Tracy Hartwell Wilder, Jr.
1922 - 2013 (91 years)
Set As Default Person 
1895 - 1995 (100 years)-
Name Tracy Hartwell Wilder [1, 2] Suffix Jr. Born 19 Nov 1922 Syracuse, Onondaga, New York 
[1, 2] Gender Male Died 18 Dec 2013 Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, USA Age 91 years Person ID I5537 stewartsny.com Last Modified 15 Sep 2021
Father 
Tracy Hartwell Wilder, b. 11 Mar 1890, Richland Township, Oswego, New York , d. 25 Oct 1973, Pulaski, Oswego, New York, USA (Age 83 years) Relationship natural Mother Lois Belle Parsons, b. 2 Feb 1895, New York , d. 8 Apr 1995, Oriskany, Oneida, New York (Age 100 years) Relationship natural Married 4 Feb 1914 Syracuse, Onondaga, New York Notes - Newspaper Article - Thursday, February 22, 1917 Sandy Creek News - Sandy Creek, New York - Born - Wilder - In Syracuse, February 12, 1917, to Mr. and Mrs. Tracy W. Wilder, a daughter.
Newspaper Article - Tuesday July 30, 1935 Oswego Palladium Times - Oswego, New York - Pulaski Personals July 30 - Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Wilder and three children, Tracy Jr., Bobby and Rhea and Mrs. William Wilder were in Syracuse Sunday to attend the 49th wedding anniversary of Mrs. Tracy Wilder's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Parsons.
Newspaper Article - Wednesday February 12, 1964 The Palladium Times - Wilders Honored By 300 Friends On 50th Anniversary - Pulaski - Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Wilder would like to thank everyone who had a part in making their 50th wedding anniversary so successful. More than 300 guests called on them Sunday, February 2 at their home to honor them on this occasion. A dinner was held at the Log Cabin with 23 members of the immediate families attending. Miss Lois B. Parsons was united in marriage to Tracy H. Wilder at the home of the bride in Syracuse on February 4, 1914. Rev. James B. Knappenberger of the Wesleyan Methodist Church officiated. Miss Lulu M. Parsons, sister of the bride and Purley J. Bentley of New Jersey were the attendants. Rena Lamphere a cousin of the bride, was flower girl. Lois Lanphere and Margaret Pratt, also cousins were ribbon girls and Harold Lamphere was ring bearer. The couple has four children and all were present at the celebration. They include Mrs. Reah LaVeck, local music teacher at the school; Mrs. Emerson (Carolyn) D. Moran of Tucson, Arizona; Commander Tracy H. Wilder, Jr. of Norfolk, Virginia; and Robert F. Wilder of Canastota. They have 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Mrs. Wilder has a sister, Mrs. Alfred (Marion) Moody of Canajoharie, and a brother, Milton F. Parsons of Syracuse who also attended the anniversary party. Mr. and Mrs. Wilder have resided in Pulaski for 29 years. They had lived in Syracuse several years before moving here. Mr. Wilder and his brother, Dale, operated a lumber business for several years which had been previously owned by their father, William Wilder. After selling the lumber business, Mr. Wilder worked at the General Electric in Syracuse as a dispatcher and retired eight years ago. The Wilders are members of Park Methodist Church. Mrs. Wilder is a member of Pulaski Chapter 159 O.E.S. having been a past matron, a past deputy grand matron of the Oswego District, a member of the Tuesday Study Club, Civic Club and W.S.C.S. Mr. Wilder is a member of Pulaski Lodge 415, F.A.M., secretary of the lodge, past patron of Pulaski Chapter 159 O.E.S. He works at the Selkirk State Park in the summer.
Family ID F1736 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Barbara Alice Mahaffy, b. 27 Mar 1925, Pulaski, Oswego, New York , d. 16 Mar 2010, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, California (Age 84 years) Married 11 Jun 1944 Pulaski, Oswego, New York Notes - Newspaper Article - Monday June 12, 1944 Oswego Palladium Times - Oswego, New York - Takes Bride At Pulaski Church Rite On Sunday - Ensign Tracy Wilder, Jr., and Miss Barbara A. Mahaffey Are Married - Pulaski - A largely attended and very pretty wedding took place in the Methodist Episcopal church at 4 p.m. Sunday when Miss Barbara Alice Mahaffey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Yates Mahaffey, became the bride of Ensign Tracy Wilder, Jr., United States Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Wilder of North Street. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. W. A. Gardner, pastor of the church, and the decorations of the church were white candelabra, white gladioli and palms. The bride was given in marriage by her father. Attending the bride were Miss Carol Moran, Scotch Plains, New Jersey, sister of the bridegroom, as matron of honor, and Misses Marlyn Cleveland, cousin of the bride, and Mary Elma Allen of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, as bridesmaids. The bride wore white lace and marquisette with leg o' mutton sleeves and high neck and a fingertip tulle veil falling from a coronet of pearls. She carried a shower bouquet of white rosebuds. The matron of honor wore yellow marquisette, princess style, and carried white daisies. The bridesmaids were gowned in aqua marquisette, princess style, and carried yellow roses. Mrs. Wilder, Sr., wore light blue chiffon with white accessories and a corsage of pink rosebuds. Mrs. Mahaffey wore navy blue sheer with blue accessories and had a pink rosebud corsage. The bridegroom was attended by Lieut. Emerson Moran, United States Navy, his brother-in-law, with Midshipman Richard Davis, Pulaski and Midshipman Arturo Calixta, Lima, Peru and Howard Brown, Pulaski. During the ceremony a sister of the bridegroom, Mrs. Rhea LaVeck, was at the organ playing Air for G String by Back, Ave Maria by Bach, G_ and Dream by Wagner. Miss Patricia Porter, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, sand Because I Love You, Dear, and Calm Is The Night. The ceremony was followed by a reception to relatives and friends in the church house where the bride cut her three tiered cake with a sword. Out of town guests included, Mrs. Alfred Moody and daughter, Palestine Bridge; Mr. and Mrs. Meldum, Fulton; Miss Lulu Parsons, Mr. and Mrs. Milton S. Parsons, Mr. and Mrs. Crouse, Mrs. Alfred Bukowsky, Misses Helen and Lulumary Carr, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Love, Mr. and Mrs. George Weyaneth and daughters, Mr. and Mrs. David Cusman, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Maines, Mrs. George Landphere, Mrs. Dayer Thompson, Mrs. D. W. Moran, Miss Theodore Moran, Mrs. Hope Stellewager, Mrs. King Garrett, and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Dann, Syracuse; Mr. and Mrs. John Mahaffey and sons, Boonville; Dr. and Mrs. F. L. Reed and daughter, Remson; Miss Shirley Wile, Clinton, and Miss Virginia LePine, Snider. After the expiration of the bridegroom's leave at the end of the month, Ensign and Mrs. Wilder will make their home in Jacksonville, Florida.
Children 
1. Tracy Hartwell Wilder, III 2. Mark Wilder [natural] 3. Thomas Yates Wilder [natural] 4. Brian Mahaffy Wilder [natural] 5. Andrew Erskine Wilder [natural] Last Modified 15 Sep 2021 Family ID F1737 Group Sheet | Family Chart
- Newspaper Article - Thursday, February 22, 1917 Sandy Creek News - Sandy Creek, New York - Born - Wilder - In Syracuse, February 12, 1917, to Mr. and Mrs. Tracy W. Wilder, a daughter.
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Event Map 
Died - 18 Dec 2013 - Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, USA 
= Link to Google Earth
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Notes - Newspaper Article - Friday December 8, 1940 Oswego Palladium Times - Oswego, New York - J. R. Waterman Named Principal For West Point - Tracy Wilder, Pulaski and William Cheney, Oswego Are The Alternates - Congressman Francis D. Culkin announced Friday that Joseph R. Waterman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Seth Waterman, 38 East Fourth street, has been appointed principal to the U. S. Military Academy at West Point from Oswego County. Tracy H. Wilder, Jr., Pulaski and William Cheney, 93 East Albany Street, Oswego, were appointed first and second alternates. Appointments were made Judge Culkin explained, on the basis of the young men's standings in a competitive Civil Service examination conducted in Oswego by the U. S. Civil Service commission October 5. Eight took the test which was confined to residents of Oswego County about July 1. Failure of the principal to qualify, however, will open the appointment to the alternates in the order of their standing. Mr. Waterman stood 89.5 in the examination, an unusually high mark for this type of test which is noted for its stiffness. It has been some years since any candidate for West Point stood as well. Mr. Wilder received a mark of 82, and Mr. Cheney 76.5. A graduate of Oswego High School, class of 1938, Mr. Waterman stood second in his class and was salutatorian. He was strongly recommended as to character and standing by the school faculty, the congressman said. The principal who celebrated his 20th birthday last summer while at Camp Perry, Ohio, where he competed in national rifle competition, turned in a brilliant shooting record in the marksman class and placed 158th in 30 caliber competition. He outdistanced all competitors in the marksman class and won ten medals at the meet. He is range official of the Oswego Rifle club, and in addition to shooting, is interested in making model airplanes, for which he has received several prizes. It has been young Waterman's ambition for several years to attend West Point. If he had not stood first on the examination he intended to join the Army air corps. Mr. Wilder is 18 and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Wilder of Pulaski. He has had some military training, and has been _ at the Braden preparatory school at Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, preparation for the West Point tests. Last summer he attended the CMTC Camp at Fort Niagara. A graduate of Pulaski Academy in June 1940, Mr. Wilder was prominent in undergraduate activities. He took part in dramatics and musical activities, including the band, orchestra and glee club, and was eligibility manager for athletic teams.
