Obituary for Lionel E. Mintz. The Ithaca Journal, Tue, Jan 17, 1933
==== transcription of full obituary, which includes 4 parts on pages 5 and 9 of The Ithaca Journal, Tue, Jan 17, 1933 ====
Death Claims Lionel Mintz, City Editor
Long Illness Fatal to 'Googie,' Veteran Newspaperman — Served Country in France — Services to Be Held on Friday at the Elks' Lodge.
‘‘Googie's’’ last story is written. Lionel E. Mintz, city editor of The Journal-News and one of the veteran figures in Ithaca journalism, died at 9:30 this morning at the home of his wife's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Grant Cole, 421 North Cayuga Street. He was 41 years old.
To The Journal-News staff, steeled to the recording of human joy and sorrow, fell one of the saddest tasks in newspaperdom - that of chronicling the death of a beloved co-worker.
Mr. Mintz died peacefully, having grown constantly weaker during the course of a long illness. He had been unable to work since mid-November, and took to his bed immediately after the burial of his mother, Mrs. Rachel Mintz, on Nov. 21.
To his wide circle of friends — and probably no Ithacan was more thoroughly acquainted in the city — he was known simply as "Googie," the pseudonym which he signed at the foot of his ‘‘Sidelights’’ column in The Journal-News for many years.
Mr. Mintz had been an Ithaca newspaperman for nearly a quarter of a century. As a reporter, he quickly established a reputation for keen wit and ability which made him one of the best in the history of local journalism. He was promoted to the city editorship 10 years ago, and, although that position was more confining, his characteristic sense of humor and charm of personality continued to win him friendships. To many news sources, ’’Googie’’ and his newspaper were one and inseparable.
Now the symbolic ‘30’ which he had written so many times to signalize the end of a story has been indited at the end of his own personal story.
The funeral will be held Friday afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Elks Lodge, of which he was a member. It will be preceded by a brief prayer service at the Cole home, but the Elks' service will be public in order to allow as many friends as possible to pay their last tribute.
The service will be conducted by the Rev. Alfred P. Coman, pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, and Rabbi I. B. Hoffman of Temple Beth-El. Burial will be in Lake View Cemetery, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars firing squad will fire a final salute at the grave.
In addition to his duties as city editor of The Journal-News, Mr. Mintz was also correspondent for The Associated Press in Ithaca, and represented the Syracuse Herald. He was a former president of the Ithaca Press Club, whose members will attend the funeral in a body.
One of the outstanding periods in his career was his World War service. He enlisted in March, 1918, in the Signal Corps, and for three months attended the radio section school at the College of the City of New York. He was later promoted to the rank of corporal. and served in France until the Armistice. He was one of the early commanders of the American Legion Post in Ithaca, and was also a member of Finger Lakes Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Mr. Mintz was born on Feb. 6, 1891, the son of the late Ben and Rachel Mintz. His father was long active as a tailor and clothier in Ithaca. He entered the "newspaper game" as a cub reporter after completion of a commercial high school course in New York City and a period of study at the Wyckoff Institute in Ithaca. He joined the staff of the Ithaca Journal under its publisher, the late George E. Priest, and was still with that newspaper when it became a Gannett newspaper and was merged with the Ithaca News to become The Journal-News in 1919. He
was always "Googie" to Frank E. Gannett, president of The Gannett Newspapers.
Mr. Mintz took over the "Sidelights' column of The Journal in 1910 and, except for his absence during army service, conducted it up until some four years ago. In the latter years of the column's existence he incorporated some of its choicest witticisms in a small book, entitled "Rays From Sidelights."
