Continuing the series of the soldiers of Owasco who served our country during wartime, I have found difficulty in documenting the names and records of the men and women who served during World War I.
Knowing that the Veterans Organizations decorate the graves of local soldiers, I began with the cemetery records. From there, I searched for obituaries of the soldiers and when they served. I even spent hours reviewing the 1905 Census to abstract the name of every male from the age of 10-15 who was of age to go off to war in 1917 through 1918.
I was privileged to know two of these heroes of Owasco. One was Charlie Masden, who, in 1975 at age 83, was buried down the road from our home in Parsell Cemetery. I do not know if Charlie lost his leg during the war, but remember seeing him in his wheelchair at Auburn Nursing Home, his leg amputated just below the knee.
The other was William Corrigan who lived on Melrose Road. Bill died in 1984 at the age of 90. I found that Bill was the last survivor of our area's World War I veterans, and one of the first men drafted from this area. I was delighted to see he was the past Commander of Cayuga Barracks 24 of World War 1 veterans. He also was a charter member of Cayuga Post 1975 Veterans of Foreign Wars.
These two leads will help me in completing this work of finding all of the Owasco men for our Roll of Honor. I will continue this work until the record is complete. I know there has to be a lot more. Their names may not be listed here, but I will diligently seek them so no one is left off the record.
Richard Brokaw told me recently his father, Harold Brokaw lived in Owasco, and was in WWI in the Army. His brother, Lester, was in the Marines. Lester survived the battle in France only to be discharged and come home to Owasco and become a victim of Polio. He died at a very young age, barely 24 years old.
So many family stories, so much lost if we do not take the time to record them. In our own family, the diary of my mother-in-law tells of the heartache a family endures when a loved one passes away from a war injury.
It is the story of Milo Auchampaugh Sr. He was 52 when his third child, Milo Jr., was born in 1935. Elsie and Milo had been married 12 years and had lost two babies, the first a son Jimmy only lived three days.
Milo suffered from mustard gas poisoning. He was exposed to it in France during WWI. They had “pruned” his lungs, hoping the damaged areas would grown back. He was gravely ill. When he saw his son, he said, “He is a beautiful boy Elsie, but I will never live to see him grow up.” In October of 1935, when the baby was 9 months old, Milo was digging potatoes and caught cold. He was placed in a oxygen tent in Auburn City Hospital suffering from pneumonia. Sulfa drugs and antibiotics were not invented.
Elsie rode the train to Schoharie with his casket so he could be buried with the rest of his family in the Quaker Cemetery in Delanson.
In the cemetery are more than seven Milo Auchampaughs. The name goes back to the early 1700s. Milo Sr. was raised by his Quaker grandmother when his parents died. We have letters written by her to him during the war that say, “Thee be careful Milo, for thou knowest we await news from thee over there.”
Elsie sadly wrote in her diary, “I had to leave daddy there. When will I ever see him again?” She came home to a farmhouse in Throop, where her mother lived with her until she remarried in 1940. Elsie lived to be 98 years old.
During the month of November, the display cases at the Owasco Town Hall hold items from the many wars. On the WWI shelf is the helmet Milo wore in the war. There is a bullet hole scar when he was in danger in the trenches.
Next month will be the additional names of Owasco soldiers I found from WWII. I hope there will be space for some of their stories. Every home in Owasco had to be affected by a soldier gone to war.
- Sources: Obituaries - Cayuga County Historians Office, 1905 Census Cayuga County Clerks Office, cemetery records of Owasco Rural and Parsell Cemetery and Elsie B. Auchampaugh Tincknell diary, 1935
Laurel Auchampaugh is the Owasco Historian and can be reached at the Owasco Town Hall from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoons or at nowthenwasco@aol.com
The Soldiers of Owasco - World War I
Hale Barnes
Arthur Brinkerhoff
Warren Brinkerhoff 309th Inf. **
Harold S. Brokaw Army
Lester Brokaw Marines
Harold Chamberlain 1st Sgt Army
William Corrigan 309th H.Art.
