Galen Historical Society

06/09/2026

06/08/2026

This Saturday... You can learn how to properly clean headstones and other tidbits on cemetery stone preservation.

06/04/2026

We will post more of our Memorial Day Heroes over the next few days. Gathering the information for has been difficult to obtain for some. The posts may not be daily but we'll continue as we have all the information. And as always feel free to post any information or stories you may have about the person.

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

In remembrance and honor of our brave service people in our community we are paying tribute to those who parished in the line of duty. We will not forget their sacrifice for our freedom. The Galen Historical Society would like to remember the legacy of Martin John Johnson.

Martin was born on November 27, 1923 to Peter Sr and Frances Johnson. Martin attended St. John's School and Clyde High School, where he excelled in sports, baseball/basketball. He was very well liked and had stellar attendance. He graduated and went on to work at the Hemmingway plant. In 1942, he was inducted into the US Army. In August 1944, he was reported missing in action in France.

In 1945, his body was shipped home and he was laid to rest in St. John's Cemetery.

06/01/2026

In remembrance and honor of our brave service people in our community we are paying tribute to those who parished in the line of duty. We will not forget their sacrifice for our freedom. The Galen Historical Society would like to remember the legacy of William John Porter.

William was born on March 10, 1924 to Mason Sr and Leona Smith Porter. William was a Clyde High School graduate. There he excelled in sports and was part of the elected officers for his class. The best write up on Cpl. Porter summarizing his life and contribution to World War II is copied verbatim below.

"T/5 William J. Porter was a member of the 3rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. Obituary Rochester, NY Democrat and Chronicle August 23, 1945.

Clyde- Another of Clyde's war heroes returns to his final resting place this week. The body of Cpl. William J. Porter, 21, Silver Star award who was killed in action in Germany on Mar. 3, 1945 will arrive in Clyde at the New York Central depot at 6:30 p.m. today. Both the Brown-DiSanto Post 226 American Legion and Bud Hinman Post, VFW, will meet the train and es**rt the body to the Mann Funeral Home on West Genesee St. The veterans groups are forming 6:10 p.m. at the Veterans Home.
Burial will be tomorrow with the services at the Mann Funeral Home at 2:30 being conducted by the Rev. C.C. Comstock. Rites at Cemetery Military services will be conducted at the cemetery by the vetera ns organizations. Veterans are assembling at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Veterans Memorial Home. Burial is to be in Maple Grove Cemetery.
Porter's body arrived in the U.S. on board the U.S. Army Oglethorpe July 12.
A member of Gen. Patton's Third Calvary mechanized, Porter was awarded the Silver Star posthumously for gallantry and supreme devotion to duty in battle. His organization history had this to report about his death- William J. Porter led a party of men to reconnoiter a bridge and a mill beyond in which was suspected of being used by the enemy for an emplacement.
With artillery and small arms threatening the patrol, Porter ordered all others to stay behind and went alone to reconnoiter the area. In doing so he was mortally wounded, but still managed to make his way back to his comrades. He insisted on being returned to his troop command post where he imparted the information he gained; he died shortly afterwards.
Porter had been previously awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded in battle on Dec. 10, 1944. He had entered the service in March 1943 just three months after he graduated from Clyde Central High School. After training at Camp Gordon, Georgia, He went overseas in June 1944. Standout Athlete Porter was an outstanding athlete playing football, basketball, and tennis for Clyde Central School. In 1942 Porter won a county championship in badminton, the Wayne County Doubles Championship and in Rochester, won the Western New York Sectional Doubles Championship, playing with Roger Meade. A member of the First Methodist Church of Clyde he also had been active in Boy Scout Troop 82 here.
He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mason Porter, Sr. Two brothers, Mason A. Porter, Jr. and Robert L. ; one sister, Alice E. Porter all of Clyde and several aunts and uncles. Friends may call at the funeral home from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. today. His father was a World War veteran and is a member of the Brown-DiSanto Post 226 American Legion."

William was laid to rest at the family plot in Maple Grove Cemetery.

05/30/2026

In remembrance and honor of our brave service people in our community we are paying tribute to those who parished in the line of duty. We will not forget their sacrifice for our freedom. The Galen Historical Society would like to remember the legacy of George Aden Brown.

George was born to the George and Hannah Brown. Because he had the same name as his father he went by his middle name of Aden. Aden was very well liked, very athletic, and intelligent. He played football went in school and helped on after school also to advance the program. Once he graduated Aden went on to attend Michigan University and Albany Law School. He came home to often to visit but then the Great War broke out, Aden enrolled in 1911 with the United States Marines and was placed in service in 1917 under the 5th division. In June of 1918, Aden was in combat with the German forces at Belleau Woods, located in France, where he was wounded. Unfortunately, he succumb to his wounds on June 9th.

There was a memorial service in our community that was described as being large and moving. Aden was laid to rest in France. He was the first casualty of World War I in Wayne County and in Galen.

The American Legion Post 226 was first named in his honor and then renamed to the Brown-DiSanto post to encompass all those who served and remembrance of service to our country.

05/29/2026

In remembrance and honor of our brave service people in our community we are paying tribute to those who parished in the line of duty. We will not forget their sacrifice for our freedom. The Galen Historical Society would like to remember the legacy of Anthony Ernest DiSanto.

Anthony was born on March 12, 1917 to Patsy and Mary DiSanto. He was a graduate of Clyde High School and was well known for his athletic nature. In 1941, he entered the service. Serving in the US Army in the coastal artillery. In September of 1942, Anthony married Teresa LaSelva. After their marriage he went back to serving the Country overseas. On January 22nd his wife and daughter, Alayna, received a letter and four days later January 26th of 1944, word was received at home that Anthony was missing in action in Italy. Anthony wounded in battle on January 27th, per the telegraph his parents received on April 22nd.

Anthony returned home to be laid to rest in St John's Cemetery. The American Legion Post 226 was renamed the Brown-DiSanto post in remembrance of Anthony and his service to our country.