Bellona Cemetery

off of Pre Emption Road

Bellona, Benton, Yates Co., NY

If you would like to submit Yates Co Cemetery data to this site please contact me.  Copyright resides with the contributor.  Owned and transcribed by Dianne Thomas. 

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A - C     H - L    M - Z

    Click HERE  for pictures  of Headstones  

D - G

NOTE: [Not sure of year with [year & "obit list"] is DOD, or date of burial - some dates vary from the obits found]

[1927 necrology list]

 Elmira NY Morning Telegram                   Feb 18, 1912                        Sunday       by Dianne Thomas

Miss Goldsmith - Terms of her Will which was offered for Probate in Court -  The will of Mary H. Goldsmith, was offered for probate in surrogate's court last Thursday.  The Elmira College is remembered in the will.  The exact amount that will be received by the college, is not known at the present time.  Heirs in Corning, Painted Post, and Elmira, receive neat sums.  The will, in full, is as follows:

I, Mary H. Goldsmith, of the city of Elmira, Chemung county, New York, do hereby make, publish., and declare the following to be my last will, and testament, hereby revoking all other or former wills by me, at any time made. 

Article First - I direct the payment of all my just debts and funeral expenses.

Article Second - I give and bequeath unto Samuel P. McCrea, of Shelbyville, Indianan, one thousand dollars unto Neville E. Waite, of Corning, NY, fifteen hundred dollars; and unto James. W. Waite, of Painted Post, NY, fifteen hundred dollars. 

Article Third - I give and bequeath unto the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian church in the United States of America, incorporated April 19, 1872, by an act of the legislature of the state of  New York, one thousand dollars.

Article Fourth - I give and bequeath unto the Board of Foreign Missions of the  Presbyterian church in the United States of America; one thousand dollars.

Article Fifth - I give and bequeath unto the  Memorial Presbyterian' church of Bellona, at Bellona, N. Y., one thousand dollars to be to be kept invested and held as a permanent fund separate and apart from the other funds of said church the income thereof to be applied toward the support and maintenance of the said church.  And I further give and bequeath unto said Memorial Presbyterian church of Bellona, the crayon portrait or picture of the Rev. B. M. Goldsmith.

Article Sixth - I give and bequeath unto the trustees of Mattituck parish, at Mattituck Suffolk county, NY, the sum of one hundred fifty dollars, to be kept invested and held as a permanent fund separate and apart from the other funds of the trustees of Mattituck parish, the income thereof to be applied by the trustees  of such corporation to and for the care, maintenance and adornment of the lot in the "Parish Burying Ground," so called, in which the remains of Louis Goldsmith are interred.

Article Seventh - I give and bequeath unto the Bellona Cemetery association, at  Bellona, N. Y., three hundred dollars to be invested and kept invested as a permanent fund separate and apart from the other funds of said Cemetery association, the income thereof, to be applied by the trustees thereof, to and for the care, maintenance and adornment of the lot in the cemetery of said association at Bellona, of Rev. B. M. Goldsmith.

Article Eighth - 1 give and bequeath unto my cousin. Agnes Morton, of Cutchogue, Suffolk county, N.Y., one thousand dollars. 

Article Ninth - I give and bequeath unto my cousin, Grace C. . Waite, of Corning, N Y. five hundred dollars and a like sum of five hundred dollars to my cousin, Theodora Waite, of said city.

Article Tenth - I give and bequeath unto William T. Rathbun, of Elmira, N.Y., five hundred dollars; a like sum of five hundred dollars to Benjamin R. Rathbun, of Elmira. N. Y., and a like sum of five hundred dollars to John H. Rathbun. Mina Reca Rathbun and Sarah L. Rathbun, the children of Louis G. Rathbun, and to each of the said children of Louis G. Rathbun".

