Jesse Lewelyn Blosser

Married Myrtie Bell Stewart 11 Sep 1893 in Oakland, Garrett Co., MD.

---

Tombstone gives year of birth as 1868 but records show his date of birth as 29 Dec 1869 in Springhill Township, Fayette Co., PA.

---

Jesse worked as a lumberjack and often cut timber in what is now Coopers Rocks State Forest. The logs were cut in winter and placed in the Cheat River. They were then made into huge rafts that were floated out in high spring water to Dewings Mill in Point Marion. On one of these trips down the Cheat River, Jesse was accidentally washed overboard. The water was swift and he couldn't make much headway swimming so he just floated along in the water making his way slowly towards the shore. Finally he floated near some rocks whereupon he grabbed hold of a rocky ledge. Jesse pulled himself up to the ledge that there before him was a mass of snakes. He had happened upon a den of vipers. He quickly dropped back into the water. Jesse later declared he would rather drown than face those snakes.

Jesse became very hard of hearing and this defect directly caused his death. He was walking home from work on 6 January 1945. He was walking down Penn Street in Point Marion when a train came through town backwards. The caboose was blowing a whistle but Jesse didn't hear it. He stepped in front of the caboose. It hit him causing him to lose balance. He fell forward hitting his head on the curbing. He died almost instantly.

In Jesse's will he make special provisions that tombstones be erected on his parent's and deceased brother's and sister's graves. He also placed money in a special endowment for the upkeep of all the Blosser graves. Jesse and Myrtie had no children.
(Source: Gordon C. Baker's book, p. 101 and p. 103)* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Nov 22 2021, 5:01:27 UTC