The Veterans - Lester A Cornell

Lester Cornell, born Nov 20 1889 in Amawalk, Westchester county, New York to Joshua Cornell and  Alice Cornell. Inducted May 25 1918  in Westchester County, NY. 

Served overseas from June 1918 to June 1919. Co H 2nd Pioneer Infantry, Then HQ Company 2 Pioneer Infantry, then 207 MP until discharge.

The 2nd Pioneer Infantry went overseas to France prior to the 1st Pioneer Infantry.The 2nd landed at Bordeaux and from there went to Bassens, in the Gironde to become acclimated and readied for service at the front.

 Some Companies  were put into service acting as guards and military police from the time of their arrival  in various French cities. In many cases, this MP service continued the entire time they were overseas. 

Other companies of the  2nd Pioneer Infantry had the job of building roads through the thickly forested terrain, salvaging ammunition from burnt-out trucks and abandoned artillery positions and helping bring supplies forward.

Until we find Lester's full military record we do not know what service Lester actually did or what action he may have seen.  Lester returned home in the summer of 1919, and returned to his life as a carpenter. In 1923, he married Florence Purdy and they raised a family in Yorktown Heights, NY.  Lester was afflicted in later years with arthritis, and died in  August of 1978. He is buried in Amawalk cemetery, not far from where he was born. 

Joshua A Cornell 1849 - 1943

When you're big into Genealogy, you find yourself becoming very familiar with people in your family tree who died long before you were born. So although Joshua Cornell is actually my great-great grandfather I tend to refer to him as "Grandpa Josh"  because its just simplier.  My very tolerant family apparently has gotten used to this because they know exactly who I'm referring to. I've heard some Grandpa Josh stories over the years which I kept in  mind while looking at his genealogy.

Joshua A Cornell was born on June 30, 1849 to Jacob G Cornell and Mary McCord.  He joined at home two brothers, Aaron and Willett, and a sister Sarah. His brother Ezra was born three years later.  There's little known about his mother, Mary McCord, and speculation that she was Jacob's second wife. If so, Joshua was her first child. But thats a whole other story to tell some other time. Joshua's brother Aaron had a blacksmith shop, which was in the exact spot the new Croton Dam was built, which is why many refer to the dam as the Cornell Dam. The family farm and where Joshua was born is now under water, one of many homes flooded when the dam was completed.

Joshua was taught the trade of a wheelwright at first, according to his obituary. However he also is listed in the census throughout the years as a carriage maker, a blacksmith, and a carpenter with his own shop. Joshua married Alice Chase on Oct 22 1871.  Their son Ira J Cornell was born in May of 1874, Wright Benjamin Cornell in November of 1878. It was much later, in November of 1889, Lester Albert Cornell was born.

 Here they  are all together:  Lester being the younger one on the left, behind him is Wright, with Wright's wife Lizzie (Elizabeth Titus) besides Lester. Standing in the back is Grandpa Josh with his wife Alice on the right. Ira is in the right front with his wife Allie (Almira Fisher) just slightly behind and to the left of him. Date of photo unknown, but Wright married in 1903 and Ira died in 1905, which gives us a small window when this photo could have been taken. Lester would marry much later  - in 1923, to Florence Purdy.

One of the stories I've heard told about Grandpa Josh  was that he had a temper and sometimes he & Alice fought. Matter of fact, (they would say) he lived out in the garage for a time. The garage they referred to was once Grandpa Josh's shop. he bought it in 1885 and then began to build their house next to it. I thought this a funny story growing up.

Wright, Joshua and Ira

 Then, as I began to research the family tree an odd thing happened. I found Alice & Lester in the census, but not Grandpa Josh. He was alive, so why wasn't he there? Family reminded me he lived in the garage for a while... apparently not for a night or two, but for a year or more.  Sure enough, looking around the neighborhood in the census, there Grandpa Josh was, living by himself in the Garage.  It wasn't the last Census I found him listed living alone either. no one seems to know how long he lived out there, or if it was an on and off type of thing.









Grandpa Josh, along with his sons Lester and Wright were well known for their carpentry skills. Some of the buildings for Trinity-Pawling, a private boys school in Pawling, NY, were built by the three of them.  The family also hunted. In 1926, at 77, Joshua was mentioned in the paper for getting some squirrel and a pheasant.

Alice Chase Cornell died in July of 1939, after being ill for a few weeks.  Grandpa Josh however lived a long time. When he turned 91 his family threw him a big get-together to celebrate. Joshua was the last of his siblings to pass away, in 1943 at the age of 94.

Lois Albee and Joshua Cornell  April 8,1942 at Grandpa Josh's home

   

Ira J. Cornell - May 30, 1874 - March 29, 1905

My Great Grandfather Lester Cornell had two brothers, Ira and Wright Cornell. Ira was the oldest, and he died young of tuberculosis, or so I’d been told, so he's been a bit of a mystery...

