Andrew and Alice Mason
Superintendent

Annie and Andrew Mason and their family in a portrait  about 1910.  Their children, left-to-right, are  Alice  (b. 31 Dec 1895 - d. Feb 1984) , Hilda Edith  (b. 1993 - d 25 Dec 1943 ) and Dorothy Edna Mason.   Annie was born in Scotland in April 1867 and Andrew was born in England January 1867.  Andrew became Oliver Hazard Payne's valet and butler in  New York, then was appointed superintendent of the Esopus estate.  He is listed in the 1910 census as living in Esopus.

Andrew and Annie and Hilda traveled to England with Oliver Hazard Payne, as they are listed on the Ellis Island site arriving from Liverpool on the S.S. Teutonic in 1895. Andrew is listed as OHP's valet .    

On 6 Dec 1912, Andrew Mason was injured in an auto accident while on his way from Esopus to Catskill NY.  He was taken to Kingston Hospital.  His leg was broken in two places below the knee and it became necessary to amputate the leg.  He developed blood poisoning.  Payne sent his personal physician from New York City to no avail, and  Andrew died in 13 December 1912.  After a funeral ceremony held in the Church of the Ascension, he was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx NY on 16 December 1912.

The family legend was that Annie too was killed in the accident.  In fact Annie née Smith died in New York City  8 April 1915.  She too is buried in Woodlawn.

Another family legend is that Hilda went to NYC to become an actress.  She married a Harper, and she died on Christmas Day 1943 at age 50.  She is buried in the family plot at Woodlawn.   Her son, James B Harper died 6 May 1987 age 61, and is also buried in the family plot.

Alice Mason married John VandeWater of Poughkeepsie NY.  The couple had two children, John and Robert.  John married Julia Frances Chatterton of Newburgh NY, and the couple had two daughters, Julie and Margaret.

 By 1920, Dorothy Edna Mason, the youngest daughter,  was living in Staatsburg, New York, across the river from Esopus, as a ward of Emma Larson, who had been Payne's supervisor of the three locations:  NYC, Esopus and Thomasville.  Dorothy married Milton Bradford Miller.  The couple spent most of their life in Kansas.  They had two children:  Jane Miller and Milton Miller. 

 ◄     Obituary
 

death certificate
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Information received from microfilm issues of the Kingston Freeman, in the Kingston Library, Liberty Street, December 7, 1912 and December 16, 1912

Information received from Woodlawn Cemetery during a visit of 22 December 2003.