USA > New York > Erie County > Memorial and family history of Erie County, New York Volume, II > Part 21
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In the Masonic fraternity Mr. Witmer was an active worker and held in great esteem. He was affiliated with Washington Lodge, F. & A. M., and Buffalo Chapter, No. 71, R. A. M., and was one of the charter members of Eastern Star Naomi Chapter No. 102. He belonged to the Disciples' Church of Christ, of which he was a most consistent and faithful member, energetic
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in its work and liberal in his support of the church charities.
On the 19th of June, 1878, Mr. Witmer was united in mar- riage to Miss Caroline Urban, only daughter of the late George Urban, and a sister of George Urban, Jr. He is survived by his wife and one daughter, Mary, now Mrs. Henry R. Schmieden- dorf.
Kind-hearted, considerate of others and a man of warm, gen- ial social instincts, Mr. Witmer greatly appreciated the society of his friends and was held in high esteem by them. Possessed of an exceptional gift for making those about him contented and happy, he was a royal host and a delightful entertainer, never appearing to greater advantage than when doing the honors of some some social occasion in his pleasant home. He was a man of education and refinement and one who in signal degree united the graces and amenities of life with the sterling quali- ties of manhood and integrity. Warm-hearted and of quick sympathies he was generous to a fault and never failed to respond liberally to all deserving appeals for charity. His nature was nobly loyal. Himself strictly honorable, he believed in his fellow men and was always strongly inclined to place confidence in those who confided in him. Very domestic in his tastes, he loved his family, guarded their welfare with the tender, watchful solicitude of a devoted husband and father, and had an ideal home life.
JOSEPH W. BEST. "Act well your part-there all the honor lies." These words, whether or not they were ever chosen as his motto in life, certainly afford an index to the character of the late Joseph W. Best. He spent nearly the whole of his active life in Buffalo, and when he went to his final rest he left behind him the record of a life well spent. He " acted well his part," and had attained to the honor which attends the fulfil- ment of duty in all its relations.
Mr. Best was born in Somersetshire, England, July 23, 1847, being the son of Joel and Ellen Best. When he was seven years
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old the family came to America and settled at Hingham, She- boygan County, Wis. After having received his preliminary education in the public schools Joseph W. Best attended East- man's Business College, and later spent four years in the law school of the University of Michigan, and was graduated. He never practiced law, as his health at this time failed, as a result, probably, of over-application to his studies.
After his graduation Mr. Best came, in 1868, to Buffalo and took up clerical work in the elevator office of Marsh and Stern- berg, a few years later becoming connected with the L. & I. J. White Co. tool works, with which concern he was associated from 1876 until his death, on April 29, 1902. Mr. Best's advance was rapid, and he soon rose to be the assistant of Mr. L. White in the management of the firm. In 1892 the business was incorporated as a stock company and Mr. Best was appointed General Manager and Treasurer, a post which he held as long as he lived.
Mr. Best was a member of the Ellicott Club, but was never what is called a "club man," preferring his own home to all outside associations. A man of strong religious principles, he was for many years a consistent member of the First Unitarian Church of Buffalo. In politics he was a Republican, but never held, or sought, public office. He was a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
In his personal characteristics Mr. Best was quiet and retiring, never seeking to obtrude himself upon the notice of others. He was conservative in his opinions, but strong in his convictions.
We quote the following from resolutions adopted after Mr. Best's death, by the Machine Knife Manufacturing Association, of which he was a member:
" Resolved, That while bowing to the inevitable, we, as indi- viduals and as members of the Machine Knife Manufacturing Association, sincerely regret his loss, and desire to put on record our appreciation of his character and worth, both as
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citizen and member of this Association. That in our intercourse of many years he was found the soul of uprightness and honor, firm in his convictions, sound in his judgment and conscientious in the discharge of every duty."
Mr. Best married, September 13, 1870, Agnes D. Mills, daugh- ter of John and Ann (Dickinson) Mills of Buffalo. The surviving children are: John H., Joseph W., Robert O. and George D. Best, and Agnes M. and Margaret J. Best.
