Dr. Robert W. Mackie, 89; As Navy Captain, Treated JFK

FLY CREEK – Robert W. Mackie, M.D., retired Navy captain who treated President John F. Kennedy and later established Bassett Healthcare’s neurosurgical program, passed away peacefully at his home in Fly Creek on Sunday morning, Aug. 3, 2008, surrounded by his family. He was 89.
Dr. Mackie was also known locally as an avid flier who had a 1,100-foot grass runway installed behind his home in the Fly Creek Valley.
Born in Albany on Dec. 21, 1918, to Joseph Wilfred Mackie and Stella Ford Mackie, he grew up in New York and Canada.
He married the former Lidie McWhinney Smith on Oct. 14, 1944, in South Mills, N.C.
After graduating from Hofstra University and the Long Island College of Medicine, he entered the Navy Medical Corps in 1944. At the end of World War II, he served in the Pacific Theatre on the USS Sumter.
Following the war, he served on the USS Cape Gloucester and the USS Coral Sea, and went on to complete a fellowship in neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.
He became chief of neurosurgery, first at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan, then at Bethesda Naval Hospital, where he had the distinction of treating Kennedy, including house calls to the White House.
After his retirement from the Navy in 1964, Dr. Mackie came to the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital. He retired from Bassett Healthcare in 1982.
He restored vintage aircraft, served as an FAA flight examiner, earned his commercial instrument rating, and served as president of the local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association. The runway behind his home was the scene of frequent impromptu “fly-ins”.
Dr. Mackie is survived by his eldest son, Angus, and his wife, Donna, and their two children, Kyle and Morgan, of Cooperstown; Robert W. Mackie, Jr., M.D., his wife, Julie, and their daughter, Leska, of Salt Lake City, Utah; his daughter, Jennie Johannesen, and her two children, Alex and Kate, of Fly Creek; Tom Mackie and his wife, Meg, and their two children, Callie and Sam, of Sudbury, Mass.; and Bo (Steve) Mackie, his wife, Martha, and their three children, Sarah, Erin, and Joseph, of Springfield, Va.
He was predeceased by his loving wife of 52 years, Lidie Smith Mackie, former Otsego town justice, who died Dec. 3, 1998, and one sister, Stella Mener.
A public memorial service, including The Office of the Burial of the Dead (Rite I) from the Book of Common Prayer, was offered Tuesday, Aug. 5, at Christ Episcopal Church in Cooperstown, with the Rev. Samuel B. Abbott, rector, officiating.
Scripture lessons were offered by two of Dr. Mackie’s sons, Bo and Angus; remembrances were shared by Dr. Mackie’s daughter-in-law, Donna Mackie, and two of his sons, and Bill and Tom Mackie. The flowers were lovingly arranged and provided by Dr. Mackie’s daughter, Jennie.
The Blue Monday Trio, consisting of Angus Mackie on upright bass, and Dr. Gus Leinhart and Joe Siracusa on guitars, performed “What A Wonderful World.” The service concluded with the Absolution of the Dead from St. Augustine’s Prayer Book.
As Dr. Mackie’s urn was borne from the church, those assembled followed in procession through the church cemetery as the church bell tolled 89 times to mark the years of Dr. Mackie’s life.
The committal followed at the Ecumenical Columbarium in the Christ Church churchyard. Military honors were accorded by local veterans and the Navy Funeral Honor Guard.
Following the committal, all were invited to a gathering at the Mackie Farm in Fly Creek.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Fly Creek Volunteer Fire Company, P.O. Box 218, Fly Creek, NY 13337.
Arrangements were by the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Neelan Deuel, 71, Dies in Florida; Owned Fly Creek Auto-Body Shop

