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Down the Decades

June 15, 2021 Edition

Compiled by Lee Hermann, Muse, & Ruth Huggler
Posted 6/15/21

110 Years Ago - 1911

John Gerken of Callicoon Center was drowned in the Delaware River at Lackawaxen on Sunday while in bathing and as we go to press, the body has not yet been recovered. He was …

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Down the Decades

June 15, 2021 Edition

Posted

110 Years Ago - 1911

John Gerken of Callicoon Center was drowned in the Delaware River at Lackawaxen on Sunday while in bathing and as we go to press, the body has not yet been recovered. He was alone at the time and, as he failed to return, a search was made. His clothes were found and it is surmised that he had got beyond his depth or had become exhausted and drowned.

Erie fireman Michael J. Traynor had his right arm crushed between the shoulder and elbow by being caught between the engine and the first car of his train at Callicoon on last Tuesday. As soon as possible he was placed on the caboose, after being treated by Dr. McClellan, and his train crew took him to the Port Jervis Hospital. At last reports he is getting along very good.

100 Years Ago - 1921

Charles Richard Wagner of Liberty and Miss Louise Ellmauer of Youngsville were married on June 14th.

A son, Joseph, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kugler of Brooklyn. Mrs. Kugler is the former Miss Josephine Wetzel of Jeffersonville.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Seater celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

Crops are suffering from the need of moisture and rain. Hay will be a poor crop from present indications.

Miss Evelyn Payne of Liberty became the bride of J. Carlton Burrhus of Walton on June 10th.

The Livingston Manor Electric Co. has a force of men extending its lines from Jeff­er­son­­ville to Kenoza Lake, a distance of about three miles. The people of Kenoza are contributing $300 to the expense.

90 Years Ago - 1931

Miss Virginia Louise Ellison, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ellison of Monticello, was married Saturday morning at 11 a.m. to Frederick H. Starck, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred H. Stark of Monticello, at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Liberty.

The severe electrical storm on Sunday caused much damage in the Delaware Valley with probably the heaviest damage in the vicinity of Galilee.

Alice Budd, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Horace Budd of Beach Lake, and Evelyn Barclay, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Barclay of Narrowsburg, sailed for Europe where they will pass several months. Their first stop will be in England.

Philip Gottschalk, 76, a retired feed merchant who lived in Hortonville in his early life, was buried in Hortonville Cemetery on Sunday. He was married to the former Adeline Kurz at Hortonville in 1889.

A commercial course has been added to the curriculum of the Callicoon High School.

80 Years Ago - 1941

Just two votes were responsible last Friday for the selection of a school site for the Delaware Valley Central School District. After six hours of voting, during which opponents and proponents worked with might and main for their respective views, the tellers announced that a record total of 1039 votes had been cast, divided as follows: Yes, 520; No, 515; one void. The chairman of the meeting, Charles W. McClure, de­clared the proposition to buy the Reichmann site for a complete school carried. Unless an appeal, which is expected, is successful. The Reichmann site, almost midway between Hankins and Callicoon, will be purchased by the Board of Education and preparations will begin for the erection of a Central School for the district.

Charles S. Hick, superintendent in this district for the past 35 years, will be given a testimonial dinner Wednesday, June 11, at Campbell Inn, Roscoe. Charles F. Lewis, Callicoon principal, will be toastmaster. Mr. Hick will be succeeded on August 1 by Charles E. Button.

Champion Joe Louis, former champ Jimmy Braddock and Ray Impellitiere and a fifty-two second knockout in the first round of the final bout highlighted one of the finest boxing shows ever presented to the boxing fans of Sullivan County last Friday night at St. Peter’s Gym, Monticello, before a capacity crowd of 600 for the first boxing show of the season under the auspices of the Catholic Youth Organization, sanctioned by the Met. Assoc. of the A.A.U. Champion Joe Louis made a short visit to the Camporee of the Scouts of Sullivan and Orange Counties on Colonial Hill, Monticello, before joining those at the boxing show.

