Notes:

Lockport NY Union Sun Journal - 12/15/1958

The James J Landen farm.
scene of Saturday's fire played an
important part in a tragic fire
that took the lives of five persons
two years ago in November 1956,
just one-quarter of a mile east of
the Landen farm.
It was to the Whitehaven Nur-
ing home that a woman ran to
telephone for aid in the fire that
took the lives of Mr. and Mrs.
Linus Ball and their three sons.
Two other children, sisters, es-
caped the tragic fire.
The Ball fire happened Nov. 19,
1956. Mrs. Ball was a part-time
employe at the Whitehaven Nurs-
ing Home. it was to the home that
Mrs. Ben Licata, next-door neigh-
for to the Balls, raced for help.
The Ball's frame farmhouse was
located on the north side of the
road.
There had been four major fires
in 46 years on the Ball farm.
The Landen barn fire was the
first fire in the area since the
Ball fire.
Three volunteer companies an-
swered both alarms. They were
Wright's Corners, Terrys Corners
and South Lockport.

ALSO

North Tonawanda NY Evening News - 11/19/1956

Five members of one
family perished in a fire today
which swept their two story
frame home in the
High St. extension, one-half
mile east of Lockport city
line.
Two other members of the family
were treated at Lockport Memorial
Hospital for injuries suffered
when they escaped from their
burning home.
Dead are Linus Ball, his wife,
Hilda, and three of their five children:
Dennis, 9; Frank, 4, and Arthur,
9 months.
Suffering from shock are Elaine,
15, and Karen, 6. Elaine also suffered
leg injuries when she jumped
from a second floor porch. Karen
suffered-burns about her head.
She was dropped to the ground
from the porch by her older sister.
.A wakened by Father
Elaine told Sheriff's Deputy Rudolph
Ziehm that her father awakened
her about 6 a.m. and told
her the house was on fire. She
said her father rushed down stairs,
where the *est of the family was
sleeping.
Elaine said she ran to the home
started to follow her father, but
that she grabbed her and pulled
her to the second floor porch,
dropped her to the ground, and
then jumped.
Elaine said she ran to the tome
of Benjamin Licata, a next-door
neighbor, and told him to summon
firemen. Mrs. Licata, found her
telephone was out of order and
had to run to another neighbor's
house to call help.
Heat Intense
Mr. Ziehm said that by the time
firemen and sheriff's deputies arrived,
the fire was so intense that
they couldn't get withm 50 feet of
the burning home.
Firefighters from Lockport,
South Lockport, Rapids, Wright's
Corners and Terry's Corners were
unable to save the structure. Two
badly charred bodies were taken
from the rubble by the volunteer
firemen. They were not immediately
identified.
The bodies of the other three
victims were recovered from the
ruins shortly before 10 a.m.
Firemen and neighbors said
Elaine was a real heroine. They
said she saved her sister and herself
by smashing an upstairs window,
severely cutting her right
arm. Both leaped to the ground
where she beat out flames which
were picking at both her clothing
and that of her sister. Then Elaine
sprinted to a neighbor's house to
sound the alarm.
When she had recovered sufficiently,
Elaine told authorities
that the last time she saw her
father he was at the foot of the
stairs shouting that he was "going
back to get the other children."

Linus married CLAUDE, Hilda on 12 Oct 1940 in Wolcottsburg, Town of Clarence, Erie County, NY. Hilda (daughter of CLAUDE, Frederick William and LANDOW, Augusta Wilhelmine Christine) was born on 6 Aug 1919 in New York; died on 19 Nov 1956 in Lockport, Niagara County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Lockport NY Union Sun Journal - 12/15/1958

The James J Landen farm.
scene of Saturday's fire played an
important part in a tragic fire
that took the lives of five persons
two years ago in November 1956,
just one-quarter of a mile east of
the Landen farm.
It was to the Whitehaven Nur-
ing home that a woman ran to
telephone for aid in the fire that
took the lives of Mr. and Mrs.
Linus Ball and their three sons.
Two other children, sisters, es-
caped the tragic fire.
The Ball fire happened Nov. 19,
1956. Mrs. Ball was a part-time
employe at the Whitehaven Nurs-
ing Home. it was to the home that
Mrs. Ben Licata, next-door neigh-
for to the Balls, raced for help.
The Ball's frame farmhouse was
located on the north side of the
road.
There had been four major fires
in 46 years on the Ball farm.
The Landen barn fire was the
first fire in the area since the
Ball fire.
Three volunteer companies an-
swered both alarms. They were
Wright's Corners, Terrys Corners
and South Lockport.

