USA > New York > Erie County > Memorial and family history of Erie County, New York Volume, II > Part 23
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the severance of his connection with the Department he had served so long and so well.
Politically, Mr. French was a staunch Republican, but was a man of independent opinions and action. He was a prominent member of the Lafayette Street Presbyterian Church. He belonged to the Buffalo Historical Society, and was one of its Councilors. He was a well-known Mason and a member of Queen City Lodge.
Mr. French married Julia Ann Reeves, daughter of Louden Reeves. Mrs. French died November 1, 1902. Their only sur- viving child is Mrs. C. H. Andrews of Buffalo. Another daugh- ter, Mrs. J. W. Gibbs, died May 16, 1906. The death of Mr. French occurred February 21, 1895. His funeral was conducted under Masonic auspices.
HENRY ENGLISH, for many years a resident and business man of Buffalo, was one of the founders of the well-known furni- ture house of Irish & English, and ranked as a man of superior practical capability and as a worthy citizen. Mr. English was of an enterprising and energetic character and was devoted to the business in whose organization and maintenance he bore a conspicuous part. His nature was generous and his personality genial. His friends were numerous, and he was held in uni- versal esteem in the community.
Mr. English was of Southern extraction, having been born in New Orleans on the 26th of August, 1840. His parents were Henry and Harriet (Kidder) English. His early education was largely obtained at Russell's Military School, in New Haven, Connecticut. He was prepared for Yale College and entered that institution, but only remained one year. In 1865 Mr. English came to Buffalo, where he found employment with Charles Irish, who was then engaged in the auction business, and with whom he continued for a number of years. In 1876 he formed a copartnership with John P. Irish in the furniture business, under the firm name of Irish & English, their estab-
Heury English,
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lishment being located at South Division and Washington streets. The concern was very successful, becoming one of the best-known of its kind in Buffalo, and is still in existence, doing business under its original firm style.
In politics Mr. English was a war Democrat, but his views were liberal and he was inclined toward independent action. He never held public office.
Mr. English attended St. Paul's church and was deeply inter- ested in the welfare of the Working Boys' Home, to which, and, indeed, to all charities, he was a liberal contributor. He was a member of the A. O. U. W. A man of domestic tastes, and finding his chief pleasures in the home circle, Mr. English belonged to no clubs, but his disposition was far from unsocial. He was a good conversationalist, an interesting companion, and a man who possessed the power, not only of winning, but retaining friendship. One of his marked characteristics was his love of nature. He was particularly fond of flowers, and spent much time among them. In his business dealings and in the other duties and relationships of life, he was just and upright, wishing no man wrong and holding his neighbor's rights in equal estimation with his own.
April 30, 1865, Mr. English married Adella Talmage, a daugh- ter of Alson L., and Harriet Newall Spencer Talmage of New Haven, Conn. The death of Mr. English occurred on November 5, 1905. He is survived by his wife, and one son, Harry Talmage English, a son by adoption.
DAVID ECKLEY was one of Buffalo's foremost men of letters. A man of broad scholarship, he was called upon in many matters requiring an expert opinion. His advice was con- stantly sought and his opinion asked for in a wide range of subjects.
Mr. Eckley was a native of Boston, born in that city on the 21st day of November, 1820. His parents were David and Caroline S. (Amory) Eckley. From a long line of New England
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ancestry, Mr. Eckley inherited the scholarly tastes which inade him so congenial a companion of literary men. His grandfather, the Rev. Joseph Eckley, a prominent Boston divine, preached the memorial sermon at the funeral obsequies held in the his- toric old South Church in Boston in memory of George Wash- ington. The sermon was chronicled in the annals of the times as a masterly effort.
Mr. Eckley was educated in the schools of Boston, and took his academic course at Yale College, supplementing his col- legiate studies with years of travel through several foreign countries, where he studied the languages and the manners and customs of the people. Mr. Eckley was a man of wide erudition and learning. He might be termed an all-around scholar, so conversant was he with many themes. In politics, Mr. Eckley also had broad views, voting for the best man irrespective of party. He believed that by so doing the best government for the people was achieved.
In his religious opinions, Mr. Eckley also exhibited a broad and tolerant spirit. He was a communicant of the Episcopal church and a man of generous and charitable impulses. He helped any cause which he believed a worthy one, regardless of religious faith. Some of his public charities have been given in Buffalo, but many unrecorded acts of kindness and relief are known to but few beside the recipients.
