April, the daughter of Daniel W. and Amy Joy (Lawton) Gorsch, was born May 27, 1980.

April was a very spiritual, loving and caring person. She loved all animals and dedicated her life to saving them and taking care of them. April would go out of her way to help anyone who had a pet in need of special care and attention. April nursed a fragile newborn puppy back to health and gave it to her mother. They named it Olive after April’s grandmother.

April enjoyed music. She was a great fan of the group "Phish" and went to their concerts whenever she could.

She is survived by her mother and her mother’s partner, Amy Joy Gorsch and Micah Sickler of Oneonta; and her father and stepmother, Daniel W. and Cheryl Gorsch of Goodyear Lake; her brother, Aaron Daniel Gorsch of Ithaca; stepbrother, Jeffrey Healey; and stepsisters, Sarah Healey of Goodyear Lake, and Sierra Sickler of Franklin; her grandparents, Marvin Gorsch of Oneonta and Sandra Olive Lawton of Oneonta; her aunts and uncles, Donna Gorsch of Raleigh, N.C., Terry Gorsch of Oneonta, Susan Gorsch of Oneonta, Stephen P. Lawton Jr. and his wife, Dolores, of Goodyear Lake, and Russell J. Lawton and his wife, Amy, of Oneonta; her best friend, Star Banner, and April’s "second mother," Helen Banner; several very close cousins and nephews; and many great-aunts and great-uncles; and a very close friend, Jody. She is also survived by Mya, a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, who was her soul mate and companion.

Her grandmother, Carolyn Gorsch; her grandfather, Stephen Philip Lawton; and her maternal great-grandparents, George and Esther M. Lawton; and great-grandparents, Stanley and Mildred "Gi-Gi" Burnside, were all devoted to her; and her very close friend, Amanda Wakin, predeceased her, along with her dog, Ruby.

A gathering to celebrate April’s life will be held in the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home, 14 Grand St., Oneonta, from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 4, 2006, with the family in attendance. The Rev. Eileen Cornwell will lead family and friends in a memorial service starting at 3 p.m.

Burial will be in the spring in the Oneonta Plains Cemetery.

Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Humane Society of your choice, or you may adopt a pet in April’s memory.

Arrangements are by the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home of Oneonta.

Helen was born in Sharon Hill, Pa., on Dec. 9, 1915, the daughter of the late Edward and Helen Taylor Hurley.

Helen first married the late W. Elbert Mehegan. She later married Albert F. Aste in June 1988.

Helen was a poultry farmer who sold eggs throughout the area.

She was a former member of Hamden Grange, St. John the Baptist Church, and the Altar Society of St. John’s.

Helen loved to cook and tend to her flower garden. But most of all, she loved her family.

She is survived by her husband, Albert F. Aste; one sister, Joan Mackey of Baldwin; daughter-in-law, Mary J. Mehegan of Walton; two granddaughters, Donna Garcia and Denise Mehegan; stepson, Robert Aste and his wife, Kathy, of Boonton, N.J.; three stepdaughters, Ann Hughes and her husband, Martin, Dorothy Bozzone and her husband, Richard, and Ellen Ritchie and her husband, Michael, all of Park Ridge, N.J.; a stepbrother, Michael Hurley of Pennsylvania; a sister-in-law, Arlene Anslow of Walton; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was predeceased by two sons, Ronald and William Mehegan.

Friends and relatives are invited to call from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 3, 2006, at the Clark, Winter & Courtney Funeral Home, 25 Townsend St., Walton.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 4, 2006, at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Benton Avenue, Walton, with the Rev. Michael Flannery officiating.

Burial will be in Walton Cemetery.

Memorial contributions in Helen’s memory may be made to the Walton Fire Department.

Condolences to the family may be made by visiting our website at www.courtneyfh.com.

Born on Jan. 19. 1921, in Rockland, Maine, she was the daughter of Eric Smith and Elizabeth Colburn Smith.

Mrs. Anderson attended Troy High School and graduated from Troy Business School. She had been an Ames area resident since 1946.

