Elizabeth L. Ingham (1929 – 2020)
VALATIE—Elizabeth L. Ingham, 91, of Valatie died Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at her home.
Born January 7, 1929 in Valatie, she was the daughter the late Charles and Gussie (Dings) Mazal.
Mrs. Ingham was a seamstress at Rielly Mills in Valatie for a time and worked in central supply for Barnwell Health Facilities. After retiring, she volunteered for Senior Companion.
She is survived by: one son, Larry Ingham (Bonnie) of Philmont; three grandchildren, Michelle Ploof, Matthew and Christine Ingham; three step-grandchildren, Jeremy Moore, Janelle Oare and Jenna Limoges; two great-granddaughters, Kira and Jasmine; five step-grandchildren, Hannah, Killian, Mason, Landyn and Grace; several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, John Ingham.
A graveside service will be held Saturday, March 14, 2020, 1:30 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery, Valatie. Arrangements are with the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home, 1015 Kinderhook Street, Valatie.
Claire L. Wheeler (1933 – 2020)
GHENT—Claire Louise (Williams) Wheeler of Old Chatham passed away March 5, 2020 at Ghent Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born November 23, 1933 in Mellenville. She was the daughter of Clarence and Bertha (Newman) Williams. She graduated from Chatham High School in 1950 and Albany Business College, with honors, in 1952.
She was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Malcolm Wheeler. She is survived by: her children, Linda (James) Benton, Gary (Linda O’Neil) Wheeler and Laurell Ordway; six grandchildren, Geoff (Ashley) Benton, Jessica Benton, Christopher Ordway, Cassandra (Adam) Wellhausen, Matthew (Julie) Ordway and Taylor (Tyler Friss) Wheeler. She was a loving great-grandmother to six, Alana, Shane, Katherine, Brady, James and Fayelin.
Mrs. Wheeler’s life was devoted to her family and service to her community. She was a long-time employee of the
Shaker Museum in Old Chatham, before joining the Town of Chatham as deputy town clerk, deputy registrar, deputy historian, later historian, and deputy dog control officer during a career that spanned more than 20 years. She was also a member of the Bicentennial Committee for the Town of Chatham in 1976 and a member of the Town of Chatham Bicentennial Committee in 1995. She was also a member of the Tri-Village Fire Company Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary #42, the Old Chatham Cemetery Committee and a founding member of the Columbia County Town Clerk’s Association. She was a member of Christ Our Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Chatham.
In her free time she was a devoted family genealogist. She traced her lineage back to the Mayflower and beyond.
A funeral service was held Monday, March 9 at the French, Gifford, Preiter and Blasl Funeral Home, 25 Railroad Avenue, Chatham to be followed by interment at the Old Chatham Rural Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers Mrs. Wheeler’s family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern New York. The family extends their deepest appreciation to the staff of Wing 1 at Ghent Rehabilitation and Nursing Center for the care they provided, in particular, Winsome who took special care of her from the day she entered the facility. Condolences may be conveyed at frenchblasl.com.
Janice J. Murphy (1946 – 2020)
HUDSON—Janice J. Murphy, 73, of Philmont died peacefully Friday, March 6, 2020 at Columbia Memorial Hospital.
Born in Stockbridge, MA, December 13, 1946, she was the daughter of the late Albert and Catherine (Lockenwitz) Charron.
She worked for many years in housekeeping at Whittier Nursing Home. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Charles Murphy, Sr.
Mrs. Murphy will be greatly missed by: her sons, Charles (Erna) Murphy and Eugene (Shawntelle) Murphy; one brother, Albert Charron; sisters, Yvonne Schumann and Rose Gambacorta.
She was predeceased by several brothers and sisters.
She will be greatly missed by: her grandchildren, Riki Gough, Noah Williams, Kimberly and Billy Simpson, Jr., Michael and Jonathan Murphy, Joshua Owens, Charity Ragel, Devin Owens, as well as, eight great-grandchilren.
Calling hours will be Wednesday, March 11, 2020 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Sacco Funeral Home, 700 Town Hall Drive, Greenport. Funeral services will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the funeral home with Pastor John Hodges officiating. To leave online condolences visit www.saccofuneralhome.com.