When Joseph W. Best passed away he left behind him a record of a man who was honest, faithful and upright in busi- ness, true to all his obligations to his fellow men and unsullied in his private character.
WILLIAM DANIEL KOELSCH, who died July 31, 1900, was one of Buffalo's best-known citizens of German descent. He was a prominent builder and did much toward the improvement of Buffalo, the city of his nativity.
Mr. Koelsch was born February 20, 1862, and was the son of Daniel and Julia Koelsch. He received a common school educa- tion and when 15 years of age entered the employ of Ansteth & Jahraus as clerk. Four years later he became connected with the store of Barnes & Bancroft, dry goods merchants, the prede- cessors of the William Hengerer Co. After two years he engaged in the dry goods business for himself, and was for three years located at 252 Broadway. He then sold out his business and became special agent of the Home Insurance Company of New York. He maintained this connection for about ten years and then engaged in the insurance business on his own account, having his offices in the Mooney-Brisbane building. It was during this period that Mr. Koelsch became interested in real estate and building, which finally became his main occupation. He built the greater part of the residences and stores on Chenango street between Rhode Island and Ferry streets, and then expanded his operations and built and sold a number of apartment houses in Buffalo. He was one of the
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organizers of the Richmond Avenue Savings and Loan Asso- ciation and was a director of that corporation.
Mr. Koelsch was a member of St. Marcus Lutheran Church and was a consistent Christian. He was a 32d degree Mason and a member of the Knights Templar and the Acacia Club. He was also a Noble of the Mystic Shrine and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. In politics he was a Republican, but never held office.
August 2, 1882, Mr. Koelsch married Elizabeth Campbell, daughter of Matthew and Maria (Farmer) Campbell. He is survived by his wife and four children, William D., Arthur R., Albert C., and Norma E. Koelsch.
WILLIAM D. KOELSCH.
Mr. Koelsch was a man who truly " acted well his part in life." He appreci- ated his obligations to those around him and dis- charged them fully. Honor and uprightness were very dear to him and were cherished above all else. Honesty was something more than a name or a convenient asset to Mr. Koelsch-it was a part of his very be- ing. He was successful in business, but more pre- cious to him than mere wealth was his good
name. It is worthy of comment that on the day of Mr. Koelsch's funeral all the stores on Chenango street from Ferry to Rhode Island street were closed as a mark of respect to his memory. Mr. Koelsch was a religious man, but he held to the wise belief that religion was intended to enhance the pleasures
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of one's life and not to curtail or destroy them. He was no sour or dolorous saint, but a very human man who understood the pleasures of existence and enjoyed them. He was of the most amiable disposition and his warm heart went out to his fellow men. He was to the last degree tolerant of others. Although he set a high standard of living for himself he was not afflicted with the pride and intolerance of virtue. He always had an open hand for those who were less fortunate in worldly affairs than himself. He was a man of domestic tastes and habits and his fireside was the shrine of his affections. He lived in and for his family and they were the ultimate object of all his strivings. A loving and considerate husband and a kind and affectionate father, his loss is most mourned by those who knew him best.
CAPT. JOHN M. BRINKER, who died June 9, 1903, was one of Buffalo's foremost citizens. His rare practical abilities were directed in broad channels of public usefulness, and as a builder of the Niagara Gorge Railroad and originator of the Pan-American project he has a permanent place in the history of Western New York.
John Mahoney Brinker, son of John and Elizabeth (Hamm) Brinker, was born in Brinkerton, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, and was about sixty-eight years old when he died. His ances- tors came from Holland. The father of Capt. Brinker was a farmer and his son attended district school and worked on the farm till he became of age, when he went to New Bethlehem, Pa., and opened a general store. At the outbreak of the Civil War young Brinker enlisted in the 78th Pennsylvania Volun- teers, with the commission of Captain. He was in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga and other engagements. He was also famous as a marksman, being the champion shot of the brigade. He was with the army from August 2, 1861, till November, 1864.
After the war Capt. Brinker returned to New Bethlehem, where he formed a partnership with R. W. Jones, in the general
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supply business, the coal trade and railway contracting. When, in 1883, Capt. Brinker removed to Buffalo, Mr. Jones came with him, and for nearly forty years the two were associated in various enterprises, the firm style being Brinker, Jones & Co. The special lines of the concern included mining, shipping and retail dealing in coal, Capt. Brinker being also connected with the electric light business.
