Bernard W. Hamsher

Notes:

BERNA HAMSHER DROWNED IN ELMIRA
A LACKAWANNA ENGINEER AND A PROMINENT MASON
The acquaintances of Bernard W. Hamsher will be greatly pained to learn that he was drowned in Newtown Creek in Elmire at four o'clock Monday afternoon. In company with his family and four or five of his neighbor women and their children he had gone to the creek, which was only a third of a mile from his residence on the east side of the city, where they hoped to find relief from the oppressive heat. Shortly after they reached the spot the women and children began to wade in the creek and Mr. Hamsher who was the only man in the party, told his wife he would go farther up the stream and wade. After being absent half an hour and nothing having been heard from him, his wife became alarmed and started up the stream to look for him, but he was no where in sight. She called to her friends and as they came up, they were joined by two or three man who had been attracted by the noise, to whom Mrs. Hamsher stated that she feared her husband had fallen into the creek. In a moment more his hat and shoes were found on the bank and then the party realized the gravity of the situation and one of the men dove into the stream and found the body and brought it to the surface. The men at once made heroic efforts to revive the drowned man, and in a very few moments the coroner was on the spot and lent his aid in attempting to bring back life, but the efforts were without avail and he was finally obliged to give up, and he pronounced it an accidental death after hearing the particulars from those present. No one saw Mr. Hamsher go into the water, and it is only surmised that he was wading in the shallow water and not knowing the condition he stepped off a ledge into water fifteen feet deep, where he was found, and being unable to swim he was overcome by the suddenness of the plunge or was seized with cramps and was unable to help himself. It was thought the body was in the water half an hour and that it did not rise after going down. The body was taken to Smith's morgue and prepared for burial and then removed to his late home.
Mr. Hamsher was the oldest son of Jonas G. Hamsher of this town, his mother who died in 1896 being Cornelia Woodruff. His great-grandfather Daniel Hamsher was one of the first settlers in Sparta and his grandfather Bernard Hamsher was a resident of that town for about eighty years. The deceased was born near Byersvllle in West Sparta thirty-nine years ago and he worked on the home farm until his mother's death when he went into the employ of the Lackawanna Railroad company as a fireman, a position he filled so faithfully that he was made an engineer five years ago and given important duty. He was one of the company's most trusted employees and none stood higher in the estimation of his fellow employes on the road than he. Among these men there is extreme sorrow at his sudden and tragic death. Mr. Hamsher was expecting to remove to Groveland Station soon to take a pusher engine and last Saturday he came up to secure a bouse for his family, intending to go to work on Tuesday and bring his family later. He was a member of Phoenix lodge No. 115, F. and A. M., and of Dansville Chapter No. 91, R. A. M., of this village, and of the Elmira Grotto, and also a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. A few years ago, he married Miss Theresa Orr of Binghamton who with a son Francis and daughter Anita survive him; and he also leaves his father, a sister Mrs. Fred LaRouette of Sparta, three brothers Herbert G. Hamsher, Glenn Hamsher and Gates Hamsher of this town, besides many other near relatives.
The remains will come to the Dansville station on the Lackawanna at 3:27 this afternoon, accompanied by his wife and a delegation of Masons and members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and with relatives and members of Phoenix lodge will be escorted to the Sparta Center burying ground where Interment will be made by the side of his mother, the Masonic burial service to be used at the grave.
(The Dansville Express, Thursday, July 13, 1911)

Bernard married Theresa Agnes Orr on 30 Dec 1903 in Binghamton, Broome County, New York. Theresa was born on 7 Jul 1878 in Binghamton, Broome County, New York; died on 2 Sep 1953 in New Hartford, Oneida County, New York; was buried in Saint Joseph's Cemetery, Yorkville, Oneida County, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He was the son of Bernard and Theresa Orr Hamsher.
He came to Utica as a child. He worked for the Utica newspapers since 1920.
During World War II, he served with the Army Air Corps.
In 1927, he married the former Arlene A. Peterson of Missouri. They had a son, Francis Bernard Hamsher. They subsequently divorced.
In 1943, he married the former Margaret Murray of Denver, CO, in St. Louis, MO.
Besides his wife, he leaves a son, Bernard Francis Hamsher, Buffalo; a sister, Mrs. Leroy (Anita) Nicknish, Utica

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

HAMSHER - F. Bernard Attorney at Law; July 5, 1931-April 19, 2009; Licensed in New York and Florida; died Sunday in his home in Williamsville, NY; he was 77; He is survived by his wife, Diana (Ritz) Hamsher of 55 years. He was the beloved son of the late Arlene Peterson and Francis B. Hamsher and step-son of the late Allen Scott; a devoted father to Barbara (David) Maxey, Bernard S. (Debra) Hamsher, Bradley J. (Leslie) Hamsher and Rebecca Clare; also grandfather to Elizabeth, Victoria, Alexandria, Teressa, Gabriella, Ian, Cassandra and Katrina and loving brother-in-law of Linda and Thomas de la Reguera.
(Buffalo News from Apr 23 to Apr 24, 2009)