George A. Huston, Jr. (1942 – 2020)
VALATIE—George Albert Huston, Jr., died Friday, March 6.
He was born to George and Alida (Stalker) Huston at the Chatham Hospital, June 6, 1942.
He was the oldest of five children. He attended Chatham Central School and with a close friend worked at Golden’s garage during high school and repaired and raced cars at Lebanon Valley.
He went to work as a groundskeeper for the Columbia Box Board Corporation until he listed in the Army Corps of Engineers in 1964. He served in Germany for 18 months as a heavy equipment operator. Upon leaving in December 1967 he returned home and back to the Box Board Corp. as a finisher. On February 15, 1969 he married Irene Shay and they lived at 1 Wentworth Court in Chatham. In November of 1971 they moved to Water Street in Ghent where they resided for 16 years. During that time he joined the Ghent Volunteer Fire Company eventually becoming chief.
Mr. Huston took a great interest in the fire service and attended Empire State College to learn as much as he could about firefighting.
In the process he receive his GED. In 1987 they moved to Fish and Game Road in Claverack. He had always wanted to have his own auto repair shop and in 1992 he retired from the box board and opened the Mobile Lube and auto repair where he first learned about cars from Babe Golden.
In 1994 he became ill and closed the business, feeling he had achieved his dream. After surgery on both lungs he was able to do light work and he joined the Chatham Rescue Squad in 2000 driving ambulance until 2009. At about the same time he proudly became a member of the Columbia County Hazmat Team getting the truck to a scene, doing fit testing and providing information at community functions. He loved the fire service and broken-heartedly retired due to illness. In 2008 they moved to Valatie, where he succumbed to his illness.
He is survived by: his wife of 51 years, Irene; a sister, Kathy (Don) Curfman of Liberty; brothers, John (Gail) of Athens, Mark (Debbie) of Ghent and numerous nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his sister, Peg (Rocco) Bondonna of Clementon, NJ.
He was a member of New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, Columbia County Fire Chiefs Association, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York, Columbia County Firefighters Association, Ghent Volunteer Fire Co #1 and the American Legion.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Columbia County Fire Chiefs Association. His family thanks Hospice for all its help.
Family will receive friends Friday, March 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the French, Gifford, Preiter & Blasl Funeral Home, 25 Railroad Avenue, Chatham. Services will be held at the funeral home Saturday, March 14 at noon with interment to follow at Ghent Union Cemetery. Condolences may be conveyed at frenchblasl.com.
Philip Bues (1943 – 2020)
ST. AUGUSTINE, FL—Philip Bues, 76, of New Lebanon died Tuesday, March 3, 2020 after a brief illness at Flagler Hospital.
He was the beloved husband of Susan Wildermuth Bues; devoted father of Jeannie, Carol, Christine Kryjak (and her husband John), and John (and his wife Koren); and the all-time best grandfather of Jake, John Philip, Chloe, Angelina, Declan, Clarissa, Caelan, and Cierra. He will be profoundly missed.
A member of both the Canaan Congregational Church and Tendai Buddhist Institute, he had a deep spiritual practice that transcended more than one religion. A man with great compassion and empathy for others, a conversation with Mr. Bues was always about you and your interests, not about him. He greatly appreciated poetry and historical fiction; and as anyone who knew him remembers, he had a mind overflowing with trivia—perhaps it was all those evenings watching Jeopardy. Everything interested him, and he especially enjoyed conversations with anyone younger than he was.
Born September 28, 1943, the son of Philip and Mary Bues, he grew up in Brooklyn. In addition to his wife, children, and grandchildren, Mr. Bues leaves behind: three sisters, Mary, Veronica and Margaret; two brothers, Michael and Thomas; many cherished nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews who adored him; his best friends, the Marshall family and in-laws who loved him dearly.
He served as a detective in the Sex Crimes Unit (now Special Victims) for the New York City Police Department (NYPD). After retiring from the NYPD, he worked for Berkshire County ARC, Columbia County ARC, and then the Department of Public Safety at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), including direct support of the president, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson.