An enthusiastic yachtsman, Mr. Eckley was a prominent member of the Buffalo Yacht Club. Among his more intimate associates he was known as " The Commodore." He for many years owned the fine yacht " The May Belle," and many delight- ful entertainments were given on board the yacht by her hos- pitable owner.
Mr. Eckley was twice married. His first wife was Sophia May Tuckerman of Boston. His second marriage took place in Buffalo on August 17, 1882, when he was united in the bonds of matrimony to May Belle Anderson, daughter of John A. and Anna Anderson of Buffalo.
One of the interesting relics of Mr. Eckley's family now in
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possession of Mrs. Eckley is a drawing of a tame grouse which was a pet of the celebrated Audubon, executed from life by Prof. Audubon and presented to David Eckley's father by the distinguished naturalist.
From the date of Mr. Eckley's arrival in Buffalo as a resident of the Queen City, in 1876, to the day of his death, which occur- red November 29, 1895, he was respected and beloved as a genial host, a brilliant man of letters and a generous friend.
THE KREINHEDER FAMILY has been identified with Buffalo for four genera- tions and fills a sphere of great importance in that community.
JOBST HENRY KREINHEDER was born February 23, 1811, at Neuenkirchen by Melle, Hanover, Germany. In his early years he learned the carpenter's trade. In 1845 he came with his wife and two daughters to the United States, and settled in Williamsville, N. Y. After two years he removed to Buffalo where he prospered in his trade and was for many years outside foreman for Cas- JOBST KREINHEDER. per Morgan, then a prominent contractor and builder for Buffalo.
In 1833 Mr. Kreinheder married Katherine M. Westbrook, who died April 24, 1864, leaving five children, the survivors of a family of twelve, five of whom died before their parents came to this country. In the fall of 1866 Mr. Kreinheder married
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again, his second wife being Mrs. Dorothy Kinnius. The issue of this union was one son, William. Among the children of Mr. Kreinheder were: Herman J., Henry W., Katherine (Mrs. William Rose), Mary (Mrs. Fred Willert), and Louise (Mrs. Charles L. Lichtenberger).
Jobst Henry Kreinheder died April 1, 1891. He possessed in eminent degree the German qualities of industry, thrift and patience, and in the city of his adoption was held in high esteem.
HENRY W. KREINHEDER, son of Jobst Henry Kreinheder and Katharina M. West- brook, was born in Buffalo July 31, 1860. Until he was thirteen years old he attended a Lutheran pa- rochial school. He then obtained employment in a brass foundry, and at the age of sixteen entered Hicks' Business College. When seventeen years old he became manager for Thomas Thompson, pro- prietor of a planing mill and shingle factory at Black Rock, and coutin- ued there nineteen years. He then opened a coal and lumber yard in Buf- HENRY W. KREINHEDER. falo, successfully con- ducting the business till 1889, when he formed a copartnership in the building, contracting, lumber and planing mill business with Christian Flierl, under the firm style of Kreinheder & Flierl. The concern was one of the largest of its kind in Buf- falo, and built many churches, schools and other buildings.
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May 16, 1872, Mr. Kreinheder married Mary C. Oscheutz, daughter of Fred and Rosa Oscheutz of Buffalo. The surviving children of the marriage are: Robert F., Arthur W., Oscar C., Edwin J., Oliver W., and Herbert P. Kreinheder. Two other children, Theodore and Cora, died in infancy, and a son, Henry W., Jr., died July 25, 1896.
Henry W. Kreinheder died March 14, 1898, and his wife died March 28 of that year. Mr. Kreinheder was a fine type of American citizen and was respected by all who knew him. Like his father, and the rest of the family, he was a Republican. A man of sterling business qualifications, he made his mark in every enterprise with which he was connected, and his death was deplored as a great loss to the community where he lived.
ROBERT F. KREINHEDER, son of Henry W. Kreinheder, was born in Buffalo March 19, 1873, and was educated at the Lutheran parochial school and Bryant & Stratton's Business College. In 1887 he became a bookkeeper for his father, with whom he continued till 1889, when he entered the employ of the German Bank as a messenger and rose to be general book- keeper, continuing till 1897, when he organized the wholesale grocery firm of Kreinheder & Co. In 1900 he became connected with the Standard Lumber Company, which in 1904 was incor- porated as the Standard Hardwood Lumber Company, Mr. Kreinheder being Vice-President and general manager. The company is a wholesale concern exclusively and manufactures and deals in hardwoods, the yards having a capacity of over 5,000,000 feet of lumber. The concern operates large mills in Tennessee, and is extensively represented in Kentucky. Mr. Kreinheder is also Vice-President of the Standard Saw Mill Company of Campbellsville, Ky. He is also President of the Buffalo Sandstone Brick Company and the Bison City Table Company. He is a member of the Orpheus and Ellicott clubs.
