Besner Family
John Besner & Lousia Gauthier
Name: John Besner1,2,3
Birth: 1 Dec 1899 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York4
Death: 2 Oct 1928 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York5 Age: 28
Cause of death: Gunshot wound to the head Suicidal6
Burial: 5 Oct 1928 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York7
Residence: 1900 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York4 Age: <1
Residence: 1 Jun 1915 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York8 Age: 15
Residence: Jan 1920 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York9 Age: 20
Residence: 1 Jun 1925 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York10 Age: 25
Father: Moses Besner (1853-1951)
Mother: Louisa Richards (1857-1909)
Marriage: 1 Sep 1921 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York3
Notes for John Besner
John Besner signed up for the United States Navy when he was 18 years old and 6 months. He was sent to the Naval training camp at PelhamBay Park, New York from August 28, 1918 to November 11, 1918. He served as a Seaman 2nd Class, and his occupation was a machinist. He was released from active duty on April 23, 1919. He continued to serve in the reserves until September 30, 1921. During his service he was awarded the victory medal.
On September 13, 1920, he married Louise Gauthier the daughter of Adolph Gauthier and the late Rosina Remi. They were married in the Catholic Church of Notre Dame in Ogdensburg. In 1921, Louise gave birth to their first and only child Grace Helen. About a year latter Louise developed pneumonia and passed away.
John Besner took his own life in 1928. He shot himself. His only child was left in the care of his brother Alza and his wife GeorgeAnn.
John returned home from work about 6pm the night of October 2, 1928. He spoke with his brother and daughter and then went upstairs. He left the house about 8pm and spoke to Fred Rapin at the corner of Covington and Adams Street. He never returned home.
The next morning Alza became concerned especially after reading about a possible drowning in the river the previous night. While the officer was at the house investigating the disappearance, Ruth, 14, the adopted daughter of Alza ran inside the house and said" Uncle is lying over there". John's body was found near the service station where he worked. He had a gun shot wound to his right temple.
Two notes were found on his dresser in his room at the covington street house. One which bade his daughter goodbye, another giving a wrench to a friend. He had placed a third note on the doorstep of his friend Leo Leroux, the note was written on the back of a picture of Grace, which read “all the clothes that is in your care is yours, But Lousie’s watch. Keep it for Grace. I got to say goodbye to the world”
The note to the Family at Covington read “the bedroom suite, table, trunk is to be kept for Grace for when she is of age. She cannot forget. Goodby Grace Dad (the words “she cannot forget were scratched out”
Medical notes for John Besner
According to reports John had periods of depression.
Military notes for John Besner
John served in the Navy.
He joined June 19 1918. He was 18 years old and 6 months. He was a seaman 2nd class and went to training for 3 months at the Naval training camp at Pelham Bay, NY1
Spouse: Louise Marie Gauthier2,11,12,13
Birth: 23 Feb 1898 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York11,13
Death: 5 Aug 1923 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York14,15,13 Age: 25
Cause of death: Acute gastroenteritis, Collapse of the heart
Burial: 8 Aug 1923 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York15,13
Residence: 1900 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York11 Age: 1
Residence: 1905 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York12 Age: 6
Residence: 1910 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York16 Age: 11
Residence: 1910 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York17 Age: 11
Residence: 1920 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York18 Age: 21
Occupation: Wrapping in a silk mill 18
Father: Adolphe Gauthier (1868-1936)
Mother: Rosina Remi (1867-1902)
Notes for Louise Marie Gauthier
Louise Gauthier was born in Feb . She was the first born daughter of Aldoph and Rosina Gauthier.
Her mother died when she was only three and her father remarried.
Louise married John Besner on September 13, 1900 in the Church ofNotre Dame in Ogdensburg, New York. She gave birth to her first and only child Grace Helen osuffered from acute gastroenteritis and “collopse of the heart” developed pneumonia and died, her daughterGrace was the same age Louise was when her own mother died.
Medical notes for Louise Marie Gauthier
Acute gastroenteritis, Collapse of the heart 13
Children
1 F: Grace Helen Besner19,2
Birth: 28 Aug 1922 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York19,20,2,21
Death: 29 Sep 2007 Monroeville, Allegheny, Pennsylvania20,21 Age: 85
Spouse: Orville Thomas McConnell (1919-1991)
Marriage: 27 Mar 1942 Lisbon, St Lawrence, New York19
Sources
1. ancestry.com, “New York, Abstracts of World War I Military Service, 1917-1919,” http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=3030&h=52006&indiv=try, online database.
2. “U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007,” 2015, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60901&h=26698537&ssrc=pt&tid=80061917&pid=44413239470&usePUB=true, Online Database, ancestry.com.
3. “New York, County Marriages, 1847-1849,” FamilySearch, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61377&h=882481&ssrc=pt&tid=80061917&pid=44413239417&usePUB=true, 2016.
4. “1900 United States Federal Census,” online database, Roll: 1157; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0118; FHL microfilm: 1241157, Ogdensburg Ward 2, Saint Lawrence, New York;, 1900, Ogdensburg Ward 2, Saint Lawrence, New York;, www.ancestry.com.
5. “The Ogdensburg Republican Journal,” Ogdensburg, New York, Oct 4 1926, 5, newspaper clip and URL, http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn84024315/1928-10-04/ed-1/seq-5/.
6. “The Ogdensburg Republican Journal,” Ogdensburg, New York, Oct 7 1928, 7, newspaper clip and URL, .
7. “The Ogdensburg Republican Journal,” Ogdensburg, New York, Oct 5 1928, 3, newspaper clip and URL, http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn84024315/1928-10-05/ed-1/seq-3/.
8. “State Population Census Schedules, 1925,” online database, Election District: 02; Assembly District: 01,
