Marie A. Soete of Honesdale, Pa., a homemaker, died Monday, March 24, 2003, at the Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pa., after a brief illness and battle with cancer. She was 78 years of age.
The daughter of the late Albert and Martha Bell Allenbacher, she was born May 28, 1924, in Honesdale, Pa. She was the widow of Bernard H. Soete who died July 23, 1954, after six years of marriage.
Mrs. Soete was a 1942 graduate of Honesdale High School and worked as a bookkeeper for over 11 years at the Honesdale Consolidated Water Company, during the 1970s and 1980s. She was a member of St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Honesdale and an active 51-year member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.
In a family statement, it was said, "Despite life's many tribulations, she always had a bright outlook, pleasant smile and hearty laugh. She was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother and enjoyed family and friends. She will be dearly missed by all." Mrs. Soete liked shopping at Day's Bakery and Art's for Him and Her, bargains, garage sales, eating out weekly with the girls, getting her hair done, cooking, gardening, watching backyard wildlife, reading area newspapers from cover to cover, and visiting. She knew more local names, faces and ancestry than anyone else could ever hope to remember.
She is survived by a daughter, Linda McCauley of Sacramento, Calif.; a son, David Soete of Honesdale, Pa.; two sisters, Helen Tenbus and Ann Parker and her husband, John, all of Honesdale, Pa.; three grandchildren, Catherine, Karen and Mark McCauley of California; a sister-in-law, Rita Soete of Honesdale, Pa.; and several nieces and nephews.
Services were held at the Hessling Funeral Home in Honesdale, Pa., on Thursday followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Honesdale.
Interment was made in St. Mary Magdalen Cemetery in Honesdale, Pa.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, Wayne Unit, 627 Main St., or the Honesdale EMS (Ambulance Corps), P.O. Box 71, both at Honesdale, Pa., 18431 or the charity of one's choice.

Clarence W. Gowdey of Bloomingburg and Clearwater, Fla., a retired assistant cashier for the Pine Bush branch office of the Bank of New York and a lifelong area resident, died Tuesday, February 25, 2003, at the Largo Medical Center in Largo, Fla. He was 98 years of age.
The son of the late James C. and Addie Whitlock Gowdey, he was born January 15, 1905, in Bloomingburg. He was the widower of Lura Lamb Gowdey.
A former member of the Dutch Reformed Church of Bloomingburg, he was a member and a past 28-year treasurer of Hoffman Lodge #412, Free and Accepted Masons, in Middletown; a member of Valley of Middletown No. 117 Lodge of Perfection; the Council, Chapter and Consistory of the Valley of Binghamton, A.A.S.R. and the shriners of Cyprus Temple in Albany. Mr. Gowdey was also a member and past president of the Middletown Lions Club, a past master of the Bloomingburg Grange #1167, a past master and treasurer of the Sullivan County Pomona Grange #52; a past president of the Orange County Banker's Association; a member of the Bloomingburg Rural Cemetery Board of Directors; a past president of the Bloomingburg School Board of Education; and a former treasurer for Sarah Wells Girl Scout Council.
He is survived by a son, Peter W. Gowdey of Washington, D. C.; a daughter, Donna Lou Tuthill of Palmdale, Calif.; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
There will be no visitation.
Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Bloomingburg Restoration Foundation Museum and Cultural Center, High St., Bloomingburg with the Rev. Betty Beach officiating.
Interment will be made in the Bloomingburg Rural Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Bloomingburg Restoration Foundation, Bloomingburg, N.Y. 12721 or to the American Cancer Society, 407 East Main St., Middletown, N.Y. 10940.

Jane M. Conway of Wurtsboro Hills, a homemaker, died Monday, March 24, 2003, at the Sullivan County Adult Care Center in Liberty. She was 95 years of age.
The daughter of the late John Michael and Bridget Dunn Kiernan, she was born June 10, 1907, in Manhattan. She was the widow of Francis Joseph Conway.
Mrs. Conway was a member of St. Joseph's Church in Wurtsboro.
She is survived by a son, Francis Joseph Conway Jr. of Hammondsport; a dear friend, Sandy Mulholland; a daughter-in-law, Muriel Conway of Pulteney; a niece, Claire T. Cirone of Wurtsboro Hills; three grandchildren, Bridget, William and Francis Joseph; and several great-grandchildren.
A Funeral Mass was offered Thursday at St. Joseph's Church in Wurtsboro with the Rev. Peter Madori officiating.
Burial was private.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Family Council of the Sullivan County Adult Care Center, P.O. Box 671, Liberty, N.Y. 12754.
Funeral arrangements were made by the VanInwegen-Kenny Funeral Home in Wurtsboro.

