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Ken Mosher

Sidney Mosher

Kenneth R. Mosher, Born, New Rochelle NY,1949. Graduated New Rochelle High School 1967, BA, US Marine Corps, 2 Tours in Vietnam, US Army, Airborne Ranger Ret. SFC, E-7. Awarded Canadian Parachute Badge 1981 Edmonton AB. Ken is married to Lou Jones who is Canadian, and he has resided in Canada with his wife since June 2006. One son, Sean Sidney Mosher, Born, Salt Lake City UT, November, 1988. In Honour of my Father, Sidney Wood Mosher, Born Poplar Ridge, NY, 1891, Died 1976, CE,PE,MCE,PhD. He attendant The "Friends Meeting House" in Poplar Ridge, Sidney as a child did not like going to the "Meeting House", because of hard wooden benches without backs, men on one side, and women on the other, and no music, and there was an usher with a long stick to wake people up. he graduated from Union Springs High School NY, in 1909, he was the Valedictorian of his graduating class (class of 6!)   In 1911 he took a competitive scholarship exam, one per county. He passed the exam, and received a 4 year New York State scholarship to Cornell for Cayuga County, he was Class of 1917. This scholarship only paid for tuition, the rest of the cost was Sidney's responsibility, he did not receive any financial help from home, he worked as a dish washer and as a waiter. Upon graduation from Cornell with a Civil Engineering Degree (CE), America had just entered World War 1. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the US Army ( AEF 1917) and saw combat in France. He was a Mustard Gas Casualty, and was discharged in 1919 as a First Lieutenant. Mr. Mosher returned to Cornell and obtained his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering (MCE). He was also an instructor of Machine Drawing at the Sibley School of Mechanical Engineering at Cornell in 1921. He was employed by The City of New York from 1921 to 1961( Municipal Civil Service Commission). Some of the engineering projects that he worked on was: The New York State Barge Canal,The Bronx River Parkway, The Lincoln Memorial, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. He was a Life Member of The Municipal Engineers of The City of New York, Secretary of the Municipal Engineers 1930-1936. He was also a Life Member of The American Society of Civil Engineers. Mr. Mosher was an expert yachtsman, he sailed a 40' Sail boat for many years up and down the Atlantic Coast of the United States. He was a member of the Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club, Brooklyn,NY, he loved the ocean! He was also an excellent gofer, and shot in the low 80's, and even had a "Hole In One"! In 1929 he took "The Grand Tour of Europe", and In the 1930's he often danced at the"Million Dollar Ballroom" in New York City.

He was a very good Ballroom Dancer, and on some nights he was even a dance judge. Mother was Gertrude Synder, Born in Philadelphia PA 1914, and Died June 11, 1991. She was Jewish and was Married to Sidney W. Mosher in 1940, Concord Mass. Sidney's marriage to a Jewish lady was a huge shock to the Mosher family in 1940. Marilla, Sidney's stepmother was very displeased with his marriage to a Jewish lady (see photo on page two, 8 down from the top). According to Jewish Law all of Gertrude's children are Jewish. However all 3 children were raised as Christens. Ken Mosher is very proud of his Jewish heritage. Most of Gertrude's extended family were killed in the Holocaust. Sister, Elaine B. Mosher, Born, New York City 1942. Elaine was an artist, she painted in oils. She graduated from Parsons School of Design. She also study under Alton Tobey. Brother was Warren E. Mosher, Born. New York City,1944, Died 1967. After Sidney retired He and Gertrude cruised all over the world. Ken's Grandfather was Edwin Beebe Mosher, Born 1864. Died 1945. His courting horse was a Morgan  Mare named "Daisy". Edwin's wife was Lottie Pearl Wood, Born 1869, Married 22 Feb 1889, Died December 14, 1898. Pearl was an artist, who painted in oils. After Pearl died "Daisy" was only used to Pull the Surrey for Sunday meetings, to  the "Friends Meeting House", and in the winter she  would pull the Cutter Sleigh. In 1904 he remarried to Marilla Yauger. Edwin owned the only Mercantile store in Poplar Ridge. The store had been in the Mosher family since 1820. He served as Sheriff of Cayuga County from February 14 to December 31, 1924 under appointment by the governor of the State of New York, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Sheriff Fay Teeter. Ken's other Grandfather was, Israel Synder, Born in Russia, Died 1956. His wife was Ethal Synder, Born in Riga, Latvia, Died 1966. Great Grandfather on the Mosher side was, Sidney Mosher (Edwin Beebe Mosher's father)' Born May 17, 1825 and Died Jan. 21,1889. He was married to Alma Catharine Beebe (see family chart, 6th document from top of this page). He was a 49er (California Gold Rush), and was in California in 1853 and back in Venice, NY by 1860. It appears that he got to California by boat. There is an unresolved mystery about an Edwin B. Mosher who was reported as a Pvt. in the 21st NY Cavalry during the American Civil War. This could not have been Ken's grandfather Edwin Beebe Mosher, for he was born in 1864. And nor could it have been  Edwin Barnabas Mosher, brother of Sidney Mosher, listed in the family chart, who was born about 1833. This mystery is still being researched.