September 30, 1896, Mr. Kreinheder married Louise C. Kiene, daughter of Louis and Susanna (Langner) Kiene. They have three children, Henry W., Elmer A., and Ruth.
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ARTHUR W. KREINHEDER was born in Buffalo December 13, 1875, and received a parochial school education. In 1899 he entered the employ of the Buffalo Forge Company, and in 1890 became bookkeeper for the firm of Kreinheder & Flieri, remaining ten years. In 1900 he became a partner of Herman J. and Robert F. Kreinheder in the Standard Lumber Company, later incorporated as the Standard Hardwood Lumber Com- pany of which Mr. Kreinheder is Treasurer, also being Treasurer of the Standard Saw Mill Company of Campbellsville, Ky., and Vice-President of the Bison City Table Company. Mr. Krein- heder belongs to the Ellicott Club and is a member of the Cham- ber of Commerce.
September 7, 1898, Mr. Kreinheder married Mary E. Stillin- ger, daughter of Adam and Elizabeth (Sattler) Stillinger. The children of the union are: Millard, Mildred and Eleanora.
OSCAR C. KREINHEDER was born in Buffalo November 10, 1877. He attended parochial school, and later went to Fort Wayne, Ind., where he took a course at the Lutheran Seminary. Returning to Buffalo in 1892, he entered the Heathcote School, from which he graduated in 1893. Mr. Kreinheder then entered the English Lutheran Seminary at Conover, N. C., which he attended from 1894 to 1899. In 1900 he was matriculated at the Lutheran Seminary at St. Louis, Mo., from which he was graduated in 1902. After finishing his studies he accepted a call as English pastor at East St. Louis, Mo., and in 1903 became pastor of the Church of the Redeemer at St. Paul, Minn., where he continues successfully to pursue his clerical labors.
January 30, 1902, Mr. Kreinheder married Hannah Coyner, daughter of Elijah and Elizabeth (Read) Coyner of Waynes- boro, Va. They have two children, Edith Winifred and Arthur Carl.
EDWIN J. KREINHEDER, another of the sons of Henry W. Kreinheder, was born in Buffalo September 26, 1881. He attended parochial and public schools, graduating from the
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latter in June, 1897. The same year he entered the employ of the German Bank, with which he remained connected till 1900. In October of that year he engaged in work for the Standard Lumber Company and in 1904 was elected Secretary of the Standard Hardwood Lumber Company. He is also Secretary of the Standard Saw Mill Company of Campbellsville, Ky.
June 29, 1905, Mr. Kreinheder married Clara J. Reinsch, daughter of Louis E. and Mary (Koch) Reinsch.
OLIVER W. KREINHEDER, brother of the preceding, was born September 9, 1885. After receiving a parochial and gram- mar school education in Buffalo, he entered Concordia College, Conover, N. C., which he attended in 1900 and 1901. On leaving college, he entered the employ of the Cary Safe Company in 1901. The following year he found employment with the Buf- falo Forge Company, with which he continued until December, 1905, when he accepted the place of credit manager of the Barcalo Manufacturing Company, which position he continued until Feb., 1907, when on the incorporation of the Bison City Table Company, he was elected its Treasurer.
HERBERT P. KREINHEDER, youngest son of Henry W. Kreinheder, was born in Buffalo October 8, 1887, and until he was seventeen years old attended the parochial, public and High Schools of that city. After leaving school he was for eight months in the employ of the Cary Safe Company. In 1904 he assumed a position with the Union Stock Yards Bank, where he remained until 1906, when he entered the employ of the Standard Hardwood Lumber Company, with which he remains at the present time.
CHARLES A. SWEET. In Charles A. Sweet, who died October 1, 1903, Buffalo lost one of its noblest exemplars of business ability, broad-minded citizenship and Christian man- hood.