FLY CREEK – Neelan (Neel) E. Deuel, of Fruitland Park, Fla., formerly of Fly Creek, died Thursday, June 5, 2008, at The Villages Hospice House in Villages, Fla. He was 71.
Born Oct. 4, 1936, in Oneonta, he was a son of C. Burnett and Florence C. (Hoag) Deuel.
Raised in the Baptist faith, Neelan attended Laurens Central School and later served in the Army. An avid hunter, he loved the outdoors.
Throughout much of his life, Neelan was an auto body repairman. For a time he was employed by Smith Ford in Cooperstown, and later owned and operated his own auto body repair shop in Fly Creek.
After moving to Fruitland Park in 1979, he was employed as the auto-body man at Custom Coaches in Leesburg.
Neelan married Lois (Bird) Deuel and they had two boys, Charles Deuel of Lowell, Fla., and George Deuel of Belleview, Fla.; and three daughters, Nanette Cranston of Belleview, Fla., Karen Howard of Bearsville, Ga., and Patsey Weaver of Anthoney, Fla.
In addition to his wife, Lois, and their five children, Neelan is survived by 11 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one sister, Mrs. Selma D. Shepard of Fly Creek.
He was predeceased by three brothers, Nelson Deuel, who died in 1940; Merle G. Deuel, who died in 1984, and Harold M. Deuel, who died in 1995.
Memorial donations may be made to Cornerstone Hospice (formerly Hospice of Lake & Sumter Counties), 2445 Lane Park Road, Tavares, FL 32778.
At the convenience of the family, burial will be at a later date in the West Oneonta Cemetery.

Caleb Yerdon Survives

CHERRY VALLEY – Rick Yerdon’s first-born grandson, Caleb Yerdon, was inadvertently left off the list of survivors in his grandfather’s obituary, which was published in the July 11 edition of The Freeman’s Journal.

Labels: Obituaries

COOPERSTOWN – Helen Wilbur, a long-time resident of Cooperstown, died Friday morning, July 11, 2008, at Otsego Manor with her loving family in attendance. She was 106.
Born June 7, 1902, in Newark, N.J., Helen was a daughter of August and Anna (Englehardt) Riegelman.
Helen married Walter Otis Wilbur on Sept. 1, 1931, in Poland, N.Y. Mr. Wilbur died Aug. 30, 1957.
Raised in Remsen, she later lived and worked in the Utica area. During her years in Cooperstown, she held many positions, concentrating mainly on raising her family.
Helen led a quiet life-style, and her 106 years of life on this earth were realized through gardening and love of animals, especially her loving dogs, Buffie and Shasta.
Helen is survived by four daughters, Betty Ditchfield and her husband Jim, of Rochester, Dawn Chapman and her husband Perry, of Belmont, Mass., Lois Augenstein and her husband Paul, of Rochester, and Joan Wilbur and her companion Leslie Day, of Cooperstown; one son, Herbert W. Wilbur and his wife Rose (“Tobie”), of Voorheesville; nine grandchildren, Lisa Augenstein and Lynne Reeves, Anne Doran, Susan Houy and Jennifer Chapman, Shirley Ditchfield, Kathryn Peterson, David Wilbur and Sean Wilbur; four great grandchildren, Natalie Reeves, Sam Doran, Lee Doran, and Axel Houy; one sister, Ruth DeGroat of Johnson City, and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by four brothers, Herman, Albert, Herbert and Edward, and three sisters, Marian, Ella and Tessie.
Graveside services were private in the Fly Creek Valley Cemetery, with the Rev. Paul R. Messner, pastor of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hartwick Seminary, officiating.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in the form of memorial gifts may be made to Susquehanna SPCA, 4841 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY 13326.
Funeral arrangements were by the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Labels: Helen Wilbur, Obituaries

COOPERSTOWN – Elizabeth Helms Hawn, 93, of Cooperstown, the widow of a Bassett Hospital chief of pathology, restorer of historic documents and a master knitter, died July 6, 2008, at the Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home.

Mrs. Hawn was also the sister of the late Richard M. Helms, CIA director in the Johnson and Nixon administrations.

She was born in St. Davids, Pa., on June 29, 1915, the daughter of Herman Henry and Marian McGarrah Helms. She was educated in Germany and Switzerland, and graduated from Miss Beard’s School in New Jersey.

In 1941, she married the late Clinton Van Zandt Hawn.

The couple moved to Cooperstown in 1947 when he became pathologist in chief at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital.

She is survived by four children, Cynthia Hawn Coleman of Potsdam, Van Zandt Hawn of Wayzata, Minn., Gates Helms Hawn of Far Hills, N.J., and Richard Pearsall Hawn of Sherborn, Mass., and fi ve grandchildren, Elizabeth Coleman Chen of London and New York City, Benjamin Van Zandt Hawn of Minneapolis, Minn., Amanda Hawn Larsen of Mill Valley, Calif., and Hilary Lizeth Hawn and Ashley Mc Guire Hawn, both of Sherborn, Mass.

