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Down the Decades

Dec. 31 Edition - Happy New Year's Eve!

Compiled by Lee Hermann, Muse, & Ruth Huggler
Posted 12/31/24

120 Years Ago - 1904

George Wind, a resident of Jeffersonville for thirty-six years and one of its most prominent citizens, died last Thursday evening. He would have been 80 on January 7. He …

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Down the Decades

Dec. 31 Edition - Happy New Year's Eve!

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120 Years Ago - 1904

George Wind, a resident of Jeffersonville for thirty-six years and one of its most prominent citizens, died last Thursday evening. He would have been 80 on January 7. He was buried in a plot reserved along the old Presbyterian Cemetery. It was his wish to be buried there. In 1856, he was united in marriage with Phillipina Huff of Jeffersonville at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Huff who lived on the farm now occupied by Ulrich Yossi, one mile north of this village.

Henry Weltsch died at his home north of the village Tuesday evening, aged about 68 years. He was a native of Switzerland and is survived by his wife, a step-son, Andrew Von Bergen, who lives on the homestead, and a brother, Casper Weltsch of Swiss Hill.

The body of Mrs. Charles Fischer of Beechwoods, who died and was buried at that place in November, 1903, was taken up last Thursday and taken to the city for burial.

The North Branch Bowling Team went to Monticello to bowl a match with the Cherry Reds of the county seat on Saturday night, returning home Sunday. They were defeated three straight. Jacob Beck, Charles Quick, Herman Goodman, Henry and Phil Schmidt made up the North Branch team.

H.F. Howland, the blacksmith, knows how to handle a shooting iron as well as any other iron. While out hunting Sunday on Louis Mall’s hill, he shot a large red fox — the largest he says he has ever seen.

Arthur Luchs, who has been in the Record office for more than a year, will go to New York for the holidays. He has three brothers down there now, each of whom has “done time” in the Record office.

Miss Edith Diehl entertained a few of her friends at her pleasant home on Maple Avenue last Thursday night. Miss Edith knows how to treat her guests, who are always glad of the opportunity to partake of her hospitality.

110 Years Ago - 1914

Gottlieb Durr, aged 80, a well-known resident of this place who lives with his son-in-law, Wm. Knell at the Mansion House, was frozen nearly to death last Sunday morning when the thermometer registered more than 20 below zero. Early Sunday morning, Mr. Durr arose and went downstairs before anyone else in the house was around. Finding the doors all locked, he raised the window of the west side of the kitchen and climbed out. Throwing off his coat and vest, he started carrying wood from an outer shed to the kitchen. Mr. Knell found his father-in-law standing up motionless in the woodshed. His hands were both badly frozen, and he will never be able to use them, if indeed he does not lose his life as a result of his exposure to the cold.

John Ross, who went to the German Hospital in New York City several weeks ago for the removal of a growth on the upper lip, returned home last week and is looking and feeling splendid.

The Pueblo, Colo., Chieftain of December 10 prints the following, together with a double column picture of the child in question punching the bag: “One of the most remarkable child athletes ever seen in Pueblo is a local boy who has just passed his sixth birthday. The youngster is Lester O. Kahl, son of  F.R. Kahl, and the training, which the lad has been undergoing for the past few years,  was started by the elder Kahl, when Lester was but six months old.

“Under the name of Kid Sampson, the boy has appeared before local audiences and during a visit to the city, Jim Flynn, the celebrated Pueblo fireman, and the little fellow boxed several rounds (with the heavyweight).” This child’s parents; are both natives of this section, Mr. Kahl is the son of Mrs. Katherine Kahl of Sixteen and Mrs. Kahl is the eldest child of Mrs. Louise Grishaber of Jeffersonville.

Oscar Eggler of this place and his cousin, Arnold Ruff of Delancey, Delaware County, have gone to City Point, Va., to work at carpentering in the erection of a large powder factory.

Some cold weather during the past week. Mercury fell to more than 20 degrees below zero, and kept people busy thawing out frozen water pipes. Sleighin’s fine.

100 Years Ago - 1924

Synagogues and tabernacles devoted to the Jewish faith are observing Chanukah or the “Festival of Lights,” which began December 21.

A son was born December 16 to Mr. and Mrs. Predmore of Rochester. Mrs. Predmore is Elsie, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Becker of Jeffersonville and both she and her husband are practicing dentists in Rochester.