Mrs. Anderson was a mother and homemaker who also worked as a secretary for Beech-Nut Corp. for several years and for the Law Office of Brower and MacKenzie.

Helen was a member of the Canajoharie Reformed Church and the former Eastern Star Otsquago Chapter No. 297 OES of Fort Plain.

She enjoyed a 20-year position on the Arkell Hall Advisory Board and was a longtime member of the Fort Rensselaer D.A.R. She shared her love of flowers for many years with the Garden Club and her joy of singing with The Valley Choralaires.

Helen was married June 15, 1941, to Edwin F. Anderson in Troy, by her father, Major Eric Smith of the Salvation Army. Mr. Anderson passed away Jan. 13, 2003.

Survivors include three sons, Edwin Robert Anderson and his wife, Nelda, of Houston, Texas, Howard Warren Anderson and his wife, Deborah, of Cobleskill, and David Raymond Anderson of Canajoharie; two sisters, Ruth Schotter of New Jersey and Emily Pierce of Massachusetts; one brother, Robert William Smith of Troy; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

A 1 p.m. funeral service will be held Friday, March 3, 2006, at the Chapel of Houghtaling & Smith Funeral Home, Inc., 20 Otsego St., Canajoharie, with the Rev. Lisa VanderWal officiating.

The family will receive friends and relatives from noon to 1 p.m. before the service.

Burial will take place in Ames Cemetery in the spring.

Donations may be made to The Salvation Army, Empire State Division, 200 Twin Oaks Drive, Syracuse, NY 13206 or the Ames Volunteer Fire Department, 595 Latimer Hill Road, Canajoharie, NY 13317.

Jim was born in Watsontown, Pa., on April 21, 1915, the son of the late David and Amy Nicely Bly.

He was a graduate of Watsontown High School, class of 1933, Perkiomen Prep School, class of 1936, and United States Army Officer Training School, Brisbane, Australia.

He married the former Dorothy Hess on April 9, 1946, in Berwick, Pa.

He served as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army during World War II.

He served his internship as a funeral director at Fairchild & Sons Funeral Directors, Brooklyn. He owned Newitt-Bly Funeral Home, Bly Ageless Thought Memorials, and Newitt-Bly Ambulance Service, all of Little Falls, and Lankton, Townsend & Cronk Funeral Home, Utica.

Jim had many interests, always with the community’s interests forefront in his mind. He was past president of the Tri County Funeral Directors Assn., Little Falls Civic Club, and the Cooperstown Rotary Club. He was the former treasurer of the Friends of the Cooperstown Library, trustee of the First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown, member of the Steve Stefula Post VFW, Little Falls, Herkimer County Coroner, Second Ward Alderman, Little Falls Common Council. He was also, Codes Officer and Inspector, Village of Cooperstown; involved in Senior Citizens Meals, Cooperstown, and Senior Citizens Bridge, Cooperstown.

In all of Jim’s endeavors, he always showed compassion and professionalism with whom all he worked and mentored. He was a kind soul who always looked on the bright side of things. Jim will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Bly, Cooperstown; one daughter, Gwendolyn Boggs of Vancouver, Wash.; two sons, David Bly and his wife, Valerie, of Ormond Beach, Fla., and James T.H. Bly of South Daytona, Fla.; two grandchildren, Jennifer Beck and Erika Boggs; one great-granddaughter, Norah Beck; one nephew, Theron Royer; and several cousins.

He was predeceased by two sisters, Ruth Royer and Dorothy Bly.

A memorial service celebrating the life of Jim Bly will be held at the convenience of the family.

Memorial contributions in Jim’s memory may be made to Catskill Area Hospice, 1 Birchwood Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820.

Arrangements are under the direction of Clark, Winter & Courtney Funeral Home, Walton.

Condolences to the family may be made online by visiting our website at www.courtneyfh.com.

Gladys was born June 29. 1927, in the town of Butternuts, the daughter of Ellis Wood and Etta (Hackett) Tiffany.