Captain Wm. Hodder 108th Inf. **
Earnest C. Jones
Charles Masden
Pvt. I.E. Pearson **
Grace Post USN **
Frank Welch **
John Welch **
Note: ** after the name denotes research by Anthony Gero, former historian
I was privileged to know two of these heroes of Owasco. One was Charlie Masden, who, in 1975 at age 83, was buried down the road from our home in Parsell Cemetery. I do not know if Charlie lost his leg during the war, but remember seeing him in his wheelchair at Auburn Nursing Home, his leg amputated just below the knee.
The other was William Corrigan who lived on Melrose Road. Bill died in 1984 at the age of 90. I found that Bill was the last survivor of our area's World War I veterans, and one of the first men drafted from this area. I was delighted to see he was the past Commander of Cayuga Barracks 24 of World War 1 veterans. He also was a charter member of Cayuga Post 1975 Veterans of Foreign Wars.
These two leads will help me in completing this work of finding all of the Owasco men for our Roll of Honor. I will continue this work until the record is complete. I know there has to be a lot more. Their names may not be listed here, but I will diligently seek them so no one is left off the record.
Richard Brokaw told me recently his father, Harold Brokaw lived in Owasco, and was in WWI in the Army. His brother, Lester, was in the Marines. Lester survived the battle in France only to be discharged and come home to Owasco and become a victim of Polio. He died at a very young age, barely 24 years old.
So many family stories, so much lost if we do not take the time to record them. In our own family, the diary of my mother-in-law tells of the heartache a family endures when a loved one passes away from a war injury.
It is the story of Milo Auchampaugh Sr. He was 52 when his third child, Milo Jr., was born in 1935. Elsie and Milo had been married 12 years and had lost two babies, the first a son Jimmy only lived three days.
Milo suffered from mustard gas poisoning. He was exposed to it in France during WWI. They had “pruned” his lungs, hoping the damaged areas would grown back. He was gravely ill. When he saw his son, he said, “He is a beautiful boy Elsie, but I will never live to see him grow up.” In October of 1935, when the baby was 9 months old, Milo was digging potatoes and caught cold. He was placed in a oxygen tent in Auburn City Hospital suffering from pneumonia. Sulfa drugs and antibiotics were not invented.
Elsie rode the train to Schoharie with his casket so he could be buried with the rest of his family in the Quaker Cemetery in Delanson.
In the cemetery are more than seven Milo Auchampaughs. The name goes back to the early 1700s. Milo Sr. was raised by his Quaker grandmother when his parents died. We have letters written by her to him during the war that say, “Thee be careful Milo, for thou knowest we await news from thee over there.”
Elsie sadly wrote in her diary, “I had to leave daddy there. When will I ever see him again?” She came home to a farmhouse in Throop, where her mother lived with her until she remarried in 1940. Elsie lived to be 98 years old.
During the month of November, the display cases at the Owasco Town Hall hold items from the many wars. On the WWI shelf is the helmet Milo wore in the war. There is a bullet hole scar when he was in danger in the trenches.
Next month will be the additional names of Owasco soldiers I found from WWII. I hope there will be space for some of their stories. Every home in Owasco had to be affected by a soldier gone to war.
- Sources: Obituaries - Cayuga County Historians Office, 1905 Census Cayuga County Clerks Office, cemetery records of Owasco Rural and Parsell Cemetery and Elsie B. Auchampaugh Tincknell diary, 1935
Laurel Auchampaugh is the Owasco Historian and can be reached at the Owasco Town Hall from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoons or at nowthenwasco@aol.com
The Soldiers of Owasco - World War I
Hale Barnes
Arthur Brinkerhoff
Warren Brinkerhoff 309th Inf. **
Harold S. Brokaw Army
Lester Brokaw Marines
Harold Chamberlain 1st Sgt Army
William Corrigan 309th H.Art.
Captain Wm. Hodder 108th Inf. **
Earnest C. Jones
Charles Masden
Pvt. I.E. Pearson **
Grace Post USN **
Frank Welch **
John Welch **
Note: ** after the name denotes research by Anthony Gero, former historian
