mrs. Cree died May 14, 1915. Mr. Cree married (third) Nov. 3, 1917, Cecilia Hanna Anderson, born July 18, 1879, daughter of Swan Edward and Ida Caro- line (Nyholm) Anderson, her parents born in Sweden.
CHARLES L. HENNING is an enterprising farmer, who has never wasted his energies by directing them into a number of different channels, but has con- centrated them on the work of his life calling. This, as his neighbors could testify, is a true description of Mr. Ilenning, and that his devotion to agriculture has produced satisfactory results is equally beyond ques- tion.
Charles 1 .. Henning was born Jan. 17, 1857, at Dun- kirk, N. Y., a son of Frederick and Mary ( Alter ) Hen- ning. The education of Charles L. Henning was received in the schools of his birthplace, and at the age
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of sixteen he came to Ripley and began life as a farmer. In 1884, he purchased the farm which is now his home and which then consisted of but seventy acres, but now comprises 140, the increase being the result of pur- chases made by Mr. Henning and his son-in-law. The soil is rich and the estate has been much improved by its present owner. Mr. Henning is now experimenting with a grape vineyard, despite the fact that his land lies just outside the accepted grape belt. He is confident, however, that his vines will answer his expectation. His live stock includes four horses, fourteen cows, and large numbers of chickens and hogs for home consumption. While never taking an active part in community affairs, Mr. Henning has always been a thoroughly good neigh- bor and also a good Republican, having served both as school trustee and school collector. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
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