After retirement Mr. Bues enjoyed traveling and exploring his hobbies of fishing, hunting, and history with trips to Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Austria, and Slovakia. He was an avid fly fisherman and loved the outdoors, especially hiking the Adirondack mountains and walking the warm Florida beaches in the winter. He was active in Trout Unlimited, the Canaan Conservation Club, and the Sierra Club. He especially enjoyed his many Sierra Club service trips. He volunteered for Community Hospice and the Lebanon Valley Protective Association as an ambulance driver. He cast a wide net and will be missed by friends from the police department, RPI, and his acquaintances from civic and religious organizations.
A service in celebration of a life well-lived will be held April 25, 2020 at 1 p.m. at the Canaan Congregational Church, 1670 County Route 5, Canaan with a reception to follow. A service will also be held on March 14 at 3 p.m. at the St. Augustine Ocean and Racquet Club, 880 A1A Beach Boulevard, St. Augustine Beach, Florida. Memorial contributions may be made to the Canaan Congregational Church, P.O. Box 66, Canaan 12029; the Tendai Buddhist Institute, 1525 Route 295, East Chatham 12060 or the United Church UCC-DOC, P.O. Box 860187, St. Augustine, FL 32086. In honor of his long-time commitment to preserving fishing in Columbia County, the County Federated Sportsmen welcome participants to their annual fish stocking days at the Kinderhook Creek in April. For more information and online condolences, contact Wenk Funeral Home in Chatham or St. Johns Family Funeral Home in St. Augustine, FL.
Stuart H. Clark (1947 – 2020)
ALMOND, WI—Stuart Holley Clark, age 72, of Almond, Wisconsin, passed away Sunday, March 8, 2020 surrounded by his family. He was under the care of Ascension Hospice of Stevens Point.
He was born October 17, 1947 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, son of the late Frederick and Catharine (Lippincott) Clark. On June 22, 1969 he married Cathlene Newby at St. John Lutheran Church in Almond.
Mr. Clark was a proprietor of Clark’s True Value in Almond and Plainfield, Wisconsin. He was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Almond where he served as elder. He was a volunteer fireman and first responder with the Almond Fire Department. While serving on the county board, he was especially active on the airport board for Central Wisconsin Airport. Spending time with his family, he especially enjoyed his time with his grandchildren.
Mr. Clark is survived by: his wife, Cathlene; two daughters, Christine Vertein of Evansville, Indiana and Carol (John) Raczek of Mosinee, Wisconsin; two sons, Matthew (Jill) Clark of Alamogordo, New Mexico and Frederick Clark of Middleton, Wisconsin; 14 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren; sister, Jane Peck of Copake Falls and brother, Douglas (Ann) Clark of Denver, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Dorothy and Susan.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 12, 2020, 5 p.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Almond. The Reverend Brian Roehrborn will officiate. Friends may call from 1 p.m. until the time of services at the church and during this time a lunch will be served from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Burial will be in the Almond Village Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. John Lutheran Church for their sound system.
Holly Funeral Home of Almond is assisting the family with arrangements. The family thanks everyone for their help and service in the time of loss. It is greatly appreciated.
Online condolences available at www.hollyfuneralhome.com
Linda DiStefano (1954 – 2020)
HUDSON—Linda DiStefano, 65, of Germantown died Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Columbia Memorial Hospital.
Born April 28, 1954 in Port Jefferson, she was the daughter of the late Anthony and Helen (Janiskiewicz) DiStefano.
She worked for several years at Bard College. She will be missed by: her sons, Matthew and Lewis DiStefano; brothers, Charles and Anthony DiStefano and her nephew, Joseph and (Lisa) DiStefano. She was predeceased by sisters, JoAnne and Sally DiStefano and her brother, Joseph DiStefano.
There are no calling hours. A memorial service date and time will be announced. Arrangements are with the Sacco Funeral Home, 700 Town Hall Drive, Greenport. To leave online condolences visit www.saccofuneralhome.com
Jennie A. Kenas (1923 – 2020)
HUDSON—Jennie Anna Kenas, 96, of Spook Rock Road, Claverack died March 4, 2020 at Columbia Memorial Hospital. Born in Elizaville, she was the daughter of the late Ignacy and Agnes (Kostek) Jarocki.
She graduated from Germantown High School, and was a 1945 graduate of Hudson City Hospital School of Nursing, and was in the U.S. Cadet Corps. She retired from Columbia Memorial Hospital in 1985 after practicing as a registered professional nurse there for 40 years.
