Family/Spouse: PFEIL, Richard. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Laverne Henry "Hank" Hardy joined our Lord’s kingdom on Sunday, August 27, 2017 in Salinas, CA.  Our Dad was gardening when he suddenly collapsed.  He never regained consciousness and died later that night surrounded by the love of family.
He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, workout partner, gardening partner and a great friend to many! 
He spent the last 17 years of his life enjoying life’s bounty, traveling, gardening, working out at the YMCA and enjoying California sunshine with his soulmate, Ann.
Born February 9, 1927 in Tonawanda, New York, Laverne was the only child of Henry William and Emma Marie (Helwig) Hardy.
During WWII he served in the Navy, as a Electronics Technician, Chief Petty Officer 3rd Class.
Hank earned a BS in Physics at Cornell University and his Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Buffalo State University.
He was a scientist and teacher.   His work included the development of the first color televisions and electrical resistors, receiving several patents for his efforts. Laverne taught Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at Niagara Community College, Penn State University and the Lewisburg, PA, Federal Prison.  He retired as Associate Professor of Engineering Technology at Western Kentucky University. 
Hank was a Boy Scouts leader.  He was a member of the IEEE, the SAE, the ACS, Phi Sigma Kappa, American Legion, VFW, Elks, the Masons, and the Order of the Eastern Star.
Laverne was preceded in death by his first wife, of 48 years, Rosemary Hilferding Hardy, and granddaughter Ashley May.  He is survived by his second wife, Ann C. Dorman-Hardy of Salinas, CA; his children, Stephen (Jennifer) Hardy of Salinas, CA, David (Edith) Hardy, Major, Retired of North East, MD, Susan (Daniel) Faller of Bowling Green, KY, Mariellen (Richard) Pfeil  of Bowie, MD, and Paul (Melissa) Hardy of Rochester Hills, MI. He was blessed with 8 granddaughters, 5 grandsons, and 5 great grandchildren.
A family service will be held at Elmlawn Memorial Park, Town of Tonawanda, New York.

Laverne + HILFERDING, Rosemary Beyer. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Henry + HELWIG, Emma Marie. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Niagara Gazette

TONAWANDA - Henry Hilfeeding,
68, president of the River
Road Lumber Co. Inc., died Sunday
(April 13, 1958) at his home,
474 Delaware St., after a lengtby
iflnesv
Mr. Hilferding founded the lumber
company in 1929. Before that,
he was associated with the Enterprise
Lumber Co., this city. He
was a member of the First Presbyterian
Cburch and a ruling elder
of the church. He had been
trustee and a former chairman of
the Board of Trustees and a
former treasurer of the church.
He was formerly a president of
the Rotary Oub, past president of
the Community Fund of the Tona*
wandas. and former president of
the Boys C4ub of the Tonawandas.
Hb cfher memberships jnoJudffd
the Chamber of Commerce in both
Buffalo and the Twin Cities, Buffalo
Launch Club, Town Club,
North Tonawanda Lodge of Eiks
and the Delaware Hose Co.
He was a director of the Niagara
Savings and Loan Association
of Tonawanda and a past noble
grnd of Electric City Lodge No.
663, IOOF. He represeted Buffalo
District Council Boy Scouts of
America on the National Council.
He received the Silver Beaver
award.
A native of New York City, he
had been a resident here since
1918. He is survived by his wife,
Ruth Beyer Hilferding; two sons,
Paul Hilferding, Grand Island, vice
president of the River Road Lumber
Co., and Henry A. Hilferding,
this city; a daughter, Mrs. La
Verne H. Hardy, EggertsviMe; and
six grnadchildren.
The Rev. Donald V. Roberts
will conduct the funeral service at
2 p.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian
Church. Burial will be in
Blmlawn Cemetery.