A brother, Gates McG. Helms, lives in Maplewood, N.J. In addition to Richard Helms, she was predeceased by another brother, R. Pearsall Helms.

She was a lifelong volunteer, beginning as a Red Cross worker in Boston during World War II, and served many organizations in Cooperstown, including the Bassett Hospital Ladies Auxiliary and the Cooperstown Community Foundation among many others.

In the 1960s, she joined a small, dedicated group of volunteers working at the New York State Historical Association Library. She took workshop courses at the Smithsonian Institution and elsewhere to develop the expertise necessary for the delicate process of restoring historical books and documents. For almost 40 years she patiently practiced this craft two or three mornings a week in the laboratory at the Fenimore Art Museum.

Another long-term interest was knitting, and she became an expert, mastering such challenging patterns as those developed for Irish sweaters in the Aran Isles. She also knit baby garments for Bassett’s gift shop and warm caps for cancer patients.

Throughout her life she loved music, singing alto in choruses and listening to opera.


COOPERSTOWN – Helen Wilbur, who was 106 and a long-time resident of Cooperstown, died Friday morning, July 11, 2008 at Otsego Manor.

Born June 7, 1902 in Newark,

N. J., Helen was a daughter of August and Anna (Englehardt) Riegelman.

She married Walter Otis Wilbur on Sept. 1. In Poland, Herkimer County. Mr. Wilbur died Aug. 30, 1957.

Raised in Remsen, Oneida County, she later lived in the Utica area. During her years in Cooperstown, she served on the Clark family’s domestic staff.

She is survived by four daughters, Betty Ditchfi eld and her husband Jim, of Rochester, Dawn Chapman and her husband Perry, of Belmont, Mass., Lois Augenstein and her husband Paul, of Rochester, and Joan Wilbur and her companion Leslie Day, of Cooperstown; one son, Herbert W. Wilbur and his wife Rose (“Tobie”) of Voorheesville; nine grandchildren, Lisa Augenstein and Lynne Reeves, Anne Doran, Susan Houy and Jennifer Chapman, Shirley Ditchfi eld, Kathryn Peterson, David Wilbur and Sean Wilbur; four great-grandchildren, Natalie Reeves, Sam Doran, Lee Doran and Axel Houy; one sister, Ruth DeGroat of Johnson City.

In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by four brothers, Herman, Albert, Herbert, and Edward, and three sisters, Marian, Ella and Tessie.

Graveside services will be private in the Fly Creek Valley Cemetery.

Memorial gifts may be made to Susquehanna SPCA, 4841 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Arrangements are by Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Labels: Elizabeth Helms Hawn, Helen Wilbur, Obituaries

Ricky A. Yerdon, Assembly of God Pastor In Cherry Valley, Deputy Sheriff, Dies at 53

CHERRY VALLEY – Pastor Ricky A. Yerdon, 53, who presided at the Cherry Valley Assembly of God Church for 11 years and was also a sheriff’s deputy, passed away unexpectedly Monday, June 30.
He was born on Sept. 7, 1954, in Cooperstown, son of Raymond and Marian (Bouck) Yerdon. On June 10, 1973, he married Shirley Lockwood at First Presbyterian Church, Cherry Valley.
He was a 1972 graduate of Cherry Valley High School, and served in the Army in 1972-79.
After basic training in Fort Dix, N.J., he was assigned to Kornwestheim, Germany, and West
Point, among other postings. He was a self-employed contractor until 1983, when he began working for the Otsego County Sheriff’s Department, most recently serving as a district attorney’s investigator.
As a pastor, he was always saying “keep it simple, keep the faith,” and he was happiest at
church with his church family. He always put God first. He is now walking streets of gold.
Although we will miss him, he is happier in heaven. He was the most honest man known, a loving husband, father and grandfather. His children were his pride and joy, and he always made sure his family was provided for. He was well loved and respected as a man of God and as a man of the law. He was an avid hunter and enjoyed raising cows.
Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Shirley Yerdon; two daughters, Annette Plows and Alisha Yerdon; grandchildren, Scottie Plows, Cherokee Yerdon and Adam Plows; his parents, Raymond Sr. and Marian Yerdon; three brothers, Michael, Raymond Jr. and Tim; sister Cindy Borchert, and nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by a son Adam in 1998 and an uncle, Albert Yerdon. Funeral services were held Monday, July 7, at the First Presbyterian Church, Cherry Valley. Burial with military
honors followed in the Cherry Valley Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cherry Valley Assembly of God Church, Box 524, Cherry Valley, NY 13320. Arrangements were entrusted to the Ottman Funeral Home.

