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CAZENOVIA REPUBLICAN, JUNE 5 , 2 0 1 3
Obituaries
Les Hendrix, 71
Morris Weeden
Raised in Cazenovia
Former Cazenovia resident
Les Hendrix, a wayfaring
newsman who became a sage­
ly fixture in his adopted and
beloved Schoharie County,
died Monday, May 13, 2013,
at Bassett Medical Center in
Cooperstown after a long,
valiant battle with cancer. He
was 71
Lester Elmer Hendrix Jr
was born Dec 20, 1941, the
son of Lester and L. Roberta
(Loyster) Hendrix. He was
raised in Cazenovia. He was
a graduate of the Pennington
School in New Jersey and
earned a bachelor's degree
in English from Syracuse
University. He was honorably
discharged after serving in the
United States Air Force, with
duty during the Berlin Wall
crisis in the early 1960s
He was a journalist for
32 years, including work in
Wilmington, Del., Coxsackie,
N Y, and Albany, during his
first decade For 22 years
thereafter, he was a reporter
for the Schenectady
Daily
Gazette in Schoharie County,
retiring in 1997 He then
pursued a second career in
government, first as Schoha­
rie County personnel officer
from 1997-99 and then as
administrative officer of the
New York State Ethics Com-
Les Hendrix
mission, retiring in 2004.
He married the former
Anne Whitbeck on July 16,
1988, a partnership that cata­
lyzed an interest in history
and a vocational career as a
small-press publisher, histori­
cal writer and community ac­
tivist (At the time of his death,
Les was village historian of
Schoharie and deputy to Anne
in her role as town of Schoha­
rie historian ) Together, they
produced the "Sloughters'
Instant History of Schoharie
County" for the Schoharie
County Historical Society in
1987 and 1988 They revised
it into two more editions in
the 1990s, and electronically
published a fourth edition
earlier this year.
Les was editor of the
Schoharie County Historical
Review for five years, and
edited Edward A. Hagan's
and Mark Sullivan's biogra­
phy of William Bouck, New
York State's governor from
1843-44, the only one from
Schoharie County. The book
was one o f several publica­
tions published by Lester's
Tryon Press, an enterprise
he maintained until Tropical
Storm Irene's floods m 2011.
In his "retirement," Les also
completed most of the work
for a master's degree in history
and writing at Empire State
College, until 2012, when his
illness made academic work
too demanding
Before Irene, Lester was
among the citizens of the
region who recognized the
perils of living in the midst of
Schoharie Valley's infrastruc­
ture When deficiencies in the
Gilboa Dam came to public at tention in 2004, he was "one of
the principal agitators" and a
founder and the first president
of Dam Concerned Citizens
Inc, a watchdog group that
would play a major role in ef­
forts to make the region safer.
Lester was honored with the
2006 Cobleskill Times-Journal
"Star" award for his efforts in
raising awareness.
At the time of his death,
Les was the webmaster of
SchohaneHistory.com, and
had just started work on a new
project, Schoharie, the Story
of Us, a community personal-
Brendan's
You would climb the highest mountain
To board down the steepest hill.
The skate ramps that you took flight from
No others had the will.
Baseball diamonds were too small to contain your fleeting feet
Crowds never anticipated a mite of a boy would raise them to their feet.
A ball of black and white bounced upon head and toe
The goalie didn't stand a chance when your foot would let one go.
Grade school turned to High School and Lacrosse became the game.
So true was your devotion that Xbox lost it's flame, leaving time to
swing a wood and iron carrying on the Englert name.
A Cardinal sent messenger to knock upon your door
Summoned you were to join a four year tour.
Three rode upon your back as you fed the ball in-play
The second highest scorer the coach did say.
An All-American boy becoming a great man
One could never know where God would lay his hand.
Nice and Easy misses you and Turning Stone will too
Taco Bell should name a burrito after you.
Now the fields that you play upon are far above the sun
Angels fill the stands to cheer the goals that you have won.
Each time the thunder rolls above and heavens rains begin to fall
We will think of you running with a stick and a ball.
When the rainbow forms a bridge binding earth to sky
We will take it as a sign that you are passing by.
The full moon will draw another season to an end
Passing time will give broken hearts time to mend.
When the wishing star burns bright through the darkness of night
It's the twinkle of your eyes shining ever bright.
We will miss you Brendan Englert and love you ever more
Someday upon the wings of angels, together we shall soar.
Pat and Halli Wadsworth
history project. He was also
was working on expanding a
2012 history of the town and
village o f Schoharie, a region
that had lost quite a bit of
historical material in Irene's
waters.
Les is survived by his
wife, Anne, of Schoharie; a
son, Lester (Kate) Hendrix
III of Wilmington, Del.; a
daughter, Kathryn Hendrix,
of Wilmington; a stepdaugh­
ter, Tatiana Boba of Middleburgh; a stepson Giancarlo
(Jackie) Boba of Atlanta,
Ga.; a brother, James (Linda)
Hendrix of Fairport, a sister
Barbara (George) Watson of
Griffin, Ga , six grandchil­
dren, Amanda, Desiree, Brian,
Nicholas, Declan and Liam;
four step-grandchildren, Er­
ich, Alec, Pamela and Rosa,
and numerous nieces and
nephews. He was predeceased
by a sister, Martha (Art) Wil­
liams of Chittenango.
