Women of Chenango County
Women Of Chenango County
Twenty-one towns, twenty-one women who made history.
Generously Sponsored by the Roger Follett Foundation
Marie Moren
In the Fall of 2020, I took on this exhibit project that is an endeavor to elevate the stories of various Women of Chenango County who made an impact in greater history. These are twenty-one stories of women who have been left out of the historical narrative and this exhibit is meant to be a testament to the strength, fortitude, courage, and moxie of women from all over the county who proved that men were not the only ones who could make history or deserve to be in a history book. Being a woman of Chenango County myself, this exhibit has been a true passion project that has impacted my view of Chenango County History, and I hope that yours will be too. The ways in which we tell history have evolved, but history stays the same throughout; it’s just a matter of taking the time to uncover the stories of those who might have been forgotten.
Alida Cornelia Avery
Ethel L. Barrett
Catherine Evans Bickford
Suzanne Bloom
Eleanor Brown
Ella June Meade Cake
Mary Adeline Cook
Meta L. Cowles
Leah Drexler
Wilma Felton Gray
Sophie Karalunas
Sister Laurentia
Marjorie Barnett Stone Harrison
Gail Merian
Jane E. Hill
Orah Mae Preston
Ellen M. Putnam
Margaret M. Springer
Private Pauline Teelon
Private Sarah Rosetta “Lyons” Wakeman
Elaine Warren
Alida Cornelia Avery
Name Alida Cornelia Avery
Town Sherburne
Born June 11, 1833, to Hannah (Dixon) Avery and Deacon William Avery.
Early Life Avery had two sisters and five brothers. At the young age of 16, she began teaching at a local schoolhouse in Sherburne. Women began entering the medical profession in the second half of the 19th century. Some of them attended medical schools founded by and for women and Avery is one such example. Avery studied medicine for one year in 1958 at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and graduated from the New England Female Medical College in Boston in 1862.
Additional Highlights: After graduating, Alida went on to try and establish a private practice as a doctor in Brooklyn, NY. However, she had a “discouraging time” being able to obtain a medical office. Once she found one, she admitted, “I must own to a little dread of the publicity that involves. I am not quite callous to doing things that people sneer at and say hateful words about, but I shall not think of that if I have work.” In 1865, she was hired by Vassar College as its resident physician and as the Professor of Physiology and Hygiene. From 1866 until 1874, she was secretary of the faculty. She also organized the school’s Floral Society.
Avery then moved to Denver in 1874. She began practicing medicine and was the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Colorado. She was also among the first women who were admitted to the Denver Medical Society. In 1876, she was elected vice president of the Women’s Suffrage Association and she created the reform strategy in 1877 for Colorado suffragettes to win the right to vote. In 1887, Alida retired from working in Colorado and moved to California, though she established a medical office in San Francisco and she practiced medicine there for several years. After she retired, she continued being an avid activist for Women’s rights.
Legacy Alida Avery was a serious force to be reckoned with in her time. She set the example for many women who aspired to be doctors in the mid-19th century. She was also seen as a guiding force in Vassar’s early years and had a hall at Vassar College named after her in 1931. Her obituary in “The Sherburne News” of October 3, 1908, states that no student died during her tenure at Vassar. As an activist for women’s rights, she also made many waves in the medical community in relation to women’s health and wellness.
Died September 22, 1908. Alida Cornelia Avery is buried in Sherburne Quarter Cemetery, Sherburne, NY.
Ethel L. Barrett
Name Ethel L. Barrett
Town Pitcher
Born 1870 to Charles M. Barrett (a Civil War veteran of Chenango County’s own 114th regiment) and Melissa M. Barrett
Early Life Ethel most likely grew up on a homestead in Pitcher. Not much else is known about her early life.
Additional Highlights: Ethel L. Barrett graduated from Syracuse University, the Boston Conservatory of Music, and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She went on to pass the final test as a soprano soloist with the New York City Metropolitan Opera. However, she was called home to Pitcher by her mother’s illness. Upon her return, Ethel taught private vocal and piano lessons in the area, regularly hosting concerts in her hometown.
In 1899, she moved her singing school from South Pitcher 1899. On January 20, 1900, Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph reported that she began another singing school in Pitcher. Ethel returned to New York City and taught at the Newark State School and returned on a pension. She was a member of Cortland County Historical Society and was an avid collector of copper lusterware. Her family home was torn down in 1933, after which she moved to Cincinnatus, where she was music director for that school’s Commencement Exercises.
Legacy Ethel is one of the few women from Chenango County history that we are aware of who attended a large-scale university like the Boston Conservatory for music. Her legacy serves as a reminder for young girls around the county to follow their dreams and even when life gets in the way, keep doing what you love.
Died 1941. Ethel is buried in the Pitcher Congregational Church Cemetery.
