Nancy M. Sutley

Whitesville, NY - Nancy M. Sutley, 68, of 934 Commercial Avenue passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at Rochester General Hospital with her family at her side. She was born March 25, 1947 in Wellsville, the daughter of the late Mark and Louise “Midge” (Bieser) Nesbit. On June 27, 1965 in Whitesville she married Michael G. Sutley who survives.

Nancy was a lifelong resident of Whitesville and attended Whitesville Central School. She was employed as a bookkeeper at Agway in Whitesville for many years and later was a nurse’s aide for Highland Park Rehab & Nursing Center in Wellsville. She served as the Town Supervisor for the Town of Independence from 2000 to 2009. She was a charter member of the Independence Rescue Squad and a member of the Whitesville Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. She was a past president and current treasurer of the Allegany County Volunteer Fireman’s Association, Ladies Auxiliary and a member and current treasurer of the Southwestern Association of Volunteer Fireman, Ladies Auxiliary. She enjoyed traveling; loved her dogs and was an honored volunteer for the Allegany County Office for the Aging. She was a member and youth group leader for the Living Hope Center in Whitesville.

Surviving in addition to her husband is one son, James (Julie) Sutley of Whitesville, a brother, Walter (Karen) Nesbit of Jasper, AL, three sisters, Patricia (Gene) Ransom of Conesus, Paula Ransom of Whitesville and Frances McCallister of Whitesville, as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceased in addition to her parents by a sister, Marlene Nesbit.

Friends are invited to call on Wednesday, (August 26, 2015) from 7:00 to 9:00 pm and Thursday, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm at the Living Hope Center, 920 Commercial Avenue in Whitesville. The funeral will follow the visitation at 2:00 pm Thursday, (August 27, 2012) with Robert Walters presiding. Memorial donations can be made to the Living Hope Center, P.O. Box 114, Whitesville, NY 14897. To leave online condolences, please visit www.embserfuneralhome.com.

Laran N. Ives

Wellsville, NY - Laran N. Ives, 65, of 25 Trapping Brook Road passed away on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at home following a brief illness. He was born October 12, 1949 in Wellsville, the son of the late Norman L. and Lela (Ellsworth) Ives. On September 1, 1984 in Wellsville he married Joann Brown who survives.

Laran was a 1969 graduate of Wellsville High School. He was employed by Woodlawn Cemetery in Wellsville for 13 years and for the Immaculate Conception Church and School for the past 25 years. He retired in October of 2014, but returned to be the groundskeeper for Immaculate Conception. He was a member of the Wellsville Elks Lodge # 1495, the Wellsville Moose Lodge # 601, the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 702 and the V.F.W Post #2530 Men’s Auxiliary. He enjoyed traveling, Chinese auctions, and bowling. He bowled for several teams over the years. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and will be sadly missed by his ICS family.

Surviving in addition to his wife Joann, is a daughter, Stacy (Ives) Inzana of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, a step-daughter, Theresa (Wayne) Tedrow of Linwood, WA, four beloved grandchildren, A. J., Christian, Hunter and Hayden, a brother, Richard (Bonnie) Ives of Wellsville, a sister, Norlene Bromley of Bradford, PA, as well as several nieces, nephews & cousins.

Friends are invited to call on Saturday, August 22, 2015 from 11:30 to 1:00 pm at the Immaculate Conception Church, 36 Maple Avenue in Wellsville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 pm Saturday in church following the visitation. Burial will be in Hallsport Cemetery. Memorial donations can be made to the Immaculate Conception School. To leave online condolences, please visit www.embserfuneralhome.com

Phyllis J. Benjamin

Belmont, NY - Phyllis J. Benjamin, age 85, of old State Road passed away on Friday August 14, 2015 at the Hornell Gardens in Hornell. She was born on August 3, 1930 in Bolivar to Lyle and Helen Cartwright Benjamin.

Phyllis was a lifelong resident of Belmont who graduated from Belmont Central High School. She was a 45 year employee of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Belmont retiring as the Home Economics Secretary and Association Bookkeeper. Phyllis was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Belmont where she enjoyed 6 decades of perfect attendance at Sunday School. She served her church as a Sunday School Teacher, Sunday School Secretary, Church Financial Secretary and Awana Leader. Her hobbies include photography, reading and sewing.

Phyllis is survived by her brother Richard (Shirley) Benjamin of Belmont; 2 sisters, Bernita Comstock of Belmont and Joanne Mason of Belmont; a foster son, Brett (Heidi) Ellsessor and their 6 children of Belfast; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Phyllis was predeceased by her parents; a brother Keith Benjamin; 3 sisters, Suzanne Benjamin, Elaine Jewell and Esther Hammond; 3 brother in laws, Ken Hammond, Edwin Comstock Jr. and Douglas Mason; a sister in law, Elizabeth Benjamin.

