Obituaries Archives — The Altamont Enterprise, February 24, 2011

Della May Aldershoff

ROTTERDAM — A selfless woman, Della May Aldershoff helped both those she loved and those she didn’t even know.

She died in her Rotterdam home on Friday, Feb. 18, 2011, surrounded by her family. She was 83.

She was born in Albany on Dec. 29, 1927, the daughter of Wilfred and Della May Dancause. A religious person, she went to Our Lady of Angels School and Church.

As a teenager, she helped her parents run their hotdog stand. Later in her teens, Mrs. Aldershoff worked at First Prize on Exchange Street. A hard worker, she later had jobs at Campbell Plastics and Hike Mills of Rensselaer. “Anytime she did anything, it was always all the way, never half-way,” said her daughter Donna Lee Rechter.

She met the man who would become her husband, Garrett J. Aldershoff, while roller-skating. “It was right after the war,” said their daughter of World War II. “Dad had just come back. He asked my mom to roller-skate. He accidentally tripped her, and she fell and skinned her nose. My Dad says, ‘She’s been falling for me ever since.’”

The couple married on June 28, 1947; the union lasted 63 years, ending only with her death.

The Aldershoffs had three children — Garret, John, and Donna Lee. As a mother, Mrs. Rechter said, “She was very strong, always doing the right thing.”

Mrs. Aldershoff worked as a bus driver for the Niskayuna School District for 20 years. “She wanted to be home when we three kids were home,” said Mrs. Rechter.

She retired in 1990, after her husband retired, so that they could enjoy their retirement years together. The couple loved to camp and enjoyed spending time at their camp on Sacandaga Lake.

“We used to spend our summertimes there, just swimming, fishing, enjoying the sun…My Dad always had a campfire going,” recalled Mrs. Rechter, describing how the family would toast marshmallows over the fire or make “country pies” — placing pudding between two slices of bread in an iron device, sort of like a panini maker, to create a dessert sandwich.

Mrs. Aldershoff belonged to the National Campers and Hikers Association in her earlier years.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Aldershoff were avid bowlers when their children were young and, in her later years, Mrs. Aldershoff joined the New York State Seniors Club with a co-worker who was a good friend. The ladies traveled frequently to competitions across the state and even played in national tournaments in Florida and Michigan.

“Anytime they found a tournament, they would go,” said Mrs. Rechter. “Sometimes my dad would go to be their groupie and cheerleader.”

Religious her whole life, Mrs. Aldershoff went to church every Sunday at St. Madeleine Sophie in Guilderland. “She prayed on her own a lot, too,” said her daughter.

Mrs. Aldershoff sewed many, many baptism bibs for the parish, each with a ruffled edge and an embroidered cross so that babies and their parents would have a memento of the baptism.

An accomplished sewer, she both cross-stitched and quilted.

She not only made bibs for babies she didn’t know but for the elderly as well. Mrs. Aldershoff donated grown-up bibs she made to local nursing homes. “She sat here and sewed piping on each one, making sure they were just right,” said her daughter. “She was always, always giving.”

She did a lot of handiwork with the Home Bureau of Schenectady County, making everything from beaded jewelry to Christmas decorations.

“She was always busy, stringing some kind of necklace or making earrings,” said her daughter, adding that Mrs. Aldershoff enjoyed the company of the other women in the bureau.

Mrs. Aldershoff was also devoted to helping relatives in need, and brought her children along for the clean-up and shopping projects.

“We would vacuum, wash dishes, dust, put away groceries,” recalled Mrs. Rechter. “Mom would make sure they were all set. She’d say, ‘That is what we do.’”

“She was outgoing,” agreed Mrs. Aldershoff’s son, John. “She was always putting everybody in front of herself.”

****

Della May Aldershoff is survived by her husband, Garrett J. Aldershoff. She is also survived by her children, Garrett J. Aldershoff and his wife, Debbie; John H. Aldershoff and his wife, Jane; and Donna Lee Rechter and her husband, Jeff. She is survived, too, by her grandchildren, Jennifer and Joseph Aldershoff and Brian and Melissa Rechter. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Frances Halsdorf and Mary Relyea; her aunt, Irma Garlock; and her nieces, Phyllis Relyea and Patricia Brown.

