PITTSFIELD _ Gayle M. Austin, 61, died early Saturday morning, Jan. 14, 2012, in her home at the Hoboken Horticultural Preserve, Pittsfield. The seventh of nine children, she was born Aug. 9, 1950, to Gordon J. and Mary Rupar Powell on the Old Estate Dairy farm in Holton, Mich.
She was one of the last three students to graduate from sixth grade in McCallum School, a one-room country school, prior to school district consolidations. She graduated from Fremont High School in 1968.
She married James C. Austin on Sept. 16, 1968, in Ypsilanti, Mich. The two of them operated a certified organic homestead in the 1970s before moving to Bloomington, Ind.
They became self-employed craftspeople for the next 10 years creating a wide variety of leather goods they sold in craft shows and to galleries.
Gayle was also an accomplished fabric artist and had been sewing since her childhood days of 4-H. She exhibited her quilts and rag rugs in shows and galleries in the Midwest and New York.
In the mid-1980s she and husband purchased the New Berlin Gazette, which they published for 10 years. She was well-known in the communities served by the paper as an outspoken editorialist who pulled no punches and consistently stood for doing the right thing.
Following her tenure in the newspaper publishing world, she and her husband purchased what had been William Bell’s East Side Leghorn Ranchin the area of Pittsfield known as Hoboken and established the Hoboken Horticultural Preserve. She worked tirelessly to restore the house and barns and create her perennial plant nursery and gardens. It was from there that she freely dispensed gardening information and advice to her many friends, neighbors and customers.
In addition to her husband of 43 years, Gayle is survivedby her son, James C. Austin II of Pittsfield; daughter, Lisa R. Sheldon and her husband, Andrew of Williamstown, Mass.; two granddaughters, Zavi and Anya Sheldon; four sisters, Patricia and Richard Borjeson of Berwin, Pa., Diane and Edwardo Labocetta of Virginia Beach, Va., Bernice Powell of Washington, D.C., and Linda and Craig Pell of Grand Rapids, Mich.; one brother, George and Kathy Miner Powell of Holton, Mich.; sisters-in-law, Libby and David Cherin of Newaygo, Mich., and Kathy Austin of Holland, Mich.; brother-in-law, Joseph C. Austin and his partner, George Schaffer of Muskegon, Mich.; an extended family of uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews; and treasured friends.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her three sisters, Donna Powell, Lottie Mae Powell and Lauretta B. Hazelrigg; and brother-in-law, Tom Austin. It was her wish to be cremated. There will be no funeral service.
Those who wish to do so may make memorial contributions to the Nature Conservancy or the Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care.
Obituaries
Gayle M. Austin
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Roxy Carnes
COOPERSTOWN Roxana P. Carnes, a longtime resident of Cooperstown, passed away Tuesday evening, May 1, 2012, at Valley Health Services in Herkimer. She was 91.
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Janet D. Bailey
COOPERSTOWN Janet D. Bailey, a lifelong resident of Cooperstown, died Sunday morning, May 6, 2012, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown. She was 86. Born May 15, 1925, in Cooperstown, she was a daughter of Harold Lewis Davidson and Grace née Putnam Davidson. Raised in Cooperstown, she graduated from Cooperstown High School with the Class of 1942. She then went to work for the war effort doing sewing in Oneonta.
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Duane C. Hotaling
A graveside Service of Committal for Duane C. Hotaling, 66, a man devoted to his family and the community of Hartwick, who died Jan. 9, 2012, will be offered at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 28, 2012, in Hartwick Cemetery, with the Rev. John C. Young officiating.
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Grant T. Campbell
COLONIE — Grant T. Campbell died Sunday afternoon, April 8, 2012. Born in the Thanksgiving Hospital in Cooperstown he was the son of Ambrose W. and Maude V. (McManus) Campbell. He was predeceased by his parents; sister, Beverly I. Felske; and brother, Leland A. Campbell.
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David M. Hribar
COOPERSTOWN — David Matthew Hribar, a native of the Cooperstown and Fly Creek areas, passed away following a long illness, early Friday morning, April 6, 2012, at his home in Fork Shop. He was 81.
Continued ... - Thursday, February 23, 2012
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Anthony G. Martucci
COOPERSTOWN _ Anthony George Martucci, a kind, loving and gentle family man, died early Saturday morning, Feb. 18, 2012, at hishome in the Town of Middlefield. The loving husband of Josephine Martucci, he was 85.