Mrs. Kenas was a parishioner of the former Sacred Heart Church and thereafter a communicant at St. Mary’s Church in Hudson, Holy Trinity Parish. She was a member of Our Lady’s Sodality of Sacred Heart, and the Claverack Garden Club where she served as past president, historian and member of the executive board. She received her greatest enjoyment when working with flowers and plants.
She is survived by: two daughters, Joanne Endres of North Rensselaer, and Teresa Kenas of Hudson; two sons, Joseph Kenas of Kunkletown, PA, and Paul Kenas of Portsmouth, VA; eight grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Bernard Kenas, along with two brothers, Henry and Stanislaw, and three sisters, Stanislawa, Stella Jarocki of Hudson, and Stefania Kazukenus of Albany.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Tuesday, March 10, 2020 Holy Trinity Parish, St. Mary’s Church, 429 East Allen Street, Hudson. Interment followed in Cedar Park Cemetery. Arrangements were with the Bates & Anderson – Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home, 110 Green Street. Hudson.
Donations in Mrs. Kenas’ memory may be made to the Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany.
Beverly L. Syzdek (1949 – 2020)
HUDSON—Beverly L. Syzdek, 70, longtime resident of Hudson passed away peacefully March, 5, 2020.
She was born in Hudson, March 22, 1949, the daughter of the late Harry G. and Beverly (Frost) Warner. She graduated from Hudson High School, then went on to attend SUNY Plattsburgh, before earning her master’s from Russell Sage College. She was a kindergarten teacher in the Claverack School prior to her retirement.
Ms. Syzdek loved her cats, and gardening. She was a devoted daughter who retired so that she could care for her father. She will be remembered for her strong will, independence and caring personality.
She is survived by: two children, Kathleen and her husband Charles Brown, and David and his wife Elizabeth Syzdek; her five grandchildren, Jeremy, Ian, and Ashely Syzdek and Andy and Teddy Brown; her brother, John Warner.
In addition to her parents, she was also predeceased by her paternal grandmother, Melicent (Payne) Warner.
Visitation was Monday, March 9, 2020 at the Bates & Anderson – Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home, 110 Green Street, Hudson.
Her family thanks her exceptional caregivers, Dolce, Shannon, Kammie, and Tony, as well as the Community Hospice of Columbia and Greene Counties.
Eleanor H. Lansley (1936 – 2020)
EAST GREENBUSH—Eleanor H. Laier Lansley passed away peacefully March 3, 2020 after a long battle with dementia at Evergreen Commons.
She was born January 8, 1936 in East Nassau, the daughter of Julius and Caroline Saxby Laier.
Mrs. Lansley is survived by: her husband, William E. Lansley and their three children, Michael (Holly Woodworth) of Alexandria, VA, Patti (Donald) Marstein of Albany, MN, and Robert (Avis Nash) of Canton, CT.
She is also survived by: her grandchildren, Jason Marstein and Jessica Rybacek; five great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Emma Sluus, Jean and Laurie Laier; many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by: her brothers, Frederick, William, Arthur and Anthony Laier; sisters, Bertha L. Barth and Elaine L. Bingham; her daughter-in-law, Dial Dickey (Michael).
She lived most of her adult life in North Chatham, where she lovingly raised her children. During her career, she worked as a bank teller and later as a home health care aide, a profession to which she was deeply committed. Mrs. Lansley had a wonderful sense of humor and a true gift for engaging in conversations with just about anybody. She was deeply loved by her family and we will all miss her.
The family is very appreciative for the wonderful, compassionate care she received in the Alzheimer’s Unit at Evergreen Commons during the final years of her life. “We are particularly grateful for the exceptional care provided by Beth Jones, NP and unit staff Kat Szymanska, nurse Denise, Katy Joy, MSW and Eleanor’s aides.” The family also thanks Carol Barth Lanzara for her loving assistance over the past two years.
Calling hours will be Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Thomas P. Mooney Funeral Home, 11 Elm Street, Nassau. All relatives and friends are welcome to attend. The funeral will take place at the funeral home immediately following the wake, with burial in the North Chatham Cemetery.