Memorial service 1 p m
on Monday, May 20, at Palmer
8c Shaylor Funeral Home, 134
River St., Middleburgh, with
Rev. Jared VanWagenen IV
officiating. Inurnment with
military honors followed in
Old Stone Fort Cemetery,
Schoharie. Calling hours were
at the funeral home.
Donations can be made
to Dam Concerned Citizens,
PO Box 310 Middleburgh,
NY or Schoharie Free Library,
PO Box 519 Schoharie NY
12157.
Muriel C.
Stevens, 73
Former crossing
guard
Muriel C. (Bobbie) Ste­
vens, 73, of Cazenovia,
died Sunday, May26,2013,
at her home. Bobbie retired
from the Cazenovia Cen­
tral School where she was
a custodian. After retire­
ment, she worked for over
30 years for the Cazenovia
Police Department as a
crossing guard She is pre­
deceased by her husband,
William in2003. Surviving
are her children, Donna
L. Eberst of Fayetteville
and William D. Stevens
of Cazenovia; her broth­
ers, Ronald Harrington of
Phoenix and Thomas Har­
rington of Baldwinsville;
five grandchildren. Fu­
neral services were held on
Friday, May 31, at the Tait
Funeral Home, Inc. 2333
Fenner Road Cazenovia.
Burial was in Evergreen
Cemetery. Calling hours
were held from 4-6 p.m.
Thursday, May 30, at the
funeral home. To send
an online condolence,
visit taitfuneralhome com.
Contributions may be
made to the Multiple Scle­
rosis Foundation.
M o r n s "Mike" Skiff
Weeden died Friday, May
24, 2013.
A retired executive and
philanthropist, Mike was
born Dec. 25, 1919, in Syra­
cuse to Dr. Walter L. Weeden
and Emma Loomis Skiff
Weeden He received a bach­
elor's degree from Syracuse
University in 1941, where he
was a member of Psi Upsilon
Fraternity, played trumpet in
the marching band and rowed
for the Syracuse Crew team.
Mike received a M a s ­
ter of Business Administra­
tion degree from Harvard
Graduate School of Business
Administration in 1943. He
retired from U.S. Army with
the rank of captain following
service from 1943 to 1946
While stationed at Camp
Lee, Va, he met his future
wife, Jane (Senter) Weeden.
He proposed to her m the
Governor's Palace gardens in
Colonial Williamsburg. They
were married in October of
1944.
Following WWII, Jane and
Mike moved to Cazenovia,
where Mike worked for Bris­
tol Laboatones Division o f
Bristol Myers Company. He
served as president, respon­
sible for production, market­
ing, research, administration
and finance from 1968 to
1972. During this time he was
president and director of Syr­
acuse Better Business Bureau,
and president of Syracuse
Chamber of Commerce.
He received the Syracuse
Award for Distinguished
service, in 1967, was presi­
dent and director of Syracuse
Y M C A , president of the
Onondaga County National
Alliance of Businessmen,
president and trustee of Com­
munity General Hospital and
Syracuse General Hospital,
president of the National
Alumni Association of Syra­
cuse University, was on the
board of directors of the
Syracuse Sympony Orchestra,
director of the United Fund of
Syracuse, director of ManhusPebble Hill School and senior
warden, vestryman, St. Peter's
Church, Cazenovia. He was
an avid and competitive sail­
or, earning frequent victories
while in New York He contin­
ued to enjoy sailing on Lake
Michigan through 2012
Mike moved to Lake For­
est, 111., in 1973 with a position
as president of Norwich In­
ternational. He orchestrated
the merger which formed
Morton Thiokol Corporation.
His responsibilities included
strategic planning, corporate
development, acquisitions
and investor relations. He
served as vice chairman o f
Morton Thiokol from 1980
to 1984.
He served on the board
of directors o f multiple com­
panies, including Morton
Thiokol, Healthdyne, Xytronyx, Agri-Shield and Lincoln
National Bank and Trust. He
was a director of the Terra
Foundation for American Art
and a member of the Anti­
quarian Society and Sustain­
ing Fellows of the Art Institute
of Chicago and trustee, Lake
Forest Library
He was member of the
Society of Fellows Syracuse
University, a longtime mem­
ber of the board of trustees
of Syracuse University and
endowed a chair at SU. Mike
was a warden of Church of
the Holy Spirit, Lake Forest.
He was awarded the Bishop's
Award in 2010 for his service
to the church. Born on Christ­
mas Day, he manifested fife
long the spirit and grace o f
Christmas.
Mike loved the church,
sailing, tennis, dogs, road
trips in a fine car, a good
glass of wine, pot roast and,
foremost, his family. He has
a great sense of humor and
never complained.
Morris was preceded in
death by his wife of 69 years,
Jane Weeden. He is survived
by their children, Charles Skiff
Weeden, Anna Nicholson
Weeden, Jane Weeden Hall
and Robert Rush Weeden,
and his four grandchildren,
Jamie Nicholson Hall, Lowell
Skiff Hall, Caroline Anne
Weeden and Allison Jane
Weeden.
The life of Morris Skiff
Weeden was celebrated at 2
p.m. Wednesday, May 29, at
the Church of the Holy Spirit
in Lake Forest.
Donations m memory of
Morris Skiff Weeden may be
made to the Church of the
Holy Spirit.
Ayer & Zimmer
Funeral Home, Inc.
Continuing a Tradition o f
Dedicated Community Service
Did you know
That any prearranged or prepaid funerals may be
transferred to another funeral home at any time?
Call us if you have any questions.
Geoffrey F. Zimmer, Director
Lori L. Garris, Director
Tel: (315) 655-8101