Soon after coming to Buffalo, Captain Brinker conceived the idea of building an electric road through the Niagara Gorge. His proposal was at first met with incredulity, but his earnest- ness compelled attention. He undertook the construction of the road and accomplished the work at an expenditure of nearly a million dollars.
In 1895 at a dinner given in Atlanta, Capt. Brinker in a powerful speech urged that a great American fair be held on the Niagara Frontier. From that time the idea never left the public mind, and the outcome was the Pan-American Exposition.
It was Capt. Brinker's belief that the Exposition should be held on Cayuga Island, four miles from the Falls, and there President Mckinley drove the stake which was to mark the site of one of the Government buildings. But with the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, the Pan-American plan lapsed into abeyance, and when it was revived it was carried on along different lines. When by a citizens' vote, the Pan-American Board of Directors was elected, Capt. Brinker was by acclama- tion made first director.
In politics Capt. Brinker was a Democrat, but he not infre- quently voted outside of strict party lines. Before coming to Buffalo, Capt. Brinker was baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church. During his residence in this city he attended the Presbyterian Church.
Toward the close of Capt. Brinker's life, the Niagara Gorge Railroad became involved in difficulties, and he sustained heavy losses. But his firmness remained unshaken and to the end he remained the capable, self-reliant man of his prime.
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September 22, 1864, Capt. Brinker married Clara Space of New Bethlehem, Pa., the bride being a daughter of George and Sarah (Cribbs) Space. He is survived by his wife, by two sons, Frank M. and James A. Brinker, and a daughter, Mrs. Henry P. Werner.
Capt. Brinker was a man of warm heart, genial disposition and generous nature. The groundwork of his character was sincerity and his earnestness carried conviction. In his domestic relations Capt. Brinker was blessed with the congeni- ality and happiness of an ideal home. His citizenship was of sterling order, and in every phase of his career he won the esteem which is the reward of duty well done in all relation- ships of life.
HENRY PAUL WERNER, a life-long resident and well- known citizen of Buffalo, began life for himself when he was fourteen years old and by his own efforts has worked his way to business success and an influential position. Although Mr. Werner has attained such substantial results he is still a young man and may be said to have his career yet before him.
Mr. Werner is of German ancestry and parentage, his father having been a native of Bavaria and his mother of Saxony. In 1866 the elder Werner came to the United States and settled in Buffalo, where Henry Paul Werner was born November 27, 1875. As a boy he attended the public schools, having also the advantages of a High School education, and supplementing his studies by a business course in the University of Buffalo.
When fourteen years old, young Werner entered the employ of Fleischmann & Co., engaged in the manufacture of yeast and in the distilling business, remaining with the concern eight years. He then connected himself with the Buffalo executive office of the Meadville Distilling Company of Pennsylvania, with which enterprise he has continued ever since, occupying at the present time the position of Vice-President and manager. In executive and other capacities Mr. Werner ranks as an able
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business man. He has given efficient service to the industry of which he has the practical supervision, and is well informed on all general topics relating to commerce and manufactures.
Mr. Werner is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being affiliated with Ancient Landmarks Lodge, No. 441, F. & A. M .. He is also a member of the Park and Liberal clubs.
April 25, 1900, Mr. Werner married Grace Clara Brinker, daughter of Capt. John M. Brinker. They have one son, John Werner.
JOHN CURTIS STEPHENSON. In the death of the late John Curtis Stephen- son, who passed away March 24, 1906, Buffalo lost one of the foremost of her older residents. A native of Buffalo, Mr. Stephenson lived here all his days, and is to be counted among the very few inhabitants of this city whose residence here has in duration exceeded three score and ten years. His career was marked by uniform consist- ency of purpose and JOIIN C. STEPHENSON. fidelity to duty. In life and character he represented the best element of our citi- zenship, directing his course unswervingly along the lines of principle and honor. He was a man who possessed many friends
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whose life-long association with him was strengthened by knowledge of his personal uprightness and experience of the purity of his motives and his faithfulness to business, civic and social obligations. None of our citizens stood higher in the respect of those about him, and his death was sincerely mourned.
