Thursday, May 31, 2018
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Drum and Henry Fishing Derby Sunday, June 3rd
The 64th Drum and Henry Fishing Derby will be held this year again at the Rod and Gun Club on June 3rd from 1 PM to 4PM. This is for youth 14 and under.
Refreshments and prizes will be given out to each child. Each child will be allowed 3 fish and no catch and release will be permitted.
For more information call Bari Poorman at 814-486-9435.
Rotary News
Ken Ostrum, President of the Emporium Senior Center, was the guest speaker at the Rotary luncheon meeting May 30th. Ken spoke of the history and various locations of the Center from 1968 to present day. Breakfast, along with lunch is served 5 days a week for a minimal donation and approximately 25-30 people attending regularly. Crafts and bingo are some of the many activities going on at the Center. Currently, the Center is working with the Cameron County Commissioners to obtain a grant to purchase another location on Fourth Street.
Betty M. Clingan
Betty M. Clingan, 94, a resident of Cameron County since 1946, died Monday, May 28, 2018 in the Guy and Mary Felt Manor Emporium.
Born September 28, 1923 in Harrisburg, she was the daughter of the late Walter and Katheryn Drake Fries. On April 5, 1946 in Loyalsock she married Walter A. “Stubby” Clingan who died July 2, 2006.
She was a 1941 graduate of Montoursville High School and was a Laurel Festival contestant. After coming to Emporium she was a longtime resident of CCC Memorial Highway in Cameron before moving to Guy & Mary Felt Assisted Living and eventually the Manor.
Beginning in 1944 in Montoursville and later in Emporium she was employed by GTE Sylvania as a secretary and in the units department before retiring in 1982.
Mrs. Clingan was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Emporium, and was a member and Past Worthy Matron of the Order of Eastern Star Emporium Chapter #101. She was a member of Sylvania’s Quarter Century Club and was very active with the Girl Scouts. Betty liked golfing, bowling, playing bridge, and spending time with family. She was a former member of the Emporium Country Club, its Tuesday and Thursday Ladies Golf Leagues, the Ladies Auxiliary Thursday Bridge Club, and was a longtime member of a local weekly bridge club.
Survivors include: three sons, Joseph (Connie) Clingan and Wally (Greenie) Clingan of Emporium, and Alan (Theresa) Clingan of North Augusta, SC; three daughters: Ginny (Dan) Gray of Warren and Susan (Ron) Smith and Sharon (Glenn) Lynn of North Augusta; one sister, Elnora Zurich of Williamsport; fifteen grandchildren; twenty-one great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by an infant daughter, Tara Ann Clingan, a sister, Arlene Worthington, and a niece, Terry.
A visitation with video tribute will be held in the First United Methodist Church on Saturday, June 2, 2018 from 10-11 a.m. at which time Funeral and Committal Services will follow with the Rev. Joseph Short, pastor, officiating.
Memorials, if desired, may be made to a charity of the donors choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Coppersmith-Condon Funeral Home, Emporium.
Monday, May 28, 2018
Cappy's Clothes Building Changes Ownership
There are some changes coming to Main Street in Emporium. Good changes too!
I'm happy to share news for the town of Emporium , news for all of of us in Cameron County and the surrounding area.
Sara Nolan had this to share on FB and with her permission, we are sharing it to you. The former Cappy's Clothes has changed ownership and is now in the hands of Emporium resident Sarah Nolan.
Sarah relocated to Emporium after serving 20 years of active duty in the Marine Corps. She retired as a First Sergeant out of Camp Lejeune, NC in 2015. Her friend, the late Sergant Major Todd Parisi, also retired out of NC, suggested she move to the beautiful town of Emporium. She is almost finished remodeling her home on 5th street and recently purchased the Cappy's Clothes building on Main Street, Emporium. This will be her next renovation project and serve as her art studio during the process. Sarah ended our conversation saying " This is the best place on the map, with the kindest people in the world. I’m blessed to be here.'
Sarah, we wish you the best of luck with your new endeavor!
Sarah, we wish you the best of luck with your new endeavor!
M. Ream recent Law School Graduate
Mitchell John Ream graduated Friday, May 18th, from Villanova Univeristy's School of Law.
He was published in the University's Environmental Law Journal and later served as the Executive Editor of the Environmental Law Journal. Mitch graduated from the University of WVa in 2015 with a degree in Economics.
He was awarded a full scholarship to Villanova School of Law.
He has been hired by the Law Firm of Lippes, Mathias,Wexler,Friedman, located in Buffalo NY, specializing in Banking, Finance and Commercial Real estate.
Mitch is the son of Jeff and Teresa (Goodson) Ream of Emporium.
Memorial Day 2018
Thinking of all servicemen and women today, and honoring all of those that gave the
ultimate sacrifice.
My Uncle Nick Malizia, killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge. WWII
Friday, May 25, 2018
Community Health Screening
Penn Highlands Elk is holding a Community Health Screening in conjunction with the Emporium Rotary on June 9. We previously were experiencing technical difficulties with the phone number used for registration, but the issue has been resolved. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 1-800-370-9640.
