Harry L. Parshall III


JAMESVILLE - Harry L. Parshall III passed away February 23, 2013 after a brief illness.

He was born in East Orange, NJ, the son of Harry L. Parshall, Jr. and Doris (Burns) Parshall. The family moved to Cooperstown when he was an infant.

Harry graduated from Cooperstown High School in 1959 and later received a degree from Empire College of New York. He was first employed by the New York State Department of Corrections, and retired in 1996 after 25 years with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.  

Surviving are his wife of 44 years, Jacqueline (Bridger) Parshall, and his daughter, Leigh-Ann Parshall, of Jamesville; his uncle, Ernest Chase of Cooperstown; his sister-in-law, Phyllis Newell and her husband, Mike, of Hartwick; his brother-in-law, Tim Bridger and his wife, Lora, of Tonawanda; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.  

Harry enjoyed taking care of his cars, maintaining his lawn and playing cards with his family and friends. He especially loved to play golf and was a long-time member of The Pompey Club where he had many wonderful friends.

Per Harry's wishes, there will be no services. Burial will be later this Spring in Lakewood Cemetery, Cooperstown.

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.

Bruce R. MacDonald, MD


August 12, 1942 - February 19, 2013

PIERSTOWN - Bruce Raymond MacDonald, MD, a former attending physician at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, died Tuesday morning, February 19, 2013, in Schenectady following a valiant battle with cancer. He was 70.

Born August 12, 1942, at Salem Hospital in Salem, Massachusetts, Bruce was the son of Raymond and Barbara (Tumulty) MacDonald.  

A graduate of Washington and Lee University, he later graduated from the Medical College of Virginia.  

He served his country for two years in the US Navy during the Vietnam War and was Chief Medical Officer for Operation Deep Freeze in the Antarctic. 

Upon moving to Cooperstown, Dr. MacDonald served as a urologist at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital until retiring in 1994.  

He is survived by his daughter, Alexis Upton MacDonald who is a medical student at St. George's University on the Island of Grenada in the Caribbean. He also leaves behind his companion, Leanne Sweet of Schenectady as well as many good friends and colleagues.

Friends are invited to gather for a celebration of Bruce's life at his home at 256 Armstrong Road, Cooperstown, beginning at 5 pm on Saturday, February 23, 2013.  

In accordance with his wishes, burial was private in the Fitch Hill Cemetery, Pierstown.

With respect for Bruce's love of animals, please consider a memorial donation to the Susquehanna SPCA, 4841 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY  13326.

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.

Martin R. Seitz


June 14, 1929 - February 18, 2013

PLEASANT BROOK - Martin Roland Seitz, 83, of Pleasant Brook, died Monday evening, February 18, 2013, at his home.

He was born June 14, 1929, to Johanna (Schulz) and Kurt Seitz in New York City. He spent most of his childhood in Germany, returning to New York City in 1945. From 1951 until 1953, he served in the United States Army during the Korean War.

In 1950, Martin married Edythe Muller, who predeceased him in 1960. He then married Ilse Heinrich in 1961.

While attending college, Martin was a florist in New York. He graduated from Lehman College in 1970 with a BS degree. That same year he and his family moved to Evans Mills and taught Chemistry for twenty years at Watertown High School. He received his MS from SUNY Potsdam.

In retirement he and his wife moved to the family farm near Cooperstown where Ilse still resides.

Martin is survived by his wife, Ilse Heinrich Seitz; his children, Karen (James) Larson, Barbara (Sandy) Ricciardi, John (Anne) Seitz, Kurt (Paula) Seitz and Erika (Michael) Sherman, as well as his grandchildren, David Larson, Thomas (Laura) Larson, Matthew, Michael and Christopher Ricciardi, Josef Sherman, Johanna Sherman and Xuan Seitz, and three great grandsons, Fox, Jordan and Jacob Larson.

There will be no services.

Expressions of sympathy in the form of memorial gifts may be made to Doctors Without Borders USA, 333 Seventh Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY  10001.

The Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown is serving the family.



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.