Charles A. Sweet was born at Hancock, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, on the 16th of February, 1836. His father, Job
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Sweet, was a farmer, and the son became inured to habits of industry by the laborious life of a farmer's lad and by the strict though beneficial discipline of a typical New England house- hold. His educational training was limited to the district schools.
His parents having removed to Brighton, Iowa, young Sweet lived there until he was twelve years old. Then his father died and the lad was thrown upon his own resources for making his way in the world. He came East and found employment, first as a clerk in a retail grocery at Schenectady, and later at Troy, N. Y., where he remained until 1858, when he went South. Two years afterward he returned to Troy, where he became a clerk with the firm of Bradley & Toles, engaged in the stone transpor- tation business. In 1862 he was sent in the interests of his firm to Buffalo to take charge of their business in that city. He later became a member of the firm upon the retirement of Mr. Bradley, the style of the partnership being changed to Bradley, Toles & Sweet.
In 1881 he was elected President of the Third National Bank, a position he occupied with distinguished ability as a financier and with credit and honor both to himself and the institution. As bank President and Director Mr. Sweet gained a wide repu- tation as one of the most cautious, clear-headed and sagacious bankers of Buffalo. He was head of the Third National Bank for a period of twenty-one years, retiring from the office of President on the 1st of October, 1902. He also held directorates in several other financial institutions and corporate enterprises, notably the Fidelity Trust and Guaranty Company, of which he was one of the founders, and the Citizens' Gas Company, of which he was at one time Vice-President.
In politics a Democrat, Mr. Sweet was, without his consent and against his wishes, prominently mentioned for Mayor in 1901. He was a member of the Grade Crossings Commission, and member of the Board of General Managers having charge of the New York State exhibit at the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893.
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Mr. Sweet was one of the founders and a trustee of the Dela- ware Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church. A man of broad sympathy and generous impulses, his charities were many and widely bestowed.
He was a leading member and President of the Board of Trade, a prominent member of the Buffalo Clearing House Association and a Trustee of the Buffalo General Hospital.
Mr. Sweet was twice married. Miss Cornelia C. McDonald of Troy, N. Y., whom he married in 1858 and who died in 1870, bore him four children, D. Bradley and Della, twins, the latter of whom is deceased, Donald C. and George H. Sweet. In 1872 Mr. Sweet married Miss Fannie O. Playter of Buffalo. Of this union were born the following children: Robert P., now deceased; Winifred, now Mrs. Sterling B. Cox of South Orange, N. J .; Charlotte Playter and Charles A., Jr.
WILLIAM C. L. MEISBURGER, M.D., was one of Buffalo's best-known physicians, and by his death a distinguished career of usefulness was cut short in its prime. Dr. Meisburger was devoted to his profession, in which he exemplified high standards of capability and acquirement.
Dr. Meisburger came of German ancestry and was the son of Dr. William Meisburger, a well-known physician of Lancaster, N. Y., where the subject of this sketch was born on the 4th of November, 1865. When he was a year old his family removed to Buffalo, where he attended the public schools and completed his lay education by a course in St. Joseph's College. After leaving that institution he was matriculated in the Medical Department of the University of Buffalo, and was graduated therefrom in 1887. Soon after receiving his degree of M.D., Dr. Meisburger became connected as house surgeon and interne with the Buffalo General Hospital and continued in these capacities for two years. At the end of that time his appoint- ment as First Assistant at the Milwaukee Hospital for the Insane led to his removal to Wawautosa, Wis., where he remained for four years. It was during this period that Dr.
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Meisburger made the special study of mental diseases and gained the wide practical experience in this branch of medical science which gave him a high reputation as an alienist. On severing his relations with the Wisconsin institution, Dr. Meis- burger returned to Buffalo, where he entered upon the general practice of his profession, in which he continued to be engaged until about a year before his death, when failing health com- pelled his retirement.
Dr. Meisburger was physician of St. John's Orphanage, and a member of the medical staff of the German Hospital from the time the latter was built until his withdrawal from active prac- tice. He was a member of the Erie County Medical Society, the American Medical Asso- ciation, the Academy of Medicine, and the Roswell Park Medical Club. He was a member of Wash- ington Lodge, F. & A. M., and the Foresters of America. Always deeply interested in musical cul- ture, he was a member of the Buffalo Saengerbund, and he took a prominent part in the social life of Buffalo. He was con- firmed in St. Paul's Evan- gelical Church.
DR. WILLIAM MEISBURGER.