Click the photo for details!
2018 Pork and Cork Fundraiser
Glasses for the 2018 Pork and Cork Fundraiser are in and ready to be filled.
Purchase of a glass will enter you in a drawing for a chance to win $100, $200 or $300.
Tickets for the June 16 event are available from myself or any Sylvan Heritage Council member. Tickets purchased before May 30 will include a Pork and Cork tee shirt.
We thank Seneca Resources for their support in purchasing the glasses.
Fish For Free
Fish-for-Free Days allow anyone (resident or non-resident) to legally fish on Pennsylvania waterways on the designated days with NO FISHING LICENSE REQUIRED (Trout/Salmon and Lake Erie permits are also NOT required). All other fishing regulations still apply.
May 27, 2018 & Wednesday, July 4, 2018 (Independence Day)
May 27, 2018 & Wednesday, July 4, 2018 (Independence Day)
Fish-for-Free Days are great ways for families to “catch” the fun of fishing! Be sure to #ShareYourFishingStory with us on our Timeline!
Visit our website for more details: http://www.fishandboat.com/Fish/FishingRegulations
Rotary News
Rotarian, Shawn Bidwell, and CCHS Track Coach, was the guest speaker at the Rotary luncheon meeting May 22nd. Joining him, was Kamme Guisto, a junior at CCHS and member of the track team. Shawn has been a coach since 2008 and very proud of his talented group of athletes. This year there were 37 team members 16 boys and 13 girls. Shawn mentioned all the athletes and their stats. Kamme, along with other track and field athletes competed in the District 9 Class AA Championships recently and Kamme will be competing in the state championships in Shippensburg. She holds the school record for the Girl’s Long Jump at 16’2” and Triple Jump at 35’ 7”.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
“Story of the Sinnamahone”
Reprint “Story of the Sinnamahone” - Seventy six years have passed since George William Huntley Jr. wrote the “Story of the Sinnamahone” in 1936.
The book was written to record the unwritten history of the old white pine days on the Sinnamahoning from 1865-1885, when white pine lumbering was at its best. Over one hundred fifty people were interviewed ranging from the age of 70-95.
It is their testimony of what they ascertain from memory about famous locals such as noted pioneer lumbermen; John Brooks, George Huntley Andrew Kaul and Karl Walker Sterling Run Mayo & Russell Bros. Cameron, J. S. Wiley, Four Mile, Russell Bros George Huntley and Miles Dent only man to put in spars on the Bennetts Branch- Includes: amazing death defying lumbering methods of the time and how these SUPERMAN of the woods lived.
Six years ago we did a reprint and the book sold out. Since then we have had endless requests to offer it up again with pre-orders already underway. The book is softbound with all 568 pages including numerous photos of that period of time. The book includes a "index referencing all the surnames” most of local families who have descendants that still reside here today, for the price of $35.
You can obtain one by sending us a donation for $35 to the “Cameron County Historical Society," P O Box 433, Emporium, Pa. 15834. Please include your full address and phone number with your order. Don’t miss this opportunity final acceptance date of orders is the end of June. Delivery date from publisher should be mid July.
It’s a “Great Gift” for all history buffs plus a treasure to pass on to your family. We are committed to a minimum quantity so don’t miss out on your chance get it now.
We will ship anywhere in the US for an additional $5 per book.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Citizens & Northern Bank Photo Contest
Citizens & Northern Bank is now accepting photos for the 2019 Calendar Contest
Enter for a chance to have your photo featured in the 2019 calendar contest and receive up to $300 in cash by capturing scenic photos of our market area.
Click on this link for more details!
Twisted Sisters New Food Menu
Monday starts our new food menu! Every day is a special or you can pick from chicken salad or tuna salad sandwiches! All specials/sandwiches comes with your choice of a soup or a side! Delivery available Monday through Friday to factories and businesses - 814-486-0402
Basket Weaving Class June 23
Cameron County Chamber of Commerce & Artisan Center teaming up with Catherine Snyder from Coudersport to offer a basket making class next month. Students will construct a 12 inch round basket using a weaving technique with a decorative trim at the top and wood base.
The six hour class will be held Saturday June 23 at the artisan center in Emporium. Students are encouraged to bring lunch or purchase from a local restaurant. The fee is $39 and the class is limited to eight students. Registration is accepted at the artisan center in person, online at Eventbrite or Facebook or by phone at 814-486-4314.
National Trails Day
The weather has turned a corner and it is time to enjoy the PA Wilds. On Saturday June 2 outdoor enthusiasts will be hiking trails celebrating National Trails Day.
Cameron County Chamber of Commerce again organizing a hike for that day. Nelson Haas will lead individuals on a trek to see the longest beaver ponds in Cameron County. Haas describes the 3 miles as a “trip back 100 years”. The trail is flat but one half of it is called “over country” by Haas. The area in May Hollow offers bird watchers the opportunity to see numerous species.
The free event begins at the Cameron County Chamber of Commerce office at 10am. Participants should pack a lunch and wear appropriate clothing.
