Notes for William Gibson BOOMHOWER
Bud Fucher
As most Boomhower researchers know St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Wurtemburg, a hamlet near Rhinebeck, Dutchess, NY, was built on land obtained from Col. Henry Beekman by Leonard Weegar (Wager) and Michael Pultz. Leonard was the immigrant Jacob Baumhauer's first father-in-law. I discovered recently that Rev. William G. Boomhower was pastor of this church 5 Jul 1914 to 1 Jul 1916 (www.stpaulswurtemburg.org ). It was his first assignment after graduating from Hartwick Seminary (now Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY) in 1914. Hartwick later awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1928. William G. Boomhower was born 15, Jan 1891 in E. Berne, Albany, NY the son of Frank and Ada (Gibson or Corman). He died 15 Sep 1974 in Cobleskill, Scoharie, NY. 'Berne, NY - Family Ties' (www.bernehistory.org ) shows him to be a descendant of Jacob and Cynthia (Barton). The line back to the immigrant Jacob is Frank, Jacob Eugene, Jacob, Michael, Jacob the immigrant. It is interesting to note that the Neo-Gothic style Baptismal font in St. Paul's, was given in memory of Millard Boomhower (1902-1919). A brass plaque bears the inscription, “Baptized and Confirmed in this Church, Buried in the Churchyard. Served in the World War May-December 1918.” Millard Boomhower was only 17 years old when he died on December 18, 1919. In his obituary The Rhinebeck Gazette wrote that Millard was “one of the youngest lads in the country to enlist and overcame all sorts of obstacles to offer himself for duty.” During his service he was stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard; New London, Connecticut; and Provincetown, Massachusetts. He also served on a “dangerous expedition on the U.S.S. Allacuty to Portugal and Siberia from which many of his companions never returned.” William had two other brothers, Cecil and Arthur, plus a sister Lillian. In 1920, Cecil 24, was living in Hyde Park, Dutchess, NY with wife Adelaide 20 and daughter Virginia 2&9/12. He was a laborer for the Highway Dept. I found Arthur in the Rhinebeck census for the same year, living with wife Dorthy (sic) 21 and daughter Catherine 1&4/12 at the home of her family Louis and Alice Markle. He was a laborer for the Town Road Dept. It appears that sometime after Frank died and while William was Pastor of Wurtemburg, the whole family moved to Dutchess County. In 1910 they were in Berne, then in 1920 in Dutchess. In 1920 Rev. William was in New Jersey and their mother Ada was with him. Apparently the others stayed behind, happy with Dutchess County, the first home of their forebearer Jacob Baumhauer.
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