Obituary from newspaper of 21 April 1948: ASHTABULA, O.,--Captain Percy Bamford, 71, of 404 West 54th street, died Thursday, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Clarence Gustafson, 2022 Walnut boulevard. He had gone to visit his daughter
Wednesday afternoon at which time he suffered a heart attack.Captain Bamford was born Oct. 1, 1876 at Clayton, a son of Delevan and Elizabeth Percy Bamford. He had made his home in Ashtabula since 1918, coming here from Madison, Ohio.
He retired as a lake steamship captain in 1941 after having sailed for 45 years. He held the rank of captain 20 years. He had been master of twelve of the 22 ships of the Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship company, in his 27 years' service.
Captain Bamford, who started sailing in 1892, entered the company's employ in 1911 as second mate of the old Pontiac. he was promoted to master in 1922 when he was placed in command of the Panay. He was captain of the Hennepin when he
retired in 1941.Captain Bamford, serving as mate of the Rydholm in 1917, reportedly walked nine miles over the ice to report that his ship had bogged down in Lake Superior ice.
He was a member of the Clayton Masonic lodge and Great Lakes Shipmasters' association.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Geneva Gosiere Bamford; two daughters, Mrs. Clarence Gustafson (Ada) and Mrs. John W. Brecht, (Lucille), Canton, Ohio; one son, Captain Percy Bamford, Milwaukee, and four granchildren.
Funeral services were held Monday, at the Zaback Funeral home. Burial was in St. Joseph's cemetery. The out-of-town relatives and friends who attended were Mr. and Mrs. Austin Gosiere of Oswego; Mrs. Edwin Sternberg, Depauville; Fred
Percy, LaFargeville, and Stanley Percy, Clayton, and Leonard Irvine, Watertown.