William J. Kelly


April 27, 1919 - February 8, 2013

SCHUYLER LAKE - William J. Kelly, a life-long area resident, passed away early Friday morning, February 8, 2013, at Otsego Manor. He was 93.

Born April 27, 1919, at his family's home in the Town of Exeter, he was a son of Joseph W. and Laura M. (Eckler) Kelly. Raised on the family farm, Bill attended and later graduated from Schuyler Lake High School.  

On August 29, 1940, Bill married J. Irene Wiltse in Richfield Springs.

After working for a time on the family farm and hauling milk, he went to work as a mechanic for George Taylor. He later learned the plumbing trade and worked for Harold D. Ainslie in Richfield Springs. Eventually, Bill was elected Highway Superintendent for the Town of Exeter, a position he served in for 19 years until he retired in 1990. Even in his retirement, Bill stayed busy as a handyman, doing odd jobs and mowing lawns.  

A Charter Member of the Schuyler Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Bill was an active, faithful and dedicated member who served the department for over 60 years as a Firefighter, Department Chief, Fire District Commissioner, and Chairman of the Board of the Schuyler Lake Fire District. He was also a member and Treasurer of the Otsego County Town Highway Superintendents' Association. In 2004, Bill was presented with the Otsego County Office for the Aging Outstanding Contribution by a Senior Citizen Award for having made a positive and beneficial contribution to the senior citizens of the community.  

Bill is survived by two sons, William M. Kelly and his wife, Betty Bubencik, and Walter John Kelly and his wife, Christine, all of Schuyler Lake; three grandchildren, Donald Kelly and his wife Anoel, Faith Kelly and Kimmie Hungerford; and several great grandchildren. He is further survived by one sister-in-law, Mrs. Dorothy P. Kelly of Schuyler Lake and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, J. Irene Kelly, who died November 23, 2002;  his brother, Charles W. Kelly, who died November 11, 1996; and his sister, Margaret Ann Petkewec, who died June 9, 2007. 

Family and friends may pay their respects at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 from 4-7 pm. At 6:30 Tuesday evening, a Firefighter Memorial Service will be conducted at the funeral home by members of the Schuyler Lake Volunteer Fire Department, with Ted Duesler, Chaplain of the Otsego County Volunteer Firemen's Association, officiating.

At the request of the family, the funeral service and eventual burial in Fly Creek Valley Cemetery in Fly Creek will be private.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in the form of memorial gifts may be made to the Schuyler Lake Volunteer Fire Department, or the Schuyler Lake First Responder, P. O. Box 112, Schuyler Lake, NY 13457.

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.

Diane J. Howard


May 31, 1946 - February 3, 2013

COOPERSTOWN - Diane J. Howard, a locally known artist and a partner at TJ's Place in downtown Cooperstown, passed away unexpectedly Sunday evening, February 3, 2013, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown. She was 66.

Born May 31, 1946, in Iowa City, Iowa, Diane was the daughter of Vernon S. "Whitey" Wilshere, a left-handed pitcher who played for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics in the 1930s, and Betty Jean Munden Wilshere, a painter and Emergency Room RN at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown.

As a young child, Diane and her family moved from the mid-west to New York State, first living in Skaneateles, and then settling in Cooperstown in 1953. While living in Cooperstown Diane made many friends, and was a proud graduate of Cooperstown High School, Class of 1964. Through the years, she maintained contact with many of her classmates, and up to the present enjoyed frequent visits to the American Hotel in Sharon Springs with her girlfriends.  

A successful businesswoman, Diane's entrepreneurial spirit led her to become a real estate broker, and she had many fond memories of working with her business associate, Ed Johnson, at their real estate agency, Country Properties, in Cooperstown. During the 1980s, she served the area business community as President of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce.  

More recently, Diane will be best remembered for joining with her partner in life, Ted Hargrove, in owning and operating TJ's Place and The Stables Inn on Main Street in the village. They truly made a great pair, both in life and in business.  

Diane loved her family, most especially her kids and grandkids as well as her brothers and their families. She also enjoyed genealogy and researching both the Wilshere and Munden sides of her family.  Her country home was very special to her, and it was there that she loved watching nature and its wildlife.  Another important part of her life was the primitive artwork she created; she had a knack for capturing area rural life in her own style. She also had an appreciation for other artists, including Janet Munro and Ed Johnson, and had a passion for collecting Hummel figurines.  

Diane will be greatly missed by her life partner, Ted Hargrove, of Cooperstown; her two children, Kelly Kerner and her husband, Chris, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Todd Howard and his wife, Jennifer, of Cooperstown; her three grandchildren, Clark Kerner, Anastasia Kerner and Jack Howard; her brothers, David S. Wilshere and his wife, Meme, of Hartwick, and Denis A. Wilshere of Idyllwild, California, and their families.  

She was preceded in death by her mother, Betty, who died  in 1976; her father, "Whitey", who died in 1985; a niece, Whitney "Nina" Humenanski, who died in 1990; and her beloved dog, Abner.  

Friends are invited to pay their respects to Diane's family from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, February 7, 2013, at TJ's Place, 124 Main Street, Cooperstown. A brief time of prayer and reflection, to be led by the Rev. Betsy Jay, Chaplain for Bassett Healthcare Network in Cooperstown, will conclude the memorial gathering.  

Later this spring, Diane will be laid to rest in Lakewood Cemetery, Cooperstown.  

For those who wish to make a donation in memory of Diane, please consider the Susquehanna SPCA, 4841 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY 13326, the Art Department at Cooperstown Central School, 39 Linden Avenue, Cooperstown, NY 13326, or the Cooperstown Food Pantry, 25 Church Street, Cooperstown, NY  13326.

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.

Donald E. Wright


July 22, 1928 - February 3, 2013

" 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear 
the hour I first believed!"

HARTWICK - Donald Eugene Wright, a resident of Otsego Manor, went to meet his Savior Sunday afternoon, February 3, 2013. He was 84.

A native of California, Don was born in San Diego July 22, 1928, a son of Ralph William and Dorothy Helen (Sneath) Wright.  

On September 17, 1945, Don entered into active service in the United States Navy. and proudly served his country aboard the  USS LST-611 (a tank landing ship), the USS Jason (a repair ship), and the USS Abnaki (the lead ship of fleet ocean tugs in the service of the Navy). He received his Honorable Discharge with the rank of Engineman Third Class on July 8, 1949, but then re-enlisted on August 25th. He served at the US Naval Air Station in Oakland until attaining the rank of Maintenance Mechanic Second Class and then received his Honorable Discharge August 24, 1953.  

Don continued to live in California, where he met his future wife, Marilyn Louise Bergestrom. They were married June 7, 1969, by the Rev. Timothy F. LaHaye, an evangelical Christian minister and author of the "Left Behind" series.  

During his years in California, Don was employed as an assembler for Rohr Aircraft in Roverdale. Later on Don and Marilyn lived in several places throughout the country, including Mississippi, and finally settled in Hartwick in the mid 1990s.

Don was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Hartwick, and enjoyed the Men's Bible Study group, which for the past few years met in Don's room at Otsego Manor so he could take part in their devotions. They always closed with Amazing Grace which Don, who loved southern gospel music, joined in singing.

He will be fondly remembered for his love of children, candy, a good practical joke, and a great sense of humor. 

Don was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn, who died January 4, 2002.

He is survived by his good friends, Debra and Grant Ward, of Hartwick, and his entire church family.

A Memorial Service will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, February 9, 2013, in the Chapel at Otsego Manor in Cooperstown with Pastor Phillip Sell of the First Baptist Church of Hartwick, officiating.

Later this spring, Don and Marilyn will be laid to rest together in Hartwick Cemetery.

The friends of Donald Wright offer their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to everyone at Otsego Manor for the kind, considerate, understanding and supportive care given to Don.  They were his family.

Memorial gifts in Don's memory may be directed to Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care, 1 Birchwood Drive, Oneonta, NY  13820, or the  First Baptist Church of Hartwick, P. O. Box 276, Hartwick, NY 12248.

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.