Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2017 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Door County News Thursday, April 13, 1933 CAPT. WM. BOYD DIES AT CHICAGO Rites for Pioneer Lake Captain Held Here Monday. CAPT. WILLIAM BOYD passed away at the U.S. Marine hospital in Chicago Thursday, April 6. Death was the result of a paralytic stroke suffered about four and a half years ago. He remained at his home in Sturgeon Bay for one year after being taken ill and was then removed to the Marine hospital where he received at- tention for the past three and a half years. CAPT. BOYD was born on Oct. 1, 1856 at Clayton, New York, and lived there until a lad of 15 years, when he came west and located at Green Bay. Two years later, in 1873, he moved to Sturgeon Bay and made this city his home since that time. He was united in marriage to BARBARA HAHN in Sturgeon Bay on Dec. 31, 1883, and the couple would have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary had MR. BOYD lived until Dec. 31, next. Nine children were born to the union, seven of whom survive together with the widow as follows: CATHERINE and ANNIE, Chicago; HENRY, Providence, Rhode Island; MRS. J. R. CUSKELLY (MAGDALEN) Manning, N.D.; WILLIAM, Cleveland, Ohio; BERNARD, radio operator at San Diego, Calif., and BARBARA at home. Two children died in infancy. Other survivors include one sister, MRS. H. E. DUTTON, Green Bay, 15 grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. CAPT. BOYD was a sailor on the Great Lakes for 59 years, commencing at the age of 14 years and continuing until being forced to retire because of ill health. He received his captain's papers at the age of eighteen and was at that time the youngest captain on the lakes. He was engaged as master of the tug Edwards in the employ of the Spears Lumber Co., at the time he came to Sturgeon Bay in '73. His services were later engaged by the Leathem & Smith company of Sturgeon Bay and he served that concern for over forty years. The remainder of his sailing career was spent in the service of the Greiling Bros. Co. of Green Bay, and the Edward E. Gillen company of Milwaukee. Among the boats familiar in this port years ago which were mastered by CAPT. BOYD were the car- ferry tugs Ames and Fischer; the barge Thos. H. Smith; Bob Teed, Duncan City and the tug L. D. Smith. The captain made his last trip in charge of the tug Smith in the fall of 1928 in an attempt to free the steamer Barthelme when she was grounded near Cana Island. He was to make a second attempt to free the boat on the day he was taken ill, and had been inactive since that time. Funeral services were held from St. Joseph's church Monday morning at 9 o'clock, Rev. KOEFERL officiating, and interment was made in St. Joseph's cemetery. Six marine men, associates of the de- ceased, JACK MOORE, FRANK JACOBS, MAYO and EDMUND BEBEAU, WILLIAM MARSHALL and SEVERT SOLWAY, were active pall bearers. Honorary pall bearers were JOHN HUNSADER, JAS. CURRY, EDWARD WEBER, CHAS. WONDRASEK, GEORGE CURRY and GEORGE O'BOYLE. Among those from a distance who were here to attend the funeral were: MRS. H. E. DUTTON, MISS MARY LOCKEY, and E. T. STRAUBEL and son, Green Bay; Mr. and Mrs. BERNARD WAHL and son NORBERT, Kewaunee; the Misses ANNE and CATHERINE BOYD, Chicago, and WM. J. BOYD, Cleveland. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Door County Advocate Friday, April 14, 1933 (front page) CAPT. WM BOYD DIES LAST WEEK Was Tugman on Lakes 59 Years Rites Held At Church Monday Six Captains are Pallbearers; Six Engineers are Honorary Pallbearers. Funeral sevices were held on Monday morning from the St. Joseph's church here for CAPT. WILLIAM BOYD, veteran local marine man, who died at Chicago last week Thursday afternoon after an illness of 4 1/2 years from paralysis, all but one year of which was spent in the U.S. Marine hospital. The Rev. Father KOERFEL offici- ated, and burial was at the Catholic cemetery. Six captains were active pallbearers, JACK MOORE, FRANK JACOBA, MAYO BEBEAU, EDWARD BEBEAU, WILLIAM MARSHALL and SEVERT SOLWAY, and six marine engineers were honorary pallbearers, CHARLES WONDRASEK, JAMES CURRY, EDWARD WEBER, GEORGE O'BOYLE, JOHN HUNSADER and GEORGE CURRY. CAPT. BOYD was born October 1, 1856, at Clayton, New York, a son of JOHN BOYD, a lake captain. He started sailing at the age of 14 years and got his captain's papers at the age of 18 to win the honor of being the youngest captain on the Great Lakes at that time. In 1871, CAPT. BOYD went to Green Bay, and two years later came to this city as captain of the tug EDWARDS, owned by the Spears Lumber Co. On December 31, 1883, CAPT. BOYD was married at the St. Joseph's church here to MISS BARBARA HAHN, who still survives, together with seven children, HENRY, Providence, R.I.; ANNE, of Chicago; WILLIAM, of Cleveland; MAGDALENE, MRS. J. R. CUSKELLY, Manning, North Dakota; BARBARA, of this city; CATHERINE, of Chicago; and BERNARD, of San Diego, Calif. Two children died in infancy. One sister, MRS. H. E. DUTTON of Green Bay, also survives. The present BOYD residence on North Cedar street is the same the couple occupied the year of their marriage 50 years ago next December. CAPT. BOYD sailed for 40 years of Leathem & Smith and later with the Leathem D. Smith Dock company; also for the Greiling company of Green Bay and the Gillen Company of Mil- waukee. His last trip was on the tug Leathem D. Smith when the latter was called to attempt to release the freighter M. J. Bartelme that went aground at Cana Island. Among boats CAPT. BOYD commanded were the Ames and Fisher, which towed carferries, the ------- (*says cont'd on page 4. Instead of continuing the obituary the following is found on page 4) DEATH OF AN OLD MARINER The death of CAPT. BOYD takes another old mariner from the fast diminishing ranks of those who sailed the Great Lakes under the most trying circumstances. CAPT. BILL BOYD was recognized as one of the best tug captains on the Great Lakes. There was a time when tugging was recognized as one of the important factors in water transportation. Barge and vessel towing re- quired skill and good judgment. Old condemned craft were turned into stone carrying barges, and heavily loaded were towed across the lake to discharge their cargoes at harbors which were having breakwater construction work done. Men like CAPTAIN BOYD weathered many a storm and brought their tow and its cargo safely into harbor only through expert skill. Those were the days when there were but few lighthouses and coast guards, there were no radio beacons to guide the mariner on his course, and he had to depend largely upon his knowledge and instinct to get him safely into port. The "old timers," like the sailing fleet in which they took such pride, are gradually passing away. Younger men at taking their places, under entirely different conditions. Science has developed new devices in guiding craft through storms and foggy weather. But the memory of those who braved the storms of the past under circumstances that placed the acid test on skill and bravery will never fade away. ========================================================================== If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access more of our growing collection of FREE online information by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/ ==========================================================================