1 CMNT They Had 12 Children
Obituary: CHAUMONT---May 2: Adam I. Cratsenberg, who died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Duane Hilts, of the Morris Tract, April 21 was born in Johnstown, April 6, 1817, the son of John A. & Mary Grems Cratsenberg. When a young man he
came to Watertown, where, in 1838, he married Miss Esther Averill. He followed the occupations of tanner and currier until the breaking out of the civil war, when he enlisted for two years. He was a 1st sergeant during the greater part of his
enlistment.He was in the battles of Rappahannock Station, Antietam, Fredericksburg, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor. At Cold Harbor, June 2, 1861, he lost an arm. During his service he was captured and confined in Libby
prison 2 months and 11 days. In 1866 he went to keep the light at Tibbetts Point, at Cape Vincent, serving the government faithfully for 20 years. Since then he has resided with his daughter, Mrs. Duane Hilts. An almost helpless cripple for
15 years past by reason of a broken hip, Mr. Cratsenberg has borne his sufferings with Christian cheerfulness and resignation.He was a member of the Presbyterian Church at Cape Vincent, where his funeral was held April 26. He was a member of the G.A.R., and also of the Watertown I.O.O.F. since his early manhood. The former bore his body to the grave, the latter
conducted the funeral. Of the 12 children born to him, but three survive, Mrs. Hilts, Miss May, of Chaumont, and Mrs. Amos Jones, of Owesso, Mich. He is also survived by two brothers, Conrad, of Natural Bridge, and Andrew, of Burr Oak, IN.
Mr. Cratsenberg was a member of the fire department of Watertown village from 1859 to 1865, from which he had an honorable discharge. He was faithtul to duty, whether home or country, and has rounded out a long, well-spent life and gone to his
reward.-------------------------A letter to the Times: I have read the brief notice in the Times of April 25 of the death of Adam I. Cratzenberg, at the advanced age of 84, and now the writing of his name recalls to mind former days when he was a workman in the tannery of B.
F. Hotchkin & Son, when I would often enter his name upon the books of the firm when paying wages to the men.Mr. Cratzenberg was an early resident of Watertown, learning his trade with Jason Fairbanks. He was one of the original members of the Neptune Fire company in 1835, and was probably the oldest former member of the department. He left
Watertown many years ago, and for years followed his trade in Oneida county, where he reared a large family of children.In 1859 he returned to Watertown and entered our employ as stated, and rejoined his old fire company. At the outbreak of the war, in 1861, Cratzenberg was in the employ of the late Milton Clark in the same line of business, and at the age
of 44 enlisted in the 35th regiment, N.Y.V., serving under Col. N. M. Lord in Capt. L. F. Lyttle's company.He enlisted at an age old enough to be the father of almost any comrade in his regiment, but he was very patriotic and fell into the ranks as a private with the boys, serving with them through the Virginia campaign, until badly wounded,
losing an arm at the battle of Cold Harbor.When he enlisted, his employer, Mr. Clark, as patriotic as his workman, said to him, "Cratzenberg your wages shall be paid to your family. If you do not return they will be provided for."
Upon his return in 1865, when nearly 50 years old, in his disabled condition and when he could no longer perform manual labor, his friends in Watertown, through A. W. Clark, M. C., procured his appointment as lighthouse keeper at Tibbett's
Point, where for years he performed his duties well, and up to the administration of Grover Cleveland, when one day I received a letter from Mr. Cratzenberg saying that there were several democrats after his place, that he would not remain in
the position to be turned out, and asking the advice in the matter. I made reply that the new administration would not be likely to turn out crippled veterans from minor positions, where their "lights had been kept burning," and their record
was good, and advised him to hold on to his place.Hon. D. O'Brien and other prominent democrats, who were in touch with the administration, assured me that they would favor the retention of Cratzenberg, but he voluntarily resigned. That he could have retained the place I have little doubt,
but he had his peculiarities, and was an intense republican and took the view that he preferred to resign rather than to be displaced by a democrat.There can now hardly be any survivors of the 35th regiment as old as was he.
J. L. Hotchkin
Chicago, April 30, 1901.
Obituary: CROGHAN---Raymond H. Potter, 81, Indian River Road, died Saturday at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Utica. He had been ill for the past six months.
The funeral will be Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at the Scanlon Funeral Home and at 11 a.m. at the United Methodist Church, Beaver Falls, with Rev. Elizabeth Mowry, pastor, officiating.
Burial in Riverside Annex Cemetery, Beaver Falls.
Calling hours will be today from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
He is survived by his wife, Pearl; three daughters, Mrs. John (Joyce) Ackley, Central Square, Mrs. John (Elsie) Berry, Rodman, and Mrs. Kenneth (Yvonne) Hockey, Naumberg; 17 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and
nephews.Two sons, Darwin S. and Raymond I., and a brother, Augustus, died previously.
Born in Chaumont on Nov. 5, 1903, the son of Ulysses Dahlgrin and Hattie Bell Hilts Potter, he worked for J.P. Lewis Company, Beaver Falls, as a plumber. He had also worked on farms in LaFargeville and for Elmer English, lumber
contractor, Croghan.He married Pearl Plantz on Nov. 27, 1929 in Redwood.
He was a member of the United Methodist Church, Beaver Falls, Belfort Grange 533, Pamona Grange, Lewis County, and the New York State Grange and National Grange.
Obituary: CARTHAGE---Pearl M. Crowell, 88, of 21246 Oxford St., died Tuesday in the emergency room at Samaritan Medical Center, Watertown, after being stricken ill at the Madonna Home, Watertown, where she had resided temporarily.
Born April 15, 1909, in Alexandria Bay, daughter of Irving and Elsie Hall Plantz, she attended area schools. She was a homemaker all her life.
She married Raymond Potter on Nov. 27, 1929, at the home of Floyd White, Redwood, with the Rev. Ernest Bragg officiating. Mr. Potter, a retiree of J.P. Lewis Co., Beaver Falls, died Sept. 5, 1985.
She married Orley Tooley in February 1987 in Beaver Falls United Methodist Church. Mr. Tooley, a retiree of District 65 Labor Union, New York City, and a gemologist, died June 15, 1991.
She married Allen Crowell on Jan. 8, 1994.
Mrs. Crowell was a lecturer for the former Belfort Grange. She was a member of Beaver Valley United Methodist Church, Beaver Falls, and attended Calvary Assembly of God, West Carthage.
Surviving besides her husband are three daughters, Joyce E. Ackley, Hastings, Elsie B. Berry, Rodman, and Yvonne "Bonnie" Hockey, Carthage; 11 stepchildren; 17 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; eight great-great-grandchildren; 41
stepgrandchildren and 38 step-great-grandchildren.Two sons died before her, Darwin Potter on Dec. 12, 1977, and Raymond Potter on May 26, 1976.
The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Bossuot-Lundy Funeral Home, Carthage, with the Rev. Anthony P. Niger II, pastor of Calvary Assembly of God, West Carthage, officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery Annex, Beaver Falls.
Calling hours will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.