Friday, January 4, 2013

Some of Those Who Left Us in 2012

Here are some folks with Bovina connections of one kind or another who left us in 2012.  Some of these folks grew up in Bovina then left the area while others came to Bovina at some point in their lives.  If I missed anyone, please alert me via the comments section of this entry or via e-mail at bovinahistorian@gmail.com.

Catherine “Kay” Banuat Foster was born on Bramley Mountain in Bovina in 1919, the daughter of Anthony Banuat and Margaret Craig Banuat.  She was very good friends with Marjorie Russell, who was a bridesmaid when Catherine married Wesley Foster in 1943.  A school teacher for many years in Wheelerville, NY, Catherine retired in 1979 but remained active in her community and traveled extensively, visiting 72 countries.  She died January 27 in Johnstown, NY.

Shirley M. Sparling was born in Walton in 1924, the daughter of John and Maud Covell Perry.  She attended a one room school in Bovina until the 8th grade, when she went to an all girls school in Cooperstown.  For many years, Shirley was a supervisor at Borden’s.  She died in Walton on February 25.

Paul Delamater was born in Peekskill in 1930.  A Korean War vet, Paul and his wife Emilie lived for a number of years in Bovina where they realized their dream of having a horse farm.  They later settled in Treadwell and late in life moved to Unadilla to be near their daughter Cheryl.  Emilie predeceased Paul in 2010.  He died on February 26 in Unadilla.

Marjorie Peck was the daughter of John and Marguerite Bush Bellino.  Born in Delhi in 1944, she grew up on the Bellino Farm on Pink Street and married Frank Peck at Suits-Us Farm.  Marge was a food service supervisor at SUNY Delhi for 26 years.  She died at Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown on April 20.

Glenn Cole was one of the World War II veterans recognized on Bovina’s Honor Roll.  Born in 1924 in Bovina, he was the son of Harold and Alida Cole.  Glenn worked for the Andes Central School District for 60 years as a bus driver, mechanic and custodian.  He also was caretaker for the Andes Cemetery for 20 years.  Glenn died at his home in Andes on April 26.

Frieda Menke was 90 when she passed away, and had lived in Bovina for 60 years.  She was born in 1921 in Unterskrill, Gottschee, Yugoslavia and came to the United States after World War II.  She married Henry Menke in 1952 and they farmed for many years on Cape Horn Road.  Frieda passed away on May 19.

Eleanor Irvine Volante never lived in Bovina, but had Bovina connections through her first cousin Marjorie Russell (her father was Lester Irvine, Isabell Russell’s brother).  Born in 1914 in Oneonta, she began training at IBM in Endicott in 1937, as part of a new program which hired an annual class of female college graduates. She worked for IBM for 20 years, receiving a law degree from George Washington University while working for the company in Washington, D.C. Eleanor was married to Don Volante in 1959.  In 1973, Eleanor was elected the first and, to date, only woman ever to have served as Mayor of Delhi.  Eleanor was 97 when she passed away in Stamford on June 12.

Marion Dorsett was 80 when she passed away in Delhi on July 30.  She grew up in Cold Spring, NY and came to Bovina in 1962 with her family to farm.  They established Hill-Top Stables, a popular place to go horseback riding in Bovina for many years.

Mildred B. Robertson was a Coulter descendant who spent her early childhood in Bovina.  Born in 1913, she was the daughter of J. Frank Brown and Nancy Coulter Brown.  In 1925, her family moved to Delhi where she attended high school.  Mildred received her R.N. degree in the 1930s.  She and her husband farmed but she kept her hand in nursing until retirement.  Mildred’s sister was Mary Burgin, Cliff Burgin’s mother.  Mildred died on September 3.

Henry “Harry” Bonne lived in Bovina 20 years before he passed away on September 25.  Born in 1940 in Jamaica, Queens, he was the son of Henry and Edith Bonne and was married to Ann Picariello.  He was a Navy Veteran and worked in New York City as a dock builder before his retirement. 

Dorothy “Dot” Ryder was born in the Bronx in 1916, the daughter of Arthur and Catherine Davis.  As a child, she started coming to Bovina Center to visit her mother’s friend, Martha Russell.  Dot started to waitress at Bovina boarding houses during the summer when she was 14, continuing to attend school in the Bronx during the school year.  She married Russell Ryder in 1938.  Dot had a number of jobs in the city but continued to bring her family to Bovina in the summer, renting a house.  They settled in Bovina after retirement, where Dot was active in the Bovina UP Church and the Bovina Historical Society.  Dot moved to West Oneonta in 2008 to be nearer to her son.  She passed away on October 23. 

Helen Boggs Tyrell was the daughter and last surviving child of James Boggs and Edith Barnhart Boggs.  She was born in Bovina in 1928.  Married to Maurice Tyrell, she worked for the Delhi Telephone Company.  Helen passed way in Stamford on December 18 at the age of 84. 

3 comments:

  1. Ed and Gretchen RossleyJanuary 5, 2013 at 7:45 AM

    Thanks for compiling this beautiful tribute!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a great post, Ray. Gentle, gentle on those gray cells.... they are still awesome.

    ReplyDelete