Selected from the pages of the Windsor Locks Journal and lightly annotated by Wendy Taylor of Kent Memorial Library.
December 3
The honor roll which has stood on the green in the center of the town was taken down this week, as the names of those in the service from this town are all on the new bronze tablets on the town building. The taking away of the honor roll takes away the only shelter from the winter winds for trolley patrons, and micrococcus lanceolatus, the pneumonia bug, is arranging for a carnival of its fellows for the next few months. There should be some sort of a shelter in the center of the town for trolley patrons…There are many objections raised when such a plan is suggested, the chief one being that it would not look good. Others say that people can wait in the post office, but as the post office closes at 7 o’clock that does not help those who are out after that time…
Robert A Johnson, aged 79 years, one of the best known…residents of the town, died at his home here last Saturday after an illness of several weeks. He was born [enslaved] in Alexandria, Va., but came north when a young man. For a number of years he was a wool sorter in Windsor Locks for the Dwight, Skinner Co., but about thirty-seven years ago he came to this town and went to work as a farm hand as the confinement and dust in the mill was undermining his health. He leaves ten children. The funeral was held at the Third Baptist church…The burial was in Woodlawn cemetery.
December 10
Mrs. Anna Gebrowski, aged 48 years, wife of Raymond Gebrowski…was killed and her brother, Charles Genevoski, is in St. Francis hospital, Hartford, with a fractured skull and internal injuries, in a grade crossing accident at South street station… The couple, who live at the lower end of South street, were driving to the 9 o’clock mass at St. Joseph’s Polish church and tried to cross the track ahead of the Suffield Branch train …The woman’s husband was at church when the accident happened.
Besides her husband, Mrs. Gebrowski leaves two small children…and two brothers.
The Methodist church property [in West Suffield Center] has been purchased by John F. Barnett, Jr…. Mr. Barnett almost immediately resold the parsonage to Patrick Carmody, the blacksmith, and the business block with the store to William Barnett. The sale of this property marks the passing of the Methodist society in Suffield.
December 17
The dedication and consecration of the new church bell for St. Joseph’s Polish Catholic church… will be held Sunday.
December 24
Patrick Sullivan of this place received word this week of the death of his father, Patrick Sullivan, who died at his home in Kimere, County Carey, Ireland, on November 30.
T.C. Austin, Jr., is laid up at his home…suffering from a bruised knee, which was caused by a kick from a cow.
December 31
The Suffield Fish and Game Association… has received from the state twenty-four pheasants… From the Federal government had also been received 500,000 wall-eyed pike., 1,000,000 yellow perch, 100,000 catfish and 5,000 large mouth bass, all of which were placed in the Connecticut river and its tributaries.
The summer cottage of George Martinez of this place, on the shore of the middle lake at Congamond, was totally destroyed by fire … It is thought that the fire must have been caused by a defective flue . . .
The cottage was one of the best on that side of the lake and was built last season.
The storm of Monday has left a few inches of snow on the ground and there is pretty good sleighing for the few sleighs that are left.