Then one day I was gifted with some old pictures. You know the kind, grey or sepia pictures of people on cardboard backing, usually they are faded and worn around the edges. Often there’s something somewhat familiar about their faces, but you’re not sure what.

The photographer is someone you never heard of in a place you’re not sure your relative ever went to; and to top it off, when you turn them over there’s no name on the back. Downright frustrating to be given a ton of great granny’s pictures… only to find out she was the only one who know who was in them.

This time it was different – I turned them over and there in spidery pencil was written names – some with question marks, but names all the same. I promptly started asking questions of anyone from that branch of the family and in that way I discovered many things from those few pictures.

Great Grandpa Lester was much younger than his brother - 15 years younger – and since Ira didn't have kids and died young not much was known about him. Other family members seem to recall his wife lived in CT in her later years after he died, but they’d lost track of her over the years. So, armed with a couple of old pictures and some sketchy data, I began the hunt.

First – the census. In 1880, I find Ira is 6, living with his brother Wright with his parents Joshua and Alice in Yorktown, Westchester Co, NY. In 1900, I find his family all in Yorktown, but Ira requires some more searching. There are 9 Ira Cornells in the census for that year, He is the one living with his wife Almira with her parents Henry and Jennie in Manhattan.

 

This sort of goes with a family comment that he did “some photography down near the city” at one time. In 1910, I find lots of Iras, But not the one I’m looking for. In CT I find an Almira Cornell, the correct age, widowed, living with her mother – So by this I believe Ira has died. I find his mother, father and Lester living in Yorktown again. Alice is listed as having borne 3 children, 2 of which are living and this backs up my hunch that Ira has died. in 1920, I find no Ira that fits this family... so I move on to other records.

In some cemetery listings for Westchester county I do some more searches for the missing Ira. I find a possible one in Mahopac and reach out to a cousin who might know if this is the correct one. Jeanette and her mom Lois (Lester’s daughter) going for a drive one weekend and find the stone I mentioned in Mahopac. They find a full death date and he is buried among the Fisher family – His Wife, Almira’s family. There’s a marking for the Masons on his stone, which adds a bit of information too.

Online at the Mahopac Library I find copies of the Putnam county paper dating way back… and give it a few looks to see what I can find on Ira Cornell. Sure enough,. A few days after his death I find a column describing his death and where he’ll be buried. He was 30 years old and died of consumption.

Knowing Almira's full name and the fact Ira married by 1900, I began to look for marriage records. Nothing is found in Westchester county where Ira was born. However now knowing he was in NY city in 1900, I look at the NY city indexes and find success. Ira J Cornell married Almira Fisher in Manhattan, NY on February 21, 1899. I wonder if any of the family traveled to the city that day to celebrate with them.

So by looking in several places and some help from other family members I've been able to piece together a bit of information to fill in the mystery of Great-Grand-Uncle Ira.  Ira didn't have any children, so my search doesn't go much further with his story. But finally we know a little more of one of Lester's brothers.

Silas Fowler Tompkins

1. SILAS FOWLER TOMPKINS, my great-great-grandfather was born on 24 Feb 1825. He died on 02 Apr 1913.

When he was 21, he married Martha Ann Horton, daughter of Elias Quereau Horton and Mary Lyon on 26 Nov 1846. Martha was born on 26 Dec 1829 in Yorktown, Westchester Co, NY. She died on 06 Sep 1897.

Silas built a desk, which my cousin now has. She refinished it and sent some pictures so I could see it, including the nameplate with Silas' name in his own writing. 

I also found a copy of the Civil War Draft registrations which included Silas F Tompkins. He was 38. I believe the other Tompkins listed on the same page are relatives, but I'm not sure how yet. I have not found any record of Silas actually serving in the civil war.

My great grand aunt, Ruth Townsend Purdy did a lot of research on our family over the years. I have some of her research books and notes.

She had a family bible that had the Tompkins family information in it. I've never actually seen the bible in person, as it was donated to a research place when she passed away.

A distant cousin had pictures of the pages in it as well Aunt Ruth's transcriptions.

  She shared that information with me, and here is the page that had Silas's birth and Death dates on it along with many others.

Silass Birth is listed  in the top left corner and his death in the lower right corner.

