Brookfield [NY] Courier, Wednesday, February 22, 1905

Rev. Albert L. York
His Death Occurs in This Village February 16th.

In the death of Rev. Albert Lewis York, which occurred in this village at 10 o'clock on Thursday evening last, Brookfield has lost one of its best known and most highly esteemed residents.
Mr. York was taken ill about four weeks ago and pneumonia soon developed. He rallied from this attack and his condition showed such decided improvement that his recovery was confidently expected. On Wednesday evening last serious complications developed, and on Thursday Mr. York's condition became so critical that his son, Albert M. York of Syracuse, was summoned, arriving in the evening two hours before the death of his father.
Rev. Albert Lewis York was born in Brookfield March 31, 1831, at what was known as the old "house on the hill," standing east of the Palmiter road. During his infancy the family removed to the home nearer the Beaver creek.
Mr. York was educated in the Waterman school, the Brookfield Academy. Preparing for college in Cazenovia Seminary. He graduated from Union college in the class of 1857, under the presidency of Eliphilet Nott.
He became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at the age of 11 years. During the early part of his collegiate course, by the authority of the home church at Brookfield, he entered the local ministry.
In 1854, with his brother, Sidney P. York, he established the Valley Female Institute at Winchester, Va. They were joint proprietors, Albert L. York being professor of mathematics, Latin and German. He severed his connection with the institution in April, 1858, returning to the north where he entered upon an active ministerial career, joining the old Oneida Conference. Later he was transferred to the Northern New York Conference.
Mr. York was a scholarly writer, a deep thinker and a forceful speaker, and for 24 years occupied a prominent place in Methodism in Central New York. During that time he served charges in Oriskany Falls, Manlius, Homer, Norwich, Dryden, Hamilton, Cazenovia, Waterville, Fulton, Camden, Canton and Potsdam, and in 1877-8 was the Presiding Elder of the Oswego District.
In 1882 Mr. York went to Nebraska and California. Between 1883 and 1886 he spent the greater part of his time in Nebraska. The winter of 1887 he spent in Washington, D. C., and the following winter in Templeton, Cal. The subsequent years were mostly spent at Brookfield, where he temporarily supplied the pulpits of the Baptist churches at Brookfield and North Brookfield. In 1891 and 1892, under the direction of the Waterman School Association, he prepared a "History of the Waterman School District, Its Schools and Its Peoples," a typewritten volume of 200 pages for the school district. In 1892 he completed the preparation of a typewritten volume, "The History of the Family of York in America."
Mr. York was married three times. His first wife was Ann E. Arnold, daughter of Fletcher Arnold of Freetown, whom he married December 15, 1852. Her death occurred April 25, 1856. Before returning to the Oneida conference he married Kezia, daughter of Jacob Lichtenthaler of Lawrenceville, Pa. She was a teacher of music at the Valley Female Institute. She died at Manlius January 20, 1860. At the close of his pastorate at Manlius he married Caroline Moore, daughter of Henry Moore f Ithaca. She died at the residence of her son in Syracuse on November 4, 1903.
Mr. York is survived by two children, Dr. Effie E. York of Oakland, Cal., a member of the faculty of the College of Osteopathy of San Franciso and a practicing physician; and A. M. York, a member of the editorial staff of the Syracuse Post-Standard. He is also survived by one brother, Gilbert R. York of Flushing, L. I., who is the last of the family of twelve children born to Ichabod York and Freelove Gardner.
The funeral which occurred at 1 o'clock on Sunday afternoon at the Methodist Episcopal church in this village was largely attended. Owing to the absence of the pastor, Rev. C. E. Dorr, the services were conducted by Rev. J. L. Short of Camden, a former pastor of the Brookfield church and a close personal friend of the deceased. The bearers were Stanly Homes, Hoxie Stanbro, J. Henry York, Merton Hibbard, Barton G. Stillman and Usher N. Holmes.
Among the relatives present from out of town were A. M. York of Syracuse, Gilbert R. York of Flushing, Creighton H. Gorton of Syracuse.
Burial was made in the York family lot in the Brookfield cemetery.
The chamber where the Good man meets his fate
Is privileged beyond the common walks of life.
Quite in the verge of Heaven.
Contributor: SDB history (50438450)