Obituaries 1907 - 1909 Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 29 March 1907 Alfred Roemer Suddenly Succumbs to Pneumonia. After a brief illness of less than two weeks, Alfred Roemer, the well-known young contractor and builder, passed away at the home of his parents of Sunnyside early yesterday morning. His death was a shock to many people in the Valley where he was well known and universally liked. He was taken ill several days ago, but at first his complaint was not deemed serious. Pneumonia developed later, however, and the end came swiftly. Young Roemer was doing well in his business here and was looked upon as an unusually capable and conscientious builder. He came to the Valley about three years ago, where his parents had been living many years previous. His mother is now on a visit to relatives in Europe. The funeral will take place tomorrow. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 24 May 1907 Electric Train Kills Man at Corte Madera. Another railroad accident resulted in the instant death of Malachi Keane at Corte Madera last Friday at a few minutes before five o’clock in the evening. Keane was walking across the railroad track at the county road crossing when an electric train struck him, hurling him some distance and mangling the body. It seems he did not see or hear the train approaching. The deceased was sixty-nine years of age, a native of Iowa, and had been a resident of Corte Madera for about seven months. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 2 August 1907 Another Victim of the Electric Train – David Tarpey of Sausalito Horribly Mangled at San Anselmo. One more foolish attempt to jump a moving electric train took place at San Anselmo last Saturday evening, and as a result the burned and mangled body of David C. Tarpey of Sausalito was carried to the morgue at San Rafael. Tarpey had been spending the evening with friends at San Anselmo and attempted to catch the last evening train for Sausalito. The train started just as he reached the station, and he made a desperate attempt to catch it on the run. He missed his hold and was thrown under the train, where the wheels and the deadly electric shoe killed him instantly. Tarpey was well known in Sausalito, where he leaves several relatives. He was an ex-soldier, and his funeral this week took place at the Presidio under the auspices of the Foresters. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 9 Aug 1907 C. B. Wyckoff Dies of Heart Failure – Aged Man Suddenly Passes Away on Bridge Near Lumber Yard. Cyrus B. Wyckoff, the aged father of F. C. Wyckoff of Mill Valley, dropped dead of heart failure late Monday afternoon while sitting on the bridge which crosses the creek just below the lumber yard. Mr. Wyckoff, who came to Mill Valley last November, was building a small cottage for himself and his wife in Tamalpais Park and had walked to the lumber yard to get a small piece of lumber which he needed. He was accompanied by a friend, and the two were resting on the bridge when the old gentleman suddenly gasped and fell forward, dead. An inquest was held Wednesday evening by Coroner Sawyer, and heart failure was given as the cause of death. The deceased was 65 years of age and is survived by a widow and two sons, F. C. and Jos M. Wyckoff. The funeral was held Thursday morning at the Congregational Church in Mill Valley, interment taking place at Cypress Lawn Cemetery. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 16 August 1907 Harvey Answers the Final Call – Noted Gambler and Philanthropist Passes Away from Attack of Pneumonia. Joseph Harvey, proprietor of the Sausalito poolrooms and one of the defendants in the suit now being prosecuted by District Attorney Boyd, died at a San Francisco sanitarium last Friday evening after a short illness of pneumonia. Joe Harvey was a pioneer of California and had an unusually large circle of friends throughout the entire state. He was a gambler, a turfman, an ardent sportsman, and a real estate speculator, but above all he was a philanthropist in the truest and best sense of the word. Not in one, but in a thousand instances Harvey has generously and lavishly helped those who were in need, but his philanthropy was not of the ostentatious kind. His giving was done freely, but quietly, almost secretly, and even his most intimate friends are yet unaware of the extent of his generosity. At the time of the San Francisco earthquake, Harvey and his partner in the poolrooms, Frank Daroux, immediately chartered a schooner and before Thursday noon had delivered tons and tons of food and clothing to the suffering refugees in Sausalito. This cost them thousands of dollars, but they neither expected nor received reward. It was partly this trait in the man’s character and partly the fact that he was absolutely “square” in all his dealings that endeared him to so many people. The funeral was held in San Francisco Monday and was attended by hundreds of sorrowing friends. He leaves a wife and an estate valued at nearly a million dollars. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 1 November 1907 Death Calls Tiny Babe of Twenty-five Days. Unusually pathetic was the death of the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Pritchard, which took place at the Pritchard home Monday of this week. This tiny life, the only one which had come to bless their union, was snuffed out after an existence of twenty-five days. The babe had not been strong from birth, and although every effort was made to save him, they were unavailing. The funeral took place Wednesday. There is a vacancy in the Pritchard home which cannot be filled, and the bereaved parents have the sincere sympathy of hundreds of people in Mill Valley. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 13 December 1907 Old Pioneer Answers the Final Summons. Hudson de la Montanya, one of the old pioneers of California and Marin County, passed away at his home in San Rafael Friday evening at the advanced age of 80 years. He was the father of Pierre and Herbert de la Montanya, both well known here, the latter being the Marin County correspondent for the Examiner. Mr. Montanya, who had lived in this county for about twenty years, came around the Horn to California in 1850. He engaged in business in San Francisco and was a supervisor of that county for twenty-two years, from 1866 to 1888. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 27 December 1907 Old Pioneer Answers the Final Summons. Another of Marin’s old pioneers passed away last Sunday when Wm. M. Anderson, for nine years past the postmaster at San Rafael, died at his home in that city at the advanced age of 80 years. Mr. Anderson was a charter member of Marin Lodge No. 191, F. and A. M., and was known and respected by practically every resident of San Rafael. He came around the Horn in 1849 and engaged in various businesses throughout the state until 1890 when he moved to San Rafael. He was a staunch Republican and in the early days took a prominent part in political life of the county. For the past year his health had been failing fast, and the end Sunday was not unexpected. The funeral was held Sunday under the auspices of the Masonic Lodge. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 3 January 1908 Capt. H. B. Rogers Dies in Oakland – Commander of the McCulloch Suddenly Stricken with Apoplexy. Captain Henry B. Rogers of Mill Valley, commander of the U.S. Revenue Cutter McCulloch and one of the best-known men in the revenue cutter service, died suddenly in Oakland last Tuesday of apoplexy. Captain and Mrs. Rogers left their home in Mill Valley Monday for a week’s visit with an old friend, Mrs. Farmer of 455 Oakland Avenue, Oakland. The entire party was in the best of holiday spirits Tuesday evening when the Captain was suddenly stricken with apoplexy. He died almost immediately. Captain and Mrs. Rogers came to Mill Valley at the time of the earthquake and have since occupied an attractive bungalow in Tamalpais Park. Mrs. Rogers took an active part in the social life of the Valley and had many friends and acquaintances here. Captain Rogers was away on duty a great part of the time, and it was hardly a month ago that he returned from a six-month cruise in Alaskan waters. The funeral took place Thursday from an Oakland undertaking establishment, interment being private. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 21 February 1908 Thos. P. Fitzgerald Answers Last Call – Pioneer of Mill Valley Succumbs After Illness of Several Months. Thomas Percy Fitzgerald, one of the pioneers who has loved Mill Valley and lived here since the Valley was opened, passed away quietly at his home on Ethel Avenue at 6 o’clock this morning, the result of an illness extending over several months. He was of English birth, about 55 years of age. Mr. Fitzgerald, together with Mr. A. Roullier, his chum and companion of thirty years, had lived in the “Bungalow” for many years, and among his circle of friends here was well loved and respected. About three years ago his health failed, and he spent some time traveling on the Continent. This apparently cured him, and he returned in excellent health and spirits, but he again became ill about four months ago and this time sank rapidly until the end this morning. The funeral will take place next Sunday, with interment at Manzanita Cemetery. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 28 February 1908 Thomas P. Fitzgerald Is Laid to Rest at Manzanita. The funeral of Mr. Thomas Percy Fitzgerald, who died early last Friday morning, was held Sunday afternoon from his late residence, the Bungalow on Ethel Avenue, the burial services being conducted by Reverend Father Valentini of Sausalito. The house was filled with sorrowing friends of the deceased, among them being many employees of the White House, of which firm Mr. Fitzgerald was a member. Mr. Raphael Weill, also a member of the firm, was among those attending the funeral. After the services, the cortege wended its way to Manzanita Cemetery where interment took place. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 20 March 1908 Many Hundreds Attend Funeral of Mrs. Lyford. The funeral of Mrs. Hilarita Lyford of Reed’s Station, who died in Cuernavaca, Mexico, on March 6th, was held from the Catholic Church in Mill Valley Tuesday morning. The services were conducted by Rev. Father Valentini and the little edifice was packed to the doors, it being impossible for all of those present to gain an entrance. The funeral was one of the largest seen here in many months. Hundreds of friends and relatives of the deceased came from San Rafael and other Marin County towns, and many prominent Spanish families of San Francisco were represented. After the services here, the funeral procession drove to Sausalito where the body was taken across the bay and thence to Holy Cross Cemetery where interment took place. Mrs. Lyford, who was the widow of the late Dr. Benjamin Lyford, was one of the oldest pioneers of Marin County. She was the aunt of John Reed, Thomas and May Deffebach and Mrs. Cuthbert Sollom. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 3 April 1908 Valley Is Shocked by Tragic Death of L. R. Tuttle – Suicide of Well-Known Man Causes Sorrow and Wonder to his Many Friends Here. Nearly all of Mill Valley was shocked and grieved early Monday morning upon hearing the report that shortly after midnight of that morning L. R. Tuttle, who has been a resident here for the past two years, had committed suicide by shooting himself through the heart in his beautiful home in Blithedale Canyon. Mr. Tuttle through his geniality, his sincerity and his marked ability made hundreds of friends during his residence here, and his tragic end is still being spoken of in sorrow and wonder. The details of the suicide have already been given sufficient publicity. As yet no motive has been found for the deed, at least none has been made public except for the single fact that he was deeply worried over some great trouble. But this explanation only serves to deepen the mystery for Mr. Tuttle seemed to have everything for which a man could wish, and his life was apparently unusually jovial and free from care. He was of exemplary character, he had a loving wife and daughter to whom he was deeply devoted, and he owned one of the most beautiful homes in Mill Valley. Mr. Tuttle came to Mill Valley two years ago and became much attached to the place. After staying here a short time, he purchased the C. W. Slipp home in Blithedale Canyon, formerly known as the Biernbaum home, and has lived there since with Mrs. Tuttle and their seventeen-year-old daughter Gladys. During recent months he took an active interest in the municipal affairs of the Valley. He was an ardent supporter of the proposed bond issue for civic improvements, and only a few days before his death was talking enthusiastically about the coming municipal election. The funeral took place Tuesday morning, a quiet ceremony being performed at the Tuttle home. Interment was at Cypress Lawn Cemetery. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 8 May 1908 George M. Howlett Passes Away at Gilbert Home. Mr. George M. Howlett, the aged father of Mrs. Frank L. Gilbert, passed away quietly at the Gilbert home in Mill Valley early Wednesday morning. Mr. Howlett was born in Syracuse, N.Y., seventy-eight years ago and had lived only a short time in Mill Valley with his daughter and son-in-law. His health has been failing for the past few months, and the end was not entirely unexpected. The funeral, under the direction of Dowd and Cummings, took place this morning from the Gilbert residence on Hillside Avenue. From here, the remains were taken to Odd Fellows Cemetery in San Francisco for cremation. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 29 May 1908 Death Takes Mill Valley Bride of Eight Months. Mrs. Mary J. Merz, the young wife of John Merz of Cascade Drive, passed away quietly at her home here Sunday evening. The young couple have been living in Mill Valley since their marriage eight months ago. Mrs. Merz’s body was taken to her parents’ home in San Francisco, and the funeral was held from St. Boniface Church, interment taking place in Holy Cross Cemetery. The funeral was under the direction of Mr. Geo. Cummings of Dowd & Cummings, Mill Valley. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 29 May 1908 Joseph J. Murray Passes Away at San Rafael. Joseph J. Murray, City Recorder of San Rafael and member of one of the old pioneer families of Marin County, passed away quietly at his home in the county seat last Sunday from tuberculosis. Mr. Murray was born in San Rafael thirty-four years ago and had many friends in every part of the county. In addition to these, he leaves a young wife and five little children to mourn his loss, as well as several brothers and sisters. Up to a year ago, Mr. Murray was in robust health, but he contracted a severe cold which developed into tuberculosis. He was removed to Monterey County, but the malady was too strong for him and as he saw the end approaching, he asked to be taken back to his San Rafael home to die. He passed away the day after his arrival. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 12 June 1908 Death Calls Two Well-Known Valley Men – Frank Kingwell and Max Zuckerman Die on Same Day at San Francisco Hospital. In the death of Max Zuckerman and Frank Kingwell last Saturday, both of which occurred at St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco, Mill Valley lost two young men who have made their home here for years and who are well known and very popular among a large circle of friends. By a peculiar coincidence, both of these Mill Valley boys died at the same San Francisco hospital within a few hours of each other, Mr. Kingwell passing away during the early hours of Saturday morning and Mr. Zuckerman surviving but a few hours later. In both cases, death was unexpected, and the double tragedy came as a painful shock to scores of Mill Valley people. Mr. Kingwell, who was an attorney by profession, was a son of the late Vincent A. Kingwell and a member of one of the oldest and best-known families in the Valley. Up to a week before his death, he appeared to be in the best of health, but he became afflicted with spinal trouble and was taken to St. Mary’s where he sank rapidly to the end. The funeral was held Monday from St. Dominic’s Church, interment taking place at Holy Cross Cemetery. In addition to his mother, brothers and sisters in Mill Valley, Mr. Kingwell leaves a young wife to mourn his loss. Mr. Zuckerman’s death was even more sudden and unexpected than Mr. Kingwell’s. He received a bullet wound in the head from a pistol in the hands of his former wife, and a splinter of bone entered the brain and caused death several days later. In a signed ante-mortem statement, he completely exonerated Mrs. Zuckerman and declared the shooting to have been entirely accidental. The funeral was held Tuesday in San Francisco, interment at Home of Peace Cemetery. Mr. Zuckerman is survived by four brothers. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 26 June 1908 Young Matron Is Called by Death – Mrs. Joe Joseph Passes Away at her Mother’s Home in Mill Valley. Mrs. Eva McClure Joseph, the young wife of Joe Joseph of Sausalito and the daughter of Mrs. R. K. Payne of Mill Valley, passed away quietly at the home of her mother on Blithedale Avenue last Sunday evening. Mrs. Joseph, who was only twenty years of age, had been ill for some time and a few weeks ago was brought from her own home in Sausalito to that of her mother in Mill Valley. The funeral was held Tuesday from the residence, Rev. Father Valentini officiating, and was largely attended by friends and relatives of the young woman. Interment took place at Manzanita Cemetery. Mrs. Joseph was one of the earthquake brides of Marin, having been married just a week after that memorable disaster. Her husband, Joe Joseph, has been an employee of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad for eight years and is well known and popular in his home town, Sausalito. He is a member of several fraternal organizations and has a host of friends to extend sympathy in his bereavement. The Payne family is well known in Mill Valley, and much sincere sorrow is felt at the untimely demise of one of its young members. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 3 July 1908 Young Woman Is Burned to Death – Wife of Sausalito Man Meets Horrible Fate While Cleaning House. A sad and frightful tragedy occurred at Sausalito last Sunday evening when Mrs. Mary Farrara, the young wife of an employee of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, was burned to death at her home in North Sausalito near the car shops. The accident, which resulted in the death of the young woman, also caused the complete destruction of her pretty little home. Mrs. Farrara was preparing her floors with a mixture of benzine and floor wax, which she heated on the kitchen stove. She accidentally knocked one of the legs from the stove and the stuff was hurled to the floor, breaking into flames at the same instant from being overheated. A good portion of the fiery mixture fell on the unfortunate woman, and she ran screaming into the street, her entire body enveloped in flames. After running nearly two blocks, she fell unconscious and fatally burned. She lingered nearly eight hours afterward before death relieved her awful sufferings. Her home and all its contents were burned to the ground, and only heroic work averted a bad brush fire. Young Farrara, who works on the ferry boats, had bought his home on the installment plan and paid the final installment only a few days prior to the sad accident. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 7 August 1908 I. A. Compere Dies After Several Years Illness. Iowa A. Compere, one of the oldest residents of Millwood, died at his home Sunday afternoon after having been sick with inflammatory rheumatism for several years. Mr. Compere was born in Iowa fifty-two years ago and came to California in 1878. His brother George Compere is one of the best-known agricultural specialists in the West. Mr. Compere has lived in the Valley for the past twelve years and leaves a widow and seven children: Miss Alice and Miss Phyllis, Edward, Eugene, Walter, George, and Mrs. H. F. Windrick, all of whom live here. The funeral was held Tuesday under the direction of Dowd and Cummings, interment taking place at Tamalpais Cemetery. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 25 September 1908 Mrs. Josephine L. Wood Passes Away at Son’s Home. Mrs. Josephine L. Wood, the mother of Principal E. E. Wood of the Tamalpais Union High School, passed away quietly at the home of her son on Blithedale Avenue Wednesday evening. Mrs. Wood was sixty-two years of age and has been living in Mill Valley since her son took up his duties at the high school. The body was shipped this morning to Mrs. Wood’s old home in Auburn, Placer County. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 25 September 1908 Death Claims Young Girl of Homestead – Miss Myrtle C. Heckman Passes Away at Family Home. Miss Myrtle Heckman, the ten-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Heckman, died at the family residence near Homestead Valley last Friday. The young girl was a sweet and lovable character and had a host of friends and playmates in the Valley who sincerely mourn her loss. The funeral took place Sunday afternoon from the Catholic church in Mill Valley and was largely attended. Rev. Father Valentini officiated. After the church services, the funeral cortege proceeded to Fernwood Cemetery where interment took place. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 30 October 1908 J. R. Helen, Pioneer of the Valley, Dies. Death claimed one of Mill Valley’s oldest pioneers during the early hours of Wednesday morning when Joseph R. Helen, one of the best-known men here, suddenly succumbed to heart disease. Mr. Helen had been suffering with heart trouble for a number of years, but his sudden death came as a shock to his host of friends here. He came to Mill Valley about sixteen years ago and has lived here continuously with his family ever since. The funeral was held this morning from the Church of Our Savior, Rev. H. Howitt officiating. The pretty little edifice was filled with sorrowing friends and relatives of the deceased. The old pioneer is survived by his wife; a daughter, Mrs. Philip Godley; and two sons, Harry and Robert. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 29 January 1909 Mother of Mrs. Clinton Folger Dies at Mill Valley Home. Mrs. Henrietta R. Green, the mother of Mrs. Clinton Folger, passed away at the home of her daughter in Mill Valley Wednesday of this week. Mrs. Green was also the mother of Mrs. Eisen who formerly lived in Mill Valley. She was 71 years of age. The funeral took place this morning from the family home, interment being at Woodlawn Cemetery in San Mateo County. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 5 February 1909 Local Masons Hold Funeral of Makin – Conduct Last Rites for Young Man Drowned Near Santa Cruz. The funeral of Ross Makin, the young engineer who was formerly a Mill Valley boy and who was drowned near Santa Cruz last week, was held from the Episcopal Church at Ross Valley Sunday under the auspices of the local lodge of Masons of which the deceased was a member. Many Mill Valley Masons attended, and there were many sincere expressions of sorrow over the young man’s untimely death for he was well known among the older residents of the Valley and was very popular throughout the county. Interment took place at Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery. The death of Ross Makin recalls the sensational suit brought by him in San Rafael six years ago to recover from his aunt, Mrs. Annie Worn of San Anselmo, a portion of the large estate left by his grandmother. The suit was decided in favor of Makin, and a compromise with the holders of the property was reached, the grandson making a settlement for a large sum in cash. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 14 May 1909 Well-Known Engineer Victim of Tragic Suicide – Edward J. Valley Broods Over Misfortunes and Sends Bullet Crashing into his Brain. Edward J. Valley, one of the best-known railroad engineers in the state and for the past eight years an engineer on the local run of the Northwestern Pacific, committed suicide at his home on Lovell Avenue a few minutes after six o’clock last evening by shooting himself through the head with a 38-calibre revolver. The bullet pierced the brain, and the unfortunate man never recovered consciousness, although death did not come until nearly an hour later after he had received the last rites of the church at the hands of Father Sesnon. Mr. Valley’s tragic act was due to despondency arising out of the loss of his position with the railroad about three months ago. Since that event, he has never been the same man. He was obviously very much depressed, and several times during the past week he had intimated that he would pursue the course he took last evening. He was on the street yesterday afternoon and talked with his friends much the same as usual. About 5 o’clock, however, he spoke to Wm. Thacker and attempted to borrow a revolver on the plea that he wanted to shoot a cat. But Thacker had an inkling of his real intention and refused to lend his gun. He then tried to get a gun from Don Bear, and failing in this he spoke to night-watchman Young and putting up the same excuse, succeeded in getting a revolver. Going immediately to his home, he placed the gun to his head and fired, the act being committed in the presence of his son. J. J. Valley, who made a frantic but ineffectual attempt to block his father’s rash act. By his death, Mr. Valley leaves a wife; one daughter, Mrs. Henry Hinz of Mill Valley; and two sons, Jack and Edward, the latter now being on his way from Prescott, Arizona. Jack, the youngest son, is a well-known and popular Mill Valley boy, being president of the local fire department. He is employed with a plumbing firm at San Anselmo. The dead man was also very popular in the Valley, and this morning there are hundreds here who are deeply shocked and sincerely grieved at his sudden and tragic end. He was always of the most genial and jovial disposition and was affectionately known among a host of friends as “Pop” Valley. He was also credited with being one of the most thoroughly versed railroad engineers in the state, it being frequently said that thee was not a screw or a bolt in the entire make-up of an engine that he was not familiar with. The funeral arrangements have not been entirely completed as yet, but it is the present intention to hold the funeral from the Valley home Sunday afternoon if the son, Edward, arrives from Arizona by that time. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 21 May 1909 Masses of Flowers at Valley’s Funeral – Well-Known Engineer Laid to Rest in Manzanita Cemetery. The funeral of E. J. Valley, the well-known Mill Valley engineer who killed himself during a period of despondency a week ago, was held last Sunday afternoon from his late residence on Lovell Avenue. The funeral was largely attended by sorrowing friends and relatives, and the casket was literally covered with beautiful floral offerings. These came from his friends in Mill Valley, from his division of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and from the Mill Valley Fire Department, of which organization the deceased man’s son is president. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Father Sesnon of the Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. After the services, the cortege proceeded to Manzanita Cemetery where interment took place. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 11 June 1909 Adeline Knapp Dies at Mill Valley Home – Famous Authoress Passes Away on Slopes of Tamalpais. Miss Adeline Knapp, the famous authoress whose illness was reported in last week’s Record-Enterprise, died last Saturday evening at her home in Mill Valley where she returned some months ago in an effort to regain the health lost in a hard season’s work in the east. The funeral was held Tuesday in the Swedenborgian Church in San Francisco. Miss Knapp was perhaps best known from her noteworthy novel, “The Well in the Desert,” a study of the Arizona desert and of its influence in the physical and moral regeneration of a man. “The Story of the Philippines” is another novel written by the authoress, which attracted considerable attention. She was for a period editor of the Household Magazine of New York, and while occupied in that work she turned out a number of books. Miss Knapp was strongly opposed to woman’s suffrage, and her efforts against the bill to confer the suffrage on women, introduced in the New York Legislature, was said by many to have sealed its doom. Though born in Buffalo, N.Y., Miss Knapp considered California her home. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 2 July 1909 Wealthy Rancher Dies in Hospital – A. J. Azevedo Is Buried by his Lodge in Mill Valley. Antonio J. Azevedo, a well-known Portuguese resident of Homestead, died at a San Francisco hospital last Friday, where he had been taken a month ago in the hope of curing a long-standing illness. His body was brought to the I.D.E.S. lodge rooms in Mill Valley, and the funeral was held here by Dowd and Cummings under the auspices of that society. High mass was observed at the local Catholic church by Father Valentini, and interment took place at Manzanita Cemetery. The funeral was one of the largest seen here in years. Azevedo was an unmarried man, but leaves several brothers who are living here. He owned a good deal of property and leaves an estate valued t about $25,000. He was 38 years of age. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 2 July 1909 Young Matron Is Called by Death – Mrs. Maude E. Benson Passes Away After Illness of Few Days. A pathetic death occurred in the Valley last Saturday evening when Mrs. Maude Benson, the young wife of Wm. H. Benson of Buena Vista Avenue, passed away at her home after an illness of five days. The cause of death is given as acute cerebral meningitis. Mrs. Benson became ill immediately after eating some cherries on the previous Monday. Despite constant medical attention, she grew worse and passed away Saturday evening. The funeral was held Tuesday under the direction of Dowd and Cummings, the services being performed at the Benson home by Rev. H. Howitt. Interment was at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Oakland. Mrs. Benson was of a warm, genial and happy disposition, and attracted many friends during the eight months she lived here. To these, her untimely death came as a sad shock. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 16 July 1909 Watches Life Blood Flow into Bucket – Tiburon Laborer Commits Unusually Deliberate Suicide. After carefully opening the arteries of his wrist with a keen razor last Monday, Thomas Lord, an employee of the Union Fish Company at California City, calmly sat down beside a wooden bucket in a hotel room at Tiburon, held his hand over it, and watched his life blood flow into the pail. Although he felt himself growing weaker and weaker, he stuck to his determination to commit suicide and finally fell back unconscious from loss of blood. His dead body was found later and taken to the coroner’s office at San Rafael. Lord had been drinking heavily for several days, and he evidently secured the room at Tiburon for the sole purpose of ending his life. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 23 July 1909 Babe Meets Terrible Death Under Wheels – Infant Girl of Mrs. Ida Nelson Killed at West End Station. One of the most pathetic and horrifying accidents which has happened on the Northwestern Pacific road in many years occurred at West End depot in San Rafael last Sunday morning when little Vera Nelson, the three-year-old daughter of Mrs. Ida Nelson, was ground to pieces by a northbound electric train, and the mother herself was seriously injured in her futile attempt to save the baby. Mrs. Nelson is a young widow who has lived in San Rafael only a few months. She is now in a San Rafael hospital slowly recovering from her injuries and the shock resulting from the death of her child. The accident occurred while the two were waiting at the West End station to board the train. Unnoticed by the mother, the baby toddled on the rails just as the northbound train pulled into the station. The emergency brakes were instantly applied, and at the same moment Mrs. Nelson saw the situation and made a futile attempt to save her child, but it was too late. She was struck by the motor car and hurled to the ground, while the unfortunate babe was literally ground to pieces. Mrs. Nelson was severely cut and bruised, and her condition is still serious, although her recovery is expected. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 10 September 1909 Mrs. Emily Darling Dies at Home Here – Mother of Large Family Passes Away After Long, Useful Life. Mrs. Emily Darling passed away at her residence, “Fragaria,” on Lovell Avenue last Saturday at the ripe age of seventy-six years. Mrs. Darling was the widow of Arthur James Darling of Shanloath Trim, County Meath, Ireland, and the dearly-loved mother of Mollie, Kathleen and Petch Darling, H. J. Darling of Reno, C. E. Darling of Nome, and Mrs. Helen Reed. Mrs. Darling had lived in Mill Valley with two of her daughters for several years. She was a kind, lovable woman of beautiful character, and her loss is sincerely felt by all who knew her. The funeral took place Monday in Mill Valley, interment being at Woodlawn Cemetery in San Mateo County. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 8 October 1909 Sidney B. Cushing Is Laid to Rest – Only Members of Family and Intimate Friends at Services. The funeral of Sidney B. Cushing, whose tragic death at his Mill Valley home last Thursday afternoon shocked social and business circles on both sides of the bay, was held from the Cushings’ San Rafael home Saturday afternoon, the services being conducted by Rev. Griffith M. Cutting. Only members of the family and close friends were present, but the esteem in which Mr. Cushing had always been held was amply attested by the mass of flowers and floral pieces which had been sent from all parts of the bay counties. Several wagons were required to take the floral pieces to the cemetery. The remains were laid to rest in Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 12 November 1909 Joe Mulcahy Meets Tragic Death at San Rafael. Joseph Malcahy, a native son of San Rafael and member of a well-known family there, met with a tragic death Tuesday afternoon by being crushed underneath a wagon from which he had fallen. Mulcahy was driving the town’s sprinkling cart and slipped from his seat as he made a sharp turn. He fell under the heavy wagon, and one of the ponderous wheels crushed his skull. A pathetic feature of the accident is the fact that Mulcahy’s mother joined the group which surrounded the dead man immediately after the accident, not knowing until she saw the features that it was her son who had been killed. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 12 November 1909 Neil McIsaac, Pioneer of Marin County, Passes Away Neil McIsaac, one of the best-known pioneers of Marin County and father of former District Attorney Hugh McIsaac, passed away suddenly at his ranch near Nicasio early Sunday morning, death being due to heart disease. Mr. McIsaac was 67 years of age. He came to Marin in 1865 and was married shortly thereafter. His son Hugh was educated here and served four years as district attorney. He is now enjoying an extensive practice in San Francisco and is an election commissioner there. The funeral of Neil McIsaac was held in San Rafael Tuesday and was large attended by pioneer friends of the deceased. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 19 November 1909 Arthur Switz Dies Suddenly in City – Well-Known Mill Valley Man Succumbs to Attack of Peritonitis. Arthur F. Switz, a well-known resident and property owner of Mill Valley, died rather suddenly and unexpectedly last Saturday afternoon at a San Francisco hospital where he had gone several days before to receive treatment for intestinal trouble. He had been in poor health for some weeks, but he was a large man of apparently strong constitution and his condition was not considered serious. He was in the prime of life, 39 years of age, and his untimely death came as a distinct shock to his friends and acquaintances here. Peritonitis is given as the cause of death. Mr. Switz was the coast representative of several eastern furniture manufacturers and was a man of considerable means. His home place, “Switzerland,” which fronts on Miller Avenue and extends through to Ethel Avenue, is one of the most beautiful places in the Valley. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Eleanor Switz, and two stepsons, Homer and Arthur. The funeral took place Tuesday afternoon from the chapel of an undertaking firm in San Francisco. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 26 November 1909 Mrs. F. Blair Turpin Succumbs to Illness – Pneumonia Proves Fatal to Young Wife of Well-Known Capitalist. An unusually pathetic death occurred in the Valley Tuesday morning when Mrs. Effie Wood Turpin, the beautiful young wife of F. Blair Turpin, passed away at the handsome family home on Park Avenue, death being due to pneumonia. Mrs. Turpin’s health had been failing for several months, and the malady found her a ready prey. The Turpins were married here only about eighteen months ago, after which they made a protracted tour of the world, only recently settling in their pretty home in the Valley. Mr. Turpin is a well-known capitalist of Mill Valley and San Francisco and is prominent in club circles in the city. He has hundreds of friends on both sides of the bay who will sincerely sympathize with him at this time. The funeral was held at eleven o’clock this morning from the chapel of an undertaking firm in the city, the interment being private. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 26 November 1909 Edward Eden, Coroner for 28 Years, Dies – Pioneer Who Lived in San Rafael 55 Years Passes Away. Edward Eden, the oldest pioneer of San Rafael and formerly one of the best-known men in the county, passed away at his home at the county seat Monday. He was 72 years of age and had lived in San Rafael for 55 years, coming when the town consisted of nothing more than half a dozen shacks. In 1875 Mr. Eden was elected to the office of Coroner and Public Administrator of Marin County, and he filled that office for 28 consecutive years, retiring only when Dr. Sawyer, the present incumbent, was elected six years ago. It is claimed that no other man in the state held public office for so long a tenure. Mr. Eden was preceded to the grave by his wife only a short time ago. He is survived by three sons and two daughters – Stephen, Will, Edward and May Eden and Mrs. H. J. Day. The funeral was held yesterday and was large attended by county officials and pioneer friends of the deceased. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 3 December 1909 Young Girl Ground to Death by Train – Fifteen-Year-Old Orphan Meets Horrible Death Near Sausalito. Elvira Massa, the 15-year-old ward of T. Minotti, proprietor of a boat house at Sausalito, was run down and horribly mangled by a southbound Fairfax train near Sausalito Wednesday afternoon. The accident occurred near Minotti’s place of business, between Pine Station and Sausalito. The child was crossing the railroad tracks and in attempting to avoid a northbound train, she stepped directly into the path of the speeding Fairfax train bound for Sausalito. Five cars passed over her body before the train could be stopped. The remains were taken to the morgue in San Rafael where an inquest will be held by Coroner Sawyer today. The dead child was a native of San Francisco. She was an orphan without near relatives and was being reared by Minotti. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 3 December 1909 Ruptured Blood Vessel Causes Death of Woman. Mrs. Mary Mancebo, the young wife of a well-known Sausalito resident, met death in a peculiar manner last Saturday afternoon when she ruptured a blood vessel during a fit of coughing. Conscious but realizing that something serious had happened, she ran from the house calling for assistance. Joseph Garcia, a neighbor, came to her aid and caught her just as she sank unconscious to the ground. She died before medical aid could be summoned. The young woman was only twenty-one years of age and was a native of Sausalito. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 31 December 1909 D. E. Hayes, Honored Pioneer, Passes Away – Well-Known Resident Succumbs to Heart Failure at Daughter’s Home Christmas Day. In the death of Daniel E. Hayes, Mill Valley has lost one of its oldest and truest friends, and his family and those whose privilege it was to know him will long mourn his loss and seek in vain to fill the void which his departure from this life has occasioned. Fifty-one years ago, Daniel Edward Hayes arrived in California from Brewer, Maine. He came, like many if not all in those days, to seek his fortune in California – that land the very name of which sent a thrill of longing through many an Eastern heart. Instead of roughing it in the mines, however, he sought a less strenuous and more peaceful occupation, the first work he performed being that of bookkeeper for Sam Taylor at his newly erected mill on Paper Mill Creek in this county. Seeking a wider field for his abilities, he was engaged in a similar capacity by the firm of Hinckley and Spears in San Francisco, and afterwards became a member of that firm. Being much sought after by reason of his acumen, sincerity and humanity, he was persuaded to accept the position of State Prison Director, which office he held for a period of twelve years. During his fifty years’ residence in California, he never could wean himself from the sylvan beauties of Marin County. He was one of the first guests of the late Dr. Cushing at his resort in the Blithedale Canyon, and when the Tamalpais Land and Water Company put the townsite of Mill Valley on the market in 1890, he was one of the first to purchase and build a comfortable and substantial home. For nearly twenty years, he was a resident and voter of Marin County and frequently attended the Republican County Conventions at San Rafael as a delegate from Mill Valley. About two weeks ago, he was struck by an automobile in San Francisco, and his injuries, though apparently slight, necessitated his removal to Lane Hospital. He left there seemingly fully recovered and was present at the Christmas Eve festivities at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Guy T. Wayman, and retired in good health. About three o’clock in the morning, however, he became very ill, and in spite of medical assistance he succumbed to heart failure. The funeral took place from the chapel of N. Gray & Co. in San Francisco on Tuesday, the edifice being crowded, many attending from Mill Valley. In a few well-chosen words, the Rev. H. Howitt, with evident emotion, spoke with force and eulogy of the life and character of the deceased. To those whose privilege it was to be intimate with Mr. Hayes in social, business or political affairs, the words of the minister suggested nothing of the formal panegyric, they being in fact the heartfelt extempore utterances of a man commending the character of a departed friend. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 31 December 1909 Mrs. Mary K. Hickman Dies at Home in Mill Valley. Mrs. Mary Kathleen Hickman, mother of Mrs. F. E. Higgins of Mill Valley and Jackson East of Fairfax, passed away at her late home in Mill Valley on Christmas Day. The funeral services were held from Sawyer’s undertaking parlors in San Rafael Tuesday morning, interment being in Cypress Lawn Cemetery. The deceased was a native of Indiana, 56 years of age. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 7 January 1910 Eccentric Pioneer Answers Last Call – “Doctor” J. S. McCue, Bradbury’s Chief Enemy, Dies at Corte Madera. James S. McCue, one of the best known and most picturesque characters in Marin County, and formerly a well-known figure in the early life of this state, passed away at his home in Corte Madera Tuesday afternoon. His death was due partly to old age and partly to injuries received in an accident two weeks ago. McCue had become famous in Marin County for a good many reasons, but chiefly and more recently for his implacable enmity toward that other eccentric Corte Madera character, Wm. Bradbury, the aged millionaire who is now serving a year’s term at San Quentin. McCue was largely responsible for Bradbury’s present predicament and has always bitterly opposed the efforts of the millionaire’s few friends to affect his release. McCue came to California around the Horn in the early forties, and his life here was a strenuous one almost up to the time of his death. He has been a stage driver, proprietor of a weekly paper, miner, circus proprietor, politician, and veterinary surgeon. He was recognized at one time as one of the best judges of horses on the coast. He once built and conducted a race track in this county, the ruins of which can still be seen near the Tiburon Boulevard. He was married three times and leaves a widow, son and daughter. The funeral was held in San Francisco yesterday. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 21 January 1910 Young Mother Dies After Long Illness – Mrs. Lulu Sarraille Passes Away at her Home on Blithedale Avenue. Mrs. Lulu Sarraille, the young wife of Fire Chief M. J. Sarraille, died at her home on Blithedale Avenue Monday afternoon after a lingering illness of many months. She was the devoted mother of five little daughters and had a large circle of friends in the Valley who will mourn her loss and sincerely sympathize with the bereaved husband and children. Mrs. Sarraille was a native of California, thirty years of age, and had lived in Mill Valley for the past six years. In addition to her husband, she leaves a brother and two sisters, John and Ida Sweeney and Mrs. Wm. Shinn. Her children are Edna, Hazel, Adele, Lulu, and Loretta Sarraille. The funeral took place in San Francisco yesterday morning from the residence of Mr. Sarraille’s mother, and from thence to Sts. Peter and Paul’s Italian Church where a high requiem mass was celebrated. The casket was covered with beautiful floral offerings, among them being an unusually handsome piece from the boys of the Mill Valley Fire Department. The pall bearers, all members of the fire department, were James Patterson, Knud Quaries, Frank Sherman, Steve Corripo, Arnold Lunt, and Andrew Rachye. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 21 January 1910 Marin’s Earliest Woman Pioneer Passes Away. Mrs. Katherine A. Keys, who probably was the oldest living woman pioneer of this county, died at her big estate near Tomales last Saturday. Mrs. Keys was the mother of attorney James Keys of San Rafael and belonged to one of the pioneer families that made history in this county. With her parents, she came across the plains in a “Prairie Schooner’ in 1844 and settled in Marine County in 1846, long before the golden days of ‘49 Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 4 February 1910 Mrs. Buum’s Funeral Is Held Sunday – Death of Young Mill Valley Matron Was Unusually Sad One. The funeral of Mrs. Barbara Buum, the young wife of Christian Buum, who died at her home here last Friday, was held Sunday afternoon and was attended by many Mill Valley friends of the young couple. The remains were taken to Odd Fellows Cemetery in San Francisco and were there cremated. The death of Mrs. Buum was an unusually pathetic one and came as a decided shock to her many friends in the Valley. She was a sweet, lovable girl, barely twenty-four years old, and her untimely death leaves a sad void in a home that had been gladdened only two weeks before by the arrival of a pretty baby daughter. The young couple had been married only a few years and were very happy in their domestic life. Christian Buum is a carpenter who has lived in the Valley for several years and is well and favorably known here. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 4 February 1910 Founder of Mill Valley Ends Long and Honorable Career at Age of Eighty-Two Years. Lovell White is dead. The aged pioneer, banker and founder of Mill Valley, beloved and honored throughout this section of the state and particularly in the Valley, passed away peacefully at his Sacramento Street home in San Francisco late Monday evening at the age of 82 years. The end came after a two weeks’ illness, from almost the beginning of which the physicians entertained practically no hope of his recovery. At the time of his death, Mr. White was president of the San Francisco Savings Union and also of the Tamalpais Land and Water Company of Mill Valley. In the banking world, he was looked up to, not only as an authority on banking but as a man whose strict integrity and sterling qualities entitled him to a high place in that profession. He was the third president of the California Bankers Association, and his advice on matters pertaining to savings banks was sought by bankers from all over the state. He was one of a committee of three appointed from the leading bankers of the city to confer with the legislature on framing the new bank act for California, and this act, which is now in force, is considered a model of its kind throughout the country. Lovell White was a man of whom any community, either large or small, might feel justly proud, and in Mill Valley – the town that he founded on the spot, he loved above all others – his name is honored, respected, and revered. Noble of mind and true of heart, he occupies a distinctive and enviable niche in Mill Valley’s history, and one from which he will never be displaced. Mr. White was born in New Hampshire in 1827 and came to the Pacific Coast in 1859. Shortly after that, he entered the Bank of California and was with that institution until 1870, when he was elected cashier of the San Francisco Savings Union. He has been the active head of that bank ever since, until his last illness. In 1889 he, together with Thomas Magee Jr., Albert Miller, and Jos. G Eastland, formed the Tamalpais Land and Water Company, and a year later they placed the land on which Mill Valley now stands on the market. He built a pretty home here, and although he owned a beautiful residence in San Francisco, he had always taken a keen and almost paternal interest in the Valley’s growth. Mr. White’s funeral took place in San Francisco yesterday morning from the first Unitarian Church and was one of the most impressive seen in San Francisco in many months. The edifice was packed to overflowing, among those present being a delegation from the Associated Savings Banks, the directors of the San Francisco Savings Union, and a large delegation of prominent Mill Valley men. The chancel was one mass of the most beautiful floral offerings that San Francisco could produce. The services, in accordance with a letter written by Mr. White before his death, were conducted by Rev. Bradford Leavitt. The eulogy was brief and simple, but extremely impressive and sincere. Mr. Leavitt read, this having also been a wish of the deceased, Whittier’s poem “My Soul and I.” After the church services, the funeral cortege, composed entirely of automobiles, proceeded to Odd Fellows Cemetery where the remains were cremated. The ashes were subsequently interred at Woodlawn Cemetery. Mr. White is survived by a widow and one son. Mrs. Lovell White is one of the best-known club women in California and has been an ardent and very successful worker in preserving the great natural beauties and resources of this state. Ralston White, the son, who has been conducting the business of the Tamalpais Land and Water Company for several years past, is a popular Mill Valley boy and has a large circle of friends both in this county and in San Francisco. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 6 May 1910 Father of Mrs. A. E. Koch and Mrs. W. L. Parks Dies in Berkeley. Mr. Charles Creighton, the father of Mrs. A. E. Koch and Mrs. W. L. Parks of Mill Valley, passed away yesterday in Berkeley after a lingering illness of many months. Mr. Creighton lived in Mill Valley for some time but recently moved to Berkeley. In addition to his two daughters in Mill Valley, Mr. Creighton is survived by his widow, Henrietta Creighton; a son, R. L. Creighton; and two grandchildren, Edna Parks and Clifford Creighton. Deceased was a native of Ohio, 62 years of age. The funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 24 June 1910 Famous Old Soldier Meets Tragic Death – Capt. F. A. Blake Cremated When his San Anselmo Home Burns. A tragic accident, probably the first of its kind to occur in Marin County, happened at San Anselmo early last Saturday morning when Capt. Frank Ambrose Blake, a retired English army officer, was burned to death in an attempt to save some valuable papers from his burning home. Capt. Blake was a man of eminence in his home country and had many invaluable medals and decorations to show for his service to his country. He was a brother of Sir Henry Blake of the English army and was 60 years old. The fatal fire started in Capt. Blake’s home at San Anselmo at 9 o’clock Saturday morning from a gasoline stove in the kitchen. Help arrived immediately, but when the flames were at their worst, the old soldier suddenly remembered some valuable papers and forced his way into the house. A few moments later, the roof fell in and the unfortunate man was burned to a cinder. The remains were taken care of by Coroner Sawyer and later sent to Santa Barbara for burial. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 8 July 1910 Pioneer Dies After Very Short Illness – Manuel S. Rodgers Succumbs to Pneumonia at Home Near Reeds. Manuel S. Rodgers, a pioneer of Marin and one of the best known, wealthiest, and most popular Portuguese citizens of the county, passed away unexpectedly last Monday morning at his home near Reeds station. The funeral was held from the Catholic church in Mill Valley yesterday morning and was one of the largest seen here in years. Mr. Rodgers was sick less than a week before his death, and his untimely end came as a very unpleasant shock to hundreds of friends in Mill Valley and other points of southern Marin. About ten days ago, he developed pneumonia which rapidly developed in both lungs and caused his death in a few days. Up to the day he was taken ill, he had been in the best of health and spirits. The funeral yesterday morning was under the combined auspices of the I.D.E.S. and the U.P.E.C. societies, of which the deceased was a prominent member. It was attended by scores of members in full uniform and hundreds of other friends. The services were read by Father Valentini, the Catholic church here being packed to its capacity. Interment took place at Fernwood Cemetery near Manzanita. Mr. Rodgers was 56 years of age, a native of the Azores Islands, and is survived by his wife Mary and four children: Daniel, Rosie, Louisa, and Harry Rodgers. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 15 July 1910 Well-Known Insurance Man Died in Mill Valley. George C. McConnell, a well-known insurance man of Berkeley and San Francisco who has been living in Mill Valley for the summer, died at his home here Monday afternoon. The funeral was held from the Congregational church here yesterday morning, under the direction of Funeral Director C. J. Dowd, interment taking place at Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland. Deceased was 60 years of age and had been engaged in the insurance business in San Francisco for the last 25 years. He is survived by a widow, Mrs. Agnes McConnell; two sons, Crosby, an insurance man of Los Angeles, and Rushton McConnell of Alameda; and the Misses Adelaide and Ethel McConnell. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 5 August 1910 Walter K. Freeman Dies at Seattle – Body of Well-Known Mill Valley Man Is Being Brought Home. Walter K. Freeman, for twelve years a resident of Mill Valley and well known in social, church and fraternal circles here, died in Seattle Wednesday morning after an illness extending over a period of several months. Mrs. Freeman, who was with her husband at the time of his death, is bringing the remains home for burial and will arrive Saturday night. Mr. Freeman’s untimely death will come as a shock to hundreds of people here as both he and Mrs. Freeman were known and liked among a large circle of friends. He owns a pretty home here, was a well-known member of the Episcopal church, and was affiliated with the local Masonic lodge, which will have charge of his funeral. Mr. Freeman is survived only by his widow. The funeral will take place Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock at the San Francisco chapel of the Odd Fellows Cemetery and will be conducted by the Mill Valley Masonic Lodge. The chapel is reached by the Geary Street cars. The lodge announces that friends and relatives are respectfully invited to attend the services. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 19 August 1910 “Jim” Brodie, Pioneer of Mill Valley, Dies in Los Angeles. “Jim” Brodie, formerly foreman of the Mill Valley and Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railway and a resident of Mill Valley for many years, died in Los Angeles Monday after a brief illness. He had many friends here to whom the news of his death will come as a very unpleasant surprise. Brodie came to Mill Valley about 16 years ago and had lived here the greater portion of his time ever since. He was an unusually conscientious workman and a practical road builder whose services were always in demand. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 2 September 1910 Wm. Mersfelder Dies Very Suddenly – Well-Known Marin County Man Succumbs to Heart Failure. William Mersfelder, a prominent member of the Sausalito Yacht Club and well known throughout Marin County and San Francisco, died suddenly at his home in Sausalito Tuesday afternoon, following a sudden and unexpected attack of heart failure the same morning. Only the day before, he had been out on a launch party with a number of friends, and at that time he was thought to be in perfect health. His untimely death will come as a distinct shock to hundreds of friends and acquaintances on both sides of the bay. Mr. Mersfelder’s brother, Jules Mersfelder, is one of the best-known artists in California and is now in Mill Valley painting a view of Tamalpais. The deceased also leaves a wife, mother, daughter, and two other brothers. The funeral was held yesterday from an undertaking chapel in San Francisco and was large attended by sorrowing friends. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 2 September 1910 San Anselmo Baby Dies from Eating Green Grapes. Frank Frates, the three-year-old son of Frank and Mary Frates of San Anselmo, died at his parents’ home Sunday evening as the result of eating green grapes. The Frates live adjoining a small vineyard, and Saturday afternoon the little fellow crawled through the fence and helped himself plentifully to the unripe fruit. He became violently ill soon afterward and, despite medical attention, died the following evening. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 9 September 1910 Rev. Geo. C. Adams Succumbs to Stroke – Well-Known Minister Fails to Survive Sudden Illness. Rev. George C. Adams, the well-known Congregational minister who was suddenly stricken with heart trouble and apoplexy at his Mill Valley bungalow two weeks ago, passed away here Saturday night despite the fact that his physicians had held out strongest hopes for his recovery. Dr. Adams, who was for 25 years pastor of the First Congregational Church of San Francisco, was discovered unconscious on the floor of his bungalow here two weeks ago. He was given first aid treatment by Dr. Renz, and this, it was declared, had saved his life. Other physicians were also called, and it was declared he would recover but would never be able to preach again. He apparently was recovering but on Saturday afternoon had a relapse and passed away shortly after five o’clock, surrounded by members of his family and his physicians. He was 60 years of age and one of the best-known divines on the coast. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 16 September 1910 Tidy Fortune Left by Rev. Geo. Adams – Minister Who Died at Mill Valley Home Leaves About $25,000. Edwin N. Krick, son-in-law of the late George C. Adams, the well-known minister who died at his Mill Valley home on September 3rd, filed a petition with the probate department of the Superior Court yesterday for letters of administration covering the Adams estate. The clergyman, who was one of the best known in the city, died without having made a will. His widow, Mrs. Mercie P Adams, has waived her right to serve as administratrix. The property to be distributed amounts to about $25,000 and includes real estate on Devisidaro Street and in Mill Valley worth $19,500. It will be divided among the widow and the following children: Adelaide M. Adams, Mercie Adams, Mrs. Alice McGinnis, Mrs. Sarah C. Kirk, William S. Adams, and Mrs. Emily B. Bowman. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 16 September 1910 Peculiar Death of Prison Officer – George Leary Succumbs Suddenly on County Road. George Leary, an officer at San Quentin Prison, passed away suddenly and in a rather peculiar manner while driving on the county road near Kentfield last Saturday evening. He had driven over from the prison to meet Warden and Mrs. Hoyle who were returning on a late train from the city. He met them at Kentfield Station and had just started the return drive, apparently in the best of health and spirits, when he suddenly sagged down in his seat and dropped the reins. The warden sprang forward, stopped the horses, and found Leary dead. A coroner’s jury brought in a verdict of death from heart failure. The deceased was a native of California and a member of San Rafael Lodge of Redmen. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 23 September 1910 Dives to Death Off Belvedere Bridge – Town Clerk of Belvedere Commits Suicide While Unbalanced. Edward S. Purdy, town clerk of Belvedere, a director of the Pacific Motor Boat Club, and well known in San Francisco insurance circles, committed suicide Saturday evening by jumping from the Belvedere drawbridge into the waters of the slough. His body was recovered early Sunday morning. Overwork and despondency because of ill health are the causes assigned. Purdy was due at a meeting of the town trustees of Belvedere Saturday evening and started from his home with his books under his arm. The trustees waited for him in vain and finally telephoned to his home. When it was found that he had left home an hour before, a search was immediately instituted. His coat, hat, and his books were found on the Belvedere Bridge, and the body was located soon after. An inquest was held in San Rafael Monday, the verdict being suicide while temporarily insane. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 7 October 1910 Chas. Bundschu, Well Known Here, Dies in San Francisco. The many friends of the Bundschu family in Mill Valley will regret to learn of the death in San Francisco last Friday of Charles Bundschu, formerly a well-known resident and property owner here. Mr. Bundschu was the father of Rudolph, Ralph, Alma, Carl and Walter Bundschu, and Mrs. R. M. Sims, all of whom have many friends and acquaintances here. Mr. Bundschu was a great admirer of the Valley and has written several very excellent poems on the beauty of this section and Mt. Tamalpais. The funeral was held Monday morning at the chapel of Odd Fellows Cemetery. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 14 October 1910 Pioneer Who Rescued Donner Party Is Dead. John Baptiste Truvido, a member of Captain Sutter’s party that went to the relief of the ill-fated Donner party in the Sierra snows in 1847, died in his lonely cabin on Tamales Bay Tuesday from advanced age. In recent years, he has been a county charge, failing sight and other ailments that came with his 85 years incapacitating him for work. For many years he obtained a scanty living fishing and digging claims, but in early days he was a prosperous farmer. Truvido crossed the plains from Missouri in the early forties and engaged in mining in California. When the news reached San Francisco that the Donner party was starving in the Sierras, he volunteered with a number of other hardy pioneers to go to their relief. He found a few survivors subsisting on bullock hides, and at the camp of Donner himself a long man who had lived for two weeks on human flesh. Truvido assisted in carrying children on his back from the first camp to Truckee Lake. He returned to Marin County and engaged in farming, and when old age forced him to give up, many pioneers of Marin County sent monthly contributions through Sheriff Taylor for his support. His funeral took place Thursday from the office of Coroner Sawyer. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 21 October 1910 Thomas Harrison Dies at his Daughter’s Home Here. Thomas Harrison, the father of Thomas Harrison Jr. and Mrs. H. G. Mann of Mill Valley, passed away at the residence of his son and daughter on Lovell Avenue. Mr. Harrison’s health has been failing rapidly for some months, and the end was not unexpected. He had been in Alaska for several years and about two months ago started for California. He was met at Seattle by Mrs. Mann who brought him to her home here, but the best of care and medical skill were unavailing. The funeral was held privately the following Tuesday under the direction of funeral director C. J. Dowd. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 9 December 1910 Stephen H. Roberts Crosses the Divide. Stephen H. Roberts, for ten years Town Clerk and Assessor of Mill Valley and one of the best-known and most highly esteemed of all our pioneers, died suddenly at his home on Hillside Avenue Sunday morning from an acute attack of heart trouble. R. Roberts had been very ill for two months, but it was thought he was on the road to recovery, and his sudden and untimely death came as a deep shock to his hundreds of friends here. Mr. Roberts had lived in Mill Valley for eighteen years, practically since the town was founded, and during all those years, his uprightness of character, his strict integrity, his kindly heart, and his devotion to his duty won him the confidence, respect, and friendship of practically everyone with whom he came in contact. He was an unusually devoted husband and father, and the sudden severing of these ties by the Grim Reaper has caused a flood of most sincere sympathy to be extended to those bereaved by his death. He was sixty-four years of age, and in addition to his widow, he is survived by two married daughters, Mrs. Henry Senne and Mrs. A. M. Baker, both of Oakland. The funeral was held Tuesday afternoon at the Odd Fellows Chapel in San Francisco, under the auspices of the Gen. Thomas Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of which the deceased was a member. It was a beautiful and impressive ceremony, conducted by his old army comrades, most of whom are themselves on the brink of the grave. The little chapel was filled with sorrowing friends of the late town official, all of the other town officials being among those in attendance. The casket was covered with beautiful floral offerings, among them being one from the Town of Mill Valley and one from the boys of the local fire department. After the ceremony, the remains were cremated. Mr. Roberts’ record as it was feelingly told by the adjutant of his Post, was one of which any man might feel proud. In 1862, at the age of only sixteen years, he enlisted and went to the front as a bugler in the New York Mounted Riflemen. He served through one enlistment, and at its conclusion he re-enlisted in the New York Fourth Cavalry, serving there with honor until the close of that memorable war. He came to California shortly after the war, and his record in times of peace has been as honorable as in times of battle. Ten years ago, he was elected Town Clerk and Assessor of Mill Valley, and for his conduct of that office this community will always be indebted to him. In the death of Mr. Roberts, the town loses a faithful and efficient official, those who knew him lost a true and sympathetic friend, and the country loses an upright, conscientious citizen whose life has been a record of useful work well performed. Mill Valley Record-Enterprise, 9 December 1910 Dr. J. A. Hughes Dies After Long Illness – Well-Known Physician Finally Succumbs to Heart Trouble. Dr. Jerome A. Hughes, at one time coroner and a prominent physician of San Francisco, but for the past two years a well-known practitioner of Mill Valley, passed away at his home here Monday morning after an illness extending over several months. Heart trouble, augmented by a complication of other diseases, caused his death. Although all hopes of his recovery had been given up more than a week ago, his death nevertheless will be deeply felt by hundreds of his friends, both on this side of the bay and in San Francisco. Dr. Hughes was 54 years of age and a native of New jersey. He came to California when a young man and quickly made a name for himself in the practice of medicine. Sixteen years ago, he was elected coroner of San Francisco, and he soon distinguished himself by his conduct of that office. Two years ago, he moved to Mill Valley and has since made many warm friends here. He was a man of kindly, generous nature, and a sterling integrity that would admit of no compromise. The funeral was held Wednesday morning from undertaking parlors on Geary Street, and thence to St. Ignatius Church where a requiem high mass was celebrated. Interment took place at Holy Cross Cemetery. In addition to a widow and stepson, Dr. Hughes is survived by two brothers, Joseph W. and Frank P Hughes, both of whom reside in San Francisco