Silas Fowler Tompkins and Martha Ann Horton had the following children:

i. MARY ELIZA TOMPKINS was born on 18 Jul 1848 in Westchester Co, NY. She died on 04 Jul 1921 in Westchester Co, NY. She married Reuben R Bunyea on 20 Sep 1871. He was born on 22 Feb 1831. He died on 22 Jan 1929.

ii. SARA JANE TOMPKINS was born on 20 Jan 1851 in Westchester Co, NY. She died on 2 Sep 1852 in Yorktown, Westchester Co, NY.

iii. HENRIETTA TOMPKINS was born on 30 Sep 1853 in Westchester Co, NY. She died on 10 Mar 1906 in Westchester Co, NY. She married Benjamin P Sipp on 20 Mar 1883. He was born on 18 May 1855. He died on 02 Dec 1916.

iv. CORNELIA A. TOMPKINS was born on 21 Feb 1856 in Westchester Co, NY. She died on 19 Sep 1934 in Westchester Co, NY. She married Orlando Lent on 16 May 1876. He was born on 01 Jul 1840. He died on 17 May 1925.

v. GEORGE H TOMPKINS was born on 15 Dec 1858 in Westchester Co, NY. He died on 17 Mar 1886 in Westchester Co, NY.

vi. IDA MAE TOMPKINS was born on 19 Nov 1861 in Westchester Co, NY. She died on 20 Mar 1937 in Westchester Co, NY. She married Jacob Irving Purdy, son of Jacob G. Purdy and Esther S. Sarles on 09 Dec 1891 in Yorktown, Westchester Co, NY. He was born on 17 Jan 1849. He died on 06 Jun 1919 in Granite Springs, Somers, Westchester Co, NY.

vii. ULLYSSES G TOMPKINS was born on 15 Jul 1866 in Westchester Co, NY. He died on 5 Oct 1948. He married Florence Slaving, daughter of Henry Slaving and Catherine Purdy on 05 Jun 1892 in Croton Falls, Westchester Co, NY. She was born on 15 Jun 1875. She died after 1930.

Silas and Martha are buried in the Amawalk cemetery in Yorktown, Westchester county, NY.

Obadiah Chase

I have a couple of ancestors that descend from the first settlers of America. Obadiah Chase is a descendant of one of the passengers on the Mayflower, Stephen Hopkins.

The tree from Stephens Hopkins to Obadiah is:

Stephen's son Gyles Hopkins and wife Catherine Whelen

their son Stephen Hopkins and wife Mary Merrick

their daughter Mary Hopkins and husband John Maker

their daughter Thankful Maker and husband Isaac Chase
their son Obadiah Chase who was born 1743 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Obadiah was the second child of 9 sibilings. When he was about 22 he married Susannah Knapp.

Below you can see how he fits into the family tree.
Obadiah is not only a Mayflower descendant, but also served in the revolutionary war.

 He is listed in the Daughter's of the American Revolution's Patriot Index.  All of us who can document our family line back to him caan become a member of the DAR, or of the Sons of the American Revolution. He is buried in the Old Carmel Church in Putnam County, NY.  He has a couple of gravestones as well as being recognized on a group moument as one of the soldiers in the American War of Independance.

               

The descendants of Abraham Cornell & Mary "Polly" Brady

My latest obsession in my family tree research is seeing just how many descendants I can identify for this one couple, Abraham Cornell and His wife Mary Brady (also known as Polly Brady) Abraham was Farmer in New Castle, Westchester Co, NY. In his later years he moved to Sing Sing (now known as Ossing) N.Y. So far I have found 107 descendants, which is pretty good considering only 5 of his children married and had families of their own.





Abraham Cornell (James, William, Joshua, Joshua, John, Thomas Cornell) was born 01 Mar 1784, and died 31 Jul 1862 in New Castle, Westchester Co, NY. He married Mary "Polly" Brady 1808 in New Castle, Westchester Co, NY, daughter of Reuben Brady and Elizabeth Kniffen. She was born 1784, and died 06 Feb 1874. Abraham's Father was James Cornell & his mother may have been Elizabeth Chadeayne.




Children of Abraham Cornell and Mary Brady are:
i. Sarah Ann Cornell, born 16 Oct 1806; died 21 Sep 1818.
ii. Sally Ann Cornell, born 1808; died young.
iii. John Cornell, born Abt. 1809; died 1832.
iv. Jacob G. Cornell, born 03 Feb 1811 in Westchester Co, NY; died 28 May 1878 in Westchester Co, NY.
v. James Cornell, born 25 Jan 1813 in New Castle, Westchester Co, NY; died 02 Sep 1879.
vi. Eliza Ann Cornell, born 1815; died Aft. 1860 Unmarried.
vii. Deborah Cornell, born 1819; died Aft. 1860 Unmarried.
viii. Sarah Cornell, born 15 Feb 1821 in New Castle, Westchester Co, NY; died Abt. 1884.
ix. Oliver C. Cornell, born 1827; died 09 Dec 1913.


Does anyone know if Abraham's mother really was Elizabeth Chadeayne? Mary's mother Elizabeth seems to be another mystery - where was she from? Who did Jacob G marry? What was Jacob's middle name? Where are Deborah and Eliza buried? Did Sarah have a family of her own? If you know anymore about these folks, drop me an email at MizRebecky@gmail.com. I'd be happy to hear from you.