Henry + BEYER, H Ruth. H (daughter of BEYER, Gottlieb and Mary) was born in Nov 1892 in Tonawanda, Erie County, NY; died on 20 Jul 1968 in Buffalo, Erie County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Niagara Gazette - 7/22/1968

TONAWANDA-Mrs. H. .Ruth Hilferding, 75, of 474
Delaware St., widow of the late Henry H. Hilferding, a
prominent lumberman from this cityv died Saturday
(July 20, 1968) in Buffalo General Hospital after a brief
illness.
Mrs. Hilferding and her late
husband, who died in April 1958,
managed the River Road Lumber
Co. Inc. of North Tonawanda.
She was treasurer and also
treasurer of the-Strand-Buffalo
Corp.
She was a life-long resident
of. this city, and was a graduate
nurse. She was a member
of the F i r s t Presbyterian
Church, former member and
past president of toe Women's
Association of this church;
member and past director of
the Zonta Club; member of
Sirius Chapter N.o 301, Order
of the Eastern Star, auxiliary
& DeGraff Memorial Hospital.
She also was director of the
community fund of the Tonawandas
and memher of the
Chamber of Commerce of the
Tonawandas.
° She is survived by a son,
Paul J. Hilferdinr of Grand
Island; a daughter, Mrs. Le-
verne H. Hardy of this city;
her mother, Mrs. Helen C.
Beyer of this city; two sisters,
Mrs. James H. McGill of Kenmore
and Miss Helen Beyer of
this city,' and nine grandchildren-
She also was the mother
of the late Henry A. Hilferding.
Friends may call from 2 to 4
and from 7 to 9 p.m. at the
Hamp Funeral Home, -where a
service will be conducted at
1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Rev.
James A. Akin officiating.
Burial will be in Elmlawn
Cemetery.

Notes:

Batavia NY Daily News - 7/29/1901

TONAWANDA, July 29.-Gottleib Beyer, a
member of the Board of Trustees, was
shocked to death while trimming an arc
lamp this morning He was found lying In
the road shortly after receiving the shock.
He was still alive, but died before a phy -
sician arrived. He leaves a family.
About the same time Alden Sparks, another
employe of the Tonawanda Power
Company, received a shock while doing the
same work in another part of the town,
one of his hands is disabled. The wet condition
of the grounds Is supposed to be responsible
for the accident.

ALSO

Buffalo NY Courier - 7/30/1901

Tonawanda., July 29.-After receiving
2,000 volts of electricity, Gottlieb Beyer,
aged 42 years, a well-known and popular
German Democratic politician and
member of the Common Cot|ncil of this
village, raised to his knees examined
his hands and fell over dead. The
electrocutiorl occurred shortly before 9
O'clock this morning in Fillmore Avenue,
while Beyer, who is employed by
the Tonawanda Power Company, was
adjusting a carbon in an arc lamp.
His body was carried in the yard of
a house nearby and Dr. Regan summoned,
who upon his arrival pronounced
life extinct. In the absence of
Coroner Edmonds of this village, Coroner
Wilson of Buffalo was notified.
He came to the scene at once, took
charge of the body and impaneled a
Jury. The body was taken to the undertaking
establishment of C. J. Miller
of South Niagara Street, after
which it was taken to the Home of his
family at No. 32 Park Avenue.
Immediately upon the receipt of the
news of the death of Beyer, President
O. H. Gorton of the village issued a
special call for a meeting of the Board
of Trustees, of which the deceased was
a prominent member, for this evening.
At the meeting a resolution of condolence
was passed and the board decided
to turn but in a body.; It is quite
probable that the entire lire depart
ment of the village will accompany
the body to the grave.
The date of the funeral has not as
yet been set.

Gottlieb + Mary. Mary was born about 1869; died on 7 Jan 1897 in Tonawanda, Erie County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buffalo NY Courier - 1/7/1897

Mrs. Mary S. Beyer, aged 27 years, wife
of Gottlieb Beyer, died of diphtheria at her
home on Park Avenue, Tonawanda, this
morning. Mrs. Beyer had been sick since
New Year's Eve. The family had a child
die of the same disease yesterday morning.
The burial of Mrs. Beyer will be
private.