Sunday, May 10, 2009

Miscellaneous obituaries continued...

ELWOOD
John W. Elwood
– Special to the New York Times, Washington, PA. Jan 20, 1933 –
John William Elwood, one of the last two survivors or the Ringgold Cavalry battalion in the civil War, is dead at Belle Vernon, near here. He was 91 years old. The sole survivor is Hopkins Moffitt of Daisytown, this county. Mr. Elwood was wounded in an engagement. He was a native of Washington County. A widow, a son and three daughters survive.

[John Elwood is buried in Beallsville Cemetery and was the author of “Elwood’s Stories of the Old Ringgold Cavalry 1847 – 1865: The First Three Year Cavalry of the Civil War” published in 1914. ]

MOFFITT
Hopkins Moffitt
, County’s Oldest War Veteran, Dies
Venerable Survivor of Struggle Between North and South Would Have Been 100 Years Old Next March – Funeral 2:30 P.M. Today
Hopkins Moffitt, Washington County’s oldest veteran of the Civil War, died Saturday afternoon at 4 o’clock at his home, near Daisytown, in West Pike Run Township.
Mr. Moffitt would have been 100 year old next March 31 and had always hoped to attain the century milestone.
Remarkably active for a man of his years, it is believed Mr. Moffitt would have attained that goal but for hurts suffered in a fall some months ago. Although he recovered, he never regained his former rugged health.
Pneumonia was the direct cause of death.
Mr. Moffitt was the last survivor of the original Ringgold Battalion, first independent unit of its type to be accepted for service when hostilities developed between the North and South.
Serving throughout the war as a member of the cavalry which attained fame, Mr Moffitt was twice wounded.
Enlisting for service at Beallsville June 24, 1861, Mr. Moffitt, with others, went to Carmichaels, Morgantown and finally Grafton, W. Va., being mustered into service at the latter place on June 29, five days later. The historic Shenandoah Valley was the scene of the operations of most of the Ringgold units, their commanding officers including General Phil Sheridan. Mr. Moffitt was in General Sheridan’s command at the time he made his historic ride.
Mr. Moffitt’s half-brother, Jonathan West, was killed while in service.
A member of one of the old prominent families of the southeastern part of Washington County, Mr. Moffitt was born in West Pike Run Township and resided there continuously except for the years he spent in the Union Army.
Mr. Moffitt had always resided on the farm. He was the proud owner for a long period of a horse which he brought back from the South and had animals from the same strain for an even longer period.
Mr. Moffitt, a venerable citizen active in the affairs of his community, had a distinguished record as a soldier, being cited on several occasions for bravery.
Mr. Moffitt was a member of the oak Grove Presbyterian Church and held membership in the William Horton Post, G.A.R., as long as that organization existed. He was one of the last of the veterans in southeastern Washington County and was the honor guest on patriotic occasions at Centerville, Beallsville and Fredericktown.
Two sons survive: I. F. Moffitt, of Los Gatos, Cal., and A. H. Moffitt, at the home place near Daisytown. He leaves a sister, Mrs. Margaret McJunkin and six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at the Moffitt home this afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. Burial will be in the cemetery of historic Taylor M. E. Church.

HILL
Crushed In The Clyde Co. Mine
I.C. Hill, a Carpenter, Died To0day of Injuries Received Tuesday Afternoon
I. C. Hill, aged 28 years, and residing at Centerville, Tuesday afternoon received horrible injuries in the mine of the Clyde Coal company at that place, resulting in his death shortly after 1 o’clock Wednesday morning.
The deceased was a well known resident of Centerville, and was the sort of Joseph H. Hill, of that place. He had been employed at the carpenter trade by the coal company, and on Tuesday, pay day, was at the mines. He had gone to the office to receive his pay, and while standing around waiting his turn, decided to take a ride into the mine. He jumped on a load of empties and made the trip in successfully. In coming out on the loaded cars, in some manner one of his knees caught on the side of the entry, and he was dragged from the car, falling between the wall of the mine and the car, in a space only about 6 inches wide. Before the cars were stopped he had received terrible injuries, his body being almost crushed. He was taken to his home and death occurred at the time mentioned.
A wife and two children survive. His sudden death has come as a great shock to his relatives and friends. The coroner’s office has been notified.

[This was my Great-grandfather]

SPINDLER
Alvin C. Spindler
is Summoned by Death – Pittsburgh, April 7 – (AP).
Alvin Curtis Spindler, former school teacher, newspaperman and attorney, died tonight in his Pittsburgh hoe. He was 72 years old.
A son of W. R. and Elizabeth Colvin Spindler, he was born at East Bethlehem Township, Washington County, where he spent his early life. He moved to Pittsburgh in 1881, where he worked as a reporter on several newspapers.
He attended Washington and Jefferson College as a member of the Class of 1886 and studied law at the University of Michigan. He was principal of the Claysville schools for several years.
Funeral services will be held in the family home tomorrow and burial will be in Beallsville Cemetery, Washington County.
He is survived by his wife. The late George A. Spindler, once superintendent of Washington County schools was a brother.

GARRETT
William W. Garrett
, 83 years four months and 25 days, died at the home of this sister, Mrs. Austin Amos of 133 Maple Avenue, Washington, Saturday, Jan 1, at 9:20 pm.
Son of William and Sarah McGinnis Garrett, he was born in Morgan Township, Greene County, but had resided in Washington 20 years.
Mr. Garrett, a stonemason by trade had been unable to work for a number of years because of failing health.
He is survived by one sister, Mrs. Austin Amos, with whom he has made his hoe, and by several nephews and nieces.

DORSEY
Mrs. Mary Z. Dorsey
, Brownsville, R.D.2 died Sunday, May 7, 1961, at 12:40 pm in Washington Hospital, where she had been a patient since January 10.
She was born in Wylandville, a daughter of William and Sarah Zediker.
Mrs. Dorsey attended Muskingham College and graduated from California State Teachers College. Prior to her marriage to George Dorsey, who preceded her in death January 18, 1956, she taught for many years in Washington County Schools.
She was a member of Taylor Methodist Church, where she was extremely active as long as her health permitted.
Recently she received the past president’s pin from the Women’s Society of Christian Service, of which she was president when the organizational change was made from the Ladies Aid Society.
For Several years she taught the prescribed Bible Class at Taylor Methodist Church. Despite failing health her interest continued and at the time of her death she was vice president of the Washington district of Women’s Society of Christian Service.
Surviving are two brothers, William E. and Robert W Zediker, both of Eighty Four; one sister, Mrs. Hugh Berry, Belle Plaine, Kan.; three nieces, Mrs. Arthur Reihner, Washington; Mrs. Thomas Cooper and Marjorie Zediker, both of Eighty Four, and one nephew, John C. Zediker, Eighty Four.
Two brothers, Howard B. and John C. Zediker, are deceased.