Alberta J. Caruso of Ellenville, a retired knife inspector for Imperial Schrade in Ellenville and a lifelong area resident, died Tuesday, March 25, 2003, at the Benedictine Hospital in Kingston. She was 73 years of age.
The daughter of the late Chauncey James and Florence Hill Cooke, she was born April 9, 1929, in Monticello. She was the widow of Joseph Caruso who died May 15, 1995.
She is survived by three sons, Joseph Caruso of Ellenville, Paul Caruso of Woodbourne and Chauncey Caruso of Ellenville; a daughter, Julia Caruso of Ellenville; seven grandchildren; three great-grandsons; a brother, Chauncey "Cricket" Cooke of Accord; three sisters, Jeanette Caruso of Pennsylvania, Frances Fiebelkorn of Accord and Eleanor Davis of the state of Florida; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at the Loucks Funeral Home, Route 209, Ellenville, with the Rev. Jay Vogelaar officiating.
Burial will be made in the Fantinekill Cemetery in Ellenville.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Benedictine Hospital, 105 Mary's Ave., Kingston, N.Y. 12401.

Denis A. Distel of Ellenville, a jeweler at D and D Jewelers of Ellenville and a lifelong area resident, died Monday, March 24, 2003, at St. Agnes Hospital in White Plains. He was 54 years of age.
The son of the late Leonard M. and Ann Mary Farrell Distel, he was born August 9, 1948, in Veterans Memorial Hospital in Ellenville.
Mr. Distel was a member of the Immaculate Conception Church in Woodbourne.
He is survived by a brother and sister-in-law, Leonard M. and Brenda Distel of Ulster Heights; a godson, Timothy Michael Distel; six cousins, Brian Cassidy of Charlotte, N.C., George Cassidy of San Francisco, Calif., Kenny and Sheila Distel and Bruce and Carol Distel, all of Ulster Heights; his companion, Debbie Fleischner of New York City; and a nephew, Andrew McCabe of Port Ewen.
Friends may call at the Loucks Funeral Home, Route 209, Ellenville, on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Route 42 Woodbourne.
Burial will be made in the Fantinekill Cemetery in Ellenville.
Memorial contributions may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Horton Rd., Slate Hill, N.Y. 10975, or to the Ellenville First Aid and Rescue Squad, 20 Webster St., Ellenville, N.Y. 12428.

A committal service will be held for Frances E. Lake of Monticello, who died November 15, 2002, on Sunday, March 30. Friends may gather at the Herbert C. Bryant Funeral Home, 29 Pearl St., Livingston Manor, at 1:15 p.m. and then proceed to the Orchard Street Cemetery, Livingston Manor, where committal and burial will be held with the Rev. Alex McLean officiating.

Pauline M. Scott of Florida, a former resident of Livingston Manor and a homemaker, died Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at St. Teresa's Nursing Home in Middletown. She was 100 years of age.
The daughter of the late Oscar Verne and Ida May Moxley Dyer, she was born January 28, 1903, in Kuttawa, Kty. She was the widow of Allen J. Scott who died 17 years ago.
It was said that "Pauline was a plucky lady who, at 17, was a barnstorming wing walker and parachute jumper, performing in Long Beach, Calif. She went on to live the quiet life of wife and mother but the spirit of the wing walker never deserted her."
During her 35 years as a resident of Las Vegas, Nev., she presided as Worthy Matron in 1956 of South Gate Chapter #18, Order of the Eastern Star, and was Worthy High Priestess in 1966 of Starlight Shrine #1 of the Order of White Shrine.
A resident of Sullivan and Orange counties since 1986, Mrs. Scott was a member of the Lew Beach United Methodist Church and the Lew Beach Helping Hands.
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Melanie Stewart of Bloomfield, Minn.; a daughter and son-in-law, Brenda and Julius Harburger of Florida, N.Y.; five grandchildren, Stephen, Paul and Jay Harburger, Mary Sue Rynecki and her husband, Nick, and Linda Park and her husband, Matt; a great-grandson, David Rynecki and his wife, Marcia; two great-great-grandchildren, Christopher Vickers Rynecki and Carter Vickers Rynecki.
A memorial service will be held at the Lew Beach Methodist Church in the month of May with the Rev. Kathryn Loizeaux officiating.
Burial will be made in the Lew Beach Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Beaverkill Valley Fire Company, 1524 Beaverkill Rd., Lew Beach, N.Y. 12758.
Funeral arrangements were made by the Herbert C. Bryant Funeral Home in Livingston Manor.

Douglas C. Garbarini of Bloomingburg, a retired employee of AT&T, died Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at his home. He was 86 years of age.
The son of the late Eugene and Pasqualina Costa Garbarini, he was born October 22, 1916, in Brooklyn.
A World War II Army veteran, he was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Brooklyn, and a member of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Bloomingburg.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara Stanton Garbarini, at home; a sister, Helen Pedalino of Brooklyn; three nephews, Marc Silvestri of Brooklyn, and Brian Nelson and Bert Nelson, both of Connecticut; and three nieces, Marilyn Pedalino of Brooklyn, Barbara Seelin of Long Island and Beth Soscia of Connecticut.
Friends may call at the VanInwegen-Kenny Funeral Home, 111 Sullivan St., Wurtsboro, on Friday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.
A Funeral Mass will be offered at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, High St., Bloomingburg, with Fr. Raymond Bagdonis, O. Carm., officiating.
Burial will be made in the Bloomingburg Rural Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Our Lady of the Assumption Church, P.O. Box 216, Bloomingburg, N.Y. 12721 or to the charity of one's choice.