Research Credit John Antonowicz and Marie Moren
Catherine Evans Bickford
Name Catherine Evans Bickford
Town Coventry
Born 1914
Early Life She married her husband James Bickford shortly after leaving school. Not much else is known about Catherine’s early life.
Additional Highlights: Catherine was well known throughout our local area in her time. She constantly worked to improve the community where she and her husband, James, resided. Catherine was actively involved in the Afton Central School PTA and the Coventry Grange on both a state and local level.
For many years, she was the sole proprietress of Cax’s Ceramics, giving classes at the little shop at her home, as well as making and selling her own creations. Both she and her husband, Jim enjoyed traveling throughout the United States in their camper. They were often found visiting relatives, taking pleasure in such places at the Grand Canyon, the Ozark Mountains, as well as their trek to Alaska with all its wonders.
Legacy She and a small group of town residents founded the Coventry Town Museum Association in 1976 in conjunction with the Coventry Bicentennial Celebration. Through their efforts, the schoolhouse in Coventryville was developed as the town museum, dedicated to the preservation of the history of the town. Catherine served as a Coventry town historian for several years, during which she published an updated version of Judd’s History of Coventry.
Died January 24, 2006.
Research Credit Marie Moren
Suzanne Bloom
Name Suzanne Bloom
Town McDonough
Born April 26, 1950
Early Life Born in Portland Oregon, Suzanne moved with her family East to New York City. Suzanne grew up in a very diverse environment, and this shows in her children’s novels. Suzanne had a love of art from a young age, and continued to work towards becoming an artist well into high school. She knew that she wanted to become a children’s author/illustrator from the time that she was in sixth grade. She attended the Cooper Union Art College, graduating in 1972.
Additional Highlights: Suzanne has lived in McDonough with her husband, Fred, and many cats for over forty years. She is a talented author and illustrator of children’s books as well as a papier-mache sculptor and a designer/creator of wooden toys. She worked for a time at Harper & Row as a paste-up artist. During her work experience, she and Fred founded “Copaesthetic Toys,” a unique line of wooden toys they sold at craft fairs. In the mid-1980s she began exploring her talents as an author, publishing her first children’s book in 1988.
About this time, the husband/wife duo scaled back toy production to pursue other interests. During this time, Suzanne wrote and illustrated several award-winning children’s books. She also has a passion for encouraging children’s appreciation of the arts and has been very active as a guest teacher at various schools. She has taught at Oxford Academy’s Saturday Schoolyard, Binghamton University’s Summer Campus, Oxford Library’s Power Writing: In the Poem Zone, and Independent Lake’s Summer Camp.
Legacy Suzanne is the author and illustrator of picture books featuring Goose and Bear: A splendid Friend, Indeed (A Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book); Treasure; and What About Bear? Her other books include No Place for a Pig, A Mighty Fine Time Machine, and the popular The Bus for Us. Suzanne visits local schools and libraries frequently and spreads inspiration for becoming an author/illustrator and following your dreams no matter what people say or think. With more books to publish and more children to teach, Suzanne is indeed a busy woman. She has a new book coming out soon called
Research Credit John Antonowicz and Marie Moren
Eleanor Brown
Name Eleanor Brown
Town Norwich
Born January 23, 1926
Early Life A lifelong resident of the Norwich area, Eleanor was a graduate of Norwich High School. She had one sister, Betty, with whom she was very close. Following her graduation, Eleanor attended the State University (SUNY) Morrisville and Syracuse University, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition. During this time, Eleanor worked as a clerk in the Norwich branch of the National Bank & Trust (NBT).
Upon completion of her studies at Syracuse, Eleanor worked as a dietitian for the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital of Cooperstown. In addition, she taught nutrition classes at SUNY Morrisville. One of her passions in life was nutrition and health, as shown by both her degree and teaching position at SUNY Morrisville throughout her career and until her retirement in 1988. This passion extended to her work as Executive Director of the Dairy Council of the Southern Tier of New York.
Additional Highlights: Eleanor worked hard to make sure that the Dairy Council was an equitable organization, catering to all in the community within reach. The Council made available health educational materials, booklets, films, charts, resource pieces, and current product information – all specifically tailored to meet the needs of lower-income families. In 1948, Eleanor became the first woman from Norwich to earn her Commercial Pilot’s License at the Warren E. Eaton Airport, after having earned her private pilot’s license two years prior. Flying was an important hobby and another passion of Eleanor’s. It was something she worked diligently at in order to earn her license.
Legacy Eleanor was a U.S. Navy Veteran and a member of several civic and professional organizations. She worked hard to make Chenango County a better place, and was an inspiration to many women in the community, both as a pilot and as an educator.
Died August 21, 1998. Eleanor is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Norwich, NY.