Historical Scavenger Hunt
Historical Scavenger Hunt
Times flying by and you don't want to forget to sign up for The Cameron County Historical Society "Historical Scavenger Hunt."
Most of the hunt you'll be looking for answers to the 20 witty questions about historical places for you to discover and take pictures.
This hunt is designed so that very little walking would be necessary just grab your camera or cell phone w/camera and get ready to snap some historical photos.
ALL participants will receive one FREE membership from the Society for a year. Three lucky winners will receive monetary prizes and a historical deck of cards.
All participants must register at the Cameron County Chamber of Commerce by May 31, no exceptions! At this time you will receive the hunt guidelines and details so you can begin your hunt. The hunt will last for the entire month of June.
Clues will be revealed weekly starting the first week of June. The clues will be available at the Chamber of Commerce for participants to pick up and will be advertised through the local news media.
Come on everyone it's time to learn some of your county's history and have fun with your family and friends while doing it.
Monday, May 21, 2018
CCHS Pool Opens June 4th
Announcing a few changes at the CCHS school pool this year.
Tickets will go on sale May 15th at the high school office.
Opening day is June 4, 2018
A new diving board will be in place and there are new hours of operation.
601 Woodland Ave.
Emporium, Pennsylvania 15834
Roatary News
Local college basketball celebrity, Nate Sestina, was the guest speaker at the Rotary luncheon meeting May 15th. Nate spoke of his basketball career at Bucknell University and how he juggles basketball workouts and schedule while concentrating on Bucknell’s rigorous academics.
Nate is very thankful for all the opportunities he has had and the incredible family and local support. His goal is to play professionally, but if not, plans to pursue a career in Geography. In August, Nate will be playing basketball in Europe. Also pictured is Nate’s Great Uncle, Rotarian Bari Poorman.
Cameron County Food Pantry
Cameron County Food Pantry
The Cameron County Food Pantry will hold a distribution for people
determined eligible on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00
p.m. in the building located behind the Northern Tier Community Action
offices at 135 West Fourth Street in Emporium.
Call 486-1161, ext. 269, with any questions.
Equipment Rentals at Sinnemahoning St. Park
Kicking off Friday, May 25 at noon, the same folks we love and trust from Country Squirrel Outfitters in Ridgway will be opening an Outpost right here at Sinnemahoning; offering canoe, kayak, paddle board, and bicycle rentals out of the Wildlife Visitor Center. They will also be operating a store supplying your basic gear and retail needs.
Regular operating hours: Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day; 9AM – 5PM daily.
(Closed May 30 & 31)
Give us a call at the park office with any questions as they get settled in.
(814) 647-8401
Country Squirrel Outfitters is looking for a part time, seasonal employee to join our team for our new shop at Sinnemahoning State Park! Interested, or know someone that might be?
Please share our post!
You can contact us for more information via Facebook, or email, countrysquirreloutfitters@hotmail.com.
Friday, May 18, 2018
CC Treasure Hunt, County Wide Yard Sales
Cameron County Yard Sales May 19 from 8 am - 3 pm
List of yard sale addresses Address List of Yard Sales
Map of yard sales Map of yard sales
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Emporium Fire Victims Benefit Concert
Emporium Fire Victims Benefit Concert
COME AND JOIN US FOR A CONCERT OF VARIOUS MUSIC BY LOCAL MUSICIANS
A free will offering will be taken. All proceeds will benefit the recent fire victims.
Refreshments will be served.
Friday, May 18 from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Cameron County Christian Center/Country Blessings
240 E 4th St,
Emporium, Pennsylvania 15834
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Storm Damage in nearby St Marys
High winds downed power lines on the way into St Marys this afternoon. This business near Marlos restaurant also suffered wind damage.
Photos courtesy of Bri Peters.
Grounds damaged at Emporium Country Club
A severe thunderstorm and strong winds knocked out power to many Cameron County residents this afternoon. Businesses & gas stations closed.
The Emporium Country Club suffered damage around hole #2. Below are some photos courtesy of Barb Grimone.
A tourist in my own town.
This photo doesn't capture how pretty the main street of Emporium is. This is my view driving into Emporium.
I'm always taking photos wherever I go. Over the years my kids have endured many snapshots, riding around the county taking photos, you name it. But this year on Mothers Day, my daughter said it best, "Mom, your a tourist in your own town" I loved it!
Monday, May 14, 2018
Long Beards of NWTF Chapter Hunting Heritage Banquet
Cameron County Long Beards of NWTF Chapter Hunting Heritage Banquet Saturday, 5/19/18 at Emporium VFW.
You can pre-register and purchase a meal ticket for $25.00.
Bring a youth we have sponsors that will pay for the youth meals and JAKES membership.
All youth present will receive prizes. But you must pre-register!!!
This is a great family event.
Additional raffle tickets are also available at extra cost.
Doors open at 4:30PM and tickets are limited, so don’t wait.
