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Note: According to an 1865 census for [location indecipherable from photocopy, Oswego County, NY, page 55], Lester Caples and his wife (Jane?), both 27 years old, as well as their three children, were living in the household of Erastus, 55, and Amanda Smith, 45, along with the Smith's seven children ([Zilea?], 17, F; Taylor, 15, M; Orvil, 13, M; Henry, 11; Eugene, 8, M; [--ra?], 7,M; Freeman, 3 3/12, M] . Mr. Smith's occupation was recorded as a day laborer; no occupation was listed for Lester or his wife. Their home is listed as a frame building. Oddly, the census enumerator recorded that all members of that household were born in Onondaga County. Lester's wife and 5-year old daughter both appear to be listed with the first name "Jane"; followed by Lorry, 3, and Geo. H., 8/12. Are "Jane" and Eliza/Elizabeth the same person? Did Lester have a wife who died before he married Eliza/Elizabeth? Why were Lester and his young family living with the Smiths?
The 1864-65 Syracuse City Directory, Lester Cables [sic], a cooper, was living in a house at "2d North n Wolf." In 1866-67, Lester Cappels [sic], a cooper, was recorded in the directory as living in a house at "Free n Carbon." In 1867-68, a Lester Capels, cooper, was listed in the Syracuse Directory as boarding at the corner of Carbon and Wolf Streets. The following year, he is listed as living in a house at 408 North Salina Street.
[Source: Daily Journal DIRECTORY of the CITY OF SYRACUSE for 1864-5, Truair, Smith & Miles, Book and Job Printers, Journal Office. 1864]
The 1869-70 Syracuse Directory lists him residing now at 446 Lodi Street, with Loren Capels, also a cooper, boarding there. He would have been 33 years old at the time, and his son, Loren, would have been only been about 8 years old. That same year, Lorenzo and William Caples appear in the directories, Lorenzo a cooper, and William a carpenter, living together at "Free n. Carbon".
In 1875, he is listed as living at 358 Carbon Street, still a cooper. The 1877-78 Directory lists his address now as Center Street, at the corner of 3rd North. In 1878-79, Lester and Loren, both coopers, are listed again, living at 83 Free Street, with Loren boarding. This time, however, Loren is probably Lester's son, not his brother as before.
According to his death record, Lester died from Senile Debility. He was just over 79 years old.
Obituary for Lester CAPELS, died November 9, 1916
Deaths: CAPELS. In this city, November 9th, 1916, Lester Capels. He is survived by two sons and one daughter, Loren and George and Mrs. John RYDER, and two sisters and one brother, Mrs. Henry RUSSELL, Mrs. Jerome VIDLER and Leroy Capels. Funeral at the home of his son, Loren Capels, NO. 1010 Avery avenue, Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Friends are invited to attend. Burial in Myrtle Hill Cemetery.
[Source: either Syracuse Herald-Journal or Post Standard, November 8, 1916; notes in brackets and capitalizations added by VC]
According to cemetery administrator Frank Adamski (April 7, 2001), Lester bought six plots in Lot B, Block 20 at the Myrtle Hill Cemetery on July 11, 1881. Four of them are occupied: one by himself, one by Elizabeth Ann Caples, who died July 31, 1902, and one each by stillborn infants, both boys. One of the infants died, unnamed, March 4, 1918, at Crouse-Irving Memorial Hospital. His death record reveals that his parents were Lawrence and Marie [McManus] Capels. The other infant, named George Capels, died December 29, 1932, with a place of residence listed as Town of Schroeppel, NY (an area near North Syracuse and the Town of Cicero). His death record, and hence the identity of his parents, cannot be found. His likely having been a home birth, who of the Capels family was living in Schroeppel in 1932?
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