William Cook and Rose Cook Died December 20, 1897

-

On a cold December evening, William and Rose Cook came here together—just as they left the world together.

They were part of a small skating party on Ellicott Creek: two brothers and two sisters enjoying the winter ice. Friends warned them the ice was unsafe, but the surface looked solid, and they skated on. Beneath them, hidden by snow and darkness, was a deep excavation where the water plunged more than fourteen feet.

The ice broke without warning.

In the chaos that followed, the two young men did not think of themselves. Each fought to save his sister in the icy water. Michael Coleman managed to hold his sister above the surface long enough for neighbors to hear her screams and pull her to safety. Exhausted and numb, he then slipped beneath the ice and drowned.

William Newman never let go.

Witnesses later said that when the bodies were recovered, William and Rosa were found locked tightly in each other’s arms, carried together by the current beneath the ice. Even in death, it was difficult to separate them.

They were orphans, living with their sister on Delaware Street. Their lives ended not through recklessness, but through love—through a brother’s instinct to protect, even when the cost was his own life.

Their watches stopped early that night.
The ice closed.
And Tonawanda mourned.

This stone does not mark an accident alone—it marks a choice made in seconds, and a bond that the cold water could not break.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

William Lawrence Barron 1895 - 1918

-
Image
Here we remember William Barron , one of the first young men from the Tonawandas to answer the call to serve during World War I . On May 4, 1917 , he and his brother Edward left their homes to join the fight for the United States, becoming part of the first group of Marines sent to France . Assigned to the 16th Company, 5th Regiment of the U.S. Marines , attached to the 2nd Division , the brothers endured months in the trenches of France , experiencing the horrors of some of the bloodiest battles of the war. They also guarded German prisoners and were wounded together : Edward lost his arm to enemy fire, and William sustained a bullet to his shoulder and another through his lung. Even while recovering in hospitals, their bond remained strong. William stayed with Edward, helping his brother through rehabilitation, both working tirelessly to return home safely. Tragically, that reunion never came. Edward was sent home first, with William following a few days later aboard a transpor...
Read more

William Richell 1922 - 1944

-
Image
                                                                                              At this grave rests William , one of many young Americans who served proudly during World War II , preparing for a war that stretched across the globe. William was serving as a Second Lieutenant with the 3036th Base Unit in Arizona , where he worked as an instructor pilot . Rather than flying combat missions overseas, his role was to train other airmen — a responsibility that carried enormous weight. The lives of future crews depended on the skill, judgment, and calm leadership of instructors like William. While he served, William left behind his wife, Nora , and family in Tonawanda , all anxiously awaiting his return. Nora was herse...
Read more

Otto G Hintz 1842 - 1918

-
Image
  Here lies Otto G. Hintz , a man whose life story reads like an adventure novel. Otto served as a Confederate soldier in Company A of the 1st Texas Cavalry during the Civil War. Like many soldiers, his service brought him hardship: he was captured and held as a prisoner of war in Elmira, New York , a camp grimly nicknamed “Hellmira” by its inmates. After the war, Otto chose to stay in the North , a region unfamiliar to a former Confederate. Local residents would later say he was a “man they didn’t know much about” — a testament to his quiet independence and colorful character. Otto’s life was full of wanderings. In his later years, he disappeared from his home in North Tonawanda twice : The first time, after falling down the stairs and hitting his head , he walked south to Florida . His family eventually found him there after he requested his pension money be sent. The second time, weary of harsh northern winters , he set out to visit an old army friend . He was discove...
Read more