Friends are invited to call on Friday, August 21, 2015, from 12 noon to 2 pm at the First Baptist Church in Belmont. Phyllis’s funeral will be held at the conclusion of the calling hours in Church with Reverend Vernon Dean presiding. Burial will take place in Forest Hills Cemetery and memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Belmont. To leave online condolences please visit www.embserfuneralhome.com.

Alvin G. Whitesell

Wellsville, NY - Alvin G. Whitesell, age 87, of the Stannards Road passed away on Tuesday, August 11, 2015, at the Highland Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. He was born on August 16, 1927 in Whitesville to George W. and Alice Baker Whitesell. On February 25, 1949 in Wellsville he married Maxine Morrison who survives.

Alvin was a long time resident of the Wellsville who served in the United States Armed Forces. He had worked for Walter Babbitt for many years and later helped his nephew cut firewood. Alvin enjoyed hunting and being with his family.

Besides his wife Alvin is survived by 4 sons; Gerald (Mary) Whitesell of Kodak, TN., Tom (Lottie) Whitesell of Johnsonburg, PA., Randy (Sylvia) Whitesell of Andover and Danny Whitesell of Wellsville; 2 daughters, Cindy (Gary) Smith of Akron, OH. And Kay (Thomas) Simkins of East Stroudsburg, PA.; 13 grandchildren; 39 great grandchildren and 12 great great grandchildren; a brother, Glen Whitesell of Erin; 2 sisters, Goldie Keough of Elmira Heights and Reva (Carl) Clark of Andover; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Alvin was predeceased by 5 brothers and 6 sisters.

Friends are invited to call on Thursday, August 13, from 2-4 and 7-9 pm in the J.W. Embser Sons Funeral Home in Wellsville. The Funeral Service will take place on Friday at 11 am in the funeral home with Reverend Robin George presiding. Burial will take place in Woodlawn Cemetery and memorials made be made to either the Wellsville Volunteer Ambulance Corps or the Andover Volunteer Ambulance Corps. To leave online condolences please visit www.embserfuneralhome.com.

Roberta H. Corcoran

Wellsville, NY - Roberta H. Corcoran of North Franklin Street passed away on March 1, 2015 at the Highland Health Care Center in Wellsville. She was born on June 30, 1931 in El Paso, Texas to Robert and Mildred Bartlett.

Roberta graduated from Wellsville High School in 1948. She worked for W.T. Grant in Wellsville as the head of their credit department. She later retired in 1993 from the Department of Motor Vehicles in Belmont as the Supervisor after over 20 years of service. Roberta was a founding member of the Wellsville Volunteer Ambulance Corps. She was a dedicated member who would also do the blood runs to Hornell when there was a need after an accident. She was a member of the Jones Memorial Hospital Auxiliary who made and sold jams and jellies at the annual Country Fair and continued to support the Hospital thru her Relay for Life team named Grannie’s Gang. Roberta’s passion was writing and was a founding member of the Creative Writers of the Southern Tier. She wrote poetry, plays and personal narrative essays.

Survivors include her 2 daughters, Roberta (Joseph) Corcoran Andrasik of Fredonia and Kathleen Corcoran of Everett, Washington; a son James Corcoran of Wellsville; 3 brothers, Richard Bartlett of Wellsville, Ronald (Lori) Bartlett of North Carolina and Raymond (Shirley) Bartlett of Ontario, Canada; 2 sisters, Mildred Hannigan of Wellsville and Barbara Weatherell of Friendship; several nieces and nephews.

Roberta was predeceased by a son Edward Corcoran; a daughter Teresa Decker and a brother, Roger Bartlett.

A private memorial service will be held at the convenience of the family. To leave online condolences please visit www.embserfuneralhome.com.

Walter “Mickey” Martelle

Wellsville, NY - Walter “Mickey” Martelle, who appreciated – and told – a good story, reached the end of his own on Thursday, July 9, 2015, following a lengthy illness and just weeks after his 80th birthday.

A native of Portland, Maine, Mickey liked to boast of having been “the best third baseman Cheverus High School ever had,” a claim offered without evidence, but with firm conviction. The son of a newspaperman (Walter E. Martelle) and a kindergarten teacher (Geraldine Carlson Martelle), Mickey worked as a linotype operator and then a reporter for the Portland Press Herald and, after moving his young family to Wellsville in 1965, as managing editor of the Wellsville Daily Reporter.

By 1968, Mickey was working as community relations director for the Air Preheater Co. In later years, he ran the Right Now Printing shop on North Main Street, and was executive director of the Allegany County Industrial Development Agency. An active Republican, he served as a Wellsville town justice of the peace and through his political and communications work, Mickey was key to the creation of the Wellsville Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the Wellsville Municipal Airport, and directed numerous economic development projects that created or saved scores of private-sector jobs across the county.