To reserve your tickets register on line https://events.nwtf.org/381550-2018/tickets?type=7558
Call Ryan Magaro at 814 486 2471 or ryanmagaro@hotmail.com
SHC's Pork & Cork Fundraiser
We are excited to announce The Sylvan Heritage Council's annual Pork & Cork Fundraiser will be held at the Andrews Farm June 16th, 2018 from 5pm-9pm.
Tickets are now available.Tickets will be limited so plan to get your tickets early!
Deadline to order a t shirt is May 30.
The purchase of a ticket includes, a delicious catered dinner, a large assortment of drinks, live band, a Pork & Cork tee shirt, local home brewers , home made wine, raffles, cash prizes, 50/50 .....all that for only $30!
Last year's event was a HUGE success and a great time was had by all.
Tickets are available from any SHC members. Michelle Clark, Dick Lewis, Cindy Ramsey, Reuben Solveson, Chrissy Slusarick, Karen Jiang, Jessica Herzing, Lori Reed and Dave Greene.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Bette Kephart Cowley
ALTAMONT — A spirited woman who loved — her husband, her children, her home, her flowers, her village — with passion, Bette Cowley remained independent and vibrant until her death on Sunday, May 6, 2018. She died in the home she loved. She was 91.
“A friend said she was like Annie Oakley, shooting from the hip,” said her daughter, Kathleen Cowley. “She had a lot of spirit. She had her own style … She wasn’t wearing leisure suits like everyone else in the 1970s. Dad made jewelry just for her.”
Mrs. Cowley was born in Sizerville, Pennsylvania on Sept. 4, 1926 to William Kephart and Bessie Eileen (née Clark) Kephart, one of seven children. She had one sister and five brothers.
“Her father did anything he could to get through the Depression,” said Kathleen Cowley. “He worked in a coal mine and hunted deer so his family could eat … My grandfather was a super hunter.”
Bette Cowley’s mother was a homemaker and ran a guest house for hunters.
Ms. Cowley said of Bette and her siblings, “They had no shoes in the summer, and they would walk the railroad tracks to pick up coal.”
Her grandmother, Ms. Cowley said, would come across rattlesnakes when walking in the mountains up the hill to pasture land. She’d kill the snakes and preserve their rattles to amuse her babies.
“My mom hunted rattlesnakes,” said Ed Cowley, Bette’s oldest son. “She was as fearless as she was frugal. A child of the Depression she used to gather spilled coal along the railroad tracks to help heat the house. Though poor, the family roots went back to two folks that came over on the Mayflower.”
Bette Cowley graduated from high school in Youngstown, New York where her family had moved. She worked at an ice-cream and soda stand there. She was a petite and beautiful young woman. “One night, 15 guys showed up to walk her home,” said Kathleen Cowley.
After high school, during World War II, Mrs. Cowley worked at a prisoner-of-war camp, doing inventory, her daughter said.
She moved to New York City to study acting and worked as a model. “That’s where she met my dad,” said Ms. Cowley.
Ed Cowley had returned from fighting in World War II — he was a decorated infantryman who had served under General George Patton in some of the war’s worst European battles — and had come to New York City.
Bette Cowley had, just after her husband died in 2014 at the age of 89, told the story of how they’d met. Mr. Cowley had knocked on the door of a Greenwich Village apartment he had been told by an Army buddy belonged to an artist, Jimmy Andrews, but the apartment had been sublet.
“Eddy knocked at the door of this little apartment and there I was,” said Mrs. Cowley. That was in December 1948.
“We had our first date on New Year’s at the Beaux Arts Ball in the Village,” she recalled. “We were married three months later.” The Cowleys married at City Hall.
One of the reasons the marriage lasted for over 65 years, Bette Cowley said, was, “We had fun.”
On that first New Year’s date, the couple had noticed discarded Christmas trees along the sidewalk. “We hadn’t had Christmas together so we brought one of the trees back to my little apartment and propped it up,” Mrs. Cowley said. “We had a party. People kept coming. We dated all night — we had drinks and food — and all the next day until two or three the following night … .”
“They were true partners,” said Kathleen Cowley of her parents. “Dad would come home from work and discuss the day’s events … Mom wasn’t submissive. She was his confidante.”
After Ed Cowley was hired by the University at Albany — he headed the art department and oversaw its move to the uptown campus — the Cowleys settled in Altamont, on a shoulder of the Helderberg escarpment just above the village.
They designed and built their house themselves. The inside of every room was graced with Mr. Cowley’s art. And, looking out the windows, Mrs. Cowley’s artistry was visible in the form of gardens she created.
“A passionate gardener, Bette transformed pitiful clay and rock conditions at the house into beautiful perennial gardens,” said her son, Ed Cowley. “She was the plant historian able to recall when and where they came from, including those smuggled into the country from Ireland and elsewhere. Bette drew the landscape designs for the Guilderland High School and for many years wrote a Sunday Times Union gardening column. She edited always my father’s writings with positive effects.”
Mr. Cowley’s studio was dominated with a house he built of stained glass. One of the walls of the house is filled with all sorts of blooming flowers, and was dedicated to his wife. That wall is in more subtle hues than the walls on either side. “Mostly, hers whispers,” Mr. Cowley had said.
