Victory Union Cemetery contains the graves of early settlers and founding fathers, politicians and professionals, veterans of all wars, and more than 200 graves of the very young who either died of disease or untimely accidents. The cemetery association was organized on July 31, 1875. As we stand in the cemetery on Memorial Day, we remember our ancestors and veterans.
On a cemetery tour I gave nearly 10 years ago, I found the oldest grave was that which marked the death of Ezekiel L. Enos who died on April 15, 1823. This “garden of stone” also contains the graves of Lewis Ford Hager (wife, Jennie Harris Hager) former New York state assemblyman and his son, E. Harris Hager, associated with Cayuga County Saving Bank. Harris' wife, Ruth Timerson Hager, taught school here for nearly 50 years.
Ralph D. DeMass, buried at Victory in an old family plot, was a teacher and eventually supervising principal at Red Creek Central School from the 1940s through 1970s. Matthias Vanderhuyden, also here, was appointed the first commissioner of schools at the 1821 town meeting.
The Burghdorf brothers, Charles, Hiram and Andy, were fruit and vegetable farmers, and their family established the “dry houses,” the forerunner of the canning factories, in Victory and Westbury. Hiram Knapp was a staunch Republican and had voted in 71 elections from the time he was 21 in 1881 until he died in 1956 at 96.
The William, Clayton and Reginald Coppernoll families were farmers and ran a creamery in Victory and also a mill in Cato. Some family members played in the Victory orchestra. There was a touching account of the death of Gracie Coppernoll when she died of scarlet fever in 1877 at 5: “Gracie, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Coppernoll of Victory, was tenderly laid in the damp valley by sorrowful hearts after a brief illness of scarlet fever. She was one of those sweet beings with whom it was impossible to become acquainted without admiring and loving. Her years were only five, but she became endeared to many by her sweetness of manner and gentle womanly ways. Her mother, by whom she was almost idolized, was completely overpowered by her death, being insensible to the presence of friends, only conscious of her loss, but after several days of medicine aid, she became better and is gradually improving.”
Civil War veterans buried here are William Fleming, Nathanial Frazer, John H. Hager, Raymond Longyear, Erastus Palmer, William H. Root, Cornelius Sliter and Truman Smith.
James and Sara Jane Drummond came from Scotland. They and their two children, Sarah Cynthia and Samuel T., all died during the typhoid epidemic in the 1870s.
Oral and Flora Houghtaling, who died in the 1950s were farmers and worked in the dry house. Their son, Paul, was a member of the Army Air Corp. and achieved the rank of staff sergeant in the 46th fighter squadron. He was an avid baseball fan and coached baseball.
The Thomas Coleman family emigrated from Ireland and started the Presbyterian Church. His sons, Samuel and Ashabel, served in various town positions. Fred and Belle Coleman were married nearly 69 years when they died in 1968. Wayne and Bessie Coleman were farmers and also Red Creek Central School bus drivers for many years.
John and Hannah Coulling were born in Goucestershire, England and settled in Victory in 1843. Steven Coulling was an assessor for 33 years and his daughter, Blanch Coulling, was a village schoolteacher for nearly 50 years.
David Goodrich, William and Abijah Hager, Ellen and Manroe Smith, Joe Raiti and Ed Hornburg were grocers. Ed went with a grocer's cart selling house to house in the country in exchange for eggs and butter. The Almonzo and Joseph Parsons families were direct descendants of Cornet Joseph Parsons, one of the founders of Springfield, Mass. in 1636. George Parson's son, Gerald, was in charge of the history and genealogy department at the Onondaga County Library in past years. Addison Wetherby and David Woodford were postmasters appointed under President Lincoln.
The Christopher and Edward Timerson families were farmers and lovers of horses. They drove their teams in many parades and on the hearse for Oral French, a Victory undertaker.
The Frederic and Frederica Hornburg families came from Ault Kancalene, near Hamburg, Germany for the opportunity to buy land. Will Hornburg was well known for his threshing machine and worked on the town's first stone crusher with James Coleman, Bert Mack, George Pitroff and Frank Batts.
Jack Harte was the first fire chief when the fire department organized in 1946. He and his wife, Edna, ran a small stand/diner in town.
The Joseph Raiti family brought their cheese-making talents from Sicily in 1912.
Jean and Maude Thompson Butts patented a process for moving large trees. Jean and his son, Jerry, who now lives down South, were commissioned to go to Gettysburg, Pa. in 1955 to transplant trees at the newly acquired country home of President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Maude Butts wrote histories of the Methodist Church, the town of Victory and traced her family back to the Mayflower.
The Claude Houghtaling family along with the Morris and Norris Jones family ran the Four Corners Garage. Claude Houghtaling also had a TV sales business and was the first pilot in the area. Barbara Jones, Norris' wife, taught many Victory youth (including me) how to ride a motorcycle. The Houghtaling, Jones and Coleman families went on many hunting and fishing trips into Canada.
