Long Island; a history of two great counties, Nassau and Suffolk, Volume III, Part 78

Author: Bailey, Paul, 1885-1962, editor
Publication date: 1949
Publisher: New York, Lewis Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 922

USA > New York > Nassau County > Long Island; a history of two great counties, Nassau and Suffolk, Volume III > Part 78
USA > New York > Suffolk County > Long Island; a history of two great counties, Nassau and Suffolk, Volume III > Part 78

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).

In 1932 Daniel Deverell Perry married Mary Jean K. Smoak, of Charleston, South Carolina, and they are the parents of two children: Mary Jean and George Daniel Perry.

THOMAS F. MOFFITT, JR., recently returned from four years of service as a lieutenant in the United States Navy, is a partner in the firm of Grabau, Incorporated, located on Sunrise Highway, at Rockville Centre, and whose slogan "Everything for the Garden," is well known throughout the island.

He was born August 2, 1920, at Rockville Centre, son of Thomas F. and Hilda (Briggs) Brayshaw Moffitt, the latter, native of England, and the former, who has retired from active business life, was born in Brooklyn. After attending grammar school in his native city, Thomas Moffitt, Jr., graduated from De La Salle Preparatory School in New York City, in 1938, and continued his education at Georgetown Uni- versity from which he received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 1942. During the second World War, he served as a lieu- tenant in the United States Navy, seeing action in the European Theater of War, and was discharged June 4, 1946, after four years of service. In October of 1945, he purchased, in association with his brother- in-law. Robert K. Weiland, the business then known as Charles W. Grabau, now called Grabau, Incor- porated, located at 171 Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre. The firm was established in 1919 by Mr. Grabau, Mr. Moffitt's uncle, and was operated by him until he sold out to his nephew and his partner in 1945. The slogan, "Everything for the Garden," is most appropriate, since the firm deals in a com- plete line of hay, grain feed, fertilizer, hardware, and

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housewares, and employs twelve persons. Mr. Moffitt, who is president of the corporation, and also of the "173 Sunrise Highway Corporation," is a communi- cant of the Roman Catholic church, and is a boating enthusiast. He married, Elizabeth Louise Lenz of Richmond Hill, January 5, 1947, daughter of the late Edward Lenz and Louise Koenig.

ROBERT K. WEILAND-Vice president of Gra- bau Incorporated, outstanding for its many varieties of garden equipment, Robert K. Weiland recently has completed more than three years of service as a pilot in the Army Air Corps.

He was born at Thief River Falls, Minnesota, March 17, 1919, son of Frank E. and Helene (Smith) Weiland, the latter, a native of Quebec, Canada, and the former, a retired contractor, was born in Wis- consin .. Robert Weiland received his education in the parochial and high schools of West Palm Beach, Florida, and his early business association was with the Pepsi Cola Company at that city for seven years. During the second World War, as a first lieutenant in the."United States Army Air Corps, he served on the. East Coast of our country, engaged in sea search, and anti-submarine activity, and piloted a B-17 for three and one-half years. In October, 1945, in association with his partner Thomas Moffitt, Jr., he purchased the firm then called Charles Grabau, and has occupied the official position of vice president of the organization since. A member of the Roman Catholic church, the Knights of Columbus, the Re- serve Officers Association, Mr. Weiland, a Republi- can in his political views, is a keen sporting enthusi- ast, his interest being directed toward many different types.

Robert K. Weiland married, September II, 1943, Doris Moffitt, daughter of Thomas F., Sr. and Hilda (Brayshaw) Moffitt. They are the parents of Dale Ann, born November II, 1944.

MARY A. CAHILL-During the eighteen years of her association with The Literary Digest in the heyday of that once-important publication, the life of Mary A. Cahill may have seemed circumscribed by the quiet round of her secretarial duties; but she was in fact a keen student of public and political affairs, influential in the councils of the Democratic party in the Nassau County village of Lynbrook where she made her home, and withal, popular and highly res- pected for her ability no less than her public spirit. Her appointment to the position of postmaster of Lynbrook was accordingly well received by people of all classes and political faiths.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, when that borough was an independent city, on October 15, 1896, Miss Cahill was a daughter of Martin J. and Rosetta M. (McKeegan) Cahill, both of whom are now deceased. Her father was chief inspector for the Standard Oil Company and lived in retirement for several years prior to his death on August 21, 1944. Mary A. Cahill attended public school and the Manual Train- ing High School in Brooklyn, after which she took commercial courses at Brown's Business School. Her association with the Funk and Wagnalls Company of New York City, publishers of the Literary Digest, lasted, as noted above, for eighteen years.

Miss Cahill was appointed to the postmastership of Lynbrook by the late President Franklin D. Roose- velt as of April 28. 1935. The efficiency with which she discharged the duties of this busy office was recog-

nized by her re-appointment in 1939, and she continues to fill the office to the present time.

Miss Cahill is a member of the Lynbrook Demo- cratic Club and of the Zonta Club of Long Island. Her hobby is the collection and study of antiques.

J. EDWARD GAY, JR .- Prominent for many years as a leading real estate and insurance man, J. Edward Gay, Jr., made valuable contributions toward the progress and development of East Hampton and Suffolk County. He was a wartime and peacetime leader in numerous civic enterprises, and added much to the culture, welfare, education and general pros- perity of the region. His managerial ability and in- tegrity earned for him an enviable reputation and he held the respect and admiration of a host of close personal friends and business associates.

Jame Edward Gay, Jr., was born July 29, 1894, at East Hampton, Long Island, son of James Edward and Margaret G. (Gilmartin) Gay, both natives of East Hampton.

J. Edward Gay, Jr .. was graduated from the East Hampton High School in 1913 and from the University of Pennsylvania in 1917, where he received the degree of Bachelor of Science. In April, 1917, when the United States entered the first World War, Mr. Gay enlisted in the Army. However, he was not called to duty until a few weeks after his graduation from college. He served as a machine gun officer and as an instructor in the use of this weapon. Through his ability and efforts he rose to the rank of captain before his discharge in February, 1919.

After having returned to civilian life, Mr. Gay joined the staff of the Income Tax Division of the New York District of the Collector of Internal Rev- enue. In 1921, he resigned this position to return to East Hampton and join his father in business. They were associated together until the death of the elder Mr. Gay in 1924. At this time J. Edward Gay, Jr., entered the real estate and insurance business. in which line he has continued successfully since.

Among his many contributions to community devel- opment is a brochure entitled simply "East Hampton, Long Island, N. Y.," setting forth the historical background of this village, which was founded, in 16 19, as Maidstone. The piece describes East Hampton's numerous attractions for summer or year-round resi- dence. This leaflet, which has wide distribution, mentions the celebrated personages who have lived in East Hampton. They include: the Reverend Lyman Beecher, father of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin"; and John Howard Payne, author of "Home, Sweet Home." It men- tions the opportunities for sports activities afforded by the community, such as fishing and swimming, horsemanship, golf, and tennis; the facilities for maintaining health or healing the sick; the excellent educational system; and Guild Hall, the center of East Hampton's cultural activities, which includes the John Drew Memorial Theater. The Gay leaflet helped establish a national reputation for East Hampton.

In 1925 Mr. Gay became a member of the Board of Education for the East Hampton High School. and in July, 1946, he was elected president of this body. In 1926, he began serving as the village clerk, a position he resigned when he became head of the school board. During this period he held all the top offices in the county organization of the American

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Legion, including commandership. In the second World War, he acted as chairman in East Hampton of all War Bond drives as well as chief registrar of the East Hampton Selective Service Board. He was awarded the Certificate of Merit of the Suffolk County War Council as a result of his valiant efforts. He was president of the Suffolk County Chapter of the Long Island Real Estate Board.

Mr. Gay was a member of the Southampton Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and in religious preference he was a Roman Catholic, attending the church in East Hampton.

In September, 1925, at Queens Village, Long Is- land, J. Edward Gay married Helen (Semple) Ama- den, daughter of Clarence H. and M. Ella Semple, of Orange, New Jersey. They became the parents of one son, James Edward Gay III, who was born November 19, 1927, was graduated from East Hampton High School, and is a student at Fordham University.

On May 26, 1947, J. Edward Gay, Jr., passed away. His death was a cause of deep sorrow in his com- munity, and the business world of East Hampton lost a stalwart figure. The local press wrote editorially :

We are confronted with so much that was worthwhile in his accomplishments that we find it difficult to measure him in any general term. He was a generous man and an unselfish worker for the betterment of his own community and Suffolk County. He was always ready to serve in a good cause and, when he served, he held nothing back. He subscribed to the highest ethics of his profession and the standards of that profession were raised through his efforts . .. His own profession had called upon him to fill countless assignments of importance . . . Such men are never forgotten for the memory of what they have done never dies and the sense of loss remains deep in our hearts.