Mrs. Cowley created bouquets of wildflowers for weddings. “She catered to people that didn’t want their flowers to look too arranged,” said Kathleen Cowley. “She’d travel to get cuttings for new plants. It was her passion,” she said of her mother’s gardening.
Even in her later years, after she lost her eyesight to macular degeneration, Mrs. Cowley continued to garden. “She hid her blindness for five years,” said her daughter. “She had things counted out; she knew where things were.”
“She was a great mom,” said Kathleen Cowley.
Her brother, Paul, agreed, saying, “She was the best mother a son could have.”
“We had great meals,” her daughter went on. “She cooked everything from scratch. We ate as a family every night,” she said of herself, her sister, and their three brothers.
“Never ‘Elizabeth,’ Bette was amazing in the kitchen,” said her son, Ed Cowley. “She was a tough restaurant customer. Always critical, why pay money to ‘eat out’ when dinner was always better at home.”
Mrs. Cowley cooked for gatherings beyond the family’s. “For many years, she cooked dinner for the entire Altamont Horseshoe League,” said Ed Cowley. “Rave reviews!”
“I was about 16 when our families connected,” said Gavin Warner. “We were all crazy about Bette. She was a fantastic cook. She made phenomenal meatballs, chili, potato soup.”
Mr. Warner also said of the Cowleys, “They taught us how to party … Altamont parties were staid. Everything was looser at the Cowleys. They were artists and they had the most interesting people there.”
“My brothers and Gavin and Sam Bell would sing bluegrass, sitting around the fireplace,” said Kathleen Cowley, recalling some of the parties.
The Cowleys held a “slab party” after they had poured the concrete on which they would build their house. A good harvest called for a cucumber festival. The couple became renowned for their outdoor art parties when Mr. Cowley hung his paintings from trees on their property.
“They were ready to celebrate anything. There was no such thing as ordinary,” said Mr. Warner of the Cowleys’ world view. “If you thought something was ordinary, you weren’t looking at it hard enough.”
The Cowleys could focus their energies on serious matters, too. They were central to shaping Altamont as it exists today.
“Bette and Ed collaborated on all their projects,” said Ed Cowley. “They were a true love team for over 60 years. My Dad’s interest for Altamont’s architecture went up an additional level when they received a joint award for restoring a house on Maple Avenue.
“Village politics were difficult after the D&H Railroad discontinued passenger service making the train station ‘obsolete.’ Few folks now remember the Altamont Planning Association. Years ago, they saved the train station. Decades later, other generations stepped up and completed the million-dollar restoration. Bette Cowley was a large part of that early effort.”
After the village board in 1962 didn’t have majority support for buying the historic train station in the center of Altamont — the Delaware & Hudson Railroad was no longer using it — the Cowleys joined with other citizens in forming the Altamont Planning Association.
Association members, which also included Gavin Warner’s late father, who had been mayor, sold bonds and spent their own money to buy the station for $5,000 and set about renovating it.
“Bette was the driving force behind that,” said Mr. Warner of the association’s work. “She had an innate aesthetic sense.” The saved train station has since become the permanent home of the Altamont Free Library.
The Cowleys activism spread beyond the village to world affairs. They traveled to the nation’s capital to protest the Vietnam War. “She was proud of all the peace moratoriums she went to,” said Kathleen Cowley. “Part of the beauty of that couple was how they talked about hard things,” said Mr. Warner.
At the end of her husband’s life, as he suffered from Alzheimer’s, Mrs. Cowley, despite her own blindness, resolved that he would stay in their home. “She was absolutely determined. She promised him she wouldn’t put him in a nursing home,” said Kathleen Cowley. “She sacrificed a lot to have Dad home.”
Her body, like his, has been donated to Albany Medical Center. “She said Dad was an educator all his life and their bodies should be used for that,” said Kathleen Cowley.
Through tears, she went on, “She said she was ready to go. She had a great life.”
“Bette cherished all her children,” said Ed Cowley. “And when older, as adults, she was always there for them especially in times of financial difficulty. The greater the need, the greater were her efforts and generosity. We are all going to miss her.”
Bette Cowley is survived by her two sons, Edward Paul Cowley III and his wife, Karen Cowley, of Altamont; and Paul Edward Cowley, of White Oak, Georgia and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and his children, Billy, Kevin, and Cierra Cowley; and her two daughters, Kathleen Cowley, of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts and her children Louis Hall and his wife, Amandine, and their children Finnegan Edward, Elliot Rey, and Felix William, Brian Patrick Hall, Emily Reich, and William Reich; and Doris Jalbert and her husband, Dave, from Coventry, Rhode Island and children Alexandra Sherer, Samantha Smith and her husband, Greg, and their son Elliot, and Jameson Sherer and his wife, Rebecca, who are expecting twin girls, and Kara Jalbert and Cory Jalbert.
