1935 WB Record Almanac

LUZERNE COUNTY IN 1934

Luzerne County’s roster of prominent and public-spirited citizens was greatly lessened by death during the twelve months ending November 30.  Many physicians, lawyers and clergymen succumbed.  More prominent deaths included:
December, 1933,  William S. Tompkins, insurance broker;  John J. Williams, member of Pittston School Board;  William J. Schall, West Side businessman, and John J. Maloney, journalist;  Edgar A. Innes, vice president of Thompson, Derr and Company.
January, 1934,  Dr. P. F. Lynch, dentist;  Rev. Stephen G. Pavolcik of Plymouth;  G. Murray Roat, prominent Kingstonian and former burgess there;  Mrs. Joseph H. Glennon, Pittston philanthropist;  Oscar S. Parker, banker;  Walter J. Kressly, stationer;  Lori Butler Hillard, president of County Prison Board.
February – Arthur R. Colley, druggist;  George H. Smith, general manager of Wilkes-Barre Lace Company, Rev. John B. Davies, pastor of First Welsh Congregational Church;  Councilman David W. Thomas of Wilkes-Barre;  Jacob Stack, insurance man.
March – George H. Royer, West Side inventor and manufacturer;  Hon. Andrew M. Freas, former Orphans Court Judge;  W. J. Davidson, Avoca undertaker and deputy coroner;  Attorney David B. Gildea of Luzerne;  John H. Kachenbach, city furniture merchant;   Hugh Weir, journalist and author;  Dr. Walter B. Newsbigle, city;  Alexander Sloane, member of Pittston-Jenkins Poor Board;  P. W. Dershimer, Pittston businessman;  Rev. John E. Bone, Forty Fort retired Methodist Episcopal minister.
April – Dr. Charles J. Barrett, Pittston physician;  Eugene T. Giering, editor of the Wilkes-Barre Record and prominent in civic affairs;  James B. Harris of Kingston, well known merchant;  John M. Baumann of Kingston, Woolworth executive.
May – Rev. William H. Littebrandt, assistant rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, city;  Dr. W. B. Foss, Ashley physician and bank president;  Dr. T. J. Dailey, Plymouth eye specialist;  Prof. H. H. Zeizer, superintendant of schools in Wilkes-Barre city;  Rev. James P. Ware, rector of St. James’ Church, Drifton;  William S. Goff, city, lumberman and banker;  Dr. J. Arthur Bullard, retired physician.
June – Rev. F. W. Willis, pastor of Wanamie-Alden Methodist Episcopal Church.
July – Franklin B. Spry, president of First National Bank of Plymouth;  Shelby D. Dimmick, general manager of Glen Alden Coal Company and potentate of Irem Temple.
August – Max Gerstein, Plymouth businessman;  George F. Buss, former Sheriff of Luzerne County;  Councilman William White of Pittston;  A. P. Ward, retired businessman.
September – Benjamin F. Myers, Civil War veteran and former city chief of police;  Ben Levi, president of Liberty Silk Throwing Company.
October – R. M. Keiser, former County clerk of Courts and City Treasurer;  Israel P. Pardee, Hazleton banker;  A. C. “Ollie Smith,” County Superintendent of roads and bridges and prominent fraternalist;  Rev. Flavian Wilbur, O.F. M. of Georgetown;  Attorney Harris B. Hamlin of Kingston;  Saidee Estelle Kaiser, city music teacher;  Eugene Sullivan of Avoca, coal operator;  Rev. Otto W. Mappes, retired Lutheran pastor, city;  D. P. Honeywell, vice president of Dallas First National Bank.
While costly fires caused considerable loss in many parts of Wyoming Valley during the past year, the fire loss in Wilkes-Barre city was not very large.  The only important fire was that which destroyed several homes in East End and caused an intensive investigation of the City Fire Department.
Some of the more serious conflagrations were:  C. C. Bowman store and apartment building on Wyoming Ave., Kingston, which burned on Christmas Day, 1933 with a loss of $50,000;  the 21 room Cobleigh cottage at Harvey’s Lake in January, valued at $75,000;  Scareman Drug Store and Levi clothing Company building, Nanticoke, $50,000 and an apartment house in Lee Park, $8,000, both in January.  February, Holy Trinity Church, Swoyerville, $20,000 damage.  March saw a $25,000 fire at Consumer’s Ice Company plant in Lee Park and in April there were blazes at the O. U. A. M. Hall at Slocum Corners and the Spaide Building at Nasangola (sp?), each of which cost $10,000.  R. R. Davis’s summer home at ? town was also burned in April with a loss of $18,000.  Forty Fort had two $50,000 fires in May, one burning a building at the Matheson plant and the other destroying the plant of Henry German bakery.  There was also a $80,000 fire which destroyed several homes in Nanticoke. Car barn and several street cars at Dallas belonging to Wilkes-Barre Railway Corporation, were destroyed in October with a loss of $45,000.  Luzerne business was swept by a $200,000 blaze in November.
Religious activities during the past twelve months were marked by numerous changes in pastorates caused by death, resignation and transfer.  Heading the list of changes was the Methodist Episcopal Church which put several new pastors in Wyoming Valley.
Rev. Dr. George M. Bell of Johnson City, N.Y. was made superintendent of Wilkes-Barre district to succeed Rev.  Dr. Fred E. Lott.  Pastoral assignments:  Central Church, city, Rev. Verne L. Smith of Greenfield, Mass., replacing Rev. Dr. Herbert F. Randolph who went to Greenfield;  Forty Fort, Rev. George B. Callander of Scranton in place of Rev. Verner S. Harmbulo who went to Scranton; Askam-Sugar Notch, Rev. H. E. Weaver in place of Rev. T. C. Harwood, who retired;  Center Moreland, Rev. F. C. Esther, replacing Rev. H. S. Munyan who was assigned to Clifford;  Glen Lyon, Rev. R. J. May, replacing Mrs. Lyndal Mathis who retired.  Later in the year Rev. F. W. Willis, pastor of Wanamie-Aiden Church, died and Rev. H. R. Brong of Courtdale was sent there.  Rev. Richard Davy became pastor at Courtdale.
Other changes:  Rev. Otto W. Mappes, retired as pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and Rev. Raymond Eichmann was appointed in his place.  Rev. Mr. Mappes died later in the year;  Rev. Carlton N. Jones, pastor of Moriah Congregational Church, Nanticoke, resigned due to ill health and his place has not been filled;  Rev. Kenneth Mead was installed as pastor of Parsons Baptist Church to fill a vacancy;  Rev. John M. Owen was ordained and installed as pastor of Second Welsh Congregational Church which had been without a pastor since the death of the pastor over a year ago;  Rev. Basil P. Koskores was assigned as pastor of the Green Orthodox Church of the Annunciation here;  Rev. H. G. Russell, pastor of Plains Primitive Methodist Church was transferred to St. Clair and Rev. Thomas Jones of Nanticoke took his place.  Rev. Henry W. Coray, pastor of West Pittston Presbyterian Church, resigned to become a missionary to China.
Rev.  F. Allen Dana was ordained into the Presbyterian ministry.
In the Roman Catholic Church three Luzerne Churches received new pastors.  Rev. Edward Ballas was assigned to St. Stephen’s at Plymouth to succeed the late Rev. Stephen G. Pavolcik;  Rev. C. F. Wydra of Freeland was named pastor of Holy Name Church, Buttonwood, and Rev. Dr. Joseph J. Gavenda, former vice chancellor of the Scranton Diocese, was made pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, Hazelton.  Young men ordained into the priesthood included:  Rev. Charles C. Zawol, Rev. Fabian Onderovsky, Rev. Joseph Rapezynski, Rev. Thomas Gildea, Rev. James Sheridan, Rev. Father Peter, C. P. Edward Quinn, Rev. Father Gerard, C. P., Jerome C. Rooney, Rev. Father Godfrey, C. P., Patrick J. Reilly.
Deaths included Rev. Stephen G. Pavolcik of Plymouth, Rev. James P. Ware of Drifton, Rev. F. W. Willis of Wanamie, Rev. W. H. Littebrandt of Wilkes-Barre, Rev. John E. Bone, retired of Forty Fort, and Rev. Otto W. Mappes, retired of Wilkes-Barre.
Typed by Toni Mason