Franklin L. Bartle
WWII Firecontrolman, 87

Franklin L. Bartle, a seventy-two year resident of Eldred, died on March 22, 2008, after a long illness. He was 87.
Born in Hornell, the son of the late Percy and Emily Bartle, he is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Lee Addabbo Bartle; a son and daughter-in-law, Howard and Linda Bartle of Sterling, a daughter and son-in-law, April and Bruce Bidwell of Narrowsburg, a son, Thomas of San Pablo, Calif.; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren; a sister, Mary Lackermann of Monticello and a brother, Fred Bartle of Charlottesville, Va.; nieces and nephews.
In 1946, Franklin literally and physically built his own house, and it remained his home for his entire life. He dug the cellar with a pick, shovel and wheelbarrow. He laid the cinder block foundation and walls, did all the carpentry work including the roof, built the fireplace, and, in time, faced the exterior with cut stone from the family quarry. Lee, a city girl, confounded the notion of urban construction innocence, by making her own substantial contributions to the project.
Franklin, predicting American involvement in World War II, joined the U.S. Navy in 1940. He served as a firecontrolman on three destroyers both in the Atlantic, where he experienced military action against German submarines well before Pearl Harbor, and in the South Pacific. The ships he was aboard were awarded a total of eleven battle stars. He was a crew member of the U.S.S. Haraden when it was struck by a Japanese suicide airplane on December 14, 1944. Fourteen shipmates were killed, more wounded, but the ship did not sink. After a four month layover for repairs, it returned to the war. Separation from the Navy in 1946 did not separate him from a painful sensitivity to war’s destructiveness.
During his lifetime, he suffered from and survived several major illnesses. His bone crushing handshake did not weaken until his final illness. He was at times wonderfully funny, quirkily iconoclastic, fiercely independent, affectedly curmudgeon like, unfailingly loyal, and at times incorrigibly stubborn. Among his hobbies was the creation of wooden miniature art objects and whimsical animals of his own design. His sometimes gruff exterior melted when he listened to operatic or ballet music. The poet Frost could have had Franklin in mind when he referred to a man who “was a decent product of life’s ironing out.”
Consistent with his own sense of privacy, services will be private.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Emil J. Johnson
Ret. Counterperson

Emil J. Johnson, of Youngsville, a retired counter person at Warren Mall Plumbing & Hardware, Jeffersonville, died on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at Achieve Rehab and Nursing Center, in Liberty. He was 86.
Born to Gustave Emil and Margaret Ann Gilson Johnson on October 29, 1924 in Tarrytown, he was a United States Navy Veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his children, Warren Johnson and his wife, Andrea, of Jeffersonville; Doreen Johnson of New Paltz; Lynn Semenetz and her husband, Gary, of Whitestone; Kim Klein and her husband, Jim, of Youngsville; and Douglas Johnson and his wife, Nancy, of Liverpool; as well as 14 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
Friends may call on Sunday, March 30 at Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home in Jeffersonville, from 2 to 5 p.m. Funeral services will be held at the funeral home on Monday, March 31, at 11 a.m.
Father Ignatius Vu will officiate.
Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, in Youngsville.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.

David R. Smalley
ARC Coordinator, 57

David R. Smalley of Cobleskill, formerly of Monticello died Saturday, March 22, 2008 at home with his family at his side. He was 57.
He was born December 8, 1950 in Ithaca, the son of Ralph R. and Dorothy (Smith) Smalley, who survive him. He had moved back to Cobleskill in January of 2008 from Monticello due to his illness.
David was a member of the 1969 graduating class of the former Cobleskill Central School, where he was active in sports. He continued his education receiving a Bachelors of Science degree in Physical Education at SUNY Brockport, an Associate’s degree in Business Administration from SUNY Cobleskill, and a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration at SUNY Fredonia. David was employed as program coordinator for Schoharie County ARC, and then in the same capacity at Sullivan County ARC. Later he became the Medicaid Service Coordinator for Sullivan County ARC. During his career he also taught physical education at Crystal Run Village Inc. in Fallsburg. He was a member of the Cobleskill United Methodist Church. David was an avid sports enthusiast and had a great concern for environmental issues and wildlife protection.
Along with his parents, survivors include his sister, Patricia (Stuart) Chandler of Cobleskill; a brother, Timothy (Barbara) Smalley of Athens, Ga.; three nephews, Daniel (Amy) Eldredge of Saratoga, Logan Smalley of Cambridge, Mass., and Benjamin Smalley of Athens, Ga.; a niece, Suzanne Czechowski of Cobleskill; two grandnephews, Austin and Lucas Czechowski, both of Cobleskill, and a grandniece, Brooke Czechowski of Cobleskill.
Friends may call from 2 to 3 p.m., Sunday, at the funeral home prior to the service.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 30, at Mereness-Putnam Funeral Home, 171 Elm St., Cobleskill with the Rev. Pam Mikel Hayes of the Cobleskill United Methodist Church officiating.
Inurnment will be in Cobleskill Rural Cemetery at the family’s convenience.
Memorial contributions may be made to Sullivan County ARC, 162 E. Broadway, Monticello, NY 12701 or Catskill Area Hospice Hope Foundation, 327 W. Main St. Suite 3, Cobleskill, NY 12043.