Dick Olmstead, 82; Cooperstown Native

COOPERSTOWN – Cooperstown native Leonard H. (Dick) Olmstead, 82, died Wednesday morning, July 9, 2008, at Wilson Memorial Regional Medical Center in Johnson City.
He was born Nov. 19, 1925, at the Clara Welch Thanksgiving Hospital, a son of Walter E. Olmstead, Sr. and Mildred (Butler) Olmstead. He married Beverly J. Cornell on Nov. 7, 1953, at the Cooperstown Methodist Church.
Raised in Cooperstown, Dick attended CCS and later Morrisville Tech. At the age of 16, he started a sign-painting business and was a self-employed sign painter most of his life. He was the
City of Binghamton’s sign painter for 25 years.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Beverly, of Binghamton; one daughter, Connie Trout, and her husband, Richard, of Port Crane; one sister, Mrs. Wanda Richards of Cooperstown; two grandsons, Jonathan and Chris; four greatgrandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by two brothers, Walter E. Olmstead, Jr., and Robert V. Olmstead,
and two sisters, Mrs. Jean Pike and Mrs. Joan Larsen. A graveside service will be at
3 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at the Hartwick Seminary Cemetery, with the Rev. Samuel B. Abbott,
rector of Christ Church in Cooperstown, officiating.
Funeral arrangements are with the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Andrew Lee Ellis, 23, Dies in Route 28 Crash

HARTWICK – Andrew Lee Ellis, 23, of Hartwick, died Monday afternoon, July 7, 2008 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
Born June 24, 1985, in Houston, Texas, Andy was a son of Gene and Carol (Klingensmith) Ellis.
At age 1, Andy and his parents moved to Hartwick, and throughout his youth he was employed in the family business, A&J’s Windows and Doors in Milford.
An honors student in the BOCES program, he graduated from Cooperstown Central School in 2004. To celebrate the end of school, he and his buddy, Tom West, traveled cross-country.
Upon his return, Andy worked for Home Depot and Colonial Plumbing, then Gilbert Lake
State Park.
For the past year he was a mechanic with CooperstownMedical Transport. Throughout his brief, but well-lived life, Andy always enjoyed fly-fishing, playing the guitar and working in his shop
with his brother, Justin. Andy and Justin were inseparable. He and Justin, a 2008 graduate
of Cooperstown Central School, had recently registered at SUNY Delhi to attend college
together this fall, where Andy planned to study to become a vocational teacher.
Andy will be greatly missed by his family and many friends.
He is survived by his mother and father, Carol and Gene Ellis; his brother, Justin Ellis,
and his maternal grandmother, Maud Klingensmith, all of Hartwick; his paternal grandparents,
Mary and Bob Ellis of Smithtown, L.I.; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
He was predeceased by his maternal grandfather, Jack Klingensmith. Friends may call at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown, 5-8 p.m. Friday,
July 11, when Andy’s family will be in attendance.
Funeral services, with burial in Hartwick Cemetery, will be private, with the Rev. Richard
Stackhouse, pastor of the Hartwick United Methodist Church, officiating. Memorial donations may be made to the Hartwick United Methodist Church, Box 576, Mount Vision, NY 13180.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in
Cooperstown.

Marjorie Logan Burial July 12

COOPERSTOWN – A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial for Marjorie E. Logan, mother of Marjorie Landers of Cooperstown, will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 12, at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church, with Fr. John P. Rosson, pastor, presiding.
She had passed away on March 12. Aresident of Venice, Fla., for the past 28 years, Mrs. Logan
was a frequent visitor to Cooperstown in the summer months and assisted her daughter
and son-in-law, Marjorie and Ed Landers, at The White House Inn on Chestnut Street.