Research Credit Marie Moren
Ella June Meade Cake
Name Ella June Meade Cake
Town Afton
Born June 4, 1851
Early Life Mrs. Cake (formerly Ella June Meade) was born to Smith Mead and Beulah Aplington Snell Mead and had two older sisters and three older brothers. Ella’s father, Smith Mead, died when she was about eight years old. Ella attended primary and secondary school near Afton as she was growing up being raised by her mother and older siblings and eventually attended the Hartwick Theological and Classical Seminary in 1869. She then moved on to attend the Hudson River Institute and Claverack College in 1870 and became a teacher shortly afterward and moved to Louisiana where she met her soon-to-be husband and stage partner.
Additional Highlights: Shortly after Ella became a teacher she married Luther B. Cake on October 24, 1882. Lu was a famous author and also Ella’s partner on the stage when Meade decided to become an elocutionist and impressionist. They traveled around the United States in the 1870-80 era. She performed in several states across the United States including Iowa, Illinois, New York State, and many others. It is said that her voice is absolutely remarkable, having a range of three octaves and she was a very talented actress. She could take on the role of all different sorts of people and still be completely believable. After Lu died, Ella retired from the stage and made a home for herself back in Afton. Ella lived a very long time and she’s last listed in the 1930 census as a widow and appeared to be living in the Binghamton State Hospital when she died of apoplexy.
Legacy Ella is an example for us here in Chenango County that you can dream big and achieve your goals even if you come from a small town and are a woman who lives in a society that discourages women from doing so. Ella was an incredibly successful performer and her legacy lives on brightly here in Chenango County.
Died March 12, 1931.
Research Credit Marie Moren
Mary Adeline Cook
Name Mary Adeline Cook (Crescimanno Tomasi Di Capodarso, Baronetta di Torreja)
Town Plymouth
Born 1870
Early Life Born in Norwich to Walter Cook and Adele Eastmann Bradford Cook. One of her ancestors was Gov. William Bradford of the Plymouth colony, Mass, in 1620. Adeline dedicated much of her life to her brother George E. Cook, the noted painter and the cultivation of their home of Thornbrook Hall, until his death in 1929. Mary Adeline was lovingly known as “Addie” to her family and her friends and the nickname stuck and followed her through the rest of her life.
Additional Highlights: Addie traveled many places and she was a noted concert singer and had her talents recognized on two continents. She studied at the Accademia di Canto, the theatre of Scala Di Milano in Italy, and was well known for her singing the “Serenata” by Toselli and in The Last Rose of Summer by Toasti and Madame Butterfly, by Puccini. She appeared at numerous musicals in the homes of friends both in the United States and abroad and was well known in Norwich, Utica, Binghamton, and New York City for her work as a church soloist.
Addie won many compliments on her voice in newspapers and musical journals. She spent several years in Milan where she was a pupil of Sabatini and Forni. While studying in Italy in 1926 she and her brother George were presented by Queen Marie of Romania and Duchess of Armella, dame of the Royal Court of Italy, to the Barone Dr. Vittorio E. Crescimanno, son of Don Guglielmo Crescimanno Tomasi, Monseigneur of Bubudello, Marchese of Adonla, writer and professor emeritus. In 1951, Addie and Vittorio, the noted poet, librettist and writer, were married in Palermo. Addie and her husband shared a great love and appreciation of the arts.
Legacy Addie derived a great deal of pleasure during the summers entertaining at Thornbrook Hall, her family home, which is located in Plymouth, NY. She also entertained and held an open house, where Emily Conger Costerelli visited America, in the interest of establishing better relations with the European Nations through an exchange of culture and art.
Died June 16, 1964. Addie is buried in West Hill Cemetery, Sherburne, NY.
Meta L. Cowles
Name Meta L. Cowles
Town Greene
Born 1858
Early Life Meta was the fourth child of Edward G. and Emily (Atwater) Cowles. Meta’s father was a successful farmer and horse trainer in Greene. Her siblings were Arthur, William, and Cora. As a young child growing up in Greene, Meta was inquisitive and an excellent student. In high school, she was described as being quiet and unostentatious in demeanor. She graduated from “The Lady’s Academy” in Binghamton with high honors. At the age of eighteen Meta had an unfortunate accident, where she fell on the ice and injured her spine. During the weeks of her recuperation, she borrowed lawbooks from Marshall F. Porter, a lawyer in Greene, whose office was above the Juliand bank.
Additional Highlights: Meta Cowles was truly a woman of many talents and passion. Once she was able to walk again, Meta became a clerk in Porter’s office, where she continued her study of law. In November 1892, she was the first woman to seek admission to the bar from this judicial district. She was one of seven applicants, the other six were males. She passed her examinations at Syracuse with flying colors and was admitted to practice in the United States District and Circuit Courts by Judge Coze, being the first woman practitioner in the United States court in this judicial district. Meta was described as being of medium stature, with large expressive gray eyes and jet-black hair.
