Obituary of Eleanor May Chase

Eleanor May Chase "Ellie", 84, of Addison Back Road, Tuscarora, went to be with her Lord on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 on the same farm which she was born, with her family by her side. Ellie was born on September 6, 1929 in Tuscarora the daughter of the late Arthur and Rose Nichols Cornell. Her family moved to Buffalo when she was young and she grew up there, graduating from the Buffalo Vocational Girls School. On September 24, 1949, Ellie and Gerald "Gib" Chase were married in Buffalo. She returned to Tuscarora and raised her family there. Ellie worked in secretarial work her adult life, as well as assisting in the operation of the Chase Poultry Farm. She was employed in secretarial positions at various places including Ingersoll Rand, Corning Glass Works, Town of Erwin and the Steuben County Public Health Nursing Service. She worked for many years for the Steuben County Nursing Facility in Bath where she retired after 11 years. Ellie was a long time member of the Tuscarora Baptist Church where she had been a Sunday School teacher. She was also a member of the Ladies of the Valley Quilt Guild. She truly enjoyed quilting, sewing, writing poetry, playing piano and downhill skiing. Ellie had also been a volunteer at Tuscarora Elementary School in