The father of the subject of this sketch was Thomas Stephen- son, one of Buffalo's prominent citizens of his day and a man well known in the jewelry business. John Curtis Stephenson was born in Buffalo in 1836. After finishing his education he early entered business, as a young man being associated with his father.
After the severance of his connection with the jewelry trade, Mr. Stephenson became associated with George A. Prince & Company, organ manufacturers, a firm of which his father was the founder. As a business man Mr. Stephenson was character- ized by indefatigable industry, clear-minded judgment and rigid integrity. His commercial ideas were sound, his methods systematic, and he was esteemed both by his business compeers and the public for his practical capability and his maintenance of sterling standards of honor and fair dealing.
In 1858 Mr. Stephenson was married to Hannah Joy Web- ster, a daughter of George B. and Hannah Joy Webster of Buffalo. The union was of that auspicious type wherein mutual devotion is confirmed by congeniality of minds, and their wedded life was a singularly happy one. Mr. Stephenson is survived by his widow and five children, the latter being John Stephenson, Miss Bessie Stephenson and Mrs. Hiram A. Sher- wood of Buffalo; Thomas Stephenson of Chicago, and Mrs. Allan M. Fletcher of Alpena, Mich.
Of John Curtis Stephenson it may be justly said that he was a noble example of the virtues of the man and the citizen. His demeanor was unassuming, his instincts those which draw a man to domestic life and the companionship of a select circle of tried and approved friends rather than to the stress and
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excitement of general society. He was a devoted husband, a loving father, and the world could afford him no happiness equal to that which he found by his own fireside. But he was far from being a recluse, being a man of strong friendships and genial nature. Benevolence was one of his salient traits, and though he made no parade of his good deeds, the instances were many in which he stretched forth a helpful and a liberal hand to the relief of distress. His memory will long be cher- ished in our community and will be associated with purity of heart, uprightness of conduct and the kindly amenities which ever confirm social relationships and strengthen the sacred bonds of home and family life.
ALFRED PORTER SOUTHWICK, who died June 11, 1898, was a dentist who stood high in his profession, possessing remarkable skill in special lines. In addition to his professional pursuits, Dr. Southwick was a scientist, a penologist and a humanitarian.
Dr. Southwick was of Puritan ancestry, being a descendant of Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick, who in 1630 came from Lancashire, England, in the Mayflower, and settled in Salem, Mass. Here they joined the sect of Quakers, this, according to the stern laws of that place and time constituting an offense for which they were banished. They sought refuge on Shelter Island, in Long Island Sound, and in 1660 both died there from privation and exposure. They had six children, one of whom, Josiah Southwick, was also banished and went to Rhode Island. The powerful and pathetic ballad, " Cassandra Southwick," by John G. Whittier, is founded on these incidents.
Alfred Porter Southwick was the son of Abijah and Roxanna Southwick, and was born in Ashtabula, O., May 18, 1826. He received a High School education and soon after reaching his majority came to Buffalo, where he became a lake engineer, following this pursuit until 1852. In 1855 he was appointed chief engineer of the Western Transit Company. Meantime he
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had taken up the study of dentistry and in 1862 he engaged in the practice of his profession. He rapidly advanced to the front rank of dental experts, and finally was recognized as standing at the head of his profession in Buffalo and as the compeer of any of its ablest representatives in the United States. His skill in the use of mechanical appliances was extraordinary, particularly in cases of cleft palate. He was a prolific writer on dental subjects, and was active in the organization of the State Dental Society in 1868. In 1877 he was elected a member of that body and soon after became its President, an office which he held until 1895, when the Board was abolished and a new Board of State Commissioners formed, of which he was chosen President. Dr. Southwick helped organize the Dental Department of the University of Buffalo, serving as its Secre- tary and Treasurer, and holding the chair of clinical professor of operative technics.