To our Friends — Greetings!

At this happy season, when we celebrate the birthday of Him who taught that it is more blessed to give then to receive, when men’s hearts are warmed by kindly thoughts and deeds, and when we gather about the hearthstone to draw tighter the ties of friendship and blood, the Sullivan County Record (of Jeffersonville) finds great pleasure in wishing you a Christmas full of joy and happiness and a bright vision of the New Year.

90 Years Ago - 1934

LeRoy Busing is at his home in Kenoza Lake, nursing a threatened attack of appendicitis.

A.H. Bossley, Hancock farmer formerly of Briscoe, is recovering from a painful blood poisoning, starting with a pimple on his left temple.

It has been learned that Chester Burley, arrested near Shandelee November 30 by Corporal Waldron and Trooper Flynn, charged with an assault on Isidore Brooks, Livingston Manor liquor store proprietor, is wanted for escape from the state prison at Michigan City, where he was serving a sentence of twenty years for armed bank robbery, under the name of Lowell McCorkle.

On February 1, Frank V. Wag-ner, carrier on rural mail route 3 out of Callicoon, will also run route 2, now run by Peter Miller, who will go on route 1 out of Cochecton.

William R. Schafer and daughter of Lake Huntington, sustained minor injuries last Saturday when their car, going to Monticello, collided with a car driven by Abe Schreiner of Monticello, coming west. The accident happened near the Liberty-White Lake junction.

Miss Ruth M. Armstrong, daughter of Arch F. Armstrong and the late Molly Whitaker Armstrong of Liberty, was married in New York City December 22 to Maurice L. Doughty of Grahamsville.

80 Years Ago - 1944

Arthur Poley, who bought the John Sander farm of 119 acres on Sixteen about twenty years ago, sold the remaining 51 acres and the buildings last week to August and Eva Earlemann of Bellmore, L.I. Mr. Earlemann is a blueprinter in New York. Mr. Poley some time ago sold about 5 acres of the farm to his neighbor, Jacob Yager. Mr. and Mrs. Poley will move to the Clericus farm of 13 acres in Youngsville, which they bought a year or so ago.

A surprise gathering was gotten up for Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. McGuire at their home in Callicoon in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday, December 16.

Mr. and Mrs. Wendelin Dirie of Hortonville announce the marriage of their daughter, Julie  A. to Willis Armbrust, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Armbrust of Kenoza Lake.

The OFA reminds motorists that A-13 gasoline ration coupons will expire December 31. Six A-14 coupons in each basic. A book will become valid Friday. Each coupon will be worth four gallons of gas.

In the County Court last week, Judge Cooke sentenced Peter Rundle, who set fire to Lake Huntington hotels last winter, to the Elmira Reformatory for an indeterminate term.

Pastor Kovach regrets to announce that there will be no Christmas songs and program broadcast from the Presbyterian Church belfry this year as in former years, because a part of the equipment is broken and repair cannot be made in time. Those joyful sounds floating over the village of Jeffersonville will be greatly missed. 

A special meeting of the Sullivan County Cooperative Dairy Association, Inc., was held at Hotel Jefferson in this village Saturday, December 16, to consider the advisability of selling the plants, equipment and real property. The members voted not to sell at the present time.

A record kill of 26,305 deer in New York’s 1944 hunting season, exceeding the previous high mark established in 1943, by 4,009, is reported by the State Conservation Department.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Swords of the dress shop in Masonic Hall, will give a Christmas party to their twenty-three employees tomorrow.

Henry Keim, aged 68, died at his home below the village of Jeff Saturday night, December 16.

70 Years Ago - 1954

Frank Nolde of Jeffersonville received first prize at Roscoe Central School Wednesday evening of last week in the Sullivan County Finals of the National Oratorical Contest, sponsored by the American Legion.

Frederick W.V. Schadt, mayor of Jeff, was paid tribute by the Sullivan County Cerebral Palsy Association upon his resignation as president of the board.

Mrs. Floyd Hust of North Branch was injured in a two-car accident Thursday afternoon about 5:45 at the intersection of the North Branch road and Route 17B in Hortonville.

Anthony Lanahan of Long Eddy, a retired Erie Trackman, died at his home on December 19 at the age of 82.

