Plutonium Injections – Patient HP-9
This biography is in honor of one of the patients that were injected with plutonium in Rochester, NY during WWII.
Frederick C. Sours was born 18 Aug. 1881 to Henry Lowell and Mary J. (Wilson) Sours. An online source says that Henry Sours died of tuberculosis on 3 Nov. 1885. The same online source says that Fred Sours was baptized 4 Sept. 1881 at Our Lady of Victory Church as “Clarence Frederick Sours.” Fred also had a sister, Edna E., born in 1884. She was a stenographer until her untimely death on 3 Sept. 1914.
Fred lived with his widowed mother until her death on 25 May 1927.
The first time that Fred shows up in the Rochester city directories was
in 1901 and he was a manager at the Armstrong Piano Company. He worked
there until 1908. Then in 1909 he is a clerk at Ryan and Sours Saloon on
West Main Street in Rochester. The “Sours” that owned the saloon was
Fred’s uncle, William H. Sours, who also owned the Newport House on
Irondequoit Bay. In 1913 the saloon was changed to Sours and Sours
Liquor Store. The owners in this case were Fred with his uncle William.
This business only survived until 1920 when it had to be closed because
of national prohibition. From 1922 to about 1941, Fred owned and
operated Young’s Shell Oyster and Fish Market on West Main Street in
Rochester.
Fred was married to Lulu A. Ryan in 1928 in Rochester. They moved to Chili Avenue in Gates soon after that. It was also about time that Fred took an interest in politics. He was first a member of the Highway Committee. Then as the Republican candidate he was elected as the Supervisor of the Town of Gates; a position that he would hold from Jan. 1936 and for the rest of his life. The picture of Fred is him opening, for the first time, a new Gates Town Hall on Buffalo Road in December 1939.
He was a life member of Rochester Lodge of Elks and a member of the Grange, the Gates Exempt Fireman’s Association, the Rochester Exempts and the Men’s Club of St. Helen’s Church.
Fred was admitted to Strong Memorial Hospital with a history of
general dermatitis and weakness. Then on 3 April 1946 he was injected
with .386 microcuries of plutonium. That would be 55 times the amount of
radiation that a person would receive in the average lifetime. Fred
would remain sick until he died 2 July 1947 at aged 65 of
bronchopneumonia at Strong Memorial Hospital. His funeral was held at
St. Helen’s Church and he was buried in the family plot of Section D of
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Rochester. His widow, Lulu, survived until 7
Oct. 1969.
Then on 18 May 1978 Fred’s body was exhumed. The cemetery was closed and employees were forced to leave during the exhumation. It would July or August 1981 before Fred’s remains were returned to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery where he still rests peacefully.
http://rochistory.com/blog/?p=279
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Daniel H. Nelson was born 31 Oct. 1893 in Rochester,
NY. He was the son of John W. Nelson. In the 1900 census Daniel, aged 7
was living with his father, John at 1 Pine Alley in Rochester. The
father was aged 42 and born in Georgia. Also living them was John’s
wife, Fannie (age 36). The census record states that they were only
married 5 years so Fannie is probably Daniel’s step-mother. John Nelson
died 15 July 1904 of consumption aged 41 and was buried on 17 July in
the Single Grave section of Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester. Fannie
Nelson died 12 Jan 1909 at age 43.
Daniel served in the Army during WWI as a PFC from 3 Aug. 1918 until 19 Jan. 1919. He would find that military service valuable later in life.
From 1919 to 1945 Daniel lived mostly in Newark, NJ working as a cook according to later government records. His family says that he was a janitor and plasterer. While in Rochester in March 1946 to visit family members, he suffered a heart attack and was admitted to Rochester Municipal Hospital and moved on 7 July to Strong Memorial Hospital. Daniel was injected on 16 July 1946 with .374 microcuries of plutonium. That is 53 times the amount of radiation that a person receives in a lifetime. When discharged 15 Aug. 1945 from the hospital, he had no place to convalesce so he went to a veteran’s facility at Mount McGregor, NY.
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Frederick C. Sours was born 18 Aug. 1881 to Henry Lowell and Mary J. (Wilson) Sours. An online source says that Henry Sours died of tuberculosis on 3 Nov. 1885. The same online source says that Fred Sours was baptized 4 Sept. 1881 at Our Lady of Victory Church as “Clarence Frederick Sours.” Fred also had a sister, Edna E., born in 1884. She was a stenographer until her untimely death on 3 Sept. 1914.
Fred Sours
Fred was married to Lulu A. Ryan in 1928 in Rochester. They moved to Chili Avenue in Gates soon after that. It was also about time that Fred took an interest in politics. He was first a member of the Highway Committee. Then as the Republican candidate he was elected as the Supervisor of the Town of Gates; a position that he would hold from Jan. 1936 and for the rest of his life. The picture of Fred is him opening, for the first time, a new Gates Town Hall on Buffalo Road in December 1939.