Hugh Mosher appears to have been from  Manchester England, his wife was Rebecca Maxson. He arrived to the Massachusetts Bay Colony about 1656 or 1657, and found his way to Rhode Island. He was associated, to some degree with Roger Williams. Hugh in 1660 was a member of a group formed to purchase land in what is now Westerly Rhode Island. On October 16, 1669, Hugh was admitted as a Freeman in Portsmouth. On August 24, 1676, he is listed as "Ensign Hugh Mosher" as a member of a military court, this court was held in Newport Rhode Island. This court was the result of the "Philip's Indian War"(see 1st. and 2nd. Documents at the top page 2). It is said that Hugh was an Ordained Baptist Minister in 1684, Dartmouth,Mass. By the time of the American Revolution, the Mosher family is residing in New England, perhaps Rhode Island. They were members of the Quaker Faith, and were also British sympathisers, and therefore they did not participate in the American Revolution. However, it is very possible  that other branches of the Mosher family did participate in the American Revolution. This is to be established at a later date. At about 1762 part of the family moved to Nova Scotia Canada, to what is now known as "Mosherville" ( see 3rd document from the top of page 2). Joseph Mosher, Born May 12, 1732 and Died October 20,1801 was a Tory (British Sympathiser) during the American Revolution. After the war his land was confiscated as a result of being a Tory. After losing his land, he petitioned the British Crown for land in lower Canada, this petition was denied. Between 1805 and 1810  the Mosher family is now residing in Cayuga County, NY. Cayuga County and 3 other surrounding Counties were created between 1794 -1804, as a result of Maj. Gen. Sullivan's Military Campaign. This Campaign was ordered by Gen. Washington in 1779. He ordered the total "destruction and devastation" of all Native settlements in the Mohawk Valley. This opened up the Mohawk Valley to settlers moving west. The Mosher family appears to have been a part of that westward movement that settled in Cayuga County, between 1805 and 1810. Returning to the subject of the Edwin B. Mosher who served in the American Civil War. I found 3 Edwin B. Mosher's. The first is Edwin Barnabas Mosher, the brother of Sidney Mosher, who was born about 1833. The second is Edwin Beebe Mosher who was born in 1864, and  was the son of Sidney Mosher. And there is a third Edwin B. Mosher who served in the Civil War. It appears that this third Edwin B. Mosher is not part of the Sidney Mosher branch. This Edwin B. Mosher who served in the Civil War, was 18 years old in 1864 at the time of his enlistment. Edwin Barnabas Mosher would have been about 31 years old in 1864, and Edwin Beebee Mosher was a baby in 1864. This Edwin B. Mosher enlisted on January 5, 1864 at Chatham. and was mustered in as a private into Co. A of the 21st New York Cavalry. He died April 10, 1864 from wounds received at Cabletown Va. This data is taken from: "New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Centre", listed under the 21st Cavalry. The question is, who was this third Edwin B. Mosher? It is my opinion only, that Edwin Barnabas Mosher perhaps hired this young man to be a substitute for him in the Civil War. It appears the practice for substitutes in the military at this time was to use the name of the man  they were substituting for. My father Sidney W. Mosher told me, he knew a Civil War veteran when he was a child in Poplar Ridge NY. This veteran had hired a substitute, and he was collecting the Civil War pension, not the man who served! Perhaps this indicates the military did not change the names on their records at the time of enlistment. More research will be required, before a final determination can be made.