A quiet home wedding united Dulsie Jay of Ipswich, England, with Robert LeRoy of Jeffersonville Sunday, December 11.

The sale of Seibert’s Pharmacy, Narrowsburg, to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Keenan of New Hyde Park, L.I., became effective December 10. Mr. Seibert has operated the drug store for the last 27 years.

Edwin A. Brand celebrated his 88th birthday on December 11. A native of Jeffersonville, he is still actively conducting his funeral home which he founded more than 50 years ago.

William H. Peter, 75 years old of Roscoe, prominent in banking circles in Sullivan County for the last 46 years, died at Maimonides Hospital, Liberty, Monday of last week.

60 Years Ago - 1964

The start of broadcasting over Sullivan County’s new FM station, WVOS-FM, was announced by the Sullivan County Broadcasting Co.

Mr. and Mrs. Van Fuller of Cochecton announce the birth of a son, Van Edward, on December 19 at the Liberty Maimonides Hospital. The baby was born on the 50th wedding anniversary of his great-grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Hunt of Brooklyn.

Mrs. Russell Scott announces the engagement of her daughter, Linda Arlene, to Jacob Lyons, son of Mr. and Mrs. Conrad F. Lyons of Hawley, Pa.

Rudy Lindberg, former Justice of the Peace in the Town of Fremont, has been appointed to fill the unexpired assessor’s term of Joseph Winkler, who resigned to accept the supervisor’s post in that township.‑-— Mr. Lindberg was also appointed to act as chairman of the Board of Assessors.

A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Russell Gardner of Cochecton; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hartmann of Tyler Hill, Pa.; a son to Mr. and Mrs. Paul McGowan of Narrowsburg.

Airman First Class Neal E. Baker of Livingston Manor has been named Outstanding Airman of the Month in his headquarters command unit at Andrews AFB, Maryland.

50 Years Ago - 1974

Scott Ackerly of Roscoe, a freshman at New York University and a member of the college Choral Arts Society, is on a concert tour to Rome, Italy. The group has been invited to the Vatican to perform in a series of concerts at St. Peter’s in Rome as part of the ceremonies that will inaugurate the 1975 Holy Year, marking one of the rare occasions when a group other than the Sistine Chapel Choir has been permitted to sing in the Basilica.

Nancy Threshman, daughter of Norman and Jeannette Threshman of Tenafly, N.J., and Callicoon, became the bride of Steven Eschenberg, son of John and Betty Eschenberg of Callicoon, on December 14 in the Holy Cross Chapel of St. Joseph’s Seminary.

John Dwyer became the first resident of the Golden Park Apartments which was dedicated on Tuesday. Ground for the 125-unit complex was broken a little over a year ago.

The patrons and owner of the Mountaintop Tavern, Route 97, Cochecton, were relieved of about $170 when three men, armed with rifles, entered the establishment at 12:45 a.m. early Sunday morning. Four men, all armed with rifles, entered the Catskill Inn on Main St., Roscoe and held up the manager, Thomas Ackerley, and robbed the till of its $310. Police say both robberies may have been by the same men.

Mr. and Mrs. Osmer Graby were honored on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary with a party held at the home of their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Tillson Cade of Hortonville.

40 Years Ago - 1984

Harold A. Reynolds of Monticello, grandson of the founder of the Reynolds Ice Corporation in the village (celebrating its 100th anniversary this year) was inducted in the National Packaged Ice (NPI) Hall of Fame during a meeting of the NPI Association held at the Doral Country Club in  Miami, Fla., only 15 men having been so honored during its existence. A few years ago, Harold, together with another ice manufacturer in Connecticut, developed the Leisure Time Ice name for their ice cubes, bottled water and other products which are widely distributed through the northeastern United States.

Prof. Joel Lerner, chairman of the business division of Sullivan County Community College, has written a textbook entitled “Business Mathematics” for college students. He has written several business texts and is publisher of the Middle/Fixed Income Advisor, a monthly financial newsletter.

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Knack of Callicoon became parents of a girl on November 22; a girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Fuller of Hankins; and a girl was born December 16 to Mr. and Mrs. William Frazier of Hankins.

30 Years Ago - 1994

The Sullivan County BOCES Board is unanimously endorsing the concept of merging with the Ulster County BOCES, a move which, according to District Superintendent Kevin Colpoys, could reduce the operating expenses by about 15 percent and relieve the facilities crunch at the BOCES campus in Liberty.

