Milo V. Stewart, Sr.

August 31, 1928 - September 12, 2011

COOPERSTOWN - Long-time Cooperstown resident, Milo V. Stewart, Sr., died September 12, 2011 after a long illness, surrounded by family at his home on Eagle Street.

Milo was born August 31, 1928, in Sharon, Pennsylvania. He was the son of George H. and Inez A. (Allebach) Stewart, and in 1942 moved with his family to Buffalo. A 1946 graduate of South Park High School, he played trumpet in his school band. Milo was active with the church youth group, attending conferences and retreats, and played basketball at St. Simon's Episcopal Church. He graduated from the University of Buffalo in 1951 and then married his high school sweetheart, Ruth Elizabeth Cousins, on June 17th of the same year.

Milo taught English and Social Studies at Orchard Park Central School and quickly gained recognition. In 1961 Dr. Louis C. Jones, then Director of the New York State Historical Association and the Farmers' Museum, invited him to come to Cooperstown to lead their education programs. Over the next 36 years, he served as the Director of Education, Assistant Director, Associate Director and Vice President of both organizations. As Associate Director and Chief of Education at NYSHA and the Farmers' Museum, he ran the Seminars on American Culture for 20 years and launched "Image, Object and Sound" a thirty-day multi-media workshop held each summer. He taught teachers, museum professionals and grass-roots historians how to create documentary productions and exhibits. In addition, he taught courses on interpretation through media and photography at the Cooperstown Graduate Program, and two generations of teachers and students developed their visual literacy, photographic skills, and understanding of multi-media presentation.

Milo's passion for photography began when he was in high school and continued throughout his life resulting in a substantial legacy of work, much of which features New York State, as well as the Village of Cooperstown. He captured buildings, objects and people with a reverence that dignifies a subject and introduces the viewer to an old friend.

His photographic books include: "Main Street, New York State", "The Historic Courthouses of New York State", "Wood and Stone: Landmarks of the Upper Mohawk", "The Monuments of Gettysburg", and "Main Street, Cooperstown: A Mile of Memories".

Exhibitions of his work include: "Temples of Justice: Historic Courthouses of New York State", "Country Churches of New York", "Fifty Faces: Informal Portraits", "Cooperstown Moods", and "Friends and Friendly Places". His 2006 "At Home & On the Road" exhibition at the Fenimore Art Museum featured 70 of Milo's photographs.

A fifty-year resident of Cooperstown, Milo considered himself a Native Son. He loved sailing and boating on Lake Otsego and especially summers at the beloved boathouse at Mohican Farm. He shared the joy of cooking with his wife and prepared memorable Chinese feasts for family and friends. Music was a passion, he collected music, spent countless hours listening to jazz and loved hearing his son perform. Milo loved the Buffalo Bills. Ruth and he enjoyed drives through the countryside nearly every day recounting stories of people they knew and places they had been. As a father he exposed his children to the things he loved and they shared his enthusiasm. As a grandfather to seven grandsons, he relished their stories and accomplishments and watching them grow up. He loved his home and the beautiful garden that Ruth created over the forty-seven years they lived together on Eagle Street, and they dined nearly every summer evening on the patio in the garden that he loved so much.

Milo is survived by his wife of 60 years, Ruth C. Stewart of Cooperstown; daughter Ann and Russ Honicker of Cooperstown; daughter Beth and José Solá of Long Island; daughter Sarah A. Stewart and Robert Amore of Cooperstown and New York City; son Milo and Jennifer Stewart, Jr. of Cooperstown; seven grandchildren, Kyle, Troy and Hunter Solá, Weston Honicker, Noble S. Mattson and Henry and John Stewart.

Milo was predeceased by his daughter Cynthia Ann Stewart.

There will be a private family burial.

A Memorial Service will be offered at 11 o'clock in the morning on Saturday, October 8, 2011, at Christ Church in Cooperstown, with the Rev'd Mark A Michael, Rector, officiating.