Labels: Obituaries

Taugher Rites Planned

COOPERSTOWN – A graveside service of committal and burial for Patricia A. Taugher,
who died Feb. 12, 2008, at the age of 94, will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 6, in the Taugher family plot in St. Mary’s Cemetery on Irish Hill, with Fr. John P. Rosson, pastor of St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church, officiating.

Ryan Committal Set

COOPERSTOWN – A graveside service of committal and burial for Dorathea I. Ryan, 93,
who died March 27, 2008, will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 8, in the Fly Creek Valley Cemetery with the Rev. Sundar R. Samuel, pastor of the Cooperstown United Methodist Church, officiating.

Peter Huntington, 75; Owned Cooperstown Holstein

COOPERSTOWN – Peter L. Huntington, a life-long dairy farmer and founder of Cooperstown Holstein Corp., died Saturdaymorning, June 28, 2008, at Countryside Care Center in Delhi. He was 75. Born Oct. 25, 1932, in Westford, Peter was a son of Lowell S. and Meta C. (Jurgensen) Huntington. A graduate of the Andrew S. Draper Central School in Schenevus, he later received an associate’s degree in applied science from Cobleskill Agricultural & Technical College and a bachelor of science in animal science from Cornell University. On April 18, 1959, Peter married the former Evelyn Margaret Ellis in a ceremony at St. James Episcopal Church, Oneonta.
A dairy farmer all his life, Peter first began farming with his brothers on the family farm in Westford. In 1964, he purchased a farm in Cooperstown and founded Cooperstown Holstein Corp. In the late 1970s, he started a second career as an insurance salesman for the Farm Family Insurance Co., serving customers throughout Otsego and Schoharie counties. Peter was a member of the Otsego County Farm Bureau, Dairylea Cooperative, and served on the Board of Directors of Farm Credit of Springfield, Mass. He was also a member of the Otsego-Herkimer-Montgomery County Holstein Club and the New York State 4-H Foundation. While on the The Farmers’ Museum board of directors, he was actively involved with the annual Junior Livestock Show, serving as show superintendent for many years.
Peter served on the Cooperstown Central school board, including several terms as president. He was a member of Christ Episcopal Church, Cooperstown. Peter is survived by his wife of 49 years, Evelyn, of Cooperstown. Also, five daughters and their families, Jennifer Huntington and Eric Watson and their children, Molly and Andy, of Cooperstown; Faye Huntington and her children, Joshua, Zaqwan, Chantel and Maianna, of Cooperstown; Beth Huntington of Georgia; Meta and Peter Mangulis of Schenevus,
and Janine and Adam Rose and their children, Megan, Ethan and Alexander, of Schenectady.

Marian J. Nicholson, 70; Retired Nurse Bowled Competitively

CHERRY VALLEY – Marian Josephine Nicholson, 70, a competitive bowler and retired nurse, passed away Thursday, June 26, 2008, at the Otsego Manor, Cooperstown. She was born in Cherry Valley on June 8, 1938, the daughter of Emerson and Beulah (Granger) Eckler. Marian was a 1956 graduate of Cherry Valley High School. She attended Cortland State Teachers College before serving in the Navy in 1958-1961. She was trained as a practical nurse at Great Lakes Naval Training Station, assigned to the Navy Hospital Corps School, then to Navy Operating Room Technique School as a scrub nurse. After her discharge, returned to Otsego County and worked for many years in nursing at Bassett Hospital before retiring. As a bowling instructor and a professional bowler, she won the Massachusetts state championship. Marian was an avid sportswoman, and enjoyed spending time with her dogs and reading. Survivors include her twin sister, Margaret Wickwire; a brother, Howard Eckler, and his wife Pat; and nieces and nephews, Michelle Wickwire, Mickey and Mary Wickwire, Ryan and Maureen Wickwire. Also Wissick, Megan, Maddy, and her friends and caregivers at the Otsego Manor.
She was predeceased by her parents and a brother-in-law, Fred Wickwire. Graveside memorial services with military honors will at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 3, in the Cherry Valley Cemetery, with Rev. Lyman Johnson officiating. Burial will follow.
Contributions in Marian’s memory may be made to the Otsego Manor’s Activity Fund, 128 Phoenix Mills Crossroads, Cooperstown NY 13326, or Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative
Care, 542 Main St., Oneonta NY 13820. Arrangements were entrusted to the Ottman Funeral Home, Cherry Valley. Also, two brothers, Edward F. “Ted” Huntington and his wife, Elaine, of Glens Falls, and Donald C. Huntington and his wife, Jean, of Cooperstown; and three sisters-in-law, Helen M. Huntington and Jane G. Huntington of Westford, and Mary C. Huntington of Alfred Station. He was predeceased by three brothers, James R., Robert L. and David H. Huntington. Private services will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial
gifts may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern New York, Leatherstocking Region Office, The Meadows, Suite 2, 140 County Highway 33 W, Cooperstown NY 13326, or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are with the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Labels: Obituaries

