Death notice for Mercie Locke

Mrs. Mercie P. Locke, 86, Dies At Health Home

Widow of Fred M. Locke, Victor Manufacturer

Mrs. Mercie Peer Locke, 86, widow of Fred M. Locke of Victor, inventor of glass and porcelain ware and founder of Victor Insulator company, died early Monday at the Canandaigua Health Home after a lengthy period of failing health.

Mrs. Locke came to the Health Home three weeks ago so she could receive close observation and care. Her health had been failing for more than a year, although she retained her interest in friends and activities around her. She was pleasantly surprised on her 86th birthday on Feb. 22 of this year, when a small group of Victor neighbors and friends called on her.

Mrs. Locke was a native of Canandaigua, the daughter of Andrew and Ellen Splaine Peer. She was one of 13 children. The Peer family dates back three generations in Canandaigua history. They resided on Antis street when Mrs. Locke was born in the post-Civil War period.

When she was a small girl, the family shifted residence to Honeoye Falls and she spent much of her girlhood and young womanhood there. The Locke family lived in Honeoye Falls in these years and it was in that village that she met Fred Morton Locke, at that time a struggling young telegraph operator. They were married in the early Fall of 1884. She was a girl of 18. He was almost five years older.

The young couple moved to Victor in the months immediately following their marriage. Fred Locke having been made telegrapher at the New York Central station in Victor. He also served the Mertensia station in that era when all of the trains stopped at that now almost forgotten community.

Mrs. Locke learned telegraphy so that she might assist her husband, thereby giving him more time to spend on his experiments. He seemed always to be testing and trying new ideas and Mrs. Locke encouraged him, having full faith that someday he would meet with outstanding success.

Those were not easy years, because their family was growing and the income of a telegraph operator was far from impressive - $12 weekly with $3 per week added for his extra work at Mertensia.

Much of his experimentation with insulators was carried out on the family kitchen table and it was here in 1898 that he perfected the insulator which was to bring him fame. Mr. Locke founded Victor Insulators that year on a small scale. The company was not incorporated until four years later in 1902.

Mr. and Mrs. Locke bought the large white house on East Main street, Victor, in 1900 and this was Mrs. Locke's home during the final half century and more of her life. Fred M. Locke continued his experimentation here in his specially-built laboratory. He perfected the insulator until it could meet the most exacting tests. He also developed heat-resistant glass. The Lockes had the first telephone in Victor in their home with the lone connection for more than a year with the factory on Maple avenue.

Fred M. Locke died suddenly on April 15, 1930. This was a period of deep sadness for the family. Six weeks before Mr. Locke's death, his son, Fred J. Locke, who had been closely associated with him in his work, passed away.

Following her husband's death, Mrs. Locke has lived quietly at her Victor home. She was a member of the small Episcopal church which stood for many years on Church street adjacent to what is today the Miss Vera Brown property. The structure was torn down two decades ago. She was also active in the Unity club, a literary group which has now disbanded.

In 1934, Mrs. Locke sold patent rights on Mr. Locke's extensive glass experimentation to the Corning Glass company. She saw the insulator firm expand with passing years into one of the area's most important industrial operations.

Mrs. Locke leaves four sons - Morton M., Dobbs Ferry, NY; Louis P. of Victor; Peer A. of Rome and James L. of Canandaigua; one brother, William C. Peer of Canandaigua; seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Funeral services were held on Thursday (this) afternoon from the home in Victor, with Rev. Nelson L. Lobdell, retired Universalist pastor, officiating. Burial was made in Boughton Hill Cemetery.