Article Eleventh - I hereby give and bequeath unto the Butler Hospital for the insane, a corporation duly incorporated by the general assembly of the state of Rhode Island, the crayon picture or portrait of Dr. William B. Goldsmlth, deceased, and the sum of fourteen thousand dollars, the said sum of fourteen thousand dollars to be invested by the trustees of such corporation, and kept invested and to be held by them as a permanent fund, separate and apart from the other funds of said corporation and o be known as the Dr. William B. Goldsmith fund, the income thereof to be used and applied by the trustees of said corporation in maintaining or aiding in maintaining at the Butler Hospital for the Insane, needy people under the visitation of insanity, especially these normally cultured and refined whose poverty and need have been caused in whole or part by such visitation.  

Article Twelfth - I give and bequeath all my household furniture, household effects, bric-a-brac, ornaments, jewelry, books, pictures, and clothing to Lucy T. Rathbun, of the city of Elmira, N. Y., to be divided and distributed by the said Lucy T. Rathbun, to whom full discretion is given in this matter, among my relatives and friends. In this, she will be guided by such memoranda as I shall leave for that purpose; but if no memoranda is left by me, the division to be made in accordance with her wishes and desires. If for any reason the bequest of such articles to Lucy T. Rathhbun, to be by her distributed, shall be void or of no effect. I give and bequeath the said articles to said Lucy T. Rathbun absolutely.

Article Thirteenth - I give, devise and bequeath all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, of every name and nature e and where so ever situate, unto Elmira college, a corporation duly organized and existing unled and by virtue of the laws of the state of New York, to be applied to the uses of said college.

Article Fourteenth - I hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my cousin, Alexander Merle Forman, of New York, and S. G. Hathaway Turner, of Elmira, N.Y.. as the executors of this my last will and testament, giving to my said executors, and to the survivor of them, full power and authority to sell, convey and dispose of any and all real estate of which I may die seized.

In witness whereof, I, Mary H. Goldsmith, have to this, my last will and testament, subscribed my name and set my seal this 27th day of October, 1904.

MARY H. GOLDSMITH. (Seal.)

Robert T. Turner and Katherine E. Wadsworth, both of Elmira, witnesses. 

Geneva Daily Times                 Saturday                   January 4, 1913            by Dianne Thomas    

BENTON FARMER LEAVES $45, 000   Will of Dewitt C. Earl is Admitted to Probate at Penn Yan.

NEPHEW GETS MOST OF IT -    Penn Yan, Jan. 4 - The will of Dewitt C. Earl, who died in the town of Benton on November 25th. was admitted to probate yesterday morning by Surrogate Gilbert Baker and letters testamentary were issued to Henry C. Earl and Melancthon Kinney, who were appointed executors in the will.  The estate appeared to be of the value of about $45,000, of which $10,000 is real and $35,000 personal property.  William Scoon and William F. Gelder, were appointed appraisers. William Arthur Gunn, a son of the testator's deceased sister, is the only heir at law. 

By the will the deceased gave to the Bellona Cemetery Association $2,400; to Burton Coffin, John W. Coffin, William C. Coffin and Edwin D. Coffin, each $300; to Henry C. Earl, $3,000; to Charles Earl, $1,000; to George J. Earl, $1,000; to Henry J. F Earl, Edwin L. Earl and Nettie, the wife of Henry C. Earl, each $500; to Dewitt Earl Myers, of Athens, Pa.. $1,000; to Arthur J . Nichols, $500; to Mildred L. Nichols, $1,000; to Earl A. Nichols, $1,000; to Clelly Meyers of Fairbury, Neb., $300; to Harold and Aleo K. Meyers, of Fairbury, Neb., each $200; to Etta Uhl Munger, of Milwaukee, Wis., $500; to Earl W., Effie and Edith Gunn, of Grand Rapids, Mich,  each $500; to Alva Coffin and Clark Dewitt Coffin, each $500; to Earl C. Hales, of Chicago, Emma C. Hales, of Orange, N. J., and Lillian Hales Turner of Chicago, each $500; to Ansel and Emma Hales, of Chicago, each $500; to Susannah Nichols, wife of Arthur J. Nichols. $1,000: to Ann Christensen, $2,000; to his nephew, William Arthur Gunn, his home farm in the town of Benton consisting of about 100 acres, another piece of land, containing about thirty acres and all his household goods. One-half of the remainder he left to his executors and the other half to the devises under the will in proportion as he had hereintofore, made them his beneficiaries. 

