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Family of Edward (AKA Edwin) J FORCE and Charlotte J BIDELER
Edward (AKA Edwin) J FORCE b. 1847201 at New York215. d. 1873 Aug 24~5116 at drowned in the Canal Dam pond, Corning, NY5116. bd. Elmwood Cem., Caton, NY201.
Charlotte J BIDELER b. 1848~42 at NY987. d. 1916 Apr5116. bd. Elmwood Cem., Caton, NY201.
Married76 1867~215.
The will of George W Bideler76 mentions (in order) brother Solomon Bideler and niece Charlotte Force. Solomon's daughter Charlotte, b~1848, appears in 1870 in Caton as Charlotte Force, b ~1849, in the household of Edward Force. It is assumed that Edward was the husband of Charlotte Bideler. As Charlotte appears as Bideler in 1865, and as Force in 1870, a marriage date is estimated from that.
Edward, AKA Edwin, J Force was born349 about 1847 to Levi and Ann Force. He was a farmer by occupation.
Charlotte J Bideler and Edwin/Edward were married perhaps about 1867, probably in Caton, NY.
Edward died5116 rather tragically at the age of 25, while bathing with his brother Frederick, and an aquaintance, I N Easterbrook, at the bulkhead of the Canal Dam. One gate to the dam was open and caused a swirlpool to form. Fred was drawn into the current and Easterbrook swam after him. Then Edward called out for help, apparently having jumped in to aid his brother. Easterbrook had lost sight of Fred, so Easterbrook swam after Edward. After several unsuccessful attempts to pull Edward to the surface, Easterbrook, exhausted, rose to the surface. Fred had pulled himself to a bar downstream, and he and Easterbrook attempted to close the dam gate, to no avail. Edward's body was recovered a half hour later.
Edward had married Charlotte Bideler several years prior to his death. The two of them had engaged in the sale of sewing machines in Corning, and were enjoying some success. At the time of his death, Edward and Charlotte had just made arrangements to start an agency for a new sewing machine and were to leave for New York the following week to conduct business there. Edward and Charlotte had no children.
Charlotte also appears as "Lottie" (1880 census, Caton, NY).
Charlotte J Force was the administratrix5112 for the estate of "Edwin" J Force, per a legal notice posted Sep 12, 1873.
Following Edward's death in 1873, Charlotte married second5113, in Caton, NY, Jan 1880, John Spinney.
In her will, Charlotte Spinney of Corning bequeathed5115 to her husband, John Spinney, the life use of her real estate. At her husband's death, life use of the property was to be given to (her sister) Mary, (her nephew) Clare, (her niece) Ethel May and Charlotte Calkins Easterbrook. At their deaths, the property was to pass to the Free Methodist Church, the proceeds to be used for missionary work.
In 1938, the Steuben County (NY) Surrogate court reserved a decision5114 regarding the property of Charlotte Spinney, in a suit brought by the General Missionary Board of the Free Methodist Church against Clair and Ethel Easterbrook, stating the Board had a claim to the property, as stated in Charlotte's will. Easterbrook testified that, in 1919 (apparently following the death of John Spinney,) he had made a settlement with the Methodist board, and presented cancelled checks amounting to $330.