Joseph Ranker, 86; Jersey Native Was Collector Of Model Trains

FLY CREEK – Joseph Ranker, 86, of Fly Creek, passed away on Tuesday, June 24, 2008.
Joseph was born in Jersey City, N.J., in 1922. He was raised in Cliffside Park, N.J. He served our country in the Army during World War II in the South Pacific.
After his military service, he married Margaret (nee Vernooy) Ranker, with whom he spent over 50 happy years of marriage. The couple retired to Fly Creek, where Margaret predeceased him in 2001.
Joseph was an avid model train collector and a friend to all the people he met.
He is survived by his son Joseph, grand-daughter Alyssa, brother Richard, sisters-in-law Erma Martin, Helen Walker and Jean Ranker, and many nieces and nephews.
There will be no calling hours and a memorial service will held at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at the Johnston Funeral Home, Morris.

Labels: 062708, Obituaries

Hess Engelking, 98, Dies In Connecticut; Remembered Here For Her Grit, Tenacity

COOPERSTOWN – Hess Engelking, widow of the legendary newspaperman L.L. Engelking, died Thursday, June 12, in Stamford, Conn., two weeks before her 98th birthday. The couple moved to Cooperstown after his retirement in 1977.
Hess Pringle Houghton Engelking was born on June 27, 1910, in New York City, daughter of William Morris Houghton and Mary Motte (Hess) Pringle. The family lived in Plainfield, N.J., where Hess attended The Hartridge School. She graduated from Radcliffe College and pursued graduate studies there in anthropology.
In the midst of the Depression, she moved to New York City where she worked at the New York Herald Tribune. There she met her husband – a Texan who built a reputation based on the ardent pursuit of accuracy – and they were married in 1939.
The Engelkings, soon a family with three children, lived for many years in Forest Hills, Queens, and then moved to Plainfield, N.J., where they lived across the street from the house where Hess had grown up.
In the 1950s, she returned to graduate school, earning a master’s of library science from Rutgers University. She was a librarian at the Plainfield as well as Madison for many years.
After the couple moved to Cooperstown, her husband died in 1980. Hess worked at the Village Library of Cooperstown, and later volunteered there and at Bassett Hospital and the New York Historical Association.
She was a redoubtable hiker on the back roads and trails of Cooperstown and all over Europe. In her 80s, she learned how to cross-country ski and climbed Mount Algonquin in the Adirondacks.
She was always the consummate reference librarian, never giving up on an explanation until she had the appropriate source material. She was an ultimate pragmatist and though reserved, possessed of an anthropologist’s immense insight into human behavior.
She was probably best known for her grit and tenacity and realistic approach to life. One of her many admirers has said, “If Hess dies, that means we all have to die.”
She is saluted, loved and missed by her children Elizabeth Mueller, Mary Motte Hall and Peter Engelking; their spouses David Barnes and Connie Engelking; her brother William Houghton and her niece Charlotte Houghton Friedman; her eight grandchildren, William, Joseph , Sarah and John Teitler, Timothy and Andrew Hall, and Emily and Joshua Engelking; and by her eight great-grandchildren.
Contributions in her memory would be welcome at the Friends of the Village Library and the Friends of Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown; the Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison, N.J., or Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard.
There will be a gathering in celebration of her at the Cooperstown library on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Harry Skillman Services Planned

COOPERSTOWN – A graveside service of committal and burial for Harry Walter Skillman, 62, who died Feb. 7 in Las Vegas, Nev., will be conducted at 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, at Lakewood Cemetery in his beloved Cooperstown, with Rev. Thomas E. Pullyblank, pastor of the Fly Creek United Methodist Church, officiating.
Arrangements are by the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.


