Obituary of Eleanor Friends

Eleanor Friends, 95, of Woodhull, NY, passed away at home surrounded by her loving family on Monday morning, December 7, 2020. Born in Jasper, NY on November 18, 1925, Eleanor was the daughter of the late Eldred L and Ethel E. (Jackson) Drake. Raised in Jasper, Eleanor attended Jasper schools and was a 1943 graduate of Jasper Central School. Following high school during the height of World War II, Eleanor was employed at Eclipse in Elmira. On April 12, 1946, she and Milford “Shorty” E. Friends were married in Elmira. They made their home in Woodhull and raised their family there. Shorty passed away on December 28, 2015 after sharing 69 years together as husband and wife. Eleanor was a stay at home Mom and homemaker. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Woodhull where she served as church treasurer for 14 years. Eleanor was a member and Past Matron of former Woodhull Chapter of OES. She was also a charter member of the Woodhull Ambulance Assoc. Surviving Eleanor are her children, Vicki and Jim Schooley of the Villages, FL, Steve and Kathy Friends of Woodhull, Denny and Marlene Friends of Woodhull and Joni and Mark Payne of Woodhull, her grandchildren, Troy (Tammy) Terry, Tracy (Robert) Kirkpatrick, Scott Friends, Stacie (Bill) Zaidel, Brandon Friends (Shealyn McKee), Brock (Lynna) Friends, Devan (Anthony) Sufra, Briannyn Payne, Brady Payne, Kimberly (Amanda) Schooley and Casey Schooley, many great grandchildren, her sister, Pauline Stanford of Hornell, her brother in law and sister in law, Dick and Anita Friends of Arkport and many nieces and nephews. Besides her husband Shorty, Eleanor was preceded in death by her brothers, Dale Drake and Donald Drake and by her sister, Thelma Hunt. A private funeral service will be held at the H.P. Smith & Son Funeral Home in Woodhull, NY at the convenience of the family with Pastor Brian Diffenbacher officiating. Burial will follow in Woodhull Cemetery. Memorial donations are suggested for the Woodhull Community Church.