He was a life member of Rochester Lodge of Elks and a member of the Grange, the Gates Exempt Fireman’s Association, the Rochester Exempts and the Men’s Club of St. Helen’s Church.
Tombstone for Fred & his sister
Then on 18 May 1978 Fred’s body was exhumed. The cemetery was closed and employees were forced to leave during the exhumation. It would July or August 1981 before Fred’s remains were returned to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery where he still rests peacefully.
http://rochistory.com/blog/?p=279
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Plutonium Injections – Patient HP-10
This biography is in honor of one of the patients that were injected with plutonium in Rochester, NY during WWII.
Daniel Nelson
Daniel served in the Army during WWI as a PFC from 3 Aug. 1918 until 19 Jan. 1919. He would find that military service valuable later in life.
From 1919 to 1945 Daniel lived mostly in Newark, NJ working as a cook according to later government records. His family says that he was a janitor and plasterer. While in Rochester in March 1946 to visit family members, he suffered a heart attack and was admitted to Rochester Municipal Hospital and moved on 7 July to Strong Memorial Hospital. Daniel was injected on 16 July 1946 with .374 microcuries of plutonium. That is 53 times the amount of radiation that a person receives in a lifetime. When discharged 15 Aug. 1945 from the hospital, he had no place to convalesce so he went to a veteran’s facility at Mount McGregor, NY.
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Plutonium Injections – Patient HP-11
This biography is in honor of one of the patients that were injected with plutonium in Rochester, NY during WWII.
Harry W. Slack was born 29 Jan. 1877 in Waterloo, NY as the only child of Edward and Adelia (Cooper) Slack.
Harry enlisted in the Army 17 June 1898 in Rochester, NY for the Spanish-American War. He served as a Private in Co. A in the 3rd NY Infantry. He was discharged on 30 Nov. 1898 in Rochester, NY.
Harry married on 22 Aug. 1900 in Rochester. She was known as Louise in many Rochester city directory records but the online Rochester marriage index says that her name was Minnie F. Colby of Alexander, NY. Her parents were listed as Frank E. Colby and Alice Nelson.
Going through the Rochester directories there are many times when Harry and Louise are not listed and they seem to move around Rochester often. Plus Harry’s occupation changed almost as often. He is a grocer on his marriage record, driver in 1898, clerk in 1902, actor in 1904, ticket clerk in 1912 and a driver again in 1914. Then from 1917 to 1924 he is working for a railroad; first as a baggageman and then as a messenger. By 1930 Harry and Louise have moved to the Sea Breeze area of Irondequoit, NY. From 1935 to 1946 they would be living at 99 Lake View Ave. in Sea Breeze.
When Harry was admitted to the hospital, his records state that he
was a janitor at the YMCA suffering from malnutrition, alcoholism and
cirrhosis of the liver. He was injected on 20 Feb. 1946 with .398
microcuries of plutonium at Strong Memorial Hospital. That is 56 times
the radiation that a person would receive in a lifetime. Harry was the
last of the patients that were injected in Rochester and he lived the
shortest amount of time after the injection. Harry died on 26 Feb. 1946
at aged 60 of bronchopneumonia. He is buried in a veteran’s section of
Irondequoit Cemetery, Irondequoit, NY. His obit in the newspaper says
he leaves a wife, Louise.
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Harry W. Slack was born 29 Jan. 1877 in Waterloo, NY as the only child of Edward and Adelia (Cooper) Slack.
Harry enlisted in the Army 17 June 1898 in Rochester, NY for the Spanish-American War. He served as a Private in Co. A in the 3rd NY Infantry. He was discharged on 30 Nov. 1898 in Rochester, NY.
Harry married on 22 Aug. 1900 in Rochester. She was known as Louise in many Rochester city directory records but the online Rochester marriage index says that her name was Minnie F. Colby of Alexander, NY. Her parents were listed as Frank E. Colby and Alice Nelson.
Going through the Rochester directories there are many times when Harry and Louise are not listed and they seem to move around Rochester often. Plus Harry’s occupation changed almost as often. He is a grocer on his marriage record, driver in 1898, clerk in 1902, actor in 1904, ticket clerk in 1912 and a driver again in 1914. Then from 1917 to 1924 he is working for a railroad; first as a baggageman and then as a messenger. By 1930 Harry and Louise have moved to the Sea Breeze area of Irondequoit, NY. From 1935 to 1946 they would be living at 99 Lake View Ave. in Sea Breeze.
Harry's tombstone
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