Edwin S. Tipple, 93: Veteran Of 2 Wars, Firefighter, Worked For Local Concerns

COOPERSTOWN – Edwin S. Tipple, a veteran, firefighter and leader in his church, died Monday morning, June 16, 2008, at Otsego Manor. He was 93.
Ed was born Jan. 29, 1915, in Westford, a son of Fred and Lottie (Chase) Tipple. After attending several schools throughout Otsego County, he graduated from Hartwick High School.
On April 13, 1943, he married the former Ruth A. Myers in a ceremony at her family’s home in Fly Creek. The couple raised their family and continued to live in and be active residents of the Fly Creek community throughout their lives. Mrs. Tipple died Oct. 29, 1974.
A veteran of World War II, Ed served his country with the Army’s 41st Infantry Division in the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre as well as with the Army of Occupation in Japan. He received his honorable discharge in 1946 having attained the rank of first lieutenant.
With the outbreak of the Korean War, Ed once again responded to the call of his country and served with the 978th Ordnance Depot Company, an Otsego County Reserve Unit called to active duty in 1950. He saw duty at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin and in Stuttgart, Germany, until receiving his honorable discharge in 1952.
Ed worked for several Cooperstown businesses. He was front desk clerk, head bellman and accountant at The Cooper Inn. He later worked in the business offices of Jack Mitchell Moving & Storage and at Bassett Hospital. He also worked at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, finally retiring at age 80.
Of the Episcopal faith, Ed was a long-time member of Christ Church in Cooperstown where he was a member of the vestry. He faithfully served as treasurer for 18 years and as an usher for 35 years.
A charter member of the former Fly Creek Volunteer Fire Department, he actively served from 1950 until 2000. He once served as president, and, beginning in 1953, was secretary to the commissioner of the Fly Creek Fire District for many years. Throughout the recent changes and transition, Ed remained a source of knowledge and guidance to the current members of the Fly Creek Volunteer Fire Company.
Ed was also a member of the Clark F. Simmons American Legion Post No. 579 in Cooperstown, and was a former member of the Hartwick Grange No. 746.
After living in Fly Creek for many years, Ed moved to Woodside Hall in Cooperstown, and resided there until moving several years ago to the Hampshire House in Oneonta.
Ed is survived by his two daughters, Margaret Tipple and Jane Settle and her husband, Stuart; grandson Alex Settle and family; granddaughter Harriet Hansen and her husband; nephew Roger Hover and his wife; two grand nieces; and several cousins.
In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by his sisters, Ann and Dorothy.
The Office of the Burial of the Dead (Rite I) will be offered at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 21, at Christ Church, with the Rev. Samuel B. Abbott, rector, officiating. Military honors will be accorded by members of Post No. 579. A reception will follow in the Parish House.
Memorial donations may be made to Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care, 1 Birchwood Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820.
Funeral arrangements are with the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Gertrude McLain Rites

SCHUYLER LAKE – A graveside service of committal and burial for Gertrude M. McLain, who died April 4, will be at 11 a.m. Monday, June 23, in Schuyler Lake Cemetery with Nancy Brown, parish life associate for St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Richfield Springs, officiating.
Arrangements are by the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Labels: Obituaries

George F. Schoradt, 76; Spent Career In Army, Then Navy

NEW LISBON – George F. Schoradt, 76, died Monday, June 2, 2008, at the Albany
Medical Center, after suffering a heart attack that resulted in a tractor accident.
He was born on April 11, 1932, in the hamlet of New Lisbon, the son of F.W.B. and
Natalie (Meyert) Schoradt. He married Virginia Allen on Dec. 28, 1952. They would have reached their 56th wedding anniversary this year. After graduating from Morris Central School in 1951, George attended Binghamton Tech (now Harper College) before joining the Army in 1952. Following his discharge in 1955, he worked as a field engineer in the Army Missile Command until 1964, then at the Naval base in Newport, R.I. At his retirement in 1977, he was head of Radar Development for Navy ranges. He and his wife returned to New York and bought a farm around the corner from one owned by Virginia’s parents’, Richard and Mary Allen. He later did consulting work, raised beef cattle and was an Otsego County voting machine custodian for many years. In addition to his wife Virginia, survivors include his daughter Karin Gann and husband Robert, of New Lisbon; two grandsons, Geofre R. Schoradt and Schuyler S. Gann, also of New Lisbon. He also leaves a sister and brother-in-law, Elsie and Ronald Lester of Peoria, Ariz., and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his half brother, Richard Schoradt, who lived in California, and a half-sister, Francis Joslin of Sidney. At his request, there will be no calling hours and the funeral will be private. In lieu of flowers and in memory of George, please treasure your families as he did his. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.johnstonfh.com Arrangements are by the Johnston Funeral Home of Morris.