GEORGE COCKS TOWNSEND-Since 1927 George Cocks Townsend has been in the real estate and insurance business in Glen Cove. A veteran of World War I, he left his business in World War II to assist in vital production for the Army Air Forces and the Army Troop Transport Service. As- sociated with him in his business today are his son, George Cocks Townsend, Jr., who served in the Army Air Forces in World War II, and Mr. Town- send, Sr.'s, wife, Ruth F. Townsend.

The senior Mr. Townsend was born in Locust Valley-on the old family farm at Matinecock-on March 6, 1894. His parents were William Cocks and Mariana (Seaman) Townsend. His father was born on the same homestead on December 22, 1844, and was a farmer until his death on November 17, 1918. His mother was born on the South Shore on August 19, 1854, and died on November II, 1939. The Townsends are descendants of Richard Town- send, who in the early days of the nation came from England and first settled in Rhode Island and, finally, established the family home on Long Island. The Cocks family, into which the Townsends mar- ried in the early days, were early settlers of Long Island's North Shore.

George Cocks Townsend, Sr., was educated in the public schools of Locust Valley. Later he moved to Glen Cove and was associated with Seaman Motors.

In 1927 Mr. Townsend launched himself in busi- ness, establishing his present real estate and insur- ance firm, the office of which is now at 4 West Glen Street, in Glen Cove. Here the Messrs. Town- send, Sr. and Jr., operate the insurance end of the business, while Mrs. Ruth Townsend handles the real estate department. Mr. Townsend, Sr., is a member of the Rotary Club of Glen Cove, the Cham-

ber of Commerce, the Sea Cliff Yacht Club and the Sea Cliff Post No. 456, of the American Legion. He is a Republican and a Methodist. He has been a member of the official board of the Sea Cliff Methodist Episcopal Church for years.

In World War I Mr. Townsend served in the United States Army Ordnance Corps for eight months. In World War II he worked in the Dade Brothers Company aircraft division at Mineola, where he was in charge of a department which completed the assemblage of troop glider wings.

Mr. Townsend married Ruth L. Flower, of Mill Neck, on December 14, 1918. Mrs. Townsend is the daughter of the late Frank M. Flower and of Ida (Spriggs) Flower. Mr. and Mrs. Townsend are the parents of three children. George C., Jr., was born on September 1I, 1919. He served with Head- quarters, First Air Force, for three years and eight months in World War II becoming a master sergeant; he married March 4, 1945, Jean W. Chauncey of Glen Head, New York. The other two children of Mr. and Mrs. Townsend are Jean Flower, born May 14, 1924, who in 1947 graduated from St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York, with the degree of Bachelor of Science; and Richard Allen, born July 23, 1927, who served in the United States Naval Reserve at New London, Connecticut, aboard the U.S.S. "Apollo" and is now a student at St. Lawrence University.

ARTHUR COSGROVE-An outstanding business leader and public official of Lindenhurst, Arthur Cos- grove has done much to merit the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. He has earned a wide reputa- tion for honesty and integrity.

Mr. Cosgrove was born November 7, 1898, in New York City, son of Frank and Anna (Kelly) Cos- grove. His father was a steamfitter by occupation, and died in 1914. His mother is still living in New York City.

Arthur Cosgrove was graduated from the Immacu- late Conception Parochial School.

In 1919, he settled in Lindenhurst and entered the Sheide Bottling Works, of that city, which firm was owned by his mother-in-law, Agnes (Wessel) Sheide. He remained with the enterprise, serving in various capacities until 1933. For the following three years he was engaged as a building contractor at Lindenhurst. In June, 1936, he was appointed post- master of the city by President Franklin D. Roose- velt, and has served since with distinction.

Mr. Cosgrove plays a prominent role in the affairs of his community. He is a member of the Linden- hurst Lions Club, and the Lindenhurst Council No. 794 of the Knights of Columbus. He is a member of the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. His favorite forms of recreation and exercise are partici- pation in boating and fishing trips.

On November 29, 1924, at Lindenhurst, New York, Arthur Cosgrove married Marie Sheide, daughter of Fred and Agnes (Wessel) Sheide. Mrs. Cosgrove is a member and first president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus, and is president of the Avon Club, a girls' organization which was begun in 1915 at Lindenhurst. She attends Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church. Mr. and Mrs. Cosgrove became the parents of one child, Agnes Kathryn Cosgrove, who was born August 4. 1928, at the Southside Hospital in Bay Shore. attended local public schools, was graduated from the Lindenhurst High School in 1945, and is now majoring in social studies at the Good Counsel College, in White Plains, New York.