The Willard and Mary Richardson families were fruit and vegetable farmers. Willard was one of the best shots in the area, and his family was well known for their excellent trapping abilities. This is but a sampling of our rich heritage. Come visit us.
Beverly Sayles grew up in the town of Victory and writes about
its history
Ralph D. DeMass, buried at Victory in an old family plot, was a teacher and eventually supervising principal at Red Creek Central School from the 1940s through 1970s. Matthias Vanderhuyden, also here, was appointed the first commissioner of schools at the 1821 town meeting.
The Burghdorf brothers, Charles, Hiram and Andy, were fruit and vegetable farmers, and their family established the “dry houses,” the forerunner of the canning factories, in Victory and Westbury. Hiram Knapp was a staunch Republican and had voted in 71 elections from the time he was 21 in 1881 until he died in 1956 at 96.
The William, Clayton and Reginald Coppernoll families were farmers and ran a creamery in Victory and also a mill in Cato. Some family members played in the Victory orchestra. There was a touching account of the death of Gracie Coppernoll when she died of scarlet fever in 1877 at 5: “Gracie, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Coppernoll of Victory, was tenderly laid in the damp valley by sorrowful hearts after a brief illness of scarlet fever. She was one of those sweet beings with whom it was impossible to become acquainted without admiring and loving. Her years were only five, but she became endeared to many by her sweetness of manner and gentle womanly ways. Her mother, by whom she was almost idolized, was completely overpowered by her death, being insensible to the presence of friends, only conscious of her loss, but after several days of medicine aid, she became better and is gradually improving.”
Civil War veterans buried here are William Fleming, Nathanial Frazer, John H. Hager, Raymond Longyear, Erastus Palmer, William H. Root, Cornelius Sliter and Truman Smith.
James and Sara Jane Drummond came from Scotland. They and their two children, Sarah Cynthia and Samuel T., all died during the typhoid epidemic in the 1870s.
Oral and Flora Houghtaling, who died in the 1950s were farmers and worked in the dry house. Their son, Paul, was a member of the Army Air Corp. and achieved the rank of staff sergeant in the 46th fighter squadron. He was an avid baseball fan and coached baseball.
The Thomas Coleman family emigrated from Ireland and started the Presbyterian Church. His sons, Samuel and Ashabel, served in various town positions. Fred and Belle Coleman were married nearly 69 years when they died in 1968. Wayne and Bessie Coleman were farmers and also Red Creek Central School bus drivers for many years.
John and Hannah Coulling were born in Goucestershire, England and settled in Victory in 1843. Steven Coulling was an assessor for 33 years and his daughter, Blanch Coulling, was a village schoolteacher for nearly 50 years.
David Goodrich, William and Abijah Hager, Ellen and Manroe Smith, Joe Raiti and Ed Hornburg were grocers. Ed went with a grocer's cart selling house to house in the country in exchange for eggs and butter. The Almonzo and Joseph Parsons families were direct descendants of Cornet Joseph Parsons, one of the founders of Springfield, Mass. in 1636. George Parson's son, Gerald, was in charge of the history and genealogy department at the Onondaga County Library in past years. Addison Wetherby and David Woodford were postmasters appointed under President Lincoln.
The Christopher and Edward Timerson families were farmers and lovers of horses. They drove their teams in many parades and on the hearse for Oral French, a Victory undertaker.
The Frederic and Frederica Hornburg families came from Ault Kancalene, near Hamburg, Germany for the opportunity to buy land. Will Hornburg was well known for his threshing machine and worked on the town's first stone crusher with James Coleman, Bert Mack, George Pitroff and Frank Batts.
Jack Harte was the first fire chief when the fire department organized in 1946. He and his wife, Edna, ran a small stand/diner in town.
The Joseph Raiti family brought their cheese-making talents from Sicily in 1912.
Jean and Maude Thompson Butts patented a process for moving large trees. Jean and his son, Jerry, who now lives down South, were commissioned to go to Gettysburg, Pa. in 1955 to transplant trees at the newly acquired country home of President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Maude Butts wrote histories of the Methodist Church, the town of Victory and traced her family back to the Mayflower.
The Claude Houghtaling family along with the Morris and Norris Jones family ran the Four Corners Garage. Claude Houghtaling also had a TV sales business and was the first pilot in the area. Barbara Jones, Norris' wife, taught many Victory youth (including me) how to ride a motorcycle. The Houghtaling, Jones and Coleman families went on many hunting and fishing trips into Canada.
The Willard and Mary Richardson families were fruit and vegetable farmers. Willard was one of the best shots in the area, and his family was well known for their excellent trapping abilities. This is but a sampling of our rich heritage. Come visit us.
Beverly Sayles grew up in the town of Victory and writes about
its history
The Citizens' Say
There are 1 comment(s)
Brenda Worden wrote on Feb 21, 2007 10:06 PM: