to: OBITUARY PAGEObituary & Biographic
Researched & Submitted by Mary Rhodes
Wellsville Daily Reporter – May 19th 1893
“YALE – At the home of his daughter In law, Mrs. Jennie Yale on Madison Street, Thursday morning May 18th, Ozias Yale aged 91 years.
Mr. Yale has been quite feeble for some time, but still was about the house yesterday. He had evidently arisen this morning, but dropped dead beside the bed, where he was found by his family.
Two daughters and a son survive. Mrs. Roxy Martin, Greene, NY; Susan R. Strong, Smethport PA; and L.B. Yale of Syracuse.
The funeral will be held Saturday at 10 AM from the house at 57 Madison Street.”
Mr. Yale’s obituary was short and blunt, as was the style of reporting in the early twentieth century. What the obituary did not say, was that Mr. Yale was a very early settler to the Willing area, leaving home in Oxford, Chenango County, New York and purchasing lot 43 in Scio, now Willing, in 1833. He farmed the area for fifty years or more.
He married twice, both wives daughters of Benjamin Jones, a revolutionary war soldier who is also buried in the “Yale” cemetery. Benjamin Jones, his son Zenas and daughter Clarissa (William Gifford) moved with the Yales from Chenango to Allegany County.
In the 1850 census, Ozias and Roxy’s children were Henry O. (Jennie Lyman), Roxy (Samuel Martin) Amos (Julia Lyon), Lewis B. (Emma Boggs) and Susan R. (Rev J. G. Strong).
Henry’s daughters were Mary Yale Fitz Randolph (Virgil Fitz Randolph) and Myrtle Yale Wells (Archie Wells)
Ozias served as the first town clerk for Willing, serving in this capacity from 1852 until 1855. He was a founder of the First Baptist Church in Wellsville and can certainly be considered a pioneer in Allegany county.
(Information taken from “The Willing Story” page 142 by Hazel Shear and J. S. Minard “Allegany and Its’ People, page 543 )