Legacy She appeared as the attorney in a case at the court in Delhi, N.Y. It was the first time a woman who was a lawyer ever argued a case in that city. She succeeded in carrying her motion. She was also appointed the town clerk of Greene during her time as a lawyer working in the community. She was also one of the women in Chenango County who actively supported the right to vote for women. Meta was also perhaps the first female in the state of New York to hold an appointive office, as a town clerk in the Village of Greene.
Died Meta died on July 4, 1935 at the home of her sister Mrs. Cora Welch in Cortland, at the age of 77. Cause of death was a tumor on the brain.
Research Credit Marie Moren
Leah Drexler
Name Leah Drexler
Town Smyrna
Born January 11, 1924.
Early Life Leah was the oldest daughter of Gertrude Howard and Edwin P. Smith. She grew up on the family farm at the south edge of the Village of Sherburne. She graduated from the Sherburne Central School in 1941, St. Faith’s Preparatory School in 1942, and Cornell University in 1945.
Additional Highlights: On January 12, 1946, she married Henry P. Drexler. A year later they moved to Smyrna where they operated a large dairy farm known as Sandy Acres, until 1977. From 1957 to 1969 Mrs. Drexler was the School Lunch Manager for the Sherburne-Earlville School District. In July of 1969, she began a new career working for the Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Chenango County, first as the Home Economics Program Leader and then as County Coordinator from 1978, until her retirement in 1980. She was the first woman to hold the later position, following in the footsteps of her father who had been the first Chenango County Extension Agent.
During her tenure at Cooperative Extension, she helped establish several programs that continue to benefit people of all ages throughout Chenango County. In 1975 Leah became the first woman appointed to the Board of Directors of NBT Bank, NA. She was the first Chairperson of the Chenango Housing Improvement Program, Inc. and served on its board for many years. She was a member of the Chenango Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the American Legion Auxiliary, the BOCES Child Care Advisory Committee, the Chenango County Inter-Agency Council, and a lifetime member of the Chenango County Historical Society. Mrs. Drexler was also an avid bridge player, enjoyed camping, traveling, bowling, bingo, and an occasional round of golf. When she was younger, she also enjoyed boating and horseback riding.
Legacy Leah encouraged her children and grandchildren, and others around her to work hard and pursue their dreams wherever that might take them, as long as they were happy. Her siblings describe her as the first among equals because she usually led the way.
Died May 24, 2010, in Syracuse, NY. Leah is buried in the Sherburne West Hill Cemetery, Chenango County, NY.
Research Credit Henry Drexler
Wilma Felton Gray
Name Wilma Felton Gray
Town Guilford
Born January 11, 1947
Early Life She was born in South Otselic to Wilson Emery and Hazel (Coler) Bates Lewis. She resided in several locations of Chenango and Courtland Counties.
Additional Highlights: Wilma worked many years in manufacturing. She was employed at the Huntington Street plant and South Cortland plant of Smith Corona and, in later years of her career, was employed in manufacturing engineering at Simmonds Precision, now owned by GE.
Additional Highlights: After the company downsized, Wilma returned to school and obtained degrees in Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality Management. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration-Public Management with a minor in Sociology from the Utica School of Technology. After graduation, she was employed by the SUNY Morrisville, Norwich Campus as an administrative assistant. She then went on to establish a position as tourism director for Chenango County in 1998. She had served on the Chenango County Tourism Advisory Committee for 3 years. As tourism coordinator/director, Ms. Felton (a widow at the time) launched the first comprehensive tourism program for Chenango County. The county’s first travel guide was produced and published as a result. Wilma worked with county, regional, and state officials in various areas related to promoting tourism to Chenango County.
Wilma procured the help and donation of a local internet server to establish the first Chenango County web-site (chenangocounty.org) to promote international tourism. In 1999, Wilma Felton met Thomas Gray, Guilford Town Historian. In the spring of 2000 they were married at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Bainbridge. Wilma and Tom became members of several organizations, one of which was the Chenango Land Trust. They researched many aspects of the history of Guilford including people and places. This research led to themed hiking tours, including: Coffin Man, Guilford Historical Remains, Grace Brown: A Field Trip, the Spirits of Yaleville, and Ghost & Spirits of Pitcher Springs. The tours were courses managed through DCMO BOCES adult educational programs in affiliation with the Chenango Land Trust.
Legacy After retirement, she focused on building the Guilford Historical Society (GHS) into one of the largest in the county. She and Tom recruited most of the 250 original members. Wilma was Vice President of GHS for 8 years and head of membership. Wilma developed the obituary collection for each of the twenty-two cemeteries in Guilford. She assisted a committee in the town. Along with that collection, she assisted others with family research and added family photos to the GHS archives.
