By CAROL BRODIE
In my mid-August column,
I had mentioned
meeting Charles and Marilyn
Dufresne, of Worcester,
at the Cobleskill Fair and
how they mentioned attending
school years back
with some of the Mabie’s.
As for their request, I will
try to remember to update
here occasionally on the
surviving Mabie’s that
were from the Worcester
area.
Just this summer, in
fact, we learned of the
deaths of two more Mabie’s.
William “Bill” S. Mabie, 76,
passed away in San Antonio,
Texas, on Feb. 17, 2008.
He was born on Nov. 30,
1931, in Schenevus, the son
of Arba Earl and Flora Ellen
(Kniffen) Mabie. Bill’s
wife, Mary Lou
(Jeffers) Mabie, 75, also
of San Antonio, passed
away on April 10, 2008, less
than two months after her
husband. She was born in
Schenectady on Dec. 21,
1932. Mary Lou and Bill
had been married for 56
years. Survivors include
their daughter, Barbara
Brown and her husband,
Howard, their son, James
Mabie and his wife, Nancy,
and grandchildren, Jason
and Justin Brown, Antonio,
Braden and Benjamin Mabie.
Also surviving are Bill’s
sister, Clara McCardle, and
brother, DeForest “Jack”
Mabie.
Both Bill and Mary Lou
were laid to rest at Fort
Sam Houston National
Cemetery in Texas. Bill had
honorably served his country
with 25 years of dedicated
service in the United
States Air Force, and he
was laid to rest with full
Air Force Honors.
Birthdays and anniversaries
Birthday wishes go out
to Harold Erway, Deb Van-
Buren, Larry Dornburgh,
Beau Franklin Brodie who
turns two years old, Margaret
Gage, Shelley Ritchey,
Susan Brodie, Jennifer
Lundy, and Douglas Moore
who will be seven.
Anniversary wishes go
to Dan and Jaime Cooper
who celebrate two years,
my dad and mom, Elliot
and Luella Brodie, celebrating
66 years, Kenny and
Barb Olsen, Pastor Alan
Miller and his wife, Esther,
Dave and Mary Lou Bach,
who celebrate their 40th,
and Erin and LouAnna
Hughes.
Expression of sympathy
Our family’s heartfelt
sympathy goes out to the
family of Robert Edwin
Harris, 89, of Otego, who
passed away at Albany
Medical Center on Monday,
Sept. 8 after being critically
injured in an automobile
accident in Oneonta on
Sept. 4. Our prayers also
remain with his wife, Dorothy,
who
remains in Fox Hospital,
Oneonta, in critical, but
stable, condition.
We have known Ed and
Dorothy for many, many
years and always looked
forward to visiting with
them each summer at the
Morris Fair. In fact, we had
a nice visit with them this
year as they were there enjoying
the fair.
They always managed to
get to the fair for at least
one day each summer.
Bits and Pieces
Jim and Alice Rose, of
Mount Dora, Fla., would
like to thank everyone who
sent them anniversary
cards as they celebrated
their 65th anniversary on
August 14. He said they
had a very nice anniversary,
with a party and lots of
great food, as every month
a party is held in their park
to celebrate all of the birthdays
and anniversaries of
that month. On the weekend
of August 30-31, Jim
and Alice went to Jacksonville
to visit their son and
daughter-in-law, Larry and
Vickie Rose. They had an
especially nice time as their
grandson, Bryan and Laura
Rose, were also there visiting,
so they got to spend
time with their only greatgrandchild,
Alysen Catherine
Rose, who is now four
years old. Of course, greatgrandpa
Jim isn’t at all
prejudice when he says that
Alysen is very smart and
pretty, too! (smile!)
Pastor Bill Wilson attended
Nancy Lamouret-
Scanlon’s surprise 50th
birthday party at the Town
Park Pavilion, in Knox, on
Sunday, August 31. Nancy
was an outstanding 4-H
member when Pastor Bill
was the 4-H agent in Otsego
County. She received
many county and state
awards as a 4-H member.
Nancy’s party was hosted
by her son, Eric, and her
daughter, Rebecca.
Pat Mabie and Raymond
and Sandy Sutton, of Decatur,
enjoyed shopping and
dining out at the Rotterdam
Mall on Thursday,
Sept. 4. Pat says they also
enjoyed viewing the Mabee
Farm display that was set
up there.
Eddie Hayward, of Belvedere
Lake, spent a couple
days last week helping David
Thompson with his
house project.
Melvia Thompson-Fenn,
of Gothicville, along with
her son and daughter-inlaw,
Milton “Mick” and
Carla Fenn, of Oklahoma,
called on Leland “Zeke” and
Pat Mabie on Friday, Sept.
5. The two of them were
spending the weekend with
Mick’s mom.
Elliot Brodie and his
daughter, Barb Kineke, of
Mohawk, attended the
AWANA meeting at the
Little Falls First Baptist
Church on Saturday, Sept.
6.
Leland and Pat Mabie
and Ray and Sandy Sutton
toured the Oriskany battlefield
on Sunday, Sept. 7.
They also enjoyed viewing
the Oriskany Battlefield
Monument where they
found Pat and Sandy’s
great-great-great-grandfather
George Bush’s name in
the third column over and
eight or nine names down.
The four of them also enjoyed
dining at Denny’s
Restaurant in Herkimer.
Mr. and Mrs. Bert
Griffiths, of Connecticut,
called on Luella Brodie,
Frank and Carol on Sunday,
Sept. 7. All had a great
time visiting and reminiscing
about times past. The
Griffiths were spending
some time at their Cooperstown
home to celebrate
their 40th anniversary,
which was the following
day.
David and Sharon
Thompson visited Keith
and Daphne Thompson and
daughter, Elizabeth, in
Morris, on Sunday afternoon
and also enjoyed supper
with them that evening.
The Otsego County
Farm Bureau board meeting
was held at the office in
Hartwick Seminary on
Tuesday night, Sept. 9.
Those attending were county
president Steve Sinniger,
office manager Sue Schaffer,
Frank Brodie, Les and
Dorothy Rathbun, Warren
and Julie Stannard, Werner
Weigel, John Walrath,
Amy Auger, and Robin Aufmuth,
who rents the building
for her “My Time Day
Spa” business.
Columns
South Valley
- Columns
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From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
Time to bring you up to date on Fly Creek’s happy clambering into Spring. First, the eatery scene. “Is Jerry’s open yet?” The answer is, “Oh, yes!” The porches are freshly stained; the lawns a uniform green, and the hop vines are already climbing the posts on the covered side deck. Blue and I went up there to lunch earlier this week, and I celebrated spring with my traditional bacon, onion and Swiss cheese hamburger. We two sat on the deck, enjoying the broad view and some spectacular clouds marching across, up toward Schuyler Lake.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: More from 1986 ...
This week we continue with the discussion of telephone service from the pre-dial days. On March 12 we noted that: “No one has yet produced a telephone directory from pre-dial days, but Doug Preston of New Hartford recalls that some business (which one?) in the village had the phone number 7.”
Continued ... -
Home Notes: Celebrations abound at the Thanksgiving Home
April was a month of celebrations and much to appreciate. We had a 90th birthday celebration for Wanda Noyes on April 4 including her family and friends. Personal care staff Dee Bouck worked with residents to hand paint Easter eggs for the tree in the activity room.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: 1986 continues ...
This week we continue our journey through the columns of 1986 with the answer to the question “for whom, according to tradition, was Hannah’s Hill named?”
Continued ... -
Book Notes: Baseball book features local contributors
Baseball is part of the nation’s fabric. Most kids have a memory of the game either from playing Little League, attending a major league contest or meeting a favorite player. In Cooperstown that feeling is magnified since we are the official home of baseball. We get to see firsthand what has made the sport the national pastime.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: Ya really wanna know?
SETTING: Fly Creek General Store. CAST: Assorted seated geezers, drinking coffee. [Door opens, enter heavy-set geezer; walking slowly with wide stance, maybe prostatitis.]
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: Returning to 1986 ...
For the past several years now we have undertaken sharing some of the area’s oral history we have collected over the years that we have written this column. Therefore, this year, we would like to go back to 1986 to share that rather unusual year. Those who were here then no doubt remember that it was that year that the village celebrated the bicentennial of its founding.
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From Fly Creek: For reasons unknowable
[Jim’s reached back to 2002 to share one of his favorite columns.] My father was born as the last century began into a river village in tidewater Maryland. He told me once of a man there in his boyhood who, like so many, made a thin living tonging for oysters in the cold months and, in the hot and humid ones, crabbing and raising vegetables.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: CCS balancing act ... side two
Last week we shared a number of activities in which students at CCS can participate. We thought it was an impressive, if not overwhelming, list. And we are indeed pleased that the young people of our area have these opportunities. However, we think it is also important to keep in mind that these undertakings do have a cost associated with them. They are not free. In fact there are, no doubt, those who would say they do not come cheap.
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From Fly Creek: A graceful crowd
Make of this what you will, friends. I feel I’m really meant to share it with you. Despite good medication for my Parkinsonism, every four or five weeks I can sensethe symptoms building up on me, giving me more than ordinary trouble. Lately it’s been falls, and last week brought a typical one. I’d gone out to get the paper, moving along with penguin steps on the snowcoved ice patches, and usingmy spike-tipped cane the waya climber uses an ice axe. But circumstances overcame me. Parkinson’s wipes out the possibility of multi-tasking.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: This and that and the other side ...
We note that the CCS Class of 2012 is presenting its senior class play, “Snow White” by Tim Kelly, this week with performances 7:30 p.m Thursday and Friday, March 29 and 30, and at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31. All performances will be at the Nicolas J. Sterling Auditorium at the Middle/High School.
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In These Otsego Hills: That green thing ...
Of late we have noticed that our email inbox has been much busier than usual. In fact, we find ourselves hard pressed to keep up with all the various messages we receive. As a result we suspect we have not answered some in as timely a fashion as might be thought appropriate.
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From Fly Creek: What you need to know
In their last Sunday’s bulletins, all 84 churches of Otsego County were to have carried announcements of an important meeting; most of them did. But because the announcement is so important, and not just to the churched, here it is again.
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Book Notes: Living the magic of ‘Hoosier’
A lot of people consider “Hoosiers” the best sports film of all time. The 1986 classic follows the exploits of a fictional small town Indiana high school basketball team in 1952 as it attempts to achieve the impossible dream of a state championship. The story is inspired by the true life achievement of the 1954 Milan team, who with an enrollment of only 161 students shocked big city power Muncie Central on a last second shot to win the state title. It’s the kind of sports story that represents something that is hard to grasp unless you live in a small town.
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In These Otsego Hills: The most perfect village... home to heavy industry?
We suspect we would get a whole lot more accomplished if we spent less time thinking, pondering and musing about things. In fact, there is a good possibility we might actually have completed our goal of cleaning the basement if we only focused on the task at hand, instead of trying to figure out the world around us. It almost makes us wonder if it is possible to think too much about things. We certainly hope not because should that be the case, we are in deep trouble.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: The past in the present
Clichés abound about the value of photographs. Most are probably true at least to a certain extent. What I do know about an image is that it represents something of the past that is not the pastitself. But that is the power of any image. It represents something that once was. The beauty of an image, revisited, is that it functions as a catalystfor reliving in the present a past experience. My own view, one that I thank the Spanish writer Jorge Luis Borges for, is that all we ever can experience is the present.
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Home Notes: Workshops held for Thanksgiving Home residents
We welcomed Linda Keller, Ph.D. of the Bassett Research Institute and Ida Baker of NYCAMH who presented a six-week workshop for residents and staff.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: Late-winter hamlet news
Well, at least I’m “guessing” it’s late winter now — in the winter that wasn’t. But, if not snow, I can provide a flurry of Fly Creek news to share with you, scooping Associated Press, Reuter’s, and United Press International, not to mention all local news services except our General Store.
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In These Otsego Hills: Waiting for spring to have sprung ...
Difficult as it to believe, both January and February seem to have flown by and we find ourselves turning the calendar over to the month of March, which we have long thought is one of the more dreary months of the year. Of course, as in the pastthere are signs of spring as reflected by the tapping of the maple trees. For many years, the trees sprouted buckets to capture their all important sap. However, we now know to look for the sap collection lines that are strung from tree to tree.
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Book Notes: Kennedy: a unique individual
It’s been almost 50 years since the Kennedy assassination shocked the nation. Since then much has been written about President John F. Kennedy and whether he would have achieved his destiny (whatever that may have been) if he had lived. It is said he inspired young people in a way that has never been equaled. And there is the notion of Camelot, espoused by his widow Jackie, that there will never be a time of hope and promise like that again.
Continued ...
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From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
