11-APR-2013

to tom
My Dad was Donald Gerald Farmer, his Mom (Veronica Derkovitz) divorced his Dad (Lawrence Farmer) when my dad was 18 months old, they had 2 sons, my Uncle Lawrence and my dad. they were raised by my grandmothers parents who were Hungarian immagrants. My Uncle Lawrence and his wife (Geraldine Gloss) had 6 children, Larry Jr., Frankie, Freddie, Richie, Jeannie and Veronica. We lived across the street from them all our lives in Lancaster. I have no idea who Anne is.
I'm on facebook as well. I'll try to find you. Talk to you soon.

Bob

 

 

15-APR-2013

to tom
Hi Tom, I hope I'm not bothering you but I have some additional info for you. My Uncle Hanks birthday is June 4, 1940 and he dies July 28, 1963. He is buried with his parents in St. Mary's Cemetery in Lancaster, New York. My parents are also buried in the same cemetery. My Aunt Bev was cremated and her ashes are in my Uncle Don's home. My Uncle Sonny & Aunt Maria were also cremated and I do not know where there ashes are. I hope this helps you. Thanks for doing what you do.

farbomusic@aol.com via weichmann.org
Apr 16 (1 day ago)

to tom
Thanks, how cool is that, most of the folks are all buried in St. Mary's Cemetery as well. Desmond went by Dave (he was my Godfather). My Great-grandparents, are as well as Marty (he built a house across the street from the cemetery and died with in two year. Gregory and his wife Rosie are in St. Augustines and Louie and his wife Stephie are in St. Adelberts. Here's a story that my Dad told (and re-told) many time when we would drive down Sheldon Ave. which crosses Hinchy. After Mom passed I went looking to see if it was like he told it and I ended up at the Lancaster Historical Society talking to a guy name Ed Makula who had joined the navy in WWII and sold his Model A to one of the guys. He got a letter telling him about this. These were my dad's friends. I have a copy of the story and I typed it in word for word.
Here’s the story as it appeared in the Lancaster paper on November 2, 1946.
Tragedy Victims Buried Saturday:
Five Young People Killed at Sheldon Avenue Crossing.
Funeral services were held last Saturday for the five youthful victims of Lancaster’s worst grade crossing tragedy. Throngs of sympathizers packed St. Mary’s Church and Trinity Episcopal Church, where services took place.
The bodies of Colletta Weber 15, and her two brothers, Leo Jr., 21, and James F., 18 were bore in three hearses from there home at 1 Ellicott Rd. to St. Mary’s Church, where a requiem high Mass was sung at 9:30 the Rev. Martin L. Zilling, S.J. of St. Ann’s Church, Buffalo. The Rev. Howard M. Adolph said prayers at the graves in St. Mary’s Cemetery. The three victims are survived by their parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Weber, a brother, Linus, and a sister Anna Marie.
At 9 o’clock, services were held at St. Mary’s for a fourth victim John H. Stiegler, 18 son of Mr. and Mrs. George Stiegler of 86 West Drullard Ave., Lancaster. An uncle of the youth Rev. Benjamin Kuhn, OFM, of Sienna College, Albany, sang the requiem high Mass. Besides his parents, he is survived by a brother Raymond and four sisters: Mrs. Marian Howe of Buffalo, Mrs. Joseph Andrews, Agnes and Beatrice Stiegler. Beatrice, 15 had just left the ill-fated group only a half hour before the tragedy and for a time was believed to have been a sixth victim. She was prostrated and wept openly throughout the services.
Services for the fourth victim, George H. Lanthier, 20, were conducted from his home at 39 Erie St. at 2 in the afternoon at then from the trinity Episcopal Church, with the Rev. William Howard officiating.
Besides his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lanthier he is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Lawrence Kell, and Marguerite Lanthier and three brothers, Eugene, XXX and Robert.
The fatal accident occurred shortly after midnight last Thursday morning, when the five young people, returning home from a movie, were struck in their two cars automobiles at the Sheldon Ave. crossing of the New York Central by the speeding passenger train, the Advance Commodore Vanderbilt.
The two cars, standing side by side on the south side of the crossing, had waited until an southbound passenger train passed and then proceeded onto the tracks failing to see the approach of the fast moving Vanderbilt special.
Both machines were pulverized
And the bodied hurled through the air, one landing 700 feet from the point of impact.
Lancaster Town and Village Police and the Fire Department’s first aid crew rushed to the scene and, under a quickly improvised system of flood lights, worked for more than two hours removing the bodies and the wreckage. Rev. A.J. Bernardo of Our Lady of Pompeii Church, Lancaster, administered the last rights of the Catholic Church. The bodies were removed to the Erie County Morgue.
Leo Weber and George Lanthier were World War II vets, the former having served with the U. S. Navy, and the latter in the Army on Leyte, Lanthier had been home on terminal leave only four days.
James Weber and John Stiegler were both members of the New York State Guard, 65th Regiment.
Several fatal accidents during the past few years have occurred at the Sheldon Ave. crossing, which is protected only a mechanical blinker system.
END
Now Ellicott Rd. is the next block up from where this happened, maybe four houses up the street, and since Dad’s bed was not in the attic no one in his house thought to look for him there. His family assumed that he also was in one of the cars. You can imagine their surprise when he came down from the attic to check out the commotion. Dad had just turned 17. at that time he was working at the Lancaster show and at Buffalo Crushed Stone. The following year he would meet my Mom and in two years they would marry. He would work at Buffalo Crushed Stone for the next 60+ years.
I knew Rev. Bernardo because my Dad's Mom was the housekeeper at OLOP.
I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying talking to you. It's really helping the healing process of losing Mom.