KETCHAM Laurie

Notes:

Died:
Obituary: KETCHAM--Laurie Camden. 51, of Jamestown, RI, died Sunday, June 18, of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). She was the beloved daughter of the late James B. and Ira D. Ketcham. A longtime resident of Manhattan, Laurie was the President and owner of Laurie C. Ketcham, a photographer's representative until stricken with ALS. Laurie fought a courageous battle and was determined to help others with this fatal disease. Gifts in her memory can be made to the ALS Association of Rhode Island, 1637 Warwick Avenue, Warwick, RI 02889. She is survived by a brother, George Ketcham of Newport, RI; sisters: Susan K. Coffin of Manchester By the Sea, MA, and Brucie K. Donahue of Northfield, VT. In addition, she is survived by an uncle, William Tredwell Ketcham Jr. of New York and Lawrence, LI. A funeral service will be held at 11 am, on Thursday, June 29, at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 87 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown, RI. A memorial celebration of her life will take place at a later date to be determined on Long Island. Published: July 19, 2006

Family/Spouse: CAMDEN Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

JAMESTOWN - James B. Ketcham, 82, died Thursday, March 16, 2006, at home in Jamestown, RI.

He was the devoted husband of Ira D. (Davisson) Ketcham for 52 years.

Jim was born in New York City in 1924. He was the son of Jean (Long) and William Tredwell Ketcham. He was a direct descendant of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Jim was a graduate of Lawrence School, The Hill School, Yale University, Class of 1945 and attended Columbia University Medical School.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corp (United States Air Force) in 1943 and entered the medical corp. and was in charge of organizing small medical units designed to function as 24 bed hospitals. These units were then flown into action. On behalf of this work, Jim was a recipient of the Legion of Merit Award for the invention of the M*A*S*H unit (mobile auxiliary surgical hospital). At the time, he was the youngest person to be awarded this prestigious medal. As result he was promoted to Second Lieutenant. He remained in the Air Force Reserve and was recalled to active duty in 1950 during the Korean War and was promoted to First Lieutenant. In 1952, he was promoted to Air Force Captain and was released from his duties in June 1953 to pursue a career in business.

He was an administrator for Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Center, Paul R. Ray and Company and Kollmorgen Corporation where he retired in 1990 after twelve years as Director of Human Resources. A long time resident of Lawrence New York, he retired to Jamestown in 1995.

Jim's life was one of service. He was both Junior and Senior Warden of Trinity-St. John's Church in Hewlett, New York. He was awarded the Bishop's Cross for his distinctive years of service to the Episcopal Church. He was active in the Republican Party in New York, working for F. Clifton White and running Ralph Edsell's campaign for the United States Congress in 1964. He was also the Republican Town Committee Member in Lawrence for over a decade. During his retirement, he served as the Treasurer of the Republican Town Committee in Jamestown. He was a member of the Holland Lodge, The Reading Room of Newport, the Conanicut Yacht Club, The Rockaway Hunting Club, Lawrence Beach Club and the Cedarhurst Yacht Club. He was a lover of both opera and classical music and was an avid reader and sports fan.

While at Yale University, he was one of the founders of the Nathan Hale Society and was a lifetime member. Jim was a devoted husband and father. Besides his wife, he is survived by his son, George Bonbright Ketcham of Newport, RI; daughters, Laurie Camden Ketcham of Jamestown; RI, Susan Ketcham Coffin of Manchester By the Sea, MA and Brucie Ketcham Donahue of Northfield, VT and his brother William Tredwell Ketcham, Jr. of New York City, NY and Lawrence, NY. In addition, he is survived by sons-in-law Lloyd H. Coffin, III and Thomas M. Donahue and daughter-in-law Mimi Ketcham; his grandchildren; Benjamin Bonbright Coffin, Sarah Camden Coffin, James Tredwell Donahue and Catherine Bruce Donahue.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 25, 2006, at St. Matthews Parish, 87 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown, RI. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Newport Hospital Foundation, 11 Friendship Street, Newport, RI 02840.
Funeral arrangements by the O'Neill-Hayes Funeral Home, 465 Spring Street, Newport, RI 02840.
Published: May 28, 2006

James married DAVISSON Ira Camden on 13 Jun 1953. Ira (daughter of DAVISSON George Izard and HART Mary Louise) was born on 27 May 1929 in Weston, Lewis Co., WV; died on 25 May 2006 in Jamestown, Newport Co., RI. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