An avid gardener, Mickey co-founded the Saturday Morning Garden Club, which created and, for a time, operated the now-defunct Community Gardens on Chamberlain Street. He also organized the short-lived Gabby Hayes Days celebration in Wellsville and founded and directed the Wellsville Performing Arts Committee, which brought to Wellsville such major talents as singer William Warfield, the Romero Guitar Quartet, the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, and a wide range of jazz performers. He also was a longtime member of the Wee Players theater troupe in Alfred, and regularly delivered his “world-famous lobster talk” before local civic groups.

In a long life of hobbies, Mickey raced dirt-track stock cars, was a trained lifeguard, played tennis, hunted (rarely with success), and occasionally cooked (with slightly more success – ask one of his children about the time he barbecued chicken until it was charred to the bone).  An avid ship modeler, Mickey served with great pride as a director of the Nautical Research Guild, through which he organized annual conferences around the country. In his retirement, Mickey decided to satisfy a lifelong interest in the drums, which he played with more vigor than skill and to the strained amusement of his wife, Dorothy, who, unlike Mickey, does indeed have musical talent.

As his life neared its end, Mickey was closely supported by son Dan and his wife, Karen, and grandchildren Katie and Chris Martelle, who survive, as does Dorothy; Mickey’s passing came just three weeks before their 61st wedding anniversary. Mickey also is survived by children Scott (Margaret) Martelle of Irvine, Ca., Lisa (Joe) Harvey of Pasadena, Md., Craig (Tammy) Martelle of Conestoga, Pa., and Jen (Steve) Heicklen of Medford Lakes, N.J, sister-in-law Frances Coggins of Portland and brother-in-law George Morgan of Gorham; 19 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, a passel of nieces and nephews, his cousin Linda Fox of Chicago, and longtime friends Jean Richmond, Sylvia Masin and enough others to populate a good-sized village. He was predeceased by a son, Michael, and his brother, Bruce.

Visitation will be Monday, July 13, 2015 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the J. W. Embser Funeral Home, 34 W. State Street in Wellsville, immediately followed by a brief memorial service.  In lieu of gifts, the family recommends you tell someone a good Mickey story, and perhaps make a donation in his name to the David A. Howe Public Library (155 N. Main St., Wellsville, N.Y., 14895), of which Mickey was a regular and long-time patron.

Maureen Ann Zenoski

Belmont, NY - Maureen Ann Zenoski, 75, of 2 Middaugh Street, passed away on July 6, 2015, surrounded by family at Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville. She was born on January 26, 1940, in Cuba, the daughter of the late Victor, and Teresa (Walsh) Monroe and Hilda (Frantz) Monroe who raised Maureen after her birth mother, Teresa, passed away. On May 20, 1961 she married the love of her life, Donald Zenoski, who predeceased her on September 20, 2004 after 43 years of marriage.

Maureen was a stay at home mom until her children were all in school. She was later employed at Suburban Propane, in Belmont, for 13 years and Nicholson Pharmacy, in Belmont, for 13 years, until her retirement in 1997. She and Don spent many years after retirement wintering in Myrtle Beach. There they formed many wonderful memories, made many new friends and always loved to have family and friends visit. Maureen enjoyed her beautiful flowers, a bright sunny morning, a winter snow storm, the smell of spring and the glorious God-given colors of fall. She was a communicant and served as a Eucharistic Minister at the Holy Family Parish (formerly St. Mary's) in Belmont. She belonged to the Altar Society and was a member of the Jones Memorial Hospital Lilac Twig. She and Don took many trips to visit their children and families in Colorado, Washington State, Ohio and North Carolina. She never missed an event for her children or grandchildren. There never was a better baseball, basketball, volleyball or soccer fan. She enjoyed cooking, making country crafts with Don and loved family gatherings, especially at the holidays.

Maureen was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and is survived by five children, Jeffery (Christa) Zenoski of Belmont, Timothy (Kari) Zenoski of Bloomfield, Kelli Bartlett of Washington Courthouse, Ohio, Mark (Tammy) Zenoski of Waxhaw, NC, Joseph Zenoski of Hickory, NC, and a daughter-in-law, Stacey Zenoski of Denver, NC. Maureen is also survived by her 10 wonderful grandchildren including, Brennon, Allea, Riley, Madison, Katie, Emily, Ian, Anna, Maryn and Emma, a brother, Terry (Barb) Monroe of Loveland, CO and a sister-in-law, Leah Monroe of Renton, WA, several nieces and nephews, a devoted sister-in-law, Toni Witter, and a loyal friend and neighbor, James Kane. She was predeceased, in addition to her parents and husband, by her brother, Ronald Monroe.

Friends are invited to call on Thursday, July 9th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at the J. W. Embser Sons Funeral Home Inc., 17 Schuyler Street in Belmont. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Friday, July 10th at 11:00 am at Holy Family Church, 5 Milton Street in Belmont. Burial will be in Forest Hills Cemetery, Belmont. The family suggests memorial donations be made to the Wilmont Cancer Center, % Strong Memorial Hospital, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642. To leave online condolences, please visit www.embserfuneralhome.com.