As a result of being involved with several organizations, Wilma became a promotional administrator. She was hired as a Feature Writer for the Tri-Town News in Sidney for many years and a Correspondent for the Evening Sun in Norwich. Her marketing and graphic design skills allowed her to effectively promote several Town of Guilford events, as well as all GHS programs. As a result of her love for the town and the positive portrayal of the community, she was proclaimed Citizen of the Year in 2005.
Died July 7, 2017. She is buried at Sunset Hill Cemetery, Guilford, NY.
Research Credit Marie Moren
Sophie Karalunas
Name Sophie Karalunas
Town New Berlin
Born 1906
Early Life Born Sophie Yuska in New Britain, Connecticut, to Lithuanian parents, Sophie was a firecracker from the time she was a young girl. She attended grade school, but like most women of the time, was ferreted out of high school and moved to Brooklyn, NY where she met her husband John. She married him when she was just fifteen years old. During the early years of their marriage, they struggled financially as John was a trolley worker and Sophie found it hard to find work.
Eventually, they bought a house that they renovated to be a three-family apartment building. They saved their earnings until they could open up a confectionery shop in Brooklyn, where Sophie learned the ways of ice cream and candy. Unfortunately, the store was sold to make room for a new school, and John went back to being a trolley worker while Sophie went to work in an underwear factory. They fell into financial distress, and John’s health was declining. This prompted the couple of move out of New York City to New Berlin. They purchased a farm and began working in agriculture.
Additional Highlights: Sophie was elected mayor of the village of New Berlin in 1951 and was the only woman mayor in New York State at that time. She is also one of the only women who has served as a mayor in the town of New Berlin. Sophie ran as the Citizen’s Party candidate, serving two terms in office. After her mayoral service, Sophie worked as a real estate broker in the area and helped her husband manage several other businesses. Mr. and Mrs. Karalunas’ entrepreneurial operations included: John’s Bowl-O-Drome, John’s Variety Store, the Eagle Inn, and a chicken and farm business in the town of Columbus. Sophie was a member of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, the Altar Rosary Society, the American Legion Auxiliary of New Berlin, and the New Berlin Fireman’s Auxiliary.
Legacy Sophie was instrumental in establishing several businesses and organizations in New Berling that exist to this day, and was a true testament to the notion of “hard work gets you places.” She left behind the legacy for other women in the community to follow in her footsteps, and she smashed the glass ceiling for women politicians in New York State when she beat her male opponent – not just once, but twice – in a mayoral race.
Died 1971. Sophie is buried in Saint Andrews Cemetery, New Berlin, NY.
Research Credit Marie Moren
Sister Laurentia
Name Sister Laurentia
Town Columbus
Born Bridget Kelly, October 28, 1847
Early Life Sister Laurentia was born in Rullytown, County Westmeade, Ireland and lived there until her father moved their family to the United States in May, 1850. The family traveled from Liverpool, England to the United States on a boat, and voyaged across the ocean for seven weeks. They finally reached Ellis Island, and from there took a train to Utica and then a stage coach to Sherburne. They settled in Sherburne for a time. Laurentia’s father had been working as a farmhand in Smyrna as he had traveled ahead of his family to save money for their new life.
They moved to Columbus shortly afterward and Laurentia started attending school. Around this time, Laurentia and her sister received their first Catholic Holy Communion and were confirmed into the church. Years after this, the family suffered through the black diphtheria pandemic that raged through Chenango County, and Laurentia was one of the only children left. After this, Laurentia took on the main responsibility for raising the children and began teaching them about religion. At the age of 28, Laurentia decided to enter the convent and devote her life to God’s work. She entered the Community of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s at Troy on August 15, 1872 and joined the convent in Glens Falls shortly after.
Additional Highlights: Sister Laurentia had great compassion for people and began giving them her counsel and prayers. Many people in her community sought her help. There was a woman who had been childless for years, and when Sister Laurentia prayed for her, the child came. The baby was named after Laurentia. She was also a cook and housekeeper at the convent and ran the kitchen with a firm hand. She also helped establish convents in both Syracuse and Saratoga.
Legacy Sister Laurentia devoted 62 years of her life to the convent. She was one who evaluated everything and was always a very religious person. She sought solace in prayers constantly and was always seeking new ways to help her community. In spite of her family suffering through great tragedy, Laurentia found the strength to carry on and became one of the most prominent nuns in Chenango County.
Died March 27, 1934. Sister Laurentia’s body is located in Glens Falls, enclosed in a stone casket above the ground, a traditional symbol attributed to sainthood.
Marjorie Barnett Stone Harrison
Name: Marjorie Barnett Stone Harrison
Town: Smithville
Born: April 21, 1899, born to Herman S. Barnett and Ella M. Baker.
Early Life: Harrison grew up in the famous Baker House in Smithville Flats, which was a greek revival home, and is currently vacant, but still standing. Living on her family farm prepared her much for later life. She worked very hard at school, aiming to be a nurse or doctor later in life, and eventually attended the early version of Binghamton University Nursing School. Harrison graduated from the nursing school at Binghamton General Hospital around 1921.
