William S. Kershner

William S. Kershner was born to Joseph Kershner and Catherine Hall on December 31, 1856, in Elmira, New York. William had two brothers named Frank and Henry. The Kershner name is of German origin. 

While at the Geneseo State Normal School, 15-year-old William Kershner became a founding member of the Delphic Society. 

He later worked in Rochester for several years and then relocated to Elmira, N.Y. In Elmira, William worked for nine years for an attorney who led the construction of the Elmira State Line Railway. Kershner was an officer of the Railroad Commissioners of the State of New York.

William S. Kershner also worked as a court reporter and was the secretary and treasurer of the New York State Stenographers’ Association. 

He died on May 4, 1887, at his home in Geneseo, N.Y. He was just 30 years old.