ALSO

North Tonawanda NY Evening News - 11/19/1956

Five members of one
family perished in a fire today
which swept their two story
frame home in the
High St. extension, one-half
mile east of Lockport city
line.
Two other members of the family
were treated at Lockport Memorial
Hospital for injuries suffered
when they escaped from their
burning home.
Dead are Linus Ball, his wife,
Hilda, and three of their five children:
Dennis, 9; Frank, 4, and Arthur,
9 months.
Suffering from shock are Elaine,
15, and Karen, 6. Elaine also suffered
leg injuries when she jumped
from a second floor porch. Karen
suffered-burns about her head.
She was dropped to the ground
from the porch by her older sister.
.A wakened by Father
Elaine told Sheriff's Deputy Rudolph
Ziehm that her father awakened
her about 6 a.m. and told
her the house was on fire. She
said her father rushed down stairs,
where the *est of the family was
sleeping.
Elaine said she ran to the home
started to follow her father, but
that she grabbed her and pulled
her to the second floor porch,
dropped her to the ground, and
then jumped.
Elaine said she ran to the tome
of Benjamin Licata, a next-door
neighbor, and told him to summon
firemen. Mrs. Licata, found her
telephone was out of order and
had to run to another neighbor's
house to call help.
Heat Intense
Mr. Ziehm said that by the time
firemen and sheriff's deputies arrived,
the fire was so intense that
they couldn't get withm 50 feet of
the burning home.
Firefighters from Lockport,
South Lockport, Rapids, Wright's
Corners and Terry's Corners were
unable to save the structure. Two
badly charred bodies were taken
from the rubble by the volunteer
firemen. They were not immediately
identified.
The bodies of the other three
victims were recovered from the
ruins shortly before 10 a.m.
Firemen and neighbors said
Elaine was a real heroine. They
said she saved her sister and herself
by smashing an upstairs window,
severely cutting her right
arm. Both leaped to the ground
where she beat out flames which
were picking at both her clothing
and that of her sister. Then Elaine
sprinted to a neighbor's house to
sound the alarm.
When she had recovered sufficiently,
Elaine told authorities
that the last time she saw her
father he was at the foot of the
stairs shouting that he was "going
back to get the other children."

Notes:

Lockport NY Union Sun Journal - 10/19/1940

An attractive Fall wedding was
solemnlzed last Saturday afternoon
at 4 o'clock In the Wolcottsburg
church, when Miss Hilda Claude
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred
Claude of Route 5. Lockport. be-
came the bride of Linus Ball, son
of Jacob Ball of Beattie avenue, the
Rev. H. Keoning performing the
ceremony.
The bride, given in marriage by
her father, wore a gown of white
slipper satin with finger-tip length
veil falling from a halo of orange
blossoms. Her only ornament was a
strand of crystals belonging to her
mother. She carried a Colonial
bouquet of white pompons, gar-
denias and white rosebuds showered
with satin ribbon and tiny gar-
denias.
Mrs. David Hoehman of Clarence
Center and Miss Christine Claude of
Lockport, sisters of the bride, were
matron of honor and bridesmain,
Joan Hoehman, niece of the bride,
was flower girl.
Mrs. Hoehman wore a gown of
plain taffeta in petunia pink and
Miss Claude wore teal blue velvary
taffeta. They carried Colonial bou-
quets. Mrs. Hoehman's of yellow
roses and blue delphinium and Miss
Claude's of pink roses and blue
delphinium both surrounded with
baby's breath. The only ornaments
worn by the attendants were gold
crosses.
The flower girl wore a dress of
baby blue made with a bustle back,
edged with pink velvet. She carried
a small colonial boouquet of sweet-
heart roses and white pompons.
Martin Claude, brother of the
bride, was best man and ushers were
Earl Dickinson and Donald Claude.
Mrs. John Boldt played the wedding
march and Mrs. Clarence Nehr of
Akron, sant "Life's Weaving."
church decorations were of white
pompons and gladioli and baskets
of mixed flowers. A pink and blue
color scheme was carried out at the
home of the bride's parents, where
a reception to 75 was held following
the ceremony. White candles and
the bride's cake decorated the bridal
table, where covers were laid for 12.
Mr. and Mrs. Ball left for a short
eastern trip and after their return
will make their home at 430 Pros-
pect street. The bride's traveling
suit was of navy blue with which
she wore a corsage of gardenias.
Out-of-town guests were from
Wolcottsville, Tonawanda, Wright's
Corners and Clarence Center.

Frederick + LANDOW, Augusta Wilhelmine Christine. Augusta (daughter of LANDOW, John and HERING, Fredericka Luise Wilhelmine) was born on 7 Oct 1879 in Wolcottsburg, Town of Clarence, Erie County, NY; died on 8 Apr 1942 in Town of Lockport, Niagara County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Niagara Gazette - 4/9/1942

LOCKPORT-Mrs. August W.
Claude, 82. widow of Frederick W.
Claude, died last evening at her
home in the Creek roed. Town of
Lockport. after an Illness of several
months. Last rites will be Saturday
at 2:30 p. m. at the home and at 3
o'clock at St Paul's Lutheran church
at Wolcottsburg. Burial will be in
St. Paul's cemetery at Wolcottsburg.
Born October 7,1879, at Wolcotts-
burg. Mrs. Claude spent her youth
there. For 36 years she had resided
at The Rapids. Her husband was
fatally injured last year when
struck by an auto while riding
bicycle in the Rapids road.
Surviving are two sons, Waller, of
Buffalo, and Martin, of Lockport;
three daughters, Mrs. David Hoeman,
of Clarence Center, Christine
Claude and Mrs. Linus Ball, of this
city; two brothers, Henry and Herman
Landow, of Buffalo, and five
sisters, Mrs. John Pless and Mrs.
Arthur Wendler, of Wolcottsburg,
Mrs. William Sprung and Mrs.
Richard Coakley, of Lockport, and
Mrs. Alvln Harder, of North Tonawanda

Christian married MAASS, Christina about 1867. Christina was born in Sep 1842 in Prussia; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married HERING, Fredericka Luise Wilhelmine on 21 Apr 1872 in Wolcottsville, Town of Royalton, Niagara County, NY. Fredericka was born on 30 Apr 1852 in Prenzlau, Brandenburg, Germany; died on 22 Jul 1930 in Wolcottsville, Town of Royalton, Niagara County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]