She is also survived by her 97-year-old sister, Mary Gersch of Spring Valley, California and her four daughters, Paula Darland and her stepdaughter, Jocelyn Darland; Hedy Haun her son derreck Hancock and his two twin daughters and her daughter Samantha Shelton; Leona Purczynski and her daughter, Kerrie Ann Gaeir, and her son and daughter and her son Jesse Purczynski and his son; Teresa Gersch and her daughter Holly Rios and her three sons, and her stepchildren, Shane, John, and Connie.
She is survived, too, by her 89-year-old bother, Stanley Kephart of Tillamook Oregon and his four sons, Bill and his son, Danny, and his six children, the late Jim Kephart’s two sons, Tim and his son and daughter; and Sherry and her one daughter and two sons; the late Chuck Kephart’s children Glenna Lindemann and her son and two daughters, Charlene Kells and her daughter and son, Chuck Jr. and his twin daughters, Donna Tavaris and her son and Tracy Kephart and her son; Don Kephart’s children Donna Kephart McCammon and her daughter Rachel, Debbie Smith her son and daughter.
Bette Cowley’s husband, Edward Paul Cowley Jr., died before her, as did their son, Billy; her parents, William Kephart and Bessie Eileen Clark Kephart; and her brothers, Chuck, Fran, Howard, and Don. ( of Emporium )
“A friend said she was like Annie Oakley, shooting from the hip,” said her daughter, Kathleen Cowley. “She had a lot of spirit. She had her own style … She wasn’t wearing leisure suits like everyone else in the 1970s. Dad made jewelry just for her.”
Mrs. Cowley was born in Sizerville, Pennsylvania on Sept. 4, 1926 to William Kephart and Bessie Eileen (née Clark) Kephart, one of seven children. She had one sister and five brothers.
“Her father did anything he could to get through the Depression,” said Kathleen Cowley. “He worked in a coal mine and hunted deer so his family could eat … My grandfather was a super hunter.”
Bette Cowley’s mother was a homemaker and ran a guest house for hunters.
Ms. Cowley said of Bette and her siblings, “They had no shoes in the summer, and they would walk the railroad tracks to pick up coal.”
Her grandmother, Ms. Cowley said, would come across rattlesnakes when walking in the mountains up the hill to pasture land. She’d kill the snakes and preserve their rattles to amuse her babies.
“My mom hunted rattlesnakes,” said Ed Cowley, Bette’s oldest son. “She was as fearless as she was frugal. A child of the Depression she used to gather spilled coal along the railroad tracks to help heat the house. Though poor, the family roots went back to two folks that came over on the Mayflower.”
Bette Cowley graduated from high school in Youngstown, New York where her family had moved. She worked at an ice-cream and soda stand there. She was a petite and beautiful young woman. “One night, 15 guys showed up to walk her home,” said Kathleen Cowley.
After high school, during World War II, Mrs. Cowley worked at a prisoner-of-war camp, doing inventory, her daughter said.
She moved to New York City to study acting and worked as a model. “That’s where she met my dad,” said Ms. Cowley.
Ed Cowley had returned from fighting in World War II — he was a decorated infantryman who had served under General George Patton in some of the war’s worst European battles — and had come to New York City.
Bette Cowley had, just after her husband died in 2014 at the age of 89, told the story of how they’d met. Mr. Cowley had knocked on the door of a Greenwich Village apartment he had been told by an Army buddy belonged to an artist, Jimmy Andrews, but the apartment had been sublet.
“Eddy knocked at the door of this little apartment and there I was,” said Mrs. Cowley. That was in December 1948.
“We had our first date on New Year’s at the Beaux Arts Ball in the Village,” she recalled. “We were married three months later.” The Cowleys married at City Hall.
One of the reasons the marriage lasted for over 65 years, Bette Cowley said, was, “We had fun.”
On that first New Year’s date, the couple had noticed discarded Christmas trees along the sidewalk. “We hadn’t had Christmas together so we brought one of the trees back to my little apartment and propped it up,” Mrs. Cowley said. “We had a party. People kept coming. We dated all night — we had drinks and food — and all the next day until two or three the following night … .”
“They were true partners,” said Kathleen Cowley of her parents. “Dad would come home from work and discuss the day’s events … Mom wasn’t submissive. She was his confidante.”
After Ed Cowley was hired by the University at Albany — he headed the art department and oversaw its move to the uptown campus — the Cowleys settled in Altamont, on a shoulder of the Helderberg escarpment just above the village.
They designed and built their house themselves. The inside of every room was graced with Mr. Cowley’s art. And, looking out the windows, Mrs. Cowley’s artistry was visible in the form of gardens she created.
“A passionate gardener, Bette transformed pitiful clay and rock conditions at the house into beautiful perennial gardens,” said her son, Ed Cowley. “She was the plant historian able to recall when and where they came from, including those smuggled into the country from Ireland and elsewhere. Bette drew the landscape designs for the Guilderland High School and for many years wrote a Sunday Times Union gardening column. She edited always my father’s writings with positive effects.”
Mr. Cowley’s studio was dominated with a house he built of stained glass. One of the walls of the house is filled with all sorts of blooming flowers, and was dedicated to his wife. That wall is in more subtle hues than the walls on either side. “Mostly, hers whispers,” Mr. Cowley had said.
