Helen Truesdell Dusenbury,
wife of William Addison Dusenbury (Sr.)
August 16, 1845 - September 12, 1922
wife of William Addison Dusenbury (Sr.)
August 16, 1845 - September 12, 1922
She is survived by three children, William A. and Duncan C. of Portville, N. Y., and Edgar T., of San
Francisco, Calif.; and by two brothers, William G. Truesdell of Rochester, N. Y., and John H.
Truesdell, of Miami, Florida.
The thirty-two years which Mrs. Dusenbury lived in Portville were largely spent in fulfilling the
duties of her home, but her interest in the community was always keen and in a quiet way she did
much good. nMrs. Dusenbury was a faithful member of the Portville Presbyterian Church and had
a vital interest in all good works. Her charity was a fundamental part of her nature, and her interest
in others was genuine. She not only gave generously to various causes, but she gave, with the same
unassuming modesty, of her personal interest and sympathy to individuals. She was loved and
respected by the entire community in which she lived and her kindly influence will long be
remembered by many friends.
The funeral will be held from the family residence in Portville on Thursday afternoon at 3 o’clock.
Interment will be in the Chestnut Hill Cemetery at the convenience of the family. Flowers are
gratefully declined.
(The obituary above appeared in the Portville Review. The following obituary was in the Belfast
Blaze, Thursday, September 14, 1922, page 3)
Mrs. William A. Dusenbury
The people of Belfast were saddened by news of the passing away of Mrs. Dusenbury, Tuesday
morning at her home in Portville, New York. She was one of a family of five children born to Mr.
and Mrs. Hiram Truesdell, who came to our village about 70 years ago, when the place was
emerging from a small hamlet to a growing village; when the building of the Genesee Valley Canal
opened much needed transportation between Rochester and Olean. Mr. Truesdell opened a dry
goods store here, which together with a lumber business, made him one of the prominent business
men of the town. He built the large house now owned by the Cosgrove brothers, but only lived
about two years after its completion.
Helen M. Truesdell was married at the home here in 1878 to William A. Dusenbury and lived in
Portville for many years, as was evinced by her frequent visits here and her generous gifts for the
benefit of our village.
The improvement in our cemetery and its emergence from a neglected burial place to its present
beautiful and well cared for God Acre was started by a generous bequest from Mrs. Dusenbury,
which was supplemented by a like generous gift from Frank L. Bartlett o Olean, a loyal son of
Belfast, whose early life was spent here. Mrs. Dusenbury also gave two thousand dollars as a trust
fund to help care for the beautiful library building given to the town by Mr. Bartlett.
Mrs. Dusenbury is survived by 3 sons, William, president of the First National Bank of Olean, Edgar
of California, where he is attending interests of the family in a large lumbering business, and Duncan
who has remained at the home in Portville, besides two brothers, William Truesdell of Rochester and
John of Miami, Florida.
Francisco, Calif.; and by two brothers, William G. Truesdell of Rochester, N. Y., and John H.
Truesdell, of Miami, Florida.
The thirty-two years which Mrs. Dusenbury lived in Portville were largely spent in fulfilling the
duties of her home, but her interest in the community was always keen and in a quiet way she did
much good. nMrs. Dusenbury was a faithful member of the Portville Presbyterian Church and had
a vital interest in all good works. Her charity was a fundamental part of her nature, and her interest
in others was genuine. She not only gave generously to various causes, but she gave, with the same
unassuming modesty, of her personal interest and sympathy to individuals. She was loved and
respected by the entire community in which she lived and her kindly influence will long be
remembered by many friends.
The funeral will be held from the family residence in Portville on Thursday afternoon at 3 o’clock.
Interment will be in the Chestnut Hill Cemetery at the convenience of the family. Flowers are
gratefully declined.
(The obituary above appeared in the Portville Review. The following obituary was in the Belfast
Blaze, Thursday, September 14, 1922, page 3)
Mrs. William A. Dusenbury
The people of Belfast were saddened by news of the passing away of Mrs. Dusenbury, Tuesday
morning at her home in Portville, New York. She was one of a family of five children born to Mr.
and Mrs. Hiram Truesdell, who came to our village about 70 years ago, when the place was
emerging from a small hamlet to a growing village; when the building of the Genesee Valley Canal
opened much needed transportation between Rochester and Olean. Mr. Truesdell opened a dry
goods store here, which together with a lumber business, made him one of the prominent business
men of the town. He built the large house now owned by the Cosgrove brothers, but only lived
about two years after its completion.
Helen M. Truesdell was married at the home here in 1878 to William A. Dusenbury and lived in
Portville for many years, as was evinced by her frequent visits here and her generous gifts for the
benefit of our village.
The improvement in our cemetery and its emergence from a neglected burial place to its present
beautiful and well cared for God Acre was started by a generous bequest from Mrs. Dusenbury,
which was supplemented by a like generous gift from Frank L. Bartlett o Olean, a loyal son of
Belfast, whose early life was spent here. Mrs. Dusenbury also gave two thousand dollars as a trust
fund to help care for the beautiful library building given to the town by Mr. Bartlett.
Mrs. Dusenbury is survived by 3 sons, William, president of the First National Bank of Olean, Edgar
of California, where he is attending interests of the family in a large lumbering business, and Duncan
who has remained at the home in Portville, besides two brothers, William Truesdell of Rochester and
John of Miami, Florida.
| The Portville Historical and Preservation Society |
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| 17 Maple Avenue Portville, NY 14770 www.portvillehistory.org |
Portville, New York
| Mrs. Dusenbury Died Tuesday Her Thirty-Two Years Residence Here Spent in Good Works HAD BEEN ILL FOR SEVERAL MONTHS |
September 12th, at her home in this village. She
had been ill for several months and had recently
returned from Clifton Springs Sanitarium where she
had gone for rest and treatment. A complication of
troubles which the most skilled physicians were
unable to cope with, resulted in her death, which is
deeply lamented by the entire community. Mrs.
Dusenbury was the daughter of Hiram and Helen
Cameron Truesdell and was born at Cuylerville, N.
Y., on August 16th, 1845. She was married to
William Dusenbury, at Belfast, N. Y., on August
27th, 1878, and moved to Portville from Tidioute,
Pa., upon the death of her husband in 1890.
had been ill for several months and had recently
returned from Clifton Springs Sanitarium where she
had gone for rest and treatment. A complication of
troubles which the most skilled physicians were
unable to cope with, resulted in her death, which is
deeply lamented by the entire community. Mrs.
Dusenbury was the daughter of Hiram and Helen
Cameron Truesdell and was born at Cuylerville, N.
Y., on August 16th, 1845. She was married to
William Dusenbury, at Belfast, N. Y., on August
27th, 1878, and moved to Portville from Tidioute,
Pa., upon the death of her husband in 1890.