October 18, 1899, Dr. Meisburger married Mrs. Hazel M. Lyon . of Sala- manca, N. Y.
The death of Dr. Meisburger occurred on the 8th of December, 1906. In the comparatively brief period allotted him on earth, Dr. Meisburger accomplished much for his fellow-men. His life was fruitful of achievement, devoted to honorable aims, and
John Cion
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consistent in its motives. His death is deeply mourned in the community, which holds his memory in the honor due to intel- lect, attainment, and nobility of character.
JOHN COON. The life of the late John Coon supplies a striking example of a career devoted to business. Though in a single instance he served in a public office, Mr. Coon was first and essentially a business man. In the fields of commerce, oil, investment and manufacture, he showed remarkable energy, resourcefulness and concentration of purpose, and attained notable success in each kind of enterprise in which he was con- cerned. Depending on himself from boyhood, he early learned the lesson of self-reliance, and his strong moral fiber preserved him from the perils of over-ambition and enabled him, through years of keen practical activity and of dealings with all types of men, to maintain his ideals and to adhere unflinchingly to right methods and to duty in the highest acceptation of the word.
Mr. Coon was born in Buffalo July 22, 1845. He was of German parentage, his father, Michael, and his mother, Magda- lena Coon, being natives of Alsace. He received a public school education, and when only fourteen years old began life for himself, entering the store of Volger & Riebling, dealers in notions, as a clerk. He remained with this firm till he was twenty-two years old, gaining a thorough knowledge of the business and being regarded as a very efficient salesman. After leaving the Volger & Riebling establishment, Mr. Coon removed to Franklin, Pa., where he went into the dry goods business with Charles Miller, under the firm name of Miller & Coon, the concern being also known as the Buffalo Store. The partners continued in the dry goods trade for about three years. They then sold their stock and began oil refining on a small scale, this enterprise being also located in Franklin. After two years their plant was destroyed by fire, and Mr. Coon and Mr. Miller' then associated with themselves as copartners Richard Austin and Harry Plummer, and established the Galena Oil Refinery
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Company. This business was very successful and was con- tinued for several years. In the fall of 1876 Mr. Coon and his partners sold their interests in the Galena Oil Refinery Com- pany to the Standard Oil Company, the former company becoming merged in the great oil corporation. From 1876 to 1881 Mr. Coon remained in Pennsylvania, engaging in a large number of transactions in oil, these ventures being, for the most part, attended with profit.
The year 1881 marked a new departure for Mr. Coon as con- cerning the form of enterprise in which he decided to engage. That year he returned to Buffalo and formed an association with Richard Hammond. They established the Lake Erie Boiler Works, and a few years later founded the Lake Erie Engi- neering Works. Both concerns flourished, and with the latter Mr. Coon remained connected till his death, which occurred August 24, 1898.
In politics Mr. Coon was a staunch Democrat. His absorp- tion in business and his distaste for anything in the remotest degree savoring of self-aggrandizement prevented his taking a very active part in the practical work of the party, and while in Buffalo he never held a public office. But his political convic- tions were strong and his loyalty to Democratic principles unswerving. During his residence in Franklin, Pa., he was elected City Councilman, in which capacity he served one term and proved himself a capable and disinterested official.
April 27, 1876, Mr. Coon married Louisa Reese, a daughter of William H. and Cecelia (Clark) Reese of Philadelphia. He is survived by his widow and five children, John H., Mary E., William M., Frank A., and Irene L. Coon.
Mr. Coon was a member of St. Louis Church and a charter member of the Knights of Columbus.
.The sterling worth and the lovable personal characteristics of Mr. Coon made a lasting impression on all who were thrown into intimate relations with him or who came into the closer circle of his acquaintance. He was a man of rigid integrity.
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He had a lofty sense of moral and business obligation, and his word was as good as his bond. He was of mild and even dispo- sition, and was singularly unselfish, being ever solicitous of the happiness of those about him. Naturally methodical, his long business experience had trained and disciplined this native ten- dency, and he was systematic in everything. He was eminently charitable, but he always tried to conceal his acts of kindness from the eye of the world. He had an innate nobility of soul, and one who knew him well said of him: " A mean action on the part of anyone always seemed to be beneath his notice." He was devoted to his home, was a kind husband and a loving father. At the time of his decease he was in the prime of his intellectual powers and at the zenith of his business opportuni- ties, and his loss was the more profoundly deplored because it cut off a brilliant future.
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