Mrs. Cowley created bouquets of wildflowers for weddings. “She catered to people that didn’t want their flowers to look too arranged,” said Kathleen Cowley. “She’d travel to get cuttings for new plants. It was her passion,” she said of her mother’s gardening.
Even in her later years, after she lost her eyesight to macular degeneration, Mrs. Cowley continued to garden. “She hid her blindness for five years,” said her daughter. “She had things counted out; she knew where things were.”
“She was a great mom,” said Kathleen Cowley.
Her brother, Paul, agreed, saying, “She was the best mother a son could have.”
“We had great meals,” her daughter went on. “She cooked everything from scratch. We ate as a family every night,” she said of herself, her sister, and their three brothers.
“Never ‘Elizabeth,’ Bette was amazing in the kitchen,” said her son, Ed Cowley. “She was a tough restaurant customer. Always critical, why pay money to ‘eat out’ when dinner was always better at home.”
Mrs. Cowley cooked for gatherings beyond the family’s. “For many years, she cooked dinner for the entire Altamont Horseshoe League,” said Ed Cowley. “Rave reviews!”
“I was about 16 when our families connected,” said Gavin Warner. “We were all crazy about Bette. She was a fantastic cook. She made phenomenal meatballs, chili, potato soup.”
Mr. Warner also said of the Cowleys, “They taught us how to party … Altamont parties were staid. Everything was looser at the Cowleys. They were artists and they had the most interesting people there.”
“My brothers and Gavin and Sam Bell would sing bluegrass, sitting around the fireplace,” said Kathleen Cowley, recalling some of the parties.
The Cowleys held a “slab party” after they had poured the concrete on which they would build their house. A good harvest called for a cucumber festival. The couple became renowned for their outdoor art parties when Mr. Cowley hung his paintings from trees on their property.
“They were ready to celebrate anything. There was no such thing as ordinary,” said Mr. Warner of the Cowleys’ world view. “If you thought something was ordinary, you weren’t looking at it hard enough.”
The Cowleys could focus their energies on serious matters, too. They were central to shaping Altamont as it exists today.
“Bette and Ed collaborated on all their projects,” said Ed Cowley. “They were a true love team for over 60 years. My Dad’s interest for Altamont’s architecture went up an additional level when they received a joint award for restoring a house on Maple Avenue.
“Village politics were difficult after the D&H Railroad discontinued passenger service making the train station ‘obsolete.’ Few folks now remember the Altamont Planning Association. Years ago, they saved the train station. Decades later, other generations stepped up and completed the million-dollar restoration. Bette Cowley was a large part of that early effort.”
After the village board in 1962 didn’t have majority support for buying the historic train station in the center of Altamont — the Delaware & Hudson Railroad was no longer using it — the Cowleys joined with other citizens in forming the Altamont Planning Association.
Association members, which also included Gavin Warner’s late father, who had been mayor, sold bonds and spent their own money to buy the station for $5,000 and set about renovating it.
“Bette was the driving force behind that,” said Mr. Warner of the association’s work. “She had an innate aesthetic sense.” The saved train station has since become the permanent home of the Altamont Free Library.
The Cowleys activism spread beyond the village to world affairs. They traveled to the nation’s capital to protest the Vietnam War. “She was proud of all the peace moratoriums she went to,” said Kathleen Cowley. “Part of the beauty of that couple was how they talked about hard things,” said Mr. Warner.
At the end of her husband’s life, as he suffered from Alzheimer’s, Mrs. Cowley, despite her own blindness, resolved that he would stay in their home. “She was absolutely determined. She promised him she wouldn’t put him in a nursing home,” said Kathleen Cowley. “She sacrificed a lot to have Dad home.”
Her body, like his, has been donated to Albany Medical Center. “She said Dad was an educator all his life and their bodies should be used for that,” said Kathleen Cowley.
Through tears, she went on, “She said she was ready to go. She had a great life.”
“Bette cherished all her children,” said Ed Cowley. “And when older, as adults, she was always there for them especially in times of financial difficulty. The greater the need, the greater were her efforts and generosity. We are all going to miss her.”
Bette Cowley is survived by her two sons, Edward Paul Cowley III and his wife, Karen Cowley, of Altamont; and Paul Edward Cowley, of White Oak, Georgia and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and his children, Billy, Kevin, and Cierra Cowley; and her two daughters, Kathleen Cowley, of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts and her children Louis Hall and his wife, Amandine, and their children Finnegan Edward, Elliot Rey, and Felix William, Brian Patrick Hall, Emily Reich, and William Reich; and Doris Jalbert and her husband, Dave, from Coventry, Rhode Island and children Alexandra Sherer, Samantha Smith and her husband, Greg, and their son Elliot, and Jameson Sherer and his wife, Rebecca, who are expecting twin girls, and Kara Jalbert and Cory Jalbert.