Newspaper Article - Monday June 16, 1941 The Palladium Times - Enters Annapolis - Pulaski, June 16 - Tracy H. Wilder, Jr. 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tracy H. Wilder of this village, will leave for the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, Tuesday, June 17. He expects to enter the academy as midshipman as the appointee from the 32nd Congressional district of New York, having recently received his appointment from Congressman Francis D. Culkin.
Newspaper Obituary - January 1, 2014 Salmon River News - Pulaski, New York - Retired Navy Captain, Tracy H. Wilder Jr., originally from Syracuse and Pulaski, finally "went ashore" in Tampa, Florida on December 18 where he had been in the loving care of his eldest son, Tracy III. He was 91. Tracy, his wife Barbara and family had made San Luis Obispo, California their home after his Navy retirement in 1974. He had been on active duty for 34 years. They returned to spend summers in Pulaski. True to his nature, Tracy was active in local affairs throughout his life, serving on numerous committees, singing in the church choir, playing trombone, and leading a Boy Scout troop. He was a supporter of the local arts in general and was a contributing member of the Pulaski Historical Society. Tracy was well known for genuinely liking people, disarming conflict with his sense of humor, leading by empowering others, entertaining public speaking, telling corny jokes and singing cornier songs. Tracy Hartwell Wilder Jr. was born in 1922 in Syracuse, and grew up there and in Pulaski, where he met his future wife, the former Barbara Alice Mahaffy. He attended the Naval Academy and the two were married four days after his graduation in 1944. Soon after, he reported for duty as a gunnery officer on the battleship USS North Carolina and saw action in the Pacific. Tracy's lifelong dream was realized in 1960 when he was named skipper of the destroyer USS Stickell, which would become one of the first Navy warships to arrive in the Caribbean during the Cuban missile crisis. Capt. Wilder went on to command the amphibious assault ship USS Raleigh and an eight-ship amphibious squadron during the Vietnam War. His career accumulated and is chief of the United States Military Assistance Advisory Group to the Danish government in Copenhagen. His beloved wife of 66 years, Barbara, passed away in San Luis Obispo in 2010. Tracy is survived by his five sons, Tracy III in Florida, Mark in Maryland, Bryan in Denmark, Andrew in Oregon and Thomas in Alaska, in addition to nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. A memorial service in Pulaski is tentatively scheduled for early August of 2014.
- Newspaper Article - Friday December 8, 1940 Oswego Palladium Times - Oswego, New York - J. R. Waterman Named Principal For West Point - Tracy Wilder, Pulaski and William Cheney, Oswego Are The Alternates - Congressman Francis D. Culkin announced Friday that Joseph R. Waterman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Seth Waterman, 38 East Fourth street, has been appointed principal to the U. S. Military Academy at West Point from Oswego County. Tracy H. Wilder, Jr., Pulaski and William Cheney, 93 East Albany Street, Oswego, were appointed first and second alternates. Appointments were made Judge Culkin explained, on the basis of the young men's standings in a competitive Civil Service examination conducted in Oswego by the U. S. Civil Service commission October 5. Eight took the test which was confined to residents of Oswego County about July 1. Failure of the principal to qualify, however, will open the appointment to the alternates in the order of their standing. Mr. Waterman stood 89.5 in the examination, an unusually high mark for this type of test which is noted for its stiffness. It has been some years since any candidate for West Point stood as well. Mr. Wilder received a mark of 82, and Mr. Cheney 76.5. A graduate of Oswego High School, class of 1938, Mr. Waterman stood second in his class and was salutatorian. He was strongly recommended as to character and standing by the school faculty, the congressman said. The principal who celebrated his 20th birthday last summer while at Camp Perry, Ohio, where he competed in national rifle competition, turned in a brilliant shooting record in the marksman class and placed 158th in 30 caliber competition. He outdistanced all competitors in the marksman class and won ten medals at the meet. He is range official of the Oswego Rifle club, and in addition to shooting, is interested in making model airplanes, for which he has received several prizes. It has been young Waterman's ambition for several years to attend West Point. If he had not stood first on the examination he intended to join the Army air corps. Mr. Wilder is 18 and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Wilder of Pulaski. He has had some military training, and has been _ at the Braden preparatory school at Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, preparation for the West Point tests. Last summer he attended the CMTC Camp at Fort Niagara. A graduate of Pulaski Academy in June 1940, Mr. Wilder was prominent in undergraduate activities. He took part in dramatics and musical activities, including the band, orchestra and glee club, and was eligibility manager for athletic teams.
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Sources - [S853] U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;).
- [S249] 1940 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;), Year: 1940; Census Place: Pulaski, Oswego, New York; Roll: T627_2715; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 38-68.
- [S853] U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;).