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HERBERT L. UNDERHILL-In the early 1900S a native of Centre Island, long prosperous in the oyster business at Oyster Bay, moved to Glen Cove behind a team of horses and with that team launched a contracting and engineering enterprise which is one of the largest in that area of Long Island today. The firm is Edward M. Underhill and Son, Inc., the son being Herbert L. Underhill, who today carries on with that business in partnership with Herman J. Switzer. Until his father died in 1921, Mr. Under- hill was closely associated with him in the enterprise. Like his present partner, Mr. Underhill is also a director of the Nassau Union Bank.

Herbert L. Underhill was born in Oyster Bay on July 26, 1888. Edward M. Underhill, his father, born on Centre Island, had gone to Oyster Bay as a young man and become successful in the oyster business. For a time he was in the hotel business at Glen Cove Landing, his establishment being called "The Belvi- dere." Later, he began the contracting and engineer- ing business which, when his son Herbert joined him, he called Edward M. Underhill and Son, Inc. Herbert Underhill's mother was the late Isabel (Gray) Under- hill, a native of Glen Cove.

Herbert L. Underhill was educated in public and private schools at Glen Cove and elsewhere. On com- pleting his education, he joined his father. They worked together, developing the business, until the elder Mr. Underhill died on December 12, 1921. Until 1923, Mr. Underhill carried on alone, but in that year Mr. Switzer became his partner, though the original firm name did not change. Mr. Underhill is president and treasurer of the company, Mr. Switzer vice president and secretary. In addition to his directorship in the Union Bank, Mr. Underhill is a member of Glen Cove Lodge No. 580, of the Free and Accepted Masons, and the Glen Cove Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. His political sympathies are with the Democratic party. Mr. Underhill married Florence E. Gunthel, daugh- ter of Bernard and Sophie (Roth) Gunthel of Sea Cliff, on April 12, 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Underhill are the parents of three daughters-Dorothy; Gratia, now Mrs. George Kohle of St. Louis, Missouri, and Florence.

HERMAN E. ALDRICH-Among the pioneers in the development of potatoes and cauliflower as the special crops which have made modern Suffolk County famous, was the late George W. Aldrich, a native of Mattituck in that county, who cultivated one hundred and ten acres in the famous Sound Avenue district of Riverhead. To George W. Aldrich and his wife, the former Marietta Hallock, who was born at King's Park in Suffolk County and was a descendant of the Peter Hallock who established that family in Suffolk in 1640, the son. whom they named Herman E. was born on May 19, 1888.

The young Herman E. Aldrich attended the public grade and high schools of Riverhead, but the death of his father when he was seventeen years of age pre- cluded the pursuit of education at the collegiate level, for he had to take over the management of the farm. This task to which he set his hand forty years ago, he has continued successfully to the present day, when the original one hundred and ten acres has been expanded to total holdings of two hundred and twenty-five acres on which he maintains a modern irrigation plant. Mr. Aldrich is affiliated with the Suffolk County Farm Bureau, and with the Sound Avenue Grange.

Mr. Aldrich's business interests extend to the bank- ing field, and he is vice president and a member of the board of directors of the Long Island State Bank of Riverhead. He participates in the business and civic councils of the community also as a member of the Riverhead Rotary Club. He has long been interested in educational work, and he is a member of the Suffolk County Board of Vocational Education. In religious affiliation he is a member of the Sound Avenue Con- gregational Church.

On Sound Avenue in Riverhead, Herman E. Ald- rich was married, November 26, 1914, to Hattie G. Downs, a daughter of John T. and Rachel (Wells) Downs, and a direct descendant of Samuel Hudson, one of the pioneer settlers of the Riverhead area of Suffolk County. Mrs. Aldrich is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Interested equally with her husband in farming, she also belongs to the Sound Avenue Grange.

To Herman E. and Hattie G. (Downs) Aldrich, four children have been born: I. Wells E., at River- head, September 25, 1915. After graduating from the Riverhead High School, he attended the State Agri- cultural School at Farmingdale. Carrying on the family tradition, he now owns and operates a farm at Sauquoit, New York; he married Clara Platts and has one daughter, Margaret Ellen. 2. John H., born at Riverhead on June 9, 1918. A graduate of the Matti- tuck High School, he is now associated with his father in the operation of the family farm, under the name of H. E. Aldrich and Son. 3. Harriet E., born on July 14, 1919. A graduate of the Riverhead High School, she attended the Phoenix Art Institute in New York City, before enlisting for service in World War II, during which she served overseas. She also was with the American Red Cross, stationed at Fort Dix in New Jersey. She married Robert E. Umphrey, of Seattle, Washington. 4. Alice E., born on February 23, 1928. In the family tradition she graduated from the Riverhead High School, and is now a student at William Smith College in Geneva, New York.

