Obituary: Charles B. Mason, 1898: West Chester, Chester Co., PA Transcribed and contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Alice Beard harold12@epix.net ********************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES 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. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ********************************************************* West Chester Local News, Monday, February 14, 1898 Charles B. Mason--About three o'clock yesterday afternoon Charles B. Mason, who had been ailing for a long time and had been bedfast for five months, died at his home on South Darlington street. Heart trouble, dropsy and other diseases formed a complication which his system could not resist. Mr. Mason, who was in his 62nd year, was a carpenter by trade, but for some years had been janitor of the First Presbyterian Church, where he was assisted faithfully by his wife and by his son-in-law, J. Rudolph Manley, who acted as his substitute during his illness. He was born near Lancaster, but the family resided for a time at Kelton, in Penn township. In his youth Mr. Mason went West and at the breaking out of the Rebellion, he enlisted in California, coming East and joining the Second Massachusetts Cavalry, in which he served McCall Post, No. 31 G.A.R. and of Encampment No. 25, Union Veteran Legion. His children are as follows: Anna, wife of Rudolph Manley; Cora, wife of Howard Slaughter of Dilworthtown; Mary, Jennie, Della and Lelah, who are at home. A stepdaughter, Mrs. Indiana Newman and a stepson, Thomas Ferguson, both of Chester, also survive him. Note: Charles Bunn Mason enlisted in the War of the Rebellion in the Navy, serving on the ship "Keystone State" until he jumped ship at Mares Island, California, dropped his last name, and took the $100 dollars offered by the Second Massachusetts Calvary to come East to fight in the war in 1863. He just missed the Battle of Gettysburg by a few months. The truth came to light after his death, when his widow, Tamzon Jane Foreman Mason filed for his military pension.