Roger Newell, 79, Of Toddsville

TODDSVILLE – Roger Gavin Newell of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., formerly of Toddsville, died at home in Toddsville Friday afternoon, May 30, 2008, following a battle with cancer. He was 79.
Born Nov. 22, 1928, in Cooperstown, Roger was a son of Charles A. Newell, Sr. and Mary (Gavin) Newell. He married the former Louise Bliss on Dec. 18, 1948. Over the years, Roger was employed as a bus driver for Cooperstown Central School and was also in business for himself doing small engine repair. After moving to Florida, he was employed as a maintenance man for Wellesley Inn in Fort Lauderdale. He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Louise, of Florida; two daughters, Cheryl A. Phillips and her husband Craig, of Herkimer, and JoAnn
L. Dow and John Schallert, of Cooperstown; one son, Roger W. Newell and his wife, Teresa, of Dallas; four grandchildren, Neil Dow and his wife Jaime, of Middletown, Brian Dow and his wife Teri, of Manhattan, Kan., Matthew Newell and his fiancé Tiffany, of Missouri, and Lindsay Phillips and her fiancée Jeff, of Connecticut; five great-grandchildren, Mitchell, Brianna, Kendra, Cooper and Bailey Dow; his mother-in-law, Mrs. Edna Bliss of Toddsville; four sisters, Mrs. Imogene Carter and her husband, Rodman, Mrs. Billie Williams and her husband, Quin, Ms. Noreen Newell, and Mrs. Marjorie Strait; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, Charles A. Newell, Jr., and Donald Newell. There will be no services. Roger’s family wishes to thank the staff of Catskill Area Hospice, for the kind, considerate and understanding care they extended to Roger during his illness. Memorial gifts may be made
to Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care, 1 Birchwood Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820, or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are with the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Harnett Memorial Planned June 14

CHERRY VALLEY – A celebration of Bill Harnett’s life is planned at 5 p.m., Saturday, June 14, in the Old School Café. William James Harnett was promoted to the afterlife on Saturday, April 12.
The “Evening of Remembrance” will include a potluck dinner and music performed by Bill’s musically inclined family and friends. Music will be interspersed with open mic time to share words, stories and memories of Bill. (Soft beverages provided; please feel free to bring something
for the grill.) Donations to the Cherry Valley Old School, the Cherry Valley Health Center, the Cherry Valley EMS Squad, The Cherry Valley Fire Department and The Catskill Area Hospice are greatly appreciated. For more information call RBS at (607) 264-9300. Please remember, when you donate your organs, you donate life.

Service Planned For Dutch LaDuke

COOPERSTOWN – A memorial service for Dutch LaDuke who died Dec. 19, 2007, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at the Tillapaugh Funeral Home, 28 Pioneer St., with Father John Roos offi ciating. The family will be present from noon until the time of the service to receive friends.
Burial in Lakewood Cemetery will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that those who so desire make contributions in Dutch’s memory to either the Cooperstown Sports Booster Club, Box 141, Cooperstown, NY 13326 or the Lester G. Bursey Playground Fund, 22
Main St., Cooperstown, NY 13326. Arrangements are under the supervision of Tillapaugh funeral Service.


Dual Rites For Sisters

Graveside Services for sisters Janis E. Murdock and Phyllis M. Selan will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, at the Fly Creek Valley Cemetery with the Rev. Betsy Jay, Bassett Healthcare chaplain, officiating. Janice, 67, died on Jan. 26; Phyllis, 71, on May 17. Arrangements are with Connell,
Dow & Deysenroth.

Petkewec Burial

COOPERSTOWN – A graveside service of committal and burial for Charles J. Petkewec, 85, who died Dec. 26, will be at 2 p.m. Monday, June 9, in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Index, with the Rev. John P. Rosson, pastor of St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church, officiating.
Arrangements are with Connell, Dow & Deysenroth.

Labels: Obituaries