At the special school meeting at Eldred Monday night 480 ballots were cast on the proposition to issue bonds in the amount of $241,825 for a new central school building at Eldred. For the proposition were 341, and against 130, giving the necessary two-thirds majority to carry and thus end the three year fight. The new school building will be erected without federal aid.

70 Years Ago - 1951

Miss Patricia Mary Cooper, daughter of British Consul General and Mrs. H.A. Cooper, presently stationed in Europe, became the bride of Clifford H. McCoach, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph McCoach of Fosterdale, June 9, at the Fosterdale Methodist Church.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hendrickson of Roscoe are the parents of a son; Mr. and Mrs. David Weber of Narrowsburg are the parents of a son, both born Tuesday at the Callicoon Hospital.

Work has begun on the erection of a new church in Hankins. It will be a place of worship for the Full Gospel Assembly of God of which G.D. Monello is pastor.

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Bullis marked their 45th wedding anniversary Sunday evening with a surprise supper at the home of their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Bullis of Hankins.

Miss Frances Ann Geiselmann, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Geiselmann of Roscoe, and Francis J. Tempel of Rockland were united in marriage June 10 at the Gate of Heaven Church.

William A. Abel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Abel of Lake Huntington, graduated from Cornell University June 11 where he earned a Degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

Orvis J. Vannatta was elected commander of Delaware Valley Post No. 1020, American Legion, at a meeting at the post home in Narrowsburg.

Rapid progress is being made on the Delaware Valley Central School. In another two weeks, the building will be enclosed.

Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Neill of Bethel celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Saturday evening.

The pupils of Mrs. Gladys Bergner performed in a piano recital at her home in Callicoon on Saturday.

Reconstruction of the three-story Keller store building at the corner of North Main and School Streets, Liberty, for the new headquarters of the Sullivan County National Bank of Liberty, is expected to get underway by July 1.

Lillian Marie Glassel, daugh­ter of Mr. and Mrs. George Glassel of Beechwoods, and Irma Alvoy Thiele, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Thiele of Obernburg, were baptized at the First Reformed Church in North Branch on Sunday.

60 Years Ago - 1961

Herman Haase, well-known fruit grower of Wayne County, passed away June 4. He was born in Germany and came to the United States at the age of 19. In 1910, he started the fruit orchard in Milanville and moved there permanently in 1918.

Two Callicoon families are rejoicing over the birth of baby boys this past week. Randy to Mr. and Mrs. Charles (Nancy) Hankins of Binghamton. Mr. and Mrs. Everett Keesler are the happy maternal grandparents. And Christopher Andrew, to Mr. and Mrs. Robert (Marcia) Wiggins of San Bruno, Calif. Mrs. John Traynor is the maternal grandmother.

Mrs. Philip Schaefer of Jeffersonville is the proud possessor of a geranium plant which has grown to mammoth proportions. The leaves measure eight inches across and one stem has 18 blossoms.

A son was born June 7 at the Callicoon Hospital to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Paparella of Narrowsburg.

The Class of 1951 DVCS held a 10th reunion dinner at the Antrim Lodge in Roscoe with 17 members and class advisor, LeRoy Coburn, attending.