The career of Mr. Mintz as a reporter was reviewed in a story in The Journal of March 9, 1918, on the occasion of his enlistment. The article was headlined, "'Googie' Starts Out on Big Assignment," and continued:
"Joining the staff of The Journal as a cub reporter, he worked steadily upward until today he is recognized as one of the ablest and most successful newspaperman of the city. Dependability, reliability, faithfulness and loyalty, the finest qualities of the successful newspaperman, have always characterized Mr. Mintz's service on The Journal staff. A cheerful, winning personality, a quick wit, a ready smile and good nature, in short, personality plus, won for him a very wide circle of friends and made him justly popular, not only in the newspaper world, but throughout the city"
Contributors to "Sidelights" wrote verses and tributes on his departure, and wished him a quick return "with the Kaiser's rusty helmet dangling from his fountain pen." The signature of "Googie" returned to "Sidelights" on April 15, 1919.
Before his departure for France, Mr. Mintz was guest of honor at a farewell party given by the Ithaca Lodge of Elks. A handsome Elks ring engraved "To Goog - From the West Side Specials," was presented him by County Judge Willard M. Kent. The master of ceremonies was Exalted Ruler Michael F. Conway, and speakers were City Judge Daniel Crowley, John Reamer, James A. Causer, George S. Tarbell, John Alfred Kelly, Aaron Wells, and W. C. Blackmer, who was chairman.
Mr. Mintz was feted on that night as "the latest recruit for the nation's service from this organization," and as "one of Ithaca's best known and most popular young men."
His colleagues of the newspaper staff gave Mr. Mintz a farewell dinner on Mar. 8, and on the same occasion organized the Ithaca Press Club, electing him honorary president. The Ithaca Journal said at at the conclusion of its story:
"Expressions of regret at the departure of Mr. Mintz - who indeed will be sorely missed until his return - were mingled with warmest wishes for success on his new "beat.' Here's hoping that "Goog' pulls a great big 'scoop' for Uncle Sam."
Employes of The Journal the Cayuga Press presented him a wrist watch.
At the time of his promotion to the rank of corporal in the Signal Corps, he wrote in a letter to The Journal: "Being a newspaper man for nine years and then going into the army is a change nothing short of radical insofar as routine is concerned. Do I like it? You may wager your last cent that I do. I have been in the service for nearly two months and I wouldn't put on civilian clothes for a lot, that is, unless the last vestige of Prussian militarism was stamped out forever from the universe. Tell my friends in Ithaca to 'buy Liberty Bonds.' We'll do the rest."
Mr. Mintz was also popular as an entertainer, and was well-nigh indispensable as an end-man with the Elks Minstrels during the years they flourished. In that role he composed several songs which he sang himself. Later on he appeared in the casts of charity shows. One of his most enjoyed roles in recent years, presented for the most part informally, was a striking impersonation of "Al" Smith.
Mr. Mintz was also a member of Masonic orders in the city.
Following his return from France, on May 11, 1919, Mr. Mintz was married to Miss Mildryd Alta Cole of Ithaca, at the Protestant Episcopal Church in New York City. Mrs. Mintz and their only daughter, Joan, are survivors.
Other surviving relatives are: five brothers, Lawrence M. Mintz of Ithaca, Harry B. Mintz, assistant corporation counsel in New York City, Aaron B. Mintz of New York, J. Jerome Mintz of Philadelphia, and Gustave Earl Mintz of Ithaca, and one sister, Esther Mintz of Ithaca.
At the funeral, honorary bearers will be. Louis P. Smith, Robert E. Treman, Mayor Herman Bergholtz, Police Chief William Marshall, Louis C. Boochever, Albert Edmund Brown, Paul Gillette, and Thomas Shannon.
Active bearers will be associates of Mr. Mintz on The Journal-News: Harry G. Stutz, Moses J. Watkins, Arthur W. Cochran, Bernard J. Clarey, William J. Waters, Eugene Bradford, Louis S. Pickering, and C. R. Rosenberry. Another co-worker, Glenn A. Smith, will serve on the Veterans of Foreign Wars firing squad.
===== end of transcribed multi-part obituary ===
Note: From Wikipedia: " ‘30’ has been traditionally used by journalists in North America to indicate the end of a story or article that is submitted for editing and typesetting. It is commonly employed when writing on deadline and sending bits of the story at a time, via telegraphy, teletype, electronic transmission, or paper copy, as a necessary way to indicate the end of the article."