WILLIAM GARTRELL-A man of tremendous energy, enthusiasm and public interest, William Gart- rell, successful automobile agency operator, has forged to a position of leadership in the civic activities of Floral Park. He has held high office in the Ameri- can Legion-he is a veteran of World War I-and in the Lions Club. He was an associate member of the Registrants Advisory Board No. 725, Selective Service System, and was on the Reemployment Committee of the New Hyde Park Local Board. He is an exempt fireman of the New Hyde Park Fire Department and is, in addition, active in the North Side Civic Club and the Civic Improvement Committee.

Mr. Gartrell was born at New Hyde Park on October 16, 1899, the son of William and Mary (DeMott) Gartrefl. He was educated in the public schools of New Hyde Park. It was William Gartrell, the elder, who, in a sense, established the business his son operates today. A wagon builder and black- smith, Mr. Gartrell, Sr., opened a shop to follow his two callings in New Hyde Park in 1896. In 1920 William Gartrell, the younger, took over the business, turning it into a repair shop for automobiles. Later the shop became an associate agency for the Chevrolet agency. In 1925 Mr. Gartrell established his home in Floral Park and in 1928 he transferred his business to that community, but instead of carrying on with the Chevrolet automobile, he became agent for the DeSoto and Plymouth cars and the International Har-

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vester Company's trucks. He has prospered with this ageney ever since.

Mr. Gartrell was eighteen years old when he en- listed in the United States Army for service in World War 1. This was in 1917. He was assigned to Motor Transport Corps as a corporal in Truck Company No. 390. He served on the Mexican Border. His military experience forms the basis for understanding, friendly service on the two Selective Service boards of which he has been a member since the early days of World War II. The same experience, together with skill at leadership, have won him high place in the American Legion. He has been commander of Floral Park Post No. 334 (1943-44) as well as held other offices and is now on the post's executive board. He is also a member of the 40 and 8 Club. In 1942 he was presi- dent of the Lions Club of Floral Park. Now he is one of the club's directors. His church is the Lady of Victory Roman Catholic in Floral Park.

On June 16, 1925, in Queens Village, Mr. Gartrell married Anna Elizabeth Gartner, daughter of John and Pauline (Ryf) Gartner. They have become the parents of two children-Kathleen, born on April 10, 1930, and William, Jr., born on March 4, 1932.

GEORGE ALBERT NAHAS-Coming to the United States as a youth from the distant land of Syria, where he was born in the city of Aleppo on March 15, 1908, the son of Albert Nahas, a copper- smith, and his wife Nellie (Sayegh) Nahas. George Albert Nahas, with the commercial acumen character- istic of his people, has achieved a notable success in business. Determination, hard work, enterprise, specialization in a line which he knows thoroughly, and courtesy toward the buying public, are the ele- ments of this success.

Mr. Nahas attended St. Paul's Parochial School in Brooklyn, from which he graduated in 1924, and the Bay Ridge High School in the same borough, where he was in the class of 1928. In 1926, while still at- tending high school, he began working in a factory making ladies' apparel, and he continued to be em- ployed in the manufacturing end of the ladies' apparel industry until 1930. In that year he entered the lingerie manufacturing business in his own right, con- ducting operations in New York City. In 1933 he liquidated his manufacturing enterprise, and took em- ployment as a lingerie pattern-maker and designer, still in New York City.

Mr. Nahas became a resident of the pleasant suburb of Floral Park on Long Island, and, after a few months there, he made his first venture into the retail field by opening a store in that village, specializing in ladies' apparel. Success quickly rewarded his enter- prise, and in 1945 Mr. Nahas bought out a general store in Mineola and converted it into an exclusive ladies' apparel shop. Later in the same year he took over another ladies' apparel establishment in Franklin Square. He is now the owner and manager of these three specialty shops, with his headquarters in the original store at Floral Park. Still in the prime of life, it may be predicted that Mr. Nahas will con- tinue to expand his commercial interests, with every augury that the qualities which have brought him such notable success in the short space of six years will assure the same results for his future operations.

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Long Island; a history of two great counties, Nassau and Suffolk, Volume III, Part 78

Author: Bailey, Paul, 1885-1962, editor Publication date: 1949 Publisher: New York, Lewis Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 922

Author: Bailey, Paul, 1885-1962, editor
Publication date: 1949
Publisher: New York, Lewis Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 922