50 Years Ago - 1971

The focus of county attention this Sunday, June 13, will be centered on the Grover Martin Hermann Hospital in Callicoon where impressive dedication ceremonies will be conducted to launch the ultra-modern medical facility in its career of service to the community. Interest in the hospital, which will be the only one dedicated in New York State this year, is so keen that a tremendous throng is expected to attend. Dedication chairman is William Michel­felder. Principal speakers will be State Senator Warren M. Anderson: Dr. Jack Halderman, president of the Health and Hospital Planning Council of Southern New York, and Dr. Mary Ann Stern, assistant regional health director of the New York State Department of Health. Master of Ceremonies will be Irving Shapiro of Liberty, president of Community General Hospital of Sullivan County, of which the Grover Hermann Hospital is a division. The principal gift and largest single financial contribution to off-set construction costs came from Grover M. Hermann, for whom the hospital is named. He donated a total of $550,000. Another important donation of $100,000 came from Mrs. Pauline M. Kauta. Since no funds were available for landscaping, a local memorial fund in the name of Dorothy Roos has been started. Mrs. Roos, a pioneer in town beautification, was most active in the drive for the new hospital. The memorial garden will include flowering trees, shrubs and a plaque dedicating the area in memory of Mrs. Roos.

Miss Audrey Head of Callicoon has been named Sullivan County Dairy Princess by last year’s holder of that title, Debbie Hess, at ceremonies held at King’s in Livingston Manor last week.

Impressive and well-attended ceremonies were held on Sunday to mark the 90th anniversary and rededication of the Fosterdale United Methodist Church.

Miss Emily Baker of East Greenbush, and Gerald Euker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Euker, Callicoon, were married on May 15 in East Greenbush.

Helen G. Intemann was named regional judge for the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards program for 1971. She is on staff at St. Joseph’s Seraphic Seminary and will help the committee evaluate the writing skills and literary awareness of nearly 7,000 selected high school students in their junior year.

40 Years Ago - 1981

Jay Nober, 15, of Kenoza Lake, was honored recently for achieving the high rank of Eagle Scout. A scout for four years, he has earned a total of 21 merit badges and 8 skill awards to qualify.

The regional battles on the board of supervisors, between the largely populated towns in the eastern half of the county and the small towns in the west, may see the Town of Delaware holding the shortest end of the stick. Delaware Supervisor Craig Stewart said last week that approximately 400 additional persons living in Delaware, because of the Delaware Valley Job Corps, may not be counted as population when weighted voting increases – or decreases – are officially adopted by the board in January.

Friends and relatives of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Kewley of Eldred gathered at their home on May 24 to help them celebrate 60 years of marriage.

On May 29, Sister Thomas Fink of the Dominican Sisters spent her last day as postmaster at St. Joseph’s in Forestburgh. Jeanne Landon of the Monticello Post Office is the new officer-in-charge.

Rabbi and Mrs. Irving Goodman will be honored on June 14 when the members of Woodridge Congregation Ohave Sholom fete them at Lake House in Woodridge for their silver jubilee and their services to the congregation and community over a period of 25 years. He has been principal of the Hebrew Day School of Sullivan County in Kiamesha Lake for 23 years and has served at the Woodbourne Correctional Institution as a chaplain for the same length of time.

Helen Intemann of Hankins has been named by Gov. Hugh Carey to represent Sullivan County at a committee on aging, meeting in Albany.

Sandra L. Flynn received an Associate Degree in Applied Science from Broome Community College in Binghamton on May 29. She returned to school after working as a licensed practical nurse for 10 years and is employed in the operating room of Wayne County Memorial Hospital as of June 8.

30 Years Ago - 1991

The Sullivan County Department of Public Works will replace the 1903 bridge over the Neversink River in the Town of Fallsburg. Work will begin soon.

More than 70 Holiday Mountain skiers packed the town hall Tuesday night to object to the rumored possible sale of the town-owned ski hill to an outside interest. Robert Berman, a partner in the Davos residential development, had contacted Thompson Town Supervisor David Kaufman and said his plans included closing the hill to eliminate the competition between Davos and Holiday, which are located within minutes of each other on either side of Route 17 in the Rock Hill/Woodridge area. Members of the board told the crowd that they had no inclination to sell the slopes.

Fiftieth wedding anniversaries were celebrated by George and Ida Watson of Liberty on May 4, who were married April 27, 1941, at St. Mary’s in Obernburg, and Rebe and Dave Proyect of Rock Hill who renewed their vows at a party held May 26 at Bernie’s Holiday Inn in Rock Hill. They were married March 29, 1941, in Woodridge.

