Ilion, October 4, 1925 --- The sudden death of John A. Giblin of 168 Otsego Street occurred Sunday morning in Ilion Hospital. Early Saturday night Mr. Giblin was stricken at his office. He was removed to the Ilion Hospital where he was attended by Dr. C. J. Diss and Dr. F. B. Countryman of Ilion and Dr. Fred J. Douglas of Utica. No hopes were entertained for his recovery and without regaining consciousiness, he breathed his last Sunday morning.

      Mr. Giblin was Ilion's oldest Business man, having been directly interested in business in Ilion for more than 50 years and his death removes another of those sterling men who have lived in Ilion during its making and was closely related to the men of the last generation who made it possible.

      He was born at Frankfort July 6, 1850, the son of the late Michael J. and Mary Giblin. His parents soon removed to Ilion, where he was educated in Ilion schools. As a young man he went to work in the clothing store of the late John Roche at a salary of $20 per month and continued in his employ until 1878 when he associated himself with Mr. Roche's son, Edward, under the firm name of Roche & Giblin. The firm continued in the clothing business for a time after which they engaged in the wholesale and retail coal business, establishing a large trade.

     Mr. Roche died in 1895 and Mr. Giblin continued the business alone, later incorporating the business under the name of the Giblin Coal Company, Inc., of which company, he was treasurer and devoted his time to its management.

     Ilion has been blessed with many energetic business men who took pride in advancing the material growth and prosperity of their home town, and in their ranks none stood higher than Mr. Giblin. Not only in this capacity but in that of financier and executive, he won for himself a name known throughout New York State. He was always active and zealous in affairs and always ready to advance the interests of his home town and of its individuals and many a young man can give credit to his station in life through his aid, training, advice and counsel.

     He was a man of infinite goodness of heart, broad sympathies and understanding, which did much to assist him in winning his way into the esteem and affection of all who had the honor of his acquaintance. His judgement was sound and trustworthy and often sought in various channels.

     Honesty of purpose and conduct and an unfailing devotion to the principles of upright Christian manhood were characterstics that made him a credit to the community, which in his death feels the loss of one of its best citizens.

     He possessed strength and individuality of character and was decided in his views and one always knew where he stood on all questions.

     Jovial and young in spirits, he enjoyed the company of young people who knew that in him they had a pleasant companion and a true friend.

     More charitable and benevolent, many kindly acts performed during his business career in a quiet unassumed manner will bear witness to his goodness of heart.

     Thirty-eight years ago Sunday, the Ilion Permanent Savings Building & Loan Association was organized during which time it has been instrumental in the erecting of hundreds of homes in Ilion and instilling into Ilionites thrift. Mr. Giblin had been treasurer of this organization since the start. The Ilion Realty Company was organized in 1898 to supplement the work of the Savings & Loan Association and in this society Mr. Giblin was treasurer during its existence.

     The Ilion Free Public Library was founded in 1892 and opened its doors the following year. The library was presented to Ilion by the late C. W. Seamans and has been one of the most successful libraries in the state, and at one time had a larger proportion of the inhabitants as readers than any other library in the United States. Mr. Giblin had been a member of the library board since its inception and was treasurer for many more.

     In politics, Mr. Giblin was a Republican, but he was always too busy to accept public office but never too busy to take a stand on all affairs that were for the good and betterment of the community.

      He was one of the founders of the Manufacturers National Bank of Ilion, which was organized in 1908 and had served as a director and vice president.

     He was a director of the Second National Bank of Utica from 1906 to 1916 and in the latter year he became a director in the Oneida County Trust Company of Utica. For several years he was a director in the National Mohawk Valley Bank at Mohawk. For several years he was a stockholder in the Ilion & Mohawk Gas Company and for several years, in addition to his business, was superintendent of the company and was acting in that capacity when Ilion inaugurated its first electric street lighting. After the purchase of the company by the Utica Gas & Electric Company, Mr. Giblin continued with them for a short time.

     He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Ilion Housing Corporation, the Fort Schuyler Club of Utica, Ilion Lodge 1444, P.B.O. Elks.

     July 11, 1917, at Cleveland, Ohio, he married Miss Elizabeth Hayes of that city, formerly of Little Falls, who has the sympathy of her many friends. Beside his wife he is survived by a sister, Miss Gertrude of Tarrytown, and two brothers, Frank T. Giblin of Utica and William Giblin of New York City.

     The furneral services will be held from the Church of the Annunciation, of which he had been a member since the church was first established, on Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock.

      Herkimer, May 17, 1956 --- Charitable institutions in Herkimer and Oneida counties will share in a $102,375 bequest made in the 30-year-old will of Ilion coal merchant, John. A. Giblin, under a decision handed down Wednesday by County Judge and Surrogate Edmund A. McCarthy.

      Settlement of the will has been held up for several years because of interpretation of two paragraphs detailing gifts to the institutions upon the death of Giblin's wife.

      Giblin directed the trust money remaining after the death of his wife, Elizabeth, his brother-in-law, John Raleigh, and sister-in-law, Florence Hayes, was to go to six institutions. He further directed that this amount should be divided into 100 shares with this distribution:

      Fifty shares, St. Elizabeth hospital, Utica; 25 shares, Lucretia Carpenter Nurses Home and Ilion Hospital; 10 shares, St. Joseph Infant Home, Utica to endow room; five shares, Old Ladies Home, Mohawk; five shares, Home for Aged Men and Couples, Utica; five shares, St. Joseph's Hospital, Syracuse.

      Judge McCarthy, in his decision Wednesday, paved the way for these units to split $102,375 plus accrued income.

      Giblin died Oct. 4, 1925, leaving an estate of more than $217,000. His wife died June 17, 1954.

      At one phase of the proceedings, 10 attorneys appeared before Judge McCarthy.

      The 25 shares given to the non-existant Lucretia Carpenter Nurses Home was one of the stumbling blocks. Ilion Hospital, which is trustee of a fund to establish the Home, contended that it should receive the money.

      The surrogate's ruling upheld this contention. An assistant attorney general of the state, Thomas Burke, Albany, backed the hospital's claim.

      Giblin directed that, in the event the bequests to the charitable institutions exceeded one-half of his estate, the excess was to go to his wife, his brother-in-law, Raleigh or his sister-in-law, Mrs. Hayes, in equal parts.

      Since the gross estate was $217,242 and the amount left for distribution, $102,375, was less than on-half Judge McCarthy ruled the paragraph valid.

      When Mrs. Giblin died there was $89,913 remaining. With interest and other revenue the estate now figures $102,375.