Advertisement. Advertise with us

IN MEMORIAM: Ernest Sanders, 74;

Volunteered After Retiring From CP

Ernest L. Sanders

ONEONTA – Ernest L. “Ernie” “The Colonel” Sanders, 74, of Oneonta passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017, at Fox Hospital.

He was born March 10, 1943, in Oneonta the son of the late Leonard and Esther (Hall) Sanders, and graduated from Oneonta High School, Class of 1961. On Oct. 4, 1980, Ernie married Laura Conklin in Oneonta.

For many years he was a trackman and foreman for the D&H Railroad and later the Canadian Pacific.  He retired at age 60 in 2003.

Ernie enjoyed fishing, gardening and building stone walls and, in his younger years, working on old cars. He was a good story teller and would always joke about his unpublished book of facts. His favorite pastime was watching NASCAR and his favorite driver was Mark Martin.

In recent years, Ernie volunteered for Salvation Army, the Oneonta MS Walk and the American Red Cross blood drives. But he will be remembered most for his love of his family, including his dogs and cats.  Ernie and Laura were members of the Salvation Army Busy Bees and he was a member of the Army National Guard.

In addition to his loving wife of 37 years, he is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Kimberly (Fred)  Pearce-Schwed, Oneonta; son, Dennis O’Donnell, Norwich; two grandchildren, Olivia and Nathan Schwed, Oneonta; two sisters-in-law, Suzanne Sanders, East Kingston, N.H., and Madeline Hill (Kevin), Otego; nephew, Floyd E. Sanders, Jr. (Toni), Exeter, NH; 3 nieces, Laurie Roy (David), Epping, N.H., Shannon Hill, Laurens and Erin McBride (Jay), Oneonta and their families; brother-in-law, Edward Conklin (Cindy), Endicott and family; as well as numerous friends. He was predeceased by his brothers, Leonard Sanders, Floyd E. Sanders, Sr. and Harold Utter (Sharene).

Calling hours will be 6-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14, in the Bookhout Funeral Home, 357 Main St., Oneonta.  A service to celebrate his life will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15, at the funeral home  Inurnment will follow in the Sand Hill Cemetery, Wells Bridge.

Memorial donations may be made to the Susquehanna SPCA, 4845 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, New York 13326 or to the Oneonta Salvation Army, 25 River Street, Oneonta, New York 13820.

To light a candle or send an online condolence please visit www.bookhoutfuneralhome.com

Posted

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

SCOLINOS: It’s All We Need To Know: Home Plate 17 Inches Wide

COLUMN VIEW FROM THE GAME It’s All We Need To Know: Home Plate 17 Inches Wide Editor’s Note:  Tim Mead, incoming Baseball Hall of Fame president, cited John Scolinos, baseball coach at his alma mater, Cal Poly Pomona, as a lifelong inspiration, particularly Scolinos’ famous speech “17 Inches.” Chris Sperry, who published sperrybaseballlife.com, heard Scolinos deliver a version in 1996 at the American Baseball Coaches Association in Nashville, and wrote this reminiscence in 1916 in his “Baseball Thoughts” column. By CHRIS SPERRY • from www.sperrybaseballlife.com In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching…

Sports Can Resume, Superintendents Told

CLICK HERE FOR MEMO TO SCHOOLS Sports Can Resume, Superintendents Told COOPERSTOWN – In a memo released Friday evening, county Public Health Director Heidi Bond advised local school superintendents that sports can resume as early as Monday. “Effective Feb. 1, participants in higher-risk sports may participate in individual or distanced group training and organized no/low-contact group training,” Bond wrote, “…including competitions and tournaments, if permitted by local health authorities.”…

Piper Seamon Scores 1,000th point

1,000 THANKS! Piper Seamon 5th CCS Girl To Hit High Mark The Cooperstown Central student section erupts as Piper Seamon scores her 1,000th career point in the Hawkeyes’ 57-39 win over Waterville at home last evening. Seamon becomes the fifth girl and only the 14th player in school history overall to score 1,000 points.  Inset at right, Pipershares a hug with teammate Meagan Schuermann after the game was stopped to acknowledge her achievement. Seamon will play basketball next year at Hamilton College. (Cheryl Clough/AllOTSEGO.com)  …

Putting the Community Back Into the Newspaper

Now through March 30, new annual subscribers to “The Freeman’s Journal” and AllOtsego.com (or subscribers who have lapsed for two or more years) have an opportunity to help their choice of one of four Otsego County charitable organizations.

$5.00 of your subscription will be donated to the nonprofit of your choice:

Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Cooperstown Food Pantry, Greater Oneonta Historical Society or Super Heroes Humane Society.