Contributions in Milo's memory may be made to Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care, 1 Birchwood Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820.

Arrangements are under the guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown.


If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers, or call them at (607) 547-8822.

Raymond E. Burr, Sr.

July 24, 1930 - September 10, 2011

COOPERSTOWN - Raymond E. Burr, Sr., a long-time resident of the Town of Middlefield who served for 30 years as a Justice of the Peace, died unexpectedly Saturday night, September 10, 2011, at his home. He was 81.

Born July 24, 1930, in the City of Binghamton, he was the son of Raymond L. and Josephine M. (Lawlor) Burr.

A graduate of Cooperstown High School, Class of 1948, he was a member of the undefeated 1947 Cooperstown High School football team that was inducted into the Cooperstown Central School Hall of Fame in 2010. Following high school he attended Holy Cross University on a football scholarship. He then enlisted in the United States Air Force and proudly served his country during the Korean War and received his honorable discharge in 1954.

On August 27, 1955, Ray married Mary Moakler in a ceremony at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown. They were married for 34 years until Mary died October 3, 1989.

Following his service in the military, Ray was employed with IBM in Poughkeepsie. After retiring from IBM in 1971, the Burr family moved back to Cooperstown. In 1975 he entered into employment at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, and served as a maintenance technician until retiring in 1995.

Ray was a dedicated public servant, and from 1980 until 2010 he served the Town of Middlefield as a Justice of the Peace. He was also a member of the Clark F. Simmons American Legion Post No. 579 in Cooperstown and Cooperstown Fire Department Engine Company No. 1, where he was a past Fire Police Captain. In his leisure, he enjoyed golfing, and was a long-time member of the Leatherstocking Golf Course.  

Ray will be remembered for his well-intentioned sarcasm and side comments. Area roads will not seem the same without Ray behind the wheel of his black van and the ever present United States flag flying on the roof, a tradition he started in 2001 immediately following the events of  September 11th. He will be missed by his family and friends.

Ray is survived by three sons, Michael E. Burr of Thomaston, CT, Raymond E. Burr, Jr., and his wife, Lisa, of Cooperstown, and Stephen P. Burr and his wife, NJ, of Cazenovia; four daughters, Lee Ann Burr of Washington, D.C., Joanne O'Connor and her husband, Thomas, of Baldwinsville, Mary Ellen Juedes and her husband, Richard, of Waterford, and Susan Delello and her husband, Mark, of Sidney; 16 grandchildren, Stephanie, Kristin and Brian Burr, Michael, Ray, Jr., Bart and Wade Burr, Ellen, Peter and Tim Burr, Megan and Lauren O'Connor, Sara Juedes, and Markus, Lyndsay and Meridith Delello; one sister, Mary Leslie, of Springfield, VA; and many, many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his wife, Ray was preceded in death by their infant son, James, who died in April 9, 1960, and a daughter-in-law, Diane Burr, who died October 27, 1992.

Ray's family will receive friends at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown, from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, September 15, 2011.

A Funeral Service will be offered at the funeral home at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 16, 2011.

Following the service in the funeral home, Cooperstown Fire Department's 1952 Mack E4 will bear Ray to St. Mary's Cemetery, Index, where he will be laid to rest with his wife, Mary. Following the service of committal and burial, Military Honors will be accorded by members of the Clark F. Simmons American Legion Post No. 579, Cooperstown.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in the form of memorial gifts may be made to "Cooperstown Central School District" for the Mary Moakler Burr Scholarship for Nursing, Cooperstown Central School District Business Office, c/o Amy Kukenberger, Business Manager, 39 Linden Avenue, Cooperstown, NY  13326. Ray's family would also appreciate memorial gifts to  Cooperstown Fire Department, P.O. Box 1, Cooperstown, NY  13326. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

Arrangements are under the guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.


If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers, or call them at (607) 547-8822.