She is also survived by her 97-year-old sister, Mary Gersch of Spring Valley, California and her four daughters, Paula Darland and her stepdaughter, Jocelyn Darland; Hedy Haun her son derreck Hancock and his two twin daughters and her daughter Samantha Shelton; Leona Purczynski and her daughter, Kerrie Ann Gaeir, and her son and daughter and her son Jesse Purczynski and his son; Teresa Gersch and her daughter Holly Rios and her three sons, and her stepchildren, Shane, John, and Connie.
She is survived, too, by her 89-year-old bother, Stanley Kephart of Tillamook Oregon and his four sons, Bill and his son, Danny, and his six children, the late Jim Kephart’s two sons, Tim and his son and daughter; and Sherry and her one daughter and two sons; the late Chuck Kephart’s children Glenna Lindemann and her son and two daughters, Charlene Kells and her daughter and son, Chuck Jr. and his twin daughters, Donna Tavaris and her son and Tracy Kephart and her son; Don Kephart’s children Donna Kephart McCammon and her daughter Rachel, Debbie Smith her son and daughter.
Bette Cowley’s husband, Edward Paul Cowley Jr., died before her, as did their son, Billy; her parents, William Kephart and Bessie Eileen Clark Kephart; and her brothers, Chuck, Fran, Howard, and Don. ( of Emporium )
John M. McLean
John M. McLean, 70, of 2243 Silver Oaks Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado died at Poudre Valley Hospital, Fort Collins, Colorado on Sunday, May 6, 2018 following a brief illness. He was born November 23, 1947 in St. Marys, PA a son of Mark McLean, Emporium, PA and the late Mary Grimone McLean. On May 22, 1993 he married Nicole "Nicky" Masse, who survives.
John graduated from Cameron County High School. He served with the US Army in Vietnam War. He retired from Kodak where he worked for over 22 years. He enjoyed skiing, photography, all sports, especially football. He loved spending time with his family.
In addition to his father and his wife he is survived by a daughter, Shannon (Ian) Jenkins, Ft. Collins, CO; son, Ryan McLean, Ft. Collins, CO; daughter, Kathryn McLean, Ft. Collins, CO; son, Kevin McLean, Ft. Collins, CO; two grandchildren: Aaliyah McLean Phillips & Isaiah John Jenkins; a sister, Linda L. Ostrum; brother, Robert F. "Bunny" McLean; sister, Susie M. Gribble; brother, Rick (Mary Kay) McLean all of Emporium, PA.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Grimone McLean.
The family will receive friends at the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, Sizerville Road, Emporium, PA on Thursday from 10:00 -11:00 AM followed by a memorial service at 11:00 AM with Rev. Lionel Owen, Pastor, officiating.
Burial with military rites, accorded by the Cameron County Memorial Detail, will follow in the Newton Cemetery, Emporium, PA
Joseph S. Raffaele
Joseph S. Raffaele, 28, of 213 S. Broad St., Emporium, PA died at Penn Highlands Elk, St. Marys, PA on Saturday (May 12, 2018) morning.
He was born October 5, 1989 in Coudersport, PA a son of Janet Schloder Raffaele, Emporium, PA and the late Michael Raffaele.
Joe attended Cameron County High School and then worked for Sheetz for several years. He currently was working at Fox's Pizza in Emporium. He enjoyed playing video games and spending time with his friends.
In addition to his mother, he is survived by his girlfriend, Dionna Orner, Emporium; brother, Michael Keefer, Emporium; numerous, aunts, uncles and cousins.
In addition to his father he was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Joseph and Donna Moffitt Noto; Maternal Grandparents, LaVerne and Kathryn DeCarli Schloder.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Barnett Funeral Home, 207 E. Fourth Street, Emporium, PA on Wednesday (May 16, 2018) at 12:00 PM with Rev. Joseph Short, Pastor, First United Methodist Church, officiating.
Visitation with video tribute will be at the Barnett Funeral Home, 207 E. 4th St., Emporium, PA on Wednesday, one hour prior to the Service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to help support the family.
No donation is too small and your support would be greatly appreciated.
Online Condolences may be placed at www.BarnettFuneralHome.net
Saturday, May 12, 2018
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Structure Fire in Emporium
At 10:20 PM on Tuesday, Emporium, Austin, & St. Marys Fire Departments have been dispatched to a working structure fire at 448 Allegheny Avenue in Emporium.
Several people lived in the building, all were able to exit the building and at this time there were no known injuries.
Photo by Laurie Garrigan
Photo by Laurie Garrigan
Photo by M Clark
Monday, May 7, 2018
CCHS School Board Meeting
The next regular board meeting will be held Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 7:00 PM.
All meetings are held in the high school library and are open to the public.
You may review the this weeks agenda here http://www.camcosd.org/board-of-directors
Historic Walk Through Emporium's Amazing History
Historic Walk Through Emporium's Amazing History
Hosted by Cameron County Historical Society
Saturday, May 19 at 10 AM - 11:30 AM
We will walk around the streets of Emporium to talk about the history of select buildings, compare photographs of the past to Emporium today. There will be many interesting and a few unsettling stories to share.
We'll meet the Courthouse parking lot at 10am
Free and open to the public but donations for Cameron County Historical Society are welcome.