She married Howard Curtis on Oct. 12, 1946. He predeceased her March 14, 1978. She married Bernard Maxon Wright on Sept. 17, 1977. He predeceased her Jan. 15, 1988.

Gladys is survived by her children, Myrtle and Carl Carpenter, New Berlin, Howard and Janice Curtis, Massachusetts, Jean and Peter Fuegman, Schoharie, Patricia and John O’Dell, Ilion, and William A. Curtis, Albany; 12 grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; her brothers and sisters, William Tiffany, McConnellsville, Raymond Tiffany, East Worcester, Shirley Tanner, Taberg, Betty Askill, Syracuse, and Margaret Bennet, South Otselic.

She was predeceased by two grandsons, Artie Lee Carpenter and Ronald Lee Ellsworth; and her brothers, Mason Tiffany, Louis Tiffany and Clarence Tiffany.

Gladys worked at Oneonta Dress of Oneonta, Barnum Brothers of Richfield Springs, Richards Dress of Oneonta and Norwich Shoes, Norwich.

She was active in the United Methodist Church of Morris; the Senior Citizens groups of Morris, New Berlin and Edmeston; and the New Berlin 60-plus. She was a member of the Louisville Grange; Pomona Grange; State Grange and National Grange, as well as the Pittsfield Fire Department Auxiliary.

Calling hours will be held 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday, March 2, 2006, at the Dakin Funeral Home LP, New Berlin.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 3, 2006, at the Dakin Funeral Home LP, New Berlin, with the Rev. Ann S. Blair, of the Morris United Methodist Church, officiating.

Interment will be in the Fairview Cemetery, New Berlin.

Born in Plymouth on June 6, 1933, June was the daughter of Clayton and Ida (Frink) Bates.

She started school in the German Hollow one-room schoolhouse, graduated Norwich High School in 1950, with a regents degree, and earned her secretarial degree at Ridley Lowell in Binghamton.

On Aug. 2, 1952, in the Broad Street United Methodist Church in Norwich, June married Norman L. Cooley.

She worked as a stenographer for Norwich Pharmacal Company until the birth of her first child, when she retired to devote herself full-time to her family, eventually becoming a full-time dairy farmer. Successful farmers for 50 years, June and Norman had a thriving dairy herd, improved their farm fields, and made a living from farming without outside income, all while raising their three happy and well-rounded daughters.

As a young woman, June was involved with the Chenango Home demonstrations, serving as Chairman for the Norwich Quarter Unit. As a young wife, she took cooking and baking classes from the Cooperative Extension. As a longtime 4-H leader, she taught her charges how to cook, bake and sew.

On the farm, June was a talented and thrifty business manager, making every penny stretch to the maximum. Her special farming talent was caring for the newborn calves, with only a handful of calf deaths in her 50 years of farming.

June was a tremendously talented writer who enjoyed making mini journals for her family. Those reading her words could see, taste, and smell the places she wrote about, experiencing life on the farm and in Chenango County.

A very devout woman, she taught Sunday school for many years and was involved in an adult Bible study group. She had also started an after-school religious class for elementary students.

June is survived by her husband of 53 years, Norman Cooley; by her daughters and sons-in-law, Louise and Alan Chen of Windermere, Fla., Ann and Neil Satterly of Guilderland, and Carol and Robert DeClue of South New Berlin; by brothers and sisters-in-law, Ted and Ella Bates of Plymouth and Dennis and Betty Bates of Norwich; by her grandsons, Michael and Jonathan Chen of Windermere, and Nicholas and Andrew Satterly of Guilderland; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was predeceased by her brother, George Bates.

Funeral services for June will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, March 3, 2006, at the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home, with the Rev. Mark Thall, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Brookfield, officiating.

Interment in the spring will be in Maplewood Cemetery in Mount Upton.

Friends are invited to call at the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to either the Norwich Fire Department or Norwich Emergency Squad, 31 East Main St., Norwich, NY 13815; or to the Plymouth United Methodist Church, PO Box 102, Plymouth, NY 13832.