The 79th Bauernfeind family reunion was held June 2 at the Delaware Youth Center, one day before the 102nd anniversary of the marriage of John H. Bauernfeind and Ellamanda Layton. The group celebrated the 85th birthday of Ida Hubbert. Marjorie (Bauernfeind) Bery had traveled to Germany where she found the records of the father of John H., Johan (John) Bauernfeind, who left Germany in 1846 at the age of 26, in a church in Arzberg which was built in 1268 and whose records go back to 1634.

Mary Cade of Hortonville has been named the Sullivan County Senior Citizen of the Year. A charter member of the Grover Hermann Hospital Auxiliary and its current president, she has been delivering mail, flowers, juice, etc. to the patients at the hospital for 22 years. As a charter member of the Upper Delaware Ambulance Corps, she has been riding the rig for the same 22 years. Mary is also in charge of the kitchen for the Delaware Valley Senior Citizens and serves on the Sullivan County Office for the Aging Advisory Board.

Jenny Hillriegel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Hillriegel of RD, Callicoon, has been chosen as the 1991 Loyalty Day Queen to represent the Allan Milk Memorial Post No. 7276. She rode in the Fremont Center Memorial Day parade.

20 Years Ago - 2001

In a “Take Back the Streets Rally,” tonight dozens of people are scheduled to gather at Landfield Avenue Synagogue in Monticello to make a stand against violence, in response to the June 2, 2001 beating of 82-year-old Louis Taub of Monticello by two young men asking for money. Taub suffered internal injuries, two broken ribs and facial lacerations. He is still recovering from his wounds but is reportedly making good progress.

The Delaware River hamlet of Callicoon experienced an unusual event Sunday afternoon – a traffic jam. All of Main Street was  lined with spectators as the fifth annual Callicoon Tractor Parade took place.

Cardinal Edward Egan, in his first visit to Sullivan County since being ordained Archbishop of New York last year, extolled the virtues of faith and beseeched the congregation of St. Peter’s Church in Liberty, and others assembled there, to lead by example.

With the summer season approaching, Sullivan County Public Health would like to remind the public of the potential danger of contracting West Nile Virus from the bite of infected mosquitoes.

Terry Planica presented the Fred Planica Memorial Baseball Award, named in memory of her late husband, to Liberty High School student Brian Gatta at the annual Liberty Block L banquet last Tuesday evening. The award allows the recipient to attend Pro Prospects Baseball School in Monticello and is made available by school owner Steve Pinto.

10 Years Ago - 2011

The Liberty Elks Lodge #1545 recently held its annual Installation of Officers. William Harris of Woodridge became the lodge’s 2011-2012 Exalted Ruler and thanked his wife Terri, his family, friends and the lodge officers for their support. Harris also lauded his predecessor, Exalted Ruler Tania DeFrank. DeFrank is the first female Exalted Ruler in the Liberty Lodge’s 82-year history.

The Leadership Sullivan Class of 2011 with the Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless and the Sullivan County Chamber Foundation recently held a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the Leadership Sullivan Computer Center at the Federation for the Homeless in Monticello. The center will provide the community with the ability to access services online such as the Monticello School website, Medicare, Medicaid, social services, and health services.

Members of the Calico Geese quilting group gathered at the Liberty’s Cornell Cooperative Extension for the group’s annual “Baby Quilt Marathon,” with a goal of replenishing their baby quilt supply to give away to new moms and babies. At the end of the marathon, the group completed 100 new quilts for the babies of Sullivan County.

Monticello Elks Lodge #1544 named Siggy Paty of Mongaup Valley as its Elk of the Year. The Officer of the Year is the late Loyal Knight Paul Trust of the Sheriff’s Department, who died suddenly on November 16. The Citizen of the Year is former Sullivan County Veterans Service Agency Director Al Etkin of Rock Hill.

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