Additional Highlights: Harrison became an accredited midwife shortly after graduating from nursing school and established the Smithville Flats Hospital, which primarily operated as a birthing center. During her residency there she delivered some 250 babies between 1929 and 1951, on top of running the operations of the hospital. Harrison also developed an early form of the baby incubator, which was a crucial prototype used to develop future incubators. Made out of wood, the device was heated with soapstones or electricity. A family was allowed to take the incubator home for the infant and return it when the emergency was finished. The hospital that Harrison ran is still standing in Smithville Flats on Water Street. She was also a member of the New York Nurses Association.
Legacy: Marjorie Stone Harrison was a crucial figure in Smithville Flats history, and left behind the legacy of how to run a proper birthing hospital. The building of the hospital is still standing, and the last baby who was born in the hospital, Gary Huttleston, now owns it and currently lives there.
Died: June 13, 1971. Harrison is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery, in Smithville Flats.
Research Credit: Marie Moren
Gail Merian
Name Gail Merian
Town North Norwich
Born Alfred and Winifred (Knapp) Merian in Suffern, NY.
Early Life Gail grew up in New City, NY which is in Rockland County. Her life-long interests in collecting rocks, Native American dolls, coins & stamps, archaeology, history & genealogy, photography, travel, and scrapbooking began in childhood. Her grandmother gave her a rock collecting identification kit and was a keeper of family lore and memorabilia. Gail and her father shared a love of westerns which sparked her interest in Native Americans. Gail’s first camera came as a gift from her mother which started Gail’s interest in photography and later helped document her travels and collections.
Additional Highlights: Gail had one brother, a twin, Alfred (Jay) Gaylord Merian. They were the first twins in both the Merian and Knapp families. Gail holds degrees in Industrial Labor Technology (Biology) from Rockland Community College (AAS) in 1968 and SUNY Binghamton (BS) in 1979. She earned an MA from Empire State College in Environmental and Occupational Health Issues in 1992. She also earned a diploma from Ridley Lowell School of Business (Travel) in 1985. After earning her various degrees, Gail moved to Norwich, NY for a position at Norwich Pharmacal Company where she worked as an HT, HTL ASCP Certified Histology Technician and as a Microbiology Quality Control Technician for 30 years. Gail also worked at Guernsey Memorial Library in the Local History Room from 2002-2012.
Gail also served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1980-2002. She began her career in the military in the 98th Division stationed in Norwich, NY. She served as the first female in the Norwich Military Reserve unit stationed in Norwich, NY. Gail has traveled extensively, visiting all 50 states and at least 25 countries. She has a passion for hiking and is #265 on the official roster of those who have completed the 580-mile long Finger Lakes Trail. Gail has continued expanding her knowledge in archaeology and geology by participating in courses, organized digs, surveys, and club memberships. She reads extensively in all genres but loves history and biographies. Those interests led her to author several articles that have been published in the Bulletin of the Chenango Chapter of the New York State Archaeology Association and the Journal of the Chenango County Historical Society.
Legacy Gail has always been comfortable in her roles as a volunteer or member of organizations on the local and state levels. However, she also has recognized the need to “step up” to leadership roles when necessary in order for organizations to continue their missions.
Research Credit Andrea Gerberg and Marie Moren
Jane E. Hill
Name Jane E. Hill
Town Otselic
Born December 3, 1829 to Reuben and Sally Parker
Early Life Her parents were pioneers of Otselic, settling on the farm long known as the Parker Homestead. Jane married Harmon Hill on January 6, 1847. They had two children and five grandchildren.
Additional Highlights: Jane was employed in a sanitarium at Dansville, N.Y. shortly after marrying her husband, and there became proficient as a nurse, using simple herbal remedies, pioneering the way for her to become one of Chenango County’s first female doctors. Her tremendous abilities to care for the sick of Otselic grew her a positive regional reputation, and her services were in great demand. It is said that oftentimes she was called as a last resort – after a patient had been pronounced beyond help – and “she would toss the remaining pillboxes and vials out the window.” It was then through her careful and skillful treatment she could often nurse the patient back to health.
Legacy Jane helped set the precedent for more women to become doctors and physicians in Chenango County, inspiring many to research holistic medicines as remedies for illnesses. She also paved the way for further medical research into women’s medicine.
Died April 27, 1913. Jane is buried in South Otselic Cemetery.
Research Credit Patricia Rose and Marie Moren
Photo loaned with permission from the private collection of Henry Drexler
Orah Mae Preston
Name Orah Mae Preston
Town Pharsalia
Born September 1, 1898 in McDonough, NY.
