OBITUARY OF DANIEL & EMILY BROOKS STEELE, ILION, HERKIMER COUNTY, NY Copyright (c) 1999 by Judy Hiller (hillerj@erols.com). ************************************************************************ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************ DANIEL H. STEELE, 84, DIES AT HOME IN ILION End Comes Suddenly to One of Oldest Settlers VETERAN OF THE CIVIL WAR Well Known in Section as Expert at Several Trades Ilion, April 8 (1926) - Daniel H. Steele, 84 a most estimable citizen and one of Ilion’s oldest settlers, died at his home at 34 Second Street, where he had lived for about 60 years, Thursday morning, having been stricken during the night. He was about town Tuesday and apparently was well as usual upon retiring Wednesday night. Mr. Steele was born in the town of German Flatts, June 12, 1841. Most of his life had been spent in Ilion, His ancestors came from Germany and originally the name was spelled Stehle. Rudolf Stehle and 17 others once owned 40,000 acres of land in Herkimer and adjoining counties, and Conrad Stehle, his grandfather, owned 500 acres of land in what is now the western part of the village of Ilion. The English, from whom the grants of land came, spelled the name Staley, and the Yankees, who came from Connecticut in the early part of the 19th century, changed it to Steele, and they also called the stream which flows through the village Steele’s Creek. Mr. Steele received a good education and as a young man learned the trade of blacksmith and iron worker. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the 152nd Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which went to the front with the 146th Regiment from Oeida County. Mr. Steele was commissary sergeant of his regiment and served acceptably until the close of the Civil War, a period of three years. He was on he non-commissioned staff. On his return to Ilion, Mr. Steele went to work in the Remington Agricultural Works, making agricultural implements. He also worked as blacksmith and in doing forge work in the Ilion Armory during the time when it had large contracts for rifles for the Egyptian and French governments. He also worked for a time for Moses Allen of Utica, and for Wheeler’s Foundry in Utica, making frog joints for the Utica and Black River Railroad. He made and finished the crossing plates for the tow northern railroads at Philadelphia and was a skilled and diligent worker. In 1873 he went on the road selling agricultural implements for the Remingtons, traveling through Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. For five or six years he was on the road as sales agent for W. D. Chapman of Theresa, selling fishing tackle and sporting goods. About the year 1890 he started laying concrete sidewalks in the village of Ilion. It was a new industry and being a good mechanic he tried his hand in laying a walk in front of his own property in Second Street. He succeeded so well that some of his neighbors asked him to lay walks for them and before he was aware of it he found he had established a new business in which he was the pioneer in Ilion and he continued in it some 18 or 20 years. Not only in Ilion but throughout the city and villages of Herkimer County one can find his handiwork in sidewalks which was skillfully and honestly laid and which be the imprint of their maker. He had made many improvements in the trade and his walks were of the best. Mr. Steele was a charter member of the Grand Army Post in Ilion and was on the committee which selected its name, Post Chismore 110. He had been commander of the post and had long served it as adjutant. He had attended department encampments with Maj. John Peattie of Utica and also attended the national encampments at Washington and Buffalo. He as for a long time a member of Ilion Lodge 591, F. & A. M. In politics he was Republican and he had served as collector of the village in the early days. Later in life he became a Progressive. For many years, he served as secretary of the 152nd Regiment Veteran Association. He attended the Presbyterian Church. November 3, 1865, Mr. Steele married Miss Emily Brooks and with whom he celebrated his golden wedding anniversary. Mr. Steele was a very intelligent, well-informed man, a skillful mechanic, and his years of travel in various states of the Union had given hem a wide fund of information and ripened his judgment. He had a remarkable good memory and one gained both interest and instruction form his accounts of what he had seen and experienced. He was greatly devoted to his home and friends. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Emily Brooks Steele, and five children, Mrs. E. E. Rowland and Alfred Be. Steele, Boston, Mass; Miss Katharine Steele and Edmond A. Steele of Ilion, and Robert L. Steele of Herkimer. The funeral services will be held from his late home Saturday at 2:30 p. m. and will be conducted by Rev. A. B. Corbin and Rev. E. D. Barnes Mrs. Daniel H. Steele Passes Away in Ilion Ilion, April 21 (1929) - Emily Ring Brooks, 89, widow of Daniel H. Steele, passes away at her home, 34 Second Street, Sunday afternoon, April 21. Mrs. Steele was born in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, December 11, 1839, where her family had emigrated from Massachusetts. When she was 7 years old, they returned to the old home in West Springfield, Mass. Mrs. Steele was educated at the Union Classical Institute in Springfield. She was married in 1865 to Daniel H. Steele and had since made her home here. Mr. Steele died April 8, 1926. Mrs. Steele was the oldest member of the Presbyterian Church. She was a direct descendant of Andrew Ring who came to this country in 1632 and married Deborah Hopkins, daughter of Stephen Hopkins, the Mayflower pilgrim. Her maternal grandfather, Eleazer Ring was with Washington at Valley Forge. Mrs. Steele is survived by five children, Mrs. E. E. Rowland and Alfred D. Steele of Boston, Miss Katherine D. Steele and Edmund A. Steele of Ilion and Robert L. Steele of Herkimer. There are also tow grandchildren, Mrs. Oliver Marble of Boston, and Miss Emily S. Steele of Washington D. C., and there great grandchildren. The funeral will be held from the late home Wednesday afternoon at 2:30, Rev. E. D. Barnes officiating. Burial will be made in the family plot in Armory Hill Cemetery.