Christine Tsai was presented the Principal’s Award by George Will at an assembly at the Monticello High School. She participated in about 42 student organizations and activities during her high school years at the school while maintaining a 4.0 average.

Wedding bells rang for Kozue Kikuchi of Japan and Frank DeGraw, son of Mrs. Janet Furman DeGraw of Woodbourne and the late Frank G. DeGraw, on October 8 in Japan. The bride teaches English at the Tochigi West Junior High School and the groom is a teacher in a private school in Japan. After a honeymoon to Las Vegas and San Francisco, Calif., they will live in Oyama, Japan.

Several bears were shot in the Town of Thompson during the current hunting season. Matt Romano of Monticello shot one which weighed 262 lbs. and James DeSimone of Monticello took down a 154- pounder.

Joey and Heather Iatauro, children of Joe and Missy Iatauro, both of whom coach the successful track and cross-country teams at Tri-Valley Central School in Grahamsville, excelled at the recent Junior Olympics held in Reno, Nev. Joey placed sixth in the 11-12 year-olds group in the 3000 meter run with a time of 10:42.98, only .01 second behind the fifth place runner. Heather finished 28th in the 10 and under girls race with a time of 13:07 in the 3000 meter race.

Erin Dunn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Dunn of Monticello, turned over a wallet containing $2,000 when nobody would have been the wiser if she had pocketed it. Miss Dunn further refused the $100 reward offered to her, suggesting that it be given to benefit needy children and earning her the unofficial award of Good Samaritan Deed.

Community Bank of Sullivan County, located at the Jamesway Plaza in Monticello, collected 100 presents in its first Angel Tree Christmas giving program. 

20 Years Ago - 2004

Forestburgh’s famous fisherman, Ken Schultz, will be appearing each week on ESPN2’s new show, “Bass Center,” beginning with the show’s debut on Saturday, January 1, 2005. Said Schultz, “I’ll be doing a one-and-a-half minute segment each week called ‘Reel Speak’... an Andy Rooney-styled commentary on the world of bass fishing.”

The Webelos I Cub Scouts of Pack 103 in Eldred spent Veterans Day supporting the troops in Iraq. Using an $800 grant from the Thrivent Financial Services for Lutherans to purchase items for the troops, the cub scouts purchased items for the soldiers and donated them to Operation Support Our Troops in Monticello, dropping them off at the Monticello Elks Lodge.

Jocelyn Levner and Eric Nissenbaum were married October 3, 2004 at the Clubhouse at Patriot Hills in Stony Point with Rabbi Lester Polansky officiating. The bride is the daughter of Howie and Dolly Levner of South Fallsburg. The groom is the son of Stu and Tina Nissenbaum of Norwood, N.J.

DEATHS: Richard Hamilton, 84, a charactor actor on radio, stage, screen and television, died December 24, 2004 at his home in Jeffersonville... Donna Ernst of Shortsville, 55, died December 23, 2004 in Naples. The daughter of Val and Jean Ernst, she was born in Liberty...Alan Fishman, 68, of Livingston Manor, owner and operator of the former Central Pharmacy, died December 22, 2004 in DelRay Beach, FL. He was the son of Lillian Fishman and the late Jack Fishman.

10 Years Ago - 2014

The Delaware Youth Center received a generous donation from the Monticello office of Marshall & Sterling this holiday. Employees of Marshall & Sterling donated $5 in exchange for wearing jeans on Fridays in 2014, for a total of $525. After months of collecting, one participating employee’s name was chosen, Sales Executive Anne Backlund, who was able to choose the charity that would benefit from the year’s efforts. Backlund chose the Delaware Youth Center’s Pool Fund, an ongoing fundraiser to replace the more than 50-year-old pool at the Callicoon facility. 

The Fremont Center Community Church will close for the winter season, partially as a cost-savings measure. The last regular 2014 worship service of the non-denominational church located on County Route 93 in Fremont Center took place on December 28. Meeting expenses for heat and plowing has become a financial challenge for the dwindling, active congregation. The need to replace the roof on the historic church building is also looming in the spring.

DEATHS: Daniel J. Thomas, a former owner of Danny’s Village Inn in Wurtsboro, died Wednesday, December 24, 2014 at his home in Wurtsboro. He was born in Michigan.

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