Her parents, Wilfred and Della May Dancause, died before her, as did her brother Wilfred F. Dancause.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday, Feb.23, at St. Madeleine Sophie Roman Catholic Church in Guilderland. Interment followed at Schenectady Memorial Park. Arrangements were by the Fredendall Funeral Home of Altamont.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice of Schenectady County.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer

Lawrence Applebee

DORMANSVILLE — Lawrence Applebee — a dairy farmer, a rural mail carrier, and a feed and farm store operator — died on Friday, Feb. 18, 2011. He was 95.

He died at the Orange City Care Center in Orange City, Fla.

“He was fair-minded, easy to get along with, and witty,” said Gerald Applebee, summing up his father’s personality.

Mr. Applebee was born in Dormansville, on July 5, 1915, the son of the late Albert and Myrtle (Wilsey) Applebee. His father was a schoolteacher and a farmer. He also started a retail business, the Grange League Federation, which his son and grandson continued.

“Farmers realized they could put their purchasing power together and get a better life,” said Gerald Applebee, owner of the Hilltown Farm & Garden in Dormansville. “Farmers who needed feed at a better price could come to my grandfather.”

Lawrence Applebee graduated with the first class in the new Greenville High School, now the elementary school, said his son. He met Mildred Snyder, the woman who would become his beloved wife, at school.

After graduating, Mr. Applebee worked as a dairy farmer, a rural mail carrier out of the Dormansville Post Office, and he operated the G.L.F. & Applebee Bros. feed and farm stores.

“Farmers did a lot of things to make a living,” said Gerald Applebee. His father sold his cows in 1955.

Mr. Applebee was an exceptional athlete, playing both basketball and baseball. He was a member of the P.H. Sod Busters baseball team. “Back then,” said his son, “you didn’t have television. Baseball was big.”

Mr. Applebee also liked flying and boating. A private pilot, he learned to fly near the Hudson River, his son said. “You had to watch for the bald eagles off your wing; they’d fly with you,” he recalled his father telling him. “It’s eerie when an eagle turns its head and looks at you, he told me.”

Mr. Applebee was a problem-solver. “When we went camping,” said his son, “the boat we rented was very tippy. He wanted a boat that was safe, so he built his own.” He would use the Chris-Craft boat on Saratoga Lake.

After retiring, Mr. Applebee and his late wife enjoyed their time in Florida. In the summers, he helped his son at Hilltown Farm & Garden.

“He was even known for his homemade bread, which he would gladly distribute to his many friends,” his family wrote in a tribute.

His son concluded, “He was just a real nice man.”

****

  Lawrence Applebee is survived by his son, Gerald Applebee, and his son’s wife, Mary Lynn; his daughter, Janet Berry, and her husband, James; his former daughter-in-law, Pamela Jones, and her husband, Tommy; and his grandchildren, Ethan Applebee, Stephanie Hinsey, and David Berry.

His loving wife, Mildred (Snyder) Applebee, died before him, as did his son Barry Applebee.

  Friends may call at the A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home at 4898 Route 81 on Tuesday, March 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Interment will follow in the Chestnut Lawn Cemetery in New Baltimore. Mourners may light a candle at ajcunninghamfh.com.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Westerlo Rescue Squad, Post Office Box 12, Westerlo, NY 12193.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer

Pat Baldauf

GUILDERLAND — Pat Baldauf, an educator who touched many lives, died on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011, at St. Peter’s Hospice Inn, after a short illness, surrounded by her loving family.

Mrs. Baldauf was born on July 8 in New York City, the daughter of the late Minna “Gram” Morgan.

She taught in the Guilderland School District for over 30 years, and was an adjunct professor at the The College of St. Rose. She was a certified reality therapist and life coach, and a student teacher supervisor.

“Her passion was in education, and she touched so many lives with her wisdom,” said her daughter, Bonnie Snyder.

In addition to her profession in education, Mrs. Baldauf was a travel agent for many years, and owned and operated the Wildehausen Bed and Breakfast. Her home was always open to people from the local community and international travelers, her family wrote in a tribute.

“Mom loved to entertain; she always liked to have a party around. You got a lot more than breakfast if you stayed at her place,” said Ms. Snyder. She said her mother opened her heart to everyone.

“Everyone was her family, and she treated them that way,” Ms. Snyder said.

Mrs. Baldauf was an active member of the St. John’s Lutheran Church in Altamont for over 40 years.

“She has touched so many lives. It didn’t matter if you were delivering mail or an educator visiting from Japan; it didn’t matter if you were 2 or 90 — she touched your life,” Ms. Snyder concluded. “She was an amazing person.”