Continued ... - Thursday, February 16, 2012
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Frances ‘Panny’ Gorham Hill
LAKELAND, Fla. _ Mrs. Frances “Panny” Gorham Hill, 103, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, at her home due to natural causes. She was born June 25, 1908, in Cooperstown, to James Jr. and Lulu (Tarpening) Byard.
Continued ... - Friday, February 10, 2012
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Jane H. Patrick
COOPERSTOWN _ Mrs. Jane H. Patrick, of Cooperstown, passed away peacefully Feb. 2, 2012, in her home in the Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home from complications related to pneumonia. Prior to living there, she had lived for over 30 years on Chestnut Street in Cooperstown.
Continued ... - Monday, January 30, 2012
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William Thomas Every
COOPERSTOWN _ William Thomas Every, formerly of Goodyear Lake, died Sunday morning, Jan. 15, 2012, at Otsego Manor. He was 64.
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Nancy Carol Folts Birdsall
RICHFIELD SPRINGS _ Nancy Carol Folts Birdsall, 70, went to be with the Lord on Saturday morning, Jan. 21, 2012. After a short illness, she passed away peacefully at home with her loving family by her side. She was born on Sept. 24, 1941, in Montgomery, Ala., daughter of the late Lt. Col. John L. and Karolyn Folts.
Continued ... - Thursday, January 19, 2012
- Thursday, January 12, 2012
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Duane C. Hotaling
HARTWICK _ Duane C. Hotaling, a man devoted to his family and well-known in the arena of tractor pulling, died Monday evening, Jan. 9, 2012, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown. He was 66. Born Dec. 6, 1945, in Cooperstown, he was the son of the late Howard and Margaret (Sullivan) Hotaling. After graduating from Cherry Valley Central School, Duane attended the Milwaukee Institute of Technology. After receiving his degree he stayed in the Milwaukee area and worked for Allis-Chalmers.
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Eileen Marie Sinnott
FLY CREEK _ Eileen Marie Sinnott, passed away after a battle with cancer Jan. 10, 2012, at Otsego Manor, where she received wonderful care. She was 57. She was born Jan. 5, 1955, and raised in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, to loving parents Victor and Anne (Collopy) Sinnott. She attendedHoly Cross Elementary School (grades one-eight), Erasmus Hall High School and Kingsborough Community College.
Continued ... - Thursday, January 5, 2012
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Dorothy M. Gardner
COOPERSTOWN _ On 29 Dec. 2011, Dorothy Marie Gardner, peacefully joined her husband, Ralph D. Gardner, in heaven.
Continued ... - Thursday, December 29, 2011
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Maureen Micek
COOPERSTOWN _ On Dec. 18, 2011, Dr. Maureen Micek, a former pediatrician with Bassett Healthcare Network, Oneonta, died unexpectedly. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Timothy R. Siegel; children, Jacob and Sarah Siegel; and her mother, Maureen W. Micek.
Continued ... - Monday, December 19, 2011
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David Welsh Jr.
BOWERSTOWN _ David Welsh Jr., a beloved husband who enjoyed his native Cooperstown and the outdoors, died after a long illness early Friday morning, Dec. 9, 2011, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown. He was 86.
Continued ... - Thursday, December 1, 2011
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Jean Lois La Chaunce
HARTWICK _ Jean Lois La Chaunce, a former resident of New Jersey, died unexpectedly Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011, at her home in Hartwick. She was 81. Born March 5, 1930, in the city of Hackensack, N.J., she was a daughter of Ellis and Edna (Ockenholt) Covert. Raised in Mahwah, N.J., she was employed for many years as an assembler and last worked for Ultimate Automotive Industries in Mahwah.
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Susan M. Knodel
FLY CREEK _ Susan M. Knodel, affectionately known as Susie, died unexpectedly Sunday evening, Nov. 27, 2011, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown. She was 58. Born Sept. 27, 1953, in Utica, she was a daughter of the late Edward C. and Margaret E. (Hawkins) Madore.
Continued ... - Thursday, November 17, 2011
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Ellen H. Rockwell
Ellen Louise Haiston Rockwell, age 93, died on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, in St. Luke’s-Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh. Ellen was born on Sept. 4, 1918, in Tyrone, Pa. She grew up in Pottstown, Pa., where her father, Frank Haiston, was the superintendant of schools and her mother, Elizabeth Kriner was an elementary school teacher. Her younger sister, Mary Alice Fronheiser and older brother, Frank predeceased her.
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Tom Mottram
Tom Mottram, 64, passed away due to complications from cancer on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011.
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Roxy Carnes
