William Blake Bohnert

William Blake Bohnert

• Father: Francis Xavier Bohnert b. 9 December 1832, d. 9 March 1915
• Mother: Margaretha Deck b. 24 March 1829, d. 8 August 1907

• William Blake Bohnert was born on 2 July 1871 in Pennsylvania.
• Francis Xavier Bohnert and Margaretha Deck appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Pine Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Other members of the household included William Blake Bohnert, Katherine Bohnert, Laura J. Bohnert, Joseph H. Bohnert and Franklin Pierce Bohnert.
• He married Orpha (?) circa 1897.
• Francis Xavier Bohnert and Margaretha Deck appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Pine Township, Pennsylvania. Other members of the household included William Blake Bohnert, Orpha (?) and Alzie Bohnert.
• He was a farmer, according to the 1900 census.
• William Blake Bohnert died on 27 December 1900 at age 29.
• He was interred at Oregon Hill Cemetery, Pine Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.
• The following appeared on 14 January 1901 in the Williamsport Daily Gazette and Bulletin: All that is mortal of William B. Bohnert was laid to rest in the cemetery at Oregon Hill on Sunday, December 30th. He was aged 29 years, 5 months and 25 days. He resided at the time of his death in the home of his father, Frank Bohnert, near English Centre. /P/ Mr. Bohnert came suddenly to his death by being hit on the head with a log while working in the woods in the employ of Charles Finch & Son, not far from English Centre. His aged parents and his widow were almost overwhelmed with grief over his sad and sudden death. He leaves two small children. He was a young man of good habits and leaves many friends to mourn his loss. His loss is also deeply felt by the members of the I.O.O.F. No. 109 at English Centre, of which he was an active member in good standing at the time of his death. /P/ Seldom have we seen a funeral conducted with such great solemnity and noble bearing as the funeral given Mr. Bohnert by the members of his order. The ritual services both at the home and at the grave were very impressive and offered words of consolation and sympathy to the bereaved family and to the brothers of the order. After the reading of the solemn words by the Chaplain at the grave each member deposited into the grave a sprig of evergreen as a token of their undying love for their departed brother. /P/ The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. I. J. Reeser of White Run. The text chosen was taken from Job 14:2, "He cometh forth as a flower and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not." The brevity and uncertainty of life and the light and the hope that the gospel gives us in this short life is to guide us to heaven was dwelt upon. The sermon was preached in the spacious Evangelical church at Oregon Hill. The church, though very large, was too small to accommodate with seating capacity the immense audience. Many were in attendance from English Center and the country surrounding Oregon Hill. Daily Gazette and Bulletin (Vol C, No 12), 14 January 1901, page 2? A.com image accessed online, October 2009.

• Last Edited: 25 Oct 2009