KETCHAM--Ira D. 76, of Jamestown, RI, passed away on May 25, 2006, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was the devoted wife of the late James B. Ketcham for 52 years. Born in Weston, WV, she was the daughter of Mary Hart Davisson and George Izard Davisson. She was a graduate of the Baldwin School and Chatham College (Pennsylvania College for Women), where she was president of her class both junior and senior year. She was also a member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. She was a devoted wife and mother. Besides her twin sister Bruce Hart Randolph, she is survived by her son George Bonbright Ketcham of Newport, RI, three daughters, Laurie Camden Ketcham of Jamestown, RI, Susan Ketcham Coffin of Manchester by the Sea, MA, and Brucie Ketcham Donahue of Northfield, VT. In addition, she is survived by sons-in-law Lloyd H. Coffin III, Thomas M. Donahue, a daughter-in-law, Mimi D. Ketcham, and grandchildren Benjamin Bonbright Coffin, Sarah Camden Coffin, James Tredwell Donahue and Catherine Bruce Donahue. She is also survived by her brotherin - law William Tredwell Ketcham Jr. of New York, NY, and Lawrence, NY. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in her memory to the Baldwin School, 701 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-3505. Funeral service will be private.
Published: June 26, 2006

Notes:

Died:
Interment: , Clarksburg , Harrison Co., WV

George married HART Mary Louise on 26 May 1927 in Clarksburg, Harrison Co., WV. Mary was born on 15 Mar 1900 in Harrison Co., WV; died in Nov 1976 in Weston, Lewis Co., WV. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

ED G. DAVISSON is one of the leaders in finance and business affairs in West Virginia, is president of the National Exchange Bank of Weston, and in former years was a wholesale merchant. The power he wields in business is supplemented by an intelligent and public-spirited attitude toward all the best interests of his home community and state.

Mr. Davisson was born at Jacksonville, Lewis County, West Virginia, November 19, 1867, son of Capt. George I. and Elizabeth (Morrow) Davisson. His father was born at Clarksburg, August 30, 1842. The Davissons have for several generations been prominent in official and business affairs of the state. His grandfather, Granville G. Davisson, was clerk of the Harrison County Circuit Court from 1836 to 1850. Capt. George I. Davisson was reared in Clarksburg to the age of sixteen, then removed to Weston, where he continued his education in a private school. At the beginning of the Civil war he enlisted in the Confederate army, in the Twenty-sixth Virginia Cavalry, and served until captured. The last eighteen months of the war he was a prisoner at Camp Chase, Ohio. After the war he became a merchant and farmer, and owned about 600 acres of land in Lewis County. He represented the county two terms in the Legislature, and was one of the influential democrats of the state. He and his wife were members of the Episcopal Church. They had eight children, four of whom are living: Ed G.; Lelah, wife of R. B. Phillips, of Clarksburg; Flora, who is married and living in California; Mary, wife of F. H. Clater, of Pittsburgh.

Ed G. Davisson grew up on a farm, attended the country schools and as a boy began learning business as clerk in his father's store. This was a general store, and he learned all the details of country merchandising. At the age of twenty-one he engaged in the hardware business, as a member of the firm Williams & Davisson, at Weston, and subsequently removed to Clarksburg, where he was active in the wholesale hardware business until he sold his interests in 1902.

Mr. Davisson became cashier of the National Exchange Bank of Weston in 1895, and has rounded out more than a quarter of a century of faithful service to that institution, now one of the strongest banks in the state. From cashier he was promoted to vice president, and since 1904 has been president. The officers of the bank are E. G. Davisson, president; R. H. Harrison, vice president; J. W. Ross, cashier; J. B. Mitchell, assistant cashier; while the directors are E. G. Davisson, R. H. Harrison, J. W. Ross, George A. Hatzel, John Riley, Ira S. Hardman, Walter A. Edwards. The bank still keeps its capital at $60,000 but it has an earned surplus of $140,000, undivided profits of $80,000, while its total resources aggregate $2,000,000.

Mr. Davisson is also president of the public utilities at Weston supplying water, light and ice. He owns thirteen acres of farming land in Lewis County. He has been a vestryman of the Episcopal Church since 1894 and is a democrat in politics. In Masonry he is a past master of Weston Lodge No. 10, A. F. and A. M., a member of Bigelow Chapter No. 4, R. A. M., St. Johns Commandery No. 8, K. T., and Osiris Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Wheeling. He served two years as district grand master of the Grand Lodge.

Mr. Davisson married Miss Anna Harrison, daughter of M. W. Harrison and member of one of the prominent families of the state. They have eight children: Emma, wife of T. J. Blair, Jr.; Elizabeth, wife of Ira S. Hardman ; George I., who graduated from the Shenandoah Academy and from the law department of the University of Virginia; Edwin, Jr., a graduate of the Weston High School and now in the West Virginia University; Dianna, a graduate of Weston High School; Fannie, also a high school graduate; Mary W., attending high school; and John G., in grammar school.
The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 490
Lewis

Edwin married HARRISON Anna Mayburry on 21 Dec 1892. Anna was born on 18 May 1869 in Weston, Lewis Co., WV; died in 1959. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]