Sydney McDermott was born on 24. Nov. 1887 at Jerusalem, Yates County, New York. He was the son of
Joseph McDermott and
Mary Jane Clark. Sydney McDermott married
Louesa Belle Wood, daughter of
Walter Nathan Wood and
Carrie Estrella Nixon, on 6. Jul. 1909 at Mossy Glen, Steuben County, New York.
Sydney McDermott appeared on the census of 28. Apr. 1910 at Jerusalem, Yates County, New York; no children. He was a fruit farmer on 28. Apr. 1910. He was a farmer on 5. Jun. 1917. He and
Louesa Belle Wood resided at at Steuben County, New York, on 5. Jun. 1917. Sydney McDermott was a carpenter, boat factory on 10. Apr. 1930.
Sydney McDermott and
Harold Nixon appeared on the census of 10. Apr. 1930 at Penn Yan, Yates County, New York. Sydney McDermott died in Oct. 1976 at Bergen, Genesee County, New York, at age 88. He died on 29. Oct. 1976 at Jerusalem, Yates County, New York, at age 88.
From the McDermott family letter, date unknown: "When Uncle Syd came into the house the other day to bring his Family letter i told him he would have to sit down and give me his life story. He allowed as to how he could not remember much of it, but it seems he did pretty well, for here is what he gave me: He was born in the Jim Porter house on Bluff Point on November 24, 1887. The family lived in the Stone House at Sills for nine yearw while he was of school age, so he went to school at the corners. In 1909 he married Louesa Wood, and they started keeping house in the house across from chisholms. I remember it as the Hopkins house, but you call it your way. After about three years, Mr Wood was taken ill, so they went to Caton to live. In 1917, they came back and moved into Grandma's house where they l ived while Uncle Syd worked the place and also worked for Whitfields' Body Shop. In 1925 they moved to Bluff Point, then went to Dundee and from there back to Penn Yan, up to Hewitt's Point, and then back to Bluff Point. Uncle Syd says they are trying to make a resort town out of Penn Yan that always was a farmer's town and always would be. Guess he would claim that he was a farmer, always was, and always would be. and there is sure nothing wrong with that!" author unknown "As this letter is to be about Papa, i should be able to write a lot, but as i try to think of things that have happened they all leave me. As a child, i can't recall too much - only that I was scared to death of him when I trimmed the front hedge over at the lake. As a kid, I never knew that he had such a sense of humor, but I guess it wasn't any picnic raising eight kids. His masterpiece was always at election time. I can remember being sent to bed when my Aunts would come to visit, but we always lis tened at the door - such words we did not even know the meaning of. it wasn't until a few years ago that they found out he was not a Democrat, and I always thought there was a "damn" in front of that. I am not a good cook, but out of starvation I have mastered a little knowledge, especially gravy - Papa still asks "Where's the gravy?" even if we are only having hamburg. I am the only one not to have outgrown a nickname; for those in doubt, it is really Lena." Toady "My Dad gave us kids each a nickname, and mine was Skeesix. I haven't heard that name in quite a few years. I remember my Dad would go to town and when he would come home I could always tell when he got peanuts or not. Dad told me I had a good smeller. I also remember when we were little. when we had earaches Dad would smoke cigars and blow smoke in our ears and how much better we would get" Ina "...He had a narrow escape once when the team ran away with him. (Don't remember the circumstances.) His foot got caught in the whiffle tree - tore the sole off his shoe and let him down under the wagon. The top of his shoe was on his ankle. He was one of the boys who mixed up the Old Ladies' glasses at Mother's quilting party, but he was a good kid." Marcus and Della 309 New Street Royersford, PA "Guess as children, we never appreciate our elders, but all too soon we are considered the same. So, of course, as youngsters we remained in awe of my Dad - never quite daring to push too far not knowing the consequences. He really had a bunch of cowards. Now i am older and look back, I realize he was rather busy providing for his family and not much time for socializing with us.. In traditional McDermott fashion, he gave us all a nickname. Mine happened to be "Toodles." I outgrew that many years ag o. Can rembember going to ball games with Dad, Uncle Joe and Walt playing. Pretty terrific they were, too. he used to pitch horseshoes a lot with the boys. In fact, think my memory serves me correctly when I say he and Walkt won prizes at the fair one year. Don't believe there was any job my Father could not do, and guess probably necessity had a lot todo with that. Always had a good garden, and still does, as most of you can withness to.All in all he is the best Father i have ever had and I'm not about to swap him in." Mary.