****

Mrs. Baldauf is survived by three sons, Richard Baldauf, Timm Baldauf, and his wife, Lynne, and Dr. Robert Baldauf; her daughter, Bonnie Snyder, and Bob Evan; her former daughter-in-law, Jane Baldauf; her nine grandchildren, Marcia, Shaun, Alyssa, Justin, Christopher, Brynna, Tayla, Geneva, and Devon; and a great-granddaughter, Sienna.

Her husband of more than 50 years, Bill Baldauf, died before her.

At Mrs. Baldauf’s request, there will be no services. To share thoughts and appreciation, send an e-mail tribute to [email protected].

Memorial contributions may be made to the Pat Baldauf Education Fund, Post Office Box 2805, Glenville, NY 12325, or Community Caregivers, Post Office Box 523, Altamont, NY 12009.

— Anne Hayden

Julia E. Anderson Duchow

WESTERLO — Julia E. Anderson Duchow’s roots ran deep in her hometown of Westerlo.

“She was an outgoing, helpful person,” said her son, Robert Duchow, who is also the town’s historian. “Remembering dates from the past is something that a lot of people have spoken with amazement about my mother, and I probably learned that from her.”

Mrs. Duchow died on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011. She was 97.

Born March 17, 1913, in Westerlo, Mrs. Duchow was the only child of Gilbert F. Anderson and Eleanor Knowles Anderson. Her parents were both sixth-generation Westerlo residents.

“I live here now in the house in which my mother was born, and in which her father was born,” said Mr. Duchow. “I’m the fifth generation living here.”

Drawing on the skills passed down by his mother, Mr. Duchow went on to detail his lineage.

“With my mother’s ancestry in this town, 26 out of 32 of her great-great-great-grandparents lived in Westerlo, along with all 16 of her great-great-grandparents,” he said. “And she’s being buried in the Westerlo Rural Cemetery in our family plot. My mother’s parents, my grandfather’s parents, and my grandfather’s four grandparents are all in the same plot. And my mother has 20 direct ancestors in Westerlo Rural Cemetery, never mind the aunts and uncles and so on.”

Mrs. Duchow’s son remembers her as being a very family-oriented woman.

On Oct. 6, 1935, she married Rev. Martin C. Duchow, a Lutheran pastor in Stuyvesant Falls. They lived in Colonie from 1938 to 1944, and her husband was pastor of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church when they lived there. From 1944 on, she and her family lived in West Hartford, Conn., where Mrs. Duchow was a substitute teacher for many years.

School was important to Mrs. Duchow. She was the last living member of the Greenville Free Academy class of 1929. She graduated from Oneonta State Normal School in 1932. From 1932 to 1935, she taught grade school in Stuyvesant Falls. She stopped teaching after she married.

“She was very much concerned about raising her five children, and also the next generation, her grandchildren,” Mr. Duchow said. “She enjoyed playing board games with the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” Scrabble was one of her favorites.

And she always enjoyed family picnics, mostly when they lived in Connecticut, though Mr. Duchow also recalls trips to Thacher Park with his mother.

And, as important as her family was, so was her religion.

“Church was always part of the family picture,” her son said.

****

Mrs. Duchow is survived by four sons: Robert Duchow of Westerlo and his wife, Bonnie; Paul Duchow of Palm Springs, Calif.; Gilbert Duchow of Hilliard, Ohio, and his wife, Linda; and Marvin Duchow of Surrey, B.C., Canada, and his wife, Darlene.

She is also survived by her daughter, Carol Gurin, and her husband, Joel, of Scarsdale; she is survived, too, by 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

Her husband, Rev. Martin C. Duchow, died in 1993.

Funeral services were held on Feb. 17 at Bethany Lutheran Church, West Hartford, Conn.

“I reminded the family — her name, Julia, she got from her grandmother, Julia Babcock Knowles, who was born on Feb. 17, 1861,” her son, Robert Duchow, said. “So, Mother’s funeral was held on the 150th anniversary of her grandmother’s birth. It just happened to be that day.”

A spring burial will take place in the family plot in Westerlo Rural Cemetery.

— Zach Simeone

VOORHEESVILLE — Marilyn Bennett Farrell, whose quiet cadence hummed steadily, died on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011, at Albany Medical Center Hospital. She was 82.

“She was very quiet, sweet, and immovable,” said her son, John Farrell.

Growing up in the Adirondacks, Mrs. Farrell’s father was a carpenter and farmer and her mother, who died when she was 10, ran a restaurant and took in sewing. Her family was a musical one, said her son, and she played the clarinet.