Geneva Daily Times                                            October 12, 1925                         by Dianne Thomas

Mrs. Grace Flinn - Stanley, Oct 10  - The death of Mrs. Grace Flinn of Stanley, occurred Friday morning a week ago after an extended illness of many weeks. She is survived by her husband Fred Flinn Sr. and eight sons and three daughters: Mrs. J. R. Charlton of Stanley, W. J. Spike of Middlesex, Miss Lena Flinn, a registered nurse who has cared for her during her long illness, Mr. Ben Flinn of Geneva, Ralph Flinn of Stanley, John Flinn of Rushville, Eltlott Flinn of Stanley, Fred Flinn of Alcatraz, California, who is in   ???ttoa-TJ. , US, Army, Oscar, Orson, and Merton Flinn all of Stanley.   The funeral was held on Sunday at 1 pm, from her late home.  Burial was made in the Bellona Cemetery. 

Geneva Daily Times             Saturday                      July 10, 1926                          by Dianne Thomas

HEAT CAUSE OF BELLONA DEATH -  Ernest Denman Dies Very Suddenly at Home, Friday

Bellona, July 10 - The extreme heat of the past few days has been the cause of one fatality and several prostrations in this vicinity. The death of Ernest Denman, aged about 45, occurred at his home in Bellona early yesterday morning as a direct result of the hot weather according to Dr. George E. Welker of Dresden.  Mr. Denman had been employed at the pea vinery one mile south of this village adjacent to the Steward Turner home. He went to work on Thursday, but when he returned home in the evening he complained of not feeling well.  During the night, he died very suddenly.  

He leave his mother, Mrs. Franc Denman, who is prostrated by her son's death and several cousins in Bellona.  Mrs. Mina Ansley is caring for Mrs. Denman.  

Funeral services will be held from the home Monday afternoon at two o'clock. Rev. G. H. Orvis will officiate. Interment will be in Bellona cemetery.

Geneva NY Daily Times                 Tuesday           May 10, 1966                      by Dianne Thomas

Mrs. Edith Pidgeon Groesbeck, 84, of Clyde, was buried in the Bellona Cemetery, on Saturday.            

Finger Lake Times            Friday          Oct 14, 1988   [pic of headstone in Oct 12th article]                by Dianne Thomas

Oct 14 - BELLONA - A $1,500 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for digging up a gravesite in the Bellona Cemetery.  On Saturday, a cemetery caretaker found a coffin-shaped hole in front of the tombstone of Ruth Dorothy Grotheer, whose ashes were buried there after her death at age 71, in 1980. The urn was broken, and the hole left unfilled sometime between Thursday evening, Oct. 6 and the morning of Oct. 8.  

The reward is being offered by two brothers, John and Gene Fontana,  and their sister, Katharine Prendergast, all of Wabash Road, Geneva. Grotheer, of New York City, was a close friend of the Fontana family and considered an aunt.  "At first you're shocked, and then you're angry," said Prendergast, who hopes the offer of a reward might help the investigation.  "The family is very upset," said Yates County Sheriff's Inv. Jack Gleason. "They're hoping this may induce someone to come forward with some information. Whether it will, we'll have to wait and see."  Gleason said he has leads to follow, and people to talk to, but made no mention of a possible arrest.  Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's department  at 536-4438.

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pics and additions by Patricia Marciano

additions by Francisca Cooper

additions by Dianne Thomas

additions from Sandy Dunn

correction by Robert Freeman

additions by Jack Pelton

additions by Mary Baxter

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[NY History and Genealogy]