Early Life As a child, Orah attended a one-room schoolhouse on the McDonough/East Pharsalia town line. After studying at SUNY Oneonta, she began teaching in 1920, leading a one-room schoolhouse in Pharsalia Hook. Five years later, Orah married Orton Newton. The two of them owned and operated the “Balsam View Dairy Farms,” which had been in Orton’s family for over a century, where they produced a variety of dairy products, including cheese. This farm has been in the Newtown family – and part of Chenango County – for over 200 years. “Balsam View Dairy Farms” is currently owned and operated by Orton and Orah’s grandson, Brian Newton.
Additional Highlights: Taking a break from education, Orah served as Pharsalia Town Clerk during the 1940s. In 1951, she was appointed School Director. At the age of fifty-seven, when many may have been looking toward retirement, Orah began working for Bells Laboratories. From 1955 to 1958, Orah was granted a restricted telephone operator permit and was responsible for operating three radio transmitters. The work done by Bells Laboratories during this time helped advance our country’s collective knowledge concerning microwave radio frequencies. According to the late Senator Tom Libous, Orah’s work yielded significant contributions toward advancing national defense and national security.
Her work for Bells Laboratories was in addition to her homemaking duties, farming responsibilities, and her church and community service. Orah married Orton Newton on July 8, 1925. Together they raised a son, Harold, and a daughter, Evelyn. Orah enjoyed playing the piano and was an active member of her community, helping raise money for various charities. She was a member of the Pharsalia branch of the Women’s Society of Christian Services, serving for a time as chapter president. In 1966, she underwent surgery for a brain tumor that required a comatose recovery which lasted several weeks.
Legacy Vocationally, Orah’s accomplishments included contributions to agriculture, education, municipal government, and technology. As an active member of her community, she demonstrated kindness and compassion. Known as “Grandma Newton” in her later years, her outgoing personality, strong work ethic, and commitment community endured throughout her life.
Died March 19, 1990. Orah Mae Preston Newton is buried in Wayside Rest Cemetery in Pharsalia, NY.
Ellen M. Putnam
Name Ellen M. Putnam
Town Oxford
Born October 28, 1845
Early Life Ellen M. Putnam is not a person you think of when you talk or write about Oxford’s history. After all, she wasn’t even born in Oxford; not that that really matters. Ellen M. Rose was born to John and Mary Clark Rose in Buffalo, NY. Not much else is known about Ellen’s early life besides the fact that she became a teacher in the Buffalo school districts after graduating from high school.
Additional Highlights: After Ellen became a teacher in the Buffalo schools, she served for over twenty years in that capacity. She spent an additional sixteen years as a superintendent of the Buffalo schools before resigning to accept a new position as superintendent in Oxford, but not in the Oxford school district. During her time spent in Buffalo and while the Civil War was raging, Ellen volunteered with other women seeing to the needs of the wounded soldiers. After the war, Ellen helped form the Woman’s Relief Corps, an auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic (G. A. R.). Her work in that effort was not an easy one as the G. A. R. did not accept the woman’s auxiliary until 1884, nineteen years after the war was over.
In 1869, Ellen married Frank Putnam. Ellen continued her work with the W. R. C. and by 1891 became the first president of the corps organized in Buffalo. She was a woman of statewide and even national reputation having been president of the Woman’s Relief Corps of the Department of New York in 1891-2, vice-president of the State organization, chairman of the State Executive committee for two years and member of the Executive Board of National and State Patriotic Teachers and State Counselor for two years. She was the only woman ever appointed on the staff of a Department Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic having been commissioned as an Aide-de-Camp on the staff of Commander John C. Shotts on September 29, 1894; an honor of which she was very proud.
Legacy Ellen’s legacy in Chenango County is a very clear one. She was the main player in the establishment of the Veteran’s Home in Oxford, NY, which anyone in Chenango County will tell you is a building they are very familiar with. In 1894, the first board of managers, consisting of six women and three men, was appointed to help New York State build a home for the soldiers and Mrs. Putnam was appointed as president. Ellen and Frank left Buffalo and moved to Oxford where she assumed the duties of Superintendent of the Woman’s Relief Corps Home. It was called the Woman’s Relief Corps Home because it would not have been built had it not been for the efforts of the New York State branch of that organization.
Died December 28, 1903, in the Veteran’s Home that she herself established.
Research Credit Vicky House
Margaret M. Springer
Name Margaret M. Springer
Town Lincklaen
Born October 10, 1925
Early Life Margaret was born in Bernhard’s Bay, NY to Orrie and Sarah Kissner Woolridge. Shortly after she was born her family moved to Lincklaen, NY.
Additional Highlights: Margaret was a longtime resident of the Lincklaen area. She was a member of the DeRuyter United Church and a member of the DeRuyter Chapter #416 O.E.S. She worked for many years at the KeyBank in DeRuyter as a bank teller. She also was a key member of the DeRuyter Historical Society. She was also one of the first women to work on the Town of Lincklaen Election Board.