At an early period of his career, the attention of Dr. South- wick was drawn to the question of capital punshment. He became convinced that hanging was brutal and unscientific, and the agitation which he began resulted in the appointment of a State Commission to investigate and report upon the most humane method of carrying into effect the sentence of death in capital cases, the commissioners consisting of Dr. Southwick, Matthew Hale, and Elbridge T. Gerry. The com- mission characterized the method of hanging as cruel, uncer- tain, and liable to mechanical complications, the use of elec- tricity being advocated in strong terms. In the face of power- ful opposition the recommendations of the commission were adopted, and the Legislature of 1888 passed an act substituting the use of the electric current for the rope. Dr. Southwick's work as a penologist won for him the title of the "Father of Electrocution." Dr. Southwick at one time was the manager of a large oxy-hydrogen gas plant in Buffalo, and invented and patented a valuable process for purifying gas. He was a mem- ber of the Buffalo Club, and belonged to other organizations.
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Dr. Southwick married Mrs. Mary F. Rockwood, a widow with four children, of whom he adopted Mary, the youngest. Mrs. Southwick died two years before the death of Dr. Southwick, who is survived by his adopted daughter.
ISAAC D. WHITE departed this life more than a quarter of a century ago, and yet such was his life that even in this era of rapidly succeeding events and swiftly changing scenes his good deeds are still remembered and his memory revered. As a business man he was successful and respected. For a number of years he served the nation as Vice-Consul in South America, and yet it is not for these things, but for the beauty of his char- acter and his services in the cause of religion that " the good , Elder White " is remembered.
Mr. White was born in the town of Batavia, in the western part of this State, May 20, 1822. During a portion of his young manhood his health was in a very precarious condition, and as a means of recovery he made a voyage by sailing vessel to South America, and remained there five years. At Montevideo and later at Rio Grande Mr. White engaged in trading in which he amassed a considerable fortune for those days. While in the South American cities he creditably discharged the duties of American Vice-Consul. Upon his return to Buffalo he bought out a furniture business in Main street, which he conducted until his death, October 12, 1875.
But successful as Mr. White was in business, it is to be doubted whether it engrossed as much of his thought as did his church work. From early youth he showed his remarkable piety. At the age of eleven he publicly proclaimed himself a disciple of Christ, and from that time lived in the communion of the Presbyterian Church. When he attained the years of maturity he was elected a deacon of the First Presbyterian Church, besides acting for some time as Superintendent of the Sunday-school. He for years taught a class in his own church, besides which he devoted several hours every Sunday to teaching a class in the German Church. In addition to these
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duties, while a resident of Lancaster he was accustomed to carrying a load of people into the country each Sunday to teach in a mission school. He was also Secretary and Treasurer of the American Bible Society. Some years before his death he removed to Lancaster and was elected a member of the Session of the First Presbyterian Church of that village and was ordained a ruling elder. Of the part taken by Elder White in the affairs of this church his pastor, in the funeral sermon, said: " He bore a steady; responsible, useful and honorable part in the work of the church, doing all things without murmuring and disputing, with a great zeal for God and a great charity for man." The story of Elder White's life affords in itself a revelation of his character. He loved God and he loved his fellow men and his life was given over to an effort to accomplish good through the agency of religion.
In his business relations Mr. White was all that would be expected of a man of his convictions and principles. He carried into his daily transactions the moral doctrines of the religion which he professed. He was honorable in his dealings with all men and was trusted by everyone. He was a Christian business man, in all that phrase implies.
In his personal demeanor Elder White was a very quiet and unassuming man, and yet he was kindly and social. He had a cheerful word and smile for all with whom he came in contact and made for himself a host of friends. He was devoted to his family.
Mr. White married, on April 12, 1859, Ellen Bigelow, daugh- ter of Col. Abraham and Louisa (Train) Bigelow of Massachu- setts. The surviving children of this union are: Ansley D., Frank M. and Isaac D. White of New York City, Mrs. James F. Foster of Buffalo, and Mrs. Nathaniel Brewer of Lynn, Mass.
ANGELO CORELLO LEWIS, who died October 18, 1903, illustrated the qualities of the able professional man, the conscientious and capable official and the patriotic citizen. He was born in Burlington, Vt., February 18, 1847, being the son
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