RESEARCH FINDINGS

In 1820, four of the sons of Benjamin Wiser (Josiah, James, Samuel and Theodore) were living in Truxton Township, Cortland County, New York.  In 1810, Benjamin Wiser Senior with his family was living in nearby Cazenovia Township, Madison County, New York in the village of New Woodstock.  So, it is believed between 1810 and 1820, the family moved to Truxton Township (probably within the present Cuyler Township formed from Truxton Township in 1858).  The actual year they moved to Truxton Township was probably 1818, when we believe Benjamin Wiser Senior passed away and the land that he owned in Road Township (part of present-day Cazenovia Township) was sold.

In 1798, the area of present day Cuyler was actually part of Fabius Township, Onondaga, New York (this is where James Babcock had settled).  In 1808, when Cortland County was organized from parts of Onondaga County, this area became part of Truxton Township.  The first mention of Cuyler was in 1838, when it was still part of Truxton Township, a document calling for a meeting to organize a society of the Methodist Episcopal Church designated Cuyler village as Cuiler Ville, North Truxton. 

Even though a number of the early Wisers probably passed away in Cazenovia or Truxton Townships, we have never found a record of their burial in the local cemeteries.  The earliest burial we have of a family member in this area is Ezra Albro, son of James Albro and Sabra S. Morse (daughter of Luther and Alithea (Wiser) Morse) who died 22 September 1827, age 1 year and 1 month.  He is buried in a cemetery in Truxton Township, on Route 91, 2.2 miles north of Truxton (Route 13) and across the street from the present Labrador Mountain Ski Area with other members of the Albro family (the earliest burial being 1819).  It is likely that Samuel Wiser, who died in 1834 is buried in this cemetery with other family members as there are a number of unmarked graves and unreadable headstones.

Many descendants of Benjamin Wiser (especially those of Alithea Wiser Morse) are buried in the present-day Truxton Rural and Cuyler Cemeteries.  Both cemeteries are found on the internet (contributed by Esther Slater), and can be found at www.interment.net under New York State and Cortland County.  I am going on my annual research trip to Central New York State the last week of August.  I look forward to furthering the research of our family and hope to solve some ongoing mysteries such as who was Marsilva (Marsilla) Wiser mentioned in the early records of Cazenovia or Sally Wiser who died 29 December 1849 in Truxton Township.

This month I made a first time contact with a descendant of Theodore Wiser (the daughter of Viola I. Morgan below).  I am hopeful over the next few months to correspond with other members of this family hoping that they may provide some additional information about Theodore and his descendants.  The families of Samuel and Theodore Wiser have much in common, for it is believed after Samuel died in 1834, that his widow Betsy Babcock married Theodore and the two families together moved in 1838 to JoDaviess County, Illinois to find their fortune in the local iron mines.  We know for a short time these families were brought close together, but in 1839 were separated by the untimely deaths of both Theodore and Betsy.  It is sad that the only record of some of these family members we have is from the memory of John McCormick Wiser who was their brother or half-brother (Samuel, Ezra and William Henry Wiser). Some of our extended family had also talked of Aunt Prudence (supposed daughter of Theodore who married Earl S. Emmons and lived in Fillmore, Minnesota).

OBITUARIES

Our sympathy to the families who have recently lost loved ones.

David T. Bailey Sr.

Bangor Maine Daily News, 24 May 2003; Detroit - David T. Bailey Sr., 48, died May 23, 2003, at a Hartland nursing home after a battle with cancer. He was born Sept. 20, 1954, in Dexter, son of Arthur and Anna (Downing) (Charles Jerome Downing, Viola Adelaide Ford Downing, Sarah (Sally) Jane Wiser Ford, Benjamin Wiser Jr., Benjamin Wiser) Bailey. He is survived by a son, David Bailey Jr. of Bangor; a daughter, Deanna Thompson of Dexter; three brothers, Arthur Bailey Jr. of Corinna, Charles Bailey Sr. and his wife, Janet, of Dexter, Kevin Bailey Sr. and his wife, Lynn, of Corinna; a sister, Ann Marie Gustin of Hartland; several nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. Graveside services will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, May 31, 2003, at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Dexter. Arrangements by Crosby & Neal Funeral Home, Dexter.

Viola I. Morgan

Kennewick, WA, Tri-City Herald, 28 Jan 2003; Viola I. Morgan, age 91, passed away Saturday, January 25, 2003 at Kennewick General Hospital. Viola was born in Toppenish, Washington, March 19, 1911, to William and Lola Mattox. She attended schools in Benton City, Thorp, and graduated from Cle Elum High School in 1929. She met and married Delore M. Webb (Gertrude Wiser Webb, William Henry Wiser, Samuel Henry Wiser, Theodore Wiser, Benjamin Wiser) in 1930 and had two children, Jerald Neil Webb and Carole Lola Webb. Viola and Delore were later divorced. In 1941 she married Carl L. Newman and moved to Holden Village near Lake Chelan where Carl worked as a diamond driller at the Howe Sound Copper mine. They moved to Seattle, Washington where their son Leonard Lee was born. The next move was to Salt Lake City, Utah where they lived until 1952. They spent the next several years traveling the western states working construction. They returned to Salt Lake City, Utah after Carl suffered a heart attack and resided there until Carl died in 1964. Viola moved back to Washington State to take a job as housemother at Central Washington State College in Ellensburg. While living there she met Howard Morgan of Benton City; who she married in 1969. She moved to Benton City and lived there until Howard's death in 1985. After Howard's death she moved to Kennewick. In her early life Viola was a professional cook but was primarily a homemaker. Viola was a member of the West Highlands United Methodist Church where she volunteered in the kitchen and was affectionately referred to as "the soup lady." She also volunteered at Kennewick General Hospital, the food bank, and was one of the first guardian adlitems at the Kennewick Juvenile Justice Center. All that knew her enjoyed her wonderful sense of humor, and her kind and loving way of comforting and listening to troubled people. She also had a great talent for writing stories and poetry. She will be greatly missed. She was preceded in death by her brother Herbert Mattox and her son Jerald Webb. She is survived by her daughter Carole Collins and husband Dave of Kennewick, son Leonard Lee Newman of Chandler, Arizona, stepdaughter Gloria Wolf and husband Bill of Benton City, five grandchildren, Ronald Hall of Salt Lake City, Utah, Steve Hall of Duvall, Washington, Carl Newman of Chandler, Arizona, Harvey Webb of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Kelly Edwards of Benton City, Washington and 13 great grandchildren. Memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, February 1st, 2003 at West Highlands United Methodist Church at 17 South Union St. Kennewick, Washington. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tri-City Hospice. Sleep sweet lady and go with God.

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Once again, thanks for any suggestions in regards to our family newsletter.  Please contact me at or at 6 Baton Rouge, Roswell, NM  88201, or at (505) 623-2534.