Died February 9, 2010. Margaret is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, DeRuyter, NY.
Research Credit Marie Moren
Private Pauline Teelon
Name Private Pauline Teelon
Town Preston
Born October 4, 1914
Early Life Pauline was the second of six children born to Harry John Teelon, and Gertrude Elizabeth Smith Teelon. As a toddler she was nicknamed Patty Cake because she loved that game, and the name followed her throughout her life, until most people only knew her at “Pat.” She grew up on the family farm, and as a young woman she loved to dance. She often attended square dances in Oneonta, where she once danced with Mel, father of American country music singer and songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker.
Additional Highlights: Pauline enlisted into the Women’s Army Corps of NY on May 16, 1944, following two of her brothers (Glenn and Lynn) into the service of their country. From November of 1944 until July 1, 1946, when the hospital closed, she served as a surgical technician at Newton D. Baker General Hospital in Martinsburg, WV. Upon arrival at the hospital, the WACs were offered lodging in drafty barracks with only a wood stove for heat, right next door to German POWs. The commanding officer did not approve of women in the military and did not want them in his hospital, but he had no choice.
After working with these dedicated nurses for six months, he apologized to them for the shabby treatment, and moved them to barracks inside the hospital. Henceforth, he did everything in his power to see that they were comfortable and well-treated. Pauline worked on Ward 105, the hand plastic surgery ward. After her sixth month of service, she was appointed as Ward Master. Some of her patients were flown in four days after battle, having only received first aid treatment at a field hospital. Pat loved bluegrass and Irish music, doing puzzles of all sorts, and researching her family history. In later years, she spent many happy hours at bluegrass festivals throughout the northeast.
Legacy At the time of her discharge from the Army, she had attained the rank of Tech 4, Sergeant. In 1952, she married Ernest Andrew Cosnes, and they had one daughter, Nancy Anne.
Died April 12, 1990. She is buried in Maplewood Cemetery, Mount Upton, NY.
Research Credit Nancy Cosens Searfoss
Private Sarah Rosetta “Lyons” Wakeman
Name Private Sarah Rosetta “Lyons” Wakeman
Town Bainbridge
Born January 16, 1843
Early Life Wakeman was born on January 16, 1843 in Bainbridge, New York, the eldest of nine children in a poor farming family. Not much is known about Wakeman’s life, until August of 1862, when she decided to leave home disguised as a man. The reasons for this drastic decision can be guessed at – she had no prospects of marriage, her father was in debt, and her small earnings as a “domestic” would not have been much help to the family.
Additional Highlights: Sarah Rosetta Wakeman was one of hundreds of women who disguised themselves as men to fight in the Civil War. Unlike most of the women, however, the letters that Wakeman wrote home were preserved by her family and later published. They give a unique picture of what it was like to undertake and maintain such a masquerade. Adopting a male disguise, Wakeman signed on as a boatman doing manual labor on a coal barge traveling on the Chenango Canal.
Shortly after making her first trip, she encountered Civil Wa recruiters from the 153rd New York Infantry Regiment and she enlisted under the name of Lyons Wakeman. According to the letters that Wakeman wrote home, she liked being a soldier up until she became sick with different battlefield diseases. She felt a sense of duty, strength, and significance on the battlefield and in the war camp that she had not felt during other times in her life.
Legacy During her tenure as a soldier, her true identity was never discovered, not even when she visited male friends in other regiments who knew her from home, or even when she was hospitalized with dysentery. When she died, she was buried as a soldier, and eventually, letters detailing her experience fighting in the Civil War that she sent home on a regular basis were found and preserved. It wasn’t until then that the military ever knew she was a woman.
Died June 19, 1864 in New Orleans. Wakeman is buried in Chalmette National Cemetery, Louisiana, under the name Private Lyons Wakeman.
Research Credit Marie Moren
Elaine Warren
Name Elaine Warren
Town German
Born April 18, 1931, born to Steven Fred and Blanche Smith Brewer.
Early Life Elaine attended school in McDonough until the school merged with Cincinnatus Central School. She graduated from Cincinnatus school in 1950. In 1950, Elaine married Ivan Warren. They went on to have seven children.
Additional Highlights: Elaine was the proud owner and operator of “Back Home Crafts and More” (one of the first women in Chenango County who owned and operated her own business), with endless hours devoted to creating items to sell. Elaine had an adventurous spirit. Over the years she spent many hours enjoying outdoor activities, from riding motorcycles, plowing fields, gardening, hunting, fishing, berry picking, and everything in between.
Legacy Elaine had a modern impact on her community through the opening of her craft store and advocating for other local businesses in the community.
Died August 19, 2010. Elaine is buried in Westview Cemetery, German NY.
Research Credit Patricia Rose and Marie Moren
