1939 - 2017
MILFORD - Laura M. Gohde, 78, of Tansey Hill Road in Milford, passed away early Thursday morning, October 26, 2017, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown.
She was born at the home of a relative in Pleasant Brook on July 8, 1939, one of twelve children of Donald E. and Mabel E. (Crewell) Hitchcock.
After Laura was born, she and her family lived in Oneonta and resided on Pony Farm Road. After graduating from Otego High School in 1957, she attended beautician school in Binghamton in the 1960s. After living in Middlefield, she moved to the Town of Maryland in 1998, and then settled in Milford in 2002.
On August 19, 1999, she married Richard Earl Gohde in a ceremony at the Middlefield home of Justice of the Peace Raymond E. Burr, Sr.
Through the years she was employed in various places, including Astrocom Electronics and Corning in Oneonta. For 10 years, she also cleaned houses, and was last employed by Bassett Healthcare at their print shop in Cooperstown.
She is survived by two children, Melissa Moore of Fly Creek and Gordon Sparaco of Milford; four grandchildren, Douglas Moore and Derek, Nicole and Justin Sparaco; two great grandchildren; her siblings, twin sister Harriet Smith of Colliersville, Stephen (Grace) Hitchcock of West Oneonta, Iva (John) Hurlburt of Otego, Gordon Hitchcock of Otego, Barbara (Michael) Thorsland of West Oneonta, Rosemary (Richard) Westcott of Davenport, Deborah Hitchcock of Florida, Mark (Deborah) Hitchcock of Norwich, and Regina Shaffer of Florida; and many, many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Richard, who died August 7, 2016; and two brothers, Gary Crewell in 1961 and David Hitchcock in 1992.
A funeral service will be offered at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 4, 2017, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown, with the Rev. Ronald Fralick, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Cherry Valley, officiating. The service of committal and burial will follow in Middlefield Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, Laura's family would greatly appreciate that donations in her memory be directed to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, P.O. Box 97075, Washington, DC, 20090-7075.
Arrangements are under the care and 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 at (607) 547-8822, or A Rose is a Rose at (607) 264-3100.
