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Difficult as it is to believe, we have been a widow for eleven years this week. And yet it seems as if our late husband Jerry just died yesterday. The memory of it remains most vivid in our mind. We suppose there is much that we don’t remember about July 20, 1999. But we do remember just how much that day changed our life forever. We lost not only our spouse of 28 years, but also our best friend.
At the time we could not believe the world would go on without him. And yet it has. And while there are still many people in the area who no doubt remember him mostfondly, there are also people in the area now who never knew him. And because that is true, we were most pleased that Jerry was chosen to be a notable of Christ Church as part of the church’s bicentennial celebration. On Sunday, July 4, he became, an important figure in the congregation’s history, a part of the Christ Church Wall of Fame.
Church historian David Svahn wrote and presented the following tribute to Jerry during the Sunday services on July 4:
Gerald Bernard Ellsworth (1946 - 1999) Educator, thespian, and historian, native son Jerry Ellsworth occupied a unique position in the history of this church and community. With ancestral ties to Cooperstown area settlers of the late 18th century, Jerry was a third generation Christ Church parishioner. His grandfather had served as vestryman and warden and his father as vestryman. Following in their footsteps Jerry served as acolyte, later as vestryman and warden, the position he occupied at his death.
Outspoken and never shy about expressing his views on church issues, his voice alone, booming ``AMEN’’ throughout the service, became a fixture. He applied his appreciation for history and his theatrical skills in presentations about the many historic facets of Christ Church leaving invaluable records for future generations.
In the village Jerry was active in many organizations including Otsego Lodge No. 138, Free and Accepted Masons, Otsego Chapter No.26, Royal Arch Masons and the Lions Club of Cooperstown. He also served on the Cooperstown Central School Board, the Village of Cooperstown Library Board and headed the CCS Alumni Association.
He was particularly drawn to youth, assisting the 4Cs in bringing Santa Claus to Cooperstown, and generously tutoring students. He was noted for his walking history tours of the village laced with humorous tales. With his wife he wrote a newspaper column about the comings and goings of Cooperstown. Jerry was devoted to theater and plied his considerable skills as teacher, director and actor throughout his life. He was noted too for his idiosyncrasies; the most endearing one was his penchant for wearing shorts in all seasons.
He once laughingly observed that, not having a conventional job, when asked ``What do you do?’’ he had to answer ``I don’t DO anything.’’ Of course this civic-minded churchman did everything and he did it with humor, enthusiasm and skill. Christ Church has recognized this rare man with a rare honor _ a stained glass window in the chapel.
We thank David for his kind words. And we thank our son Christopher, his wife Annie, and our granddaughter Abby for being here with us to attend the eight o’clock service. And we can’t help but think how much Jerry would have enjoyed the fact that little Abby, at five and a half months, choose to suck on her toes during the sermon. Somehow we suspect that Jerry would not have been able to keep a straight face. But then, neither could we.
And, as we pondered the kind remarks that were made about Jerry, we could not help but remember the editorial that ran in this very paper at the time of his death. It read: Well done, Jerry It was fitting (and entirely predictable) that mourners occupied every seat and most of the standing room in the church where Jerry Ellsworth’s life was celebrated last Friday. Jerry, after all, brought the community together in life; in death, it was no different.
There are the enduring images: shorts in any season, the walking sticks carried with aplomb, and the booming voice. But if that were all, the memories would be of a lovable eccentric. And that image would miss Jerry’s true contributions to the hometown he loved and nurtured.
Here at The Town Crier we are proud of the weekly column Jerry and his wife Cathe wrote.
The column, ``In The Otsego Hills,’’ (and its Freeman’s Journal predecessor ``Where Nature Smiles’’) did something that is all too missing in modern-day journalism. It celebrated the everyday comings and goings of a small town. It stopped and smelled the roses, and in doing so it gave us all a better sense of what life in this special community is about. The sense of history, the appreciation for community, the celebration of values and the thread of neighborly connection these columns brought helped Cooperstown stay in touch with itself. And it reminded those who have left what was enduring about the village and its people. We hope Cathe will continue the column; the community needs it.
Jerry’s dedication to education is legendary. At the time of his death, he was the longest serving member of the Cooperstown school board. He took Cooperstown’s reputation for high educational quality seriously and worked to sustain it. And he was deeply and personally involved in encouraging young people to pursue their dreams and stretch their talents.
So much can be said of Jerry’s desire to maintain Cooperstown as an idyllic place to live.
He’d point out flaws, though usually with a generous dose of humor. Mostly, though, he led by example.
At his request, Friday’s service had no eulogy or homily. Jerry didn’t need it; he let his life’s work and his life’s conduct speak for him. And, though it was cut much too short, it spoke as loudly as his booming voice.
The final stanza of the memorial service’s recessional hymn was a fitting summation of the way Jerry lived his life, and why it touched so many people. Of the everyday saints, the hymn said:
``They lived not only in ages past, there are hundreds of thousands still, the world is bright with the joyous saints who love to do Jesus’ will.
You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea, in church or in trains, or at tea, for the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.’’
PLEASE NOTE: Comments regarding this column may be made by mail at 105 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326, by telephone at 607-547-8124 or by email at cellsworth1@stny.rr.com.
Columns
In These Otsego Hills: Remembering Jerry ...
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
We continue this week by answering the question we asked if anyone remembers the old Cooperstown National Bank? On May 13, we wrote: “Martha Dickison, Delaware Street, called to tell us about the Cooperstown National Bank where she worked at her first ‘real job’ after her graduation from school.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: Spring inventions
The second line of Lawrence Durrell’s novel “Justine” reads as follows: “In the midst of winter you can feel the inventions of Spring.” I first read all four novels of his magnificent Alexandria Quartet during the year I traveled from Saigon to Paris after working in Vietnam for a refugee organization for several years.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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?”
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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.
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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.]
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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: Continuing on from 1986 ...