Mrs. Farrell left Indian Lake at the age of 16, after graduating from Indian Lake High School, to begin her bachelor’s degree at the State University of New York College at Fredonia, where she studied music education.

When she took a teaching job near the Canadian border, she met Robert M. Farrell and they began what their son called, “a beautiful love story.” He was the physical education teacher at the school and, after the couple married, they moved to Rockland County.

They later moved to Voorheesville, where they lived for 58 years. They had moved for Robert Farrell’s job, teaching sixth grade, but two weeks into the school year the fourth-grade teacher left and Mrs. Farrell taught for the next 35 years in the elementary school. She spent summers earning her master’s degree in elementary education at the State University of New York College at Oneonta.

“She always loved the kids,” said her son. He recalled that on one Christmas a young girl who had nearly nothing at all was anxious to give his mother a little paper cocktail umbrella. “She was so proud of it,” he said. “It was a touching moment for my mother.”

Mrs. Farrell was a deeply Catholic woman who played the organ for St. Matthew’s Church and held choir practice in her living room. Religion, which she carried on from her French-Canadian mother, was part of her foundation.

She passed music on to both of her sons — John Farrell plays the trombone and his late brother, Matthew Charles Farrell, played the clarinet. They both played the guitar.

After his brother died of a brain tumor at the age of 17, Mr. Farrell said of his parents, “They lived stronger after that. More deeply.” He explained, “When you face unexpected death, life becomes more dear.”

His parents were a couple that couldn’t be apart, said Mr. Farrell. “They were bookends,” he said. They were “one person made up of two people.”

Mrs. Farrell was a person always concerned for others, said her son. “She was gentle and strong,” he said, concluding, she had a “great smile.”

****

Mrs. Farrell is survived by her husband of 60 years, Robert M. Farrell, and their son, John Farrell, of Cliffside Park, N.J., and his wife, Christine. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Matthew Dohln Farrell and Meaghan Julia Farrell.

Her son, Matthew Charles Farrell, died before her, as did her siblings, Katherine, Stella, and Joel.

A funeral was celebrated on Tuesday at St. Matthew’s Church with burial in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery in Colonie. Arrangements were by the Reilly & Son Funeral Home in Voorheesville.

Memorial contributions may be made to a young writers’ scholarship fund named for Matthew Farrell, who was a writer.

— Saranac Hale Spencer

KNOX — Wallace Quay Sr. was a skilled mechanic who enjoyed talking to people, and had a good sense of humor.

“He was a friendly and accepting individual, very welcoming to anyone that would meet him,” said his son, Ronald Quay.

He died on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011. He was 94.

Born on Feb. 13, 1917, to Seward and Lena Quay, he was delivered during what many termed one of the worst snowstorms in memory, said his son. Dr. Cullen from Altamont, who delivered him, stayed a week until the snow cleared enough for him to return from Knox to Altamont.

Mr. Quay was known for his hospitality and kindness, his family wrote in a tribute. “You could always count on an offer for a cup of coffee,” wrote his family. “The pot was always on,” his son said.

He was married to Ella Quay on Sept. 4, 1940 by Rev. Norman Vanderhart at the parsonage of the Knox Reformed Church, where he was a member his whole life.

Mr. Quay served in the United States Army as a medical technician during World War II. After the war, he worked at the Navy depot in Scotia for 33 years. He also worked as a volunteer firefighter.

After retirement, he kept himself busy working on small motors.

“He was a mechanic, so he worked on everything from Mack trucks to small engines at home,” his son said. “And I think that’s what people think of when they think of him.”

Mr. Quay enjoyed this activity because he enjoyed having “the ability to be able to take something that was broken and fix it,” his son went on.

“In fact, there are different times I can remember he talked about how someone would give him a call and say they had a problem with their small engine, and they’d bring it over in a box,” his son said. “They’d taken it apart and attempted to fix it themselves, and so he was left with this jigsaw puzzle in his garage. And he used to do pretty well to put it back together. He enjoyed the challenge, I guess. I didn’t gain any of his prowess in that activity,” his son laughed.

But, more than anything, both Mr. Quay and his wife enjoyed being with family, in the town where he grew up.

“He lived all his life in Knox,” his son said. “He was born in a house a mile from where I live, and he was there till he married my mom, and lived there the whole time.”

The family had annual picnics, where they would barbecue chicken and invite the neighbors over.

His son remembers him being heavily involved in his life as a child.

“When I was in high school, I was in the marching band, and he was very involved in that as a chaperone,” said Mr. Quay’s son. “When I was a little kid, I can remember us going to a couple of camping expeditions, Webelos or Cub Scouts or one of them. At that time, he was close to 50, I suppose — I came a little bit later in life — and he did it with a great amount of energy.”

And his energy lasted. At the age of 89, he took his first airplane flight to visit his niece Kelly in Arizona.

“He had a quick wit and a good sense of humor,” his son went on. At Kelly’s wedding, she danced with her grandfather and asked him when the last time was that he danced. He responded with a chuckle, “Right now!”

In appreciation of how temporary life is, his family quotes Psalm 103:15-18 from the Bible.

“As for man, his days are like grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more and its place acknowledges it no longer. But the loving-kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him and His righteousness to his children’s children.”

****

Wallace is survived by his sons Wallace Jr. and Ronald Quay.

He is also survived by his grandchildren: Brian and Adeline Quay, Kris and Don Hackel, Steven and Vicky Quay, Matthew and Amber Quay and Kelly and Mark Blain.

He is survived, too, by 14 great-grandchildren.

His wife, Ella, died in 2003.

Friends called on Sunday, Feb. 20, at Knox Reformed Church. A memorial service was held Monday, Feb. 21 at the church.

Memorial contributions may be made to Community Hospice of Albany, 445 New Karner Road, Albany, N.Y. 12205 or to the Knox Reformed Church Memorial Fund, Post Office Box 86, Knox, N.Y. 12107.

— Zach Simeone

ALTAMONT — Sally Jo Sullivan died on Friday, Feb. 18, 2011, at home. She was 60.

Mrs. Sullivan was born on Aug. 6, 1950 in Niskayuna, the daughter of Patricia Miller and the late William Miller.

She is survived by her mother; her children, Daniel, and his wife, Louise, Paul Jr., Amy, and Sean Sullivan; her grandchildren, Daniel, Brett, Kalin and Chole; and her brother, Jim, and sisters, Nancy, Patricia, Pam, and Robin.

Her father, William, died before her, as did her husband, Paul Sullivan Sr., and her son, Michael Devon Sullivan.

A memorial service was be held on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at the Altamont Reformed Church, at 2 p.m. Interment will be in Memory’s Garden Cemetery at the convenience of the family.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Altamont Reformed Church, Post Office Box 671, Altamont, NY 12009.

Olin R. Wagoner

EAST BERNE — Olin Wagoner, a steady man who took care of his family, died on Friday, Feb. 18, 2011, at the St. Peter’s Hospice Inn. He was 77.

Born to the late William and Clarissa (Miller) Wagoner in East Berne on March 21, 1933, Mr. Wagoner grew up on a dairy farm. He sold the cows when his own son, Dean Wagoner, was 5.

Mr. Wagoner then worked as a mechanic and spent more than 32 years as an appliance service technician for Montgomery Ward. He was a member of the Teamsters Local 294. Mr. Wagoner liked the work, his son said, adding, “He was on the road, fixing people’s appliances.”

“He was mechanically inclined,” Dean Wagoner said of his father, explaining his interest in photography. Mr. Wagoner took hundreds of slides of the trips he took with his wife, Kathryn (Gossman) Wagoner. The pair saw just about every state in the union, their son said.

The couple also helped with the meal program at the Hiawatha Grange, and Mr. Wagoner was a member of the Berne and Rensselaerville senior citizens’ group, the Westerlo Reformed Church, and the Helderberg Hilltoppers camping club.

Mr. Wagoner liked to camp and hunt, his son said. “He hunted around the farm, of course,” he said of how his father learned.

He was easygoing, Dean Wagoner said, concluding, “He’s steady.”

****

Mr. Wagoner is survived by his wife, Kathryn (Gossman) Wagoner, and his son, Dean Wagoner, of Middleburgh and his wife, Mariann. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Dennis Westfall and his wife, Jessie, and Joyce Krygier and her husband, Don; two great-grandchildren, Cailyn and Ethan Krygier; three brothers, Earl Wagoner, Orlo Wagoner, and his wife, Shelia, and Vernon Wagoner and his wife, Alice; and several nieces and nephews.

His sister-in-law, Florence Wagoner, died before him.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m. at the A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home at 4898 Route 81 in Greenville. Calling hours will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Interment will be in the spring in the South Berne Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Westerlo Reformed Church, 566 Route 143, Westerlo, NY 12193. Messages for the Wagoner family may be left at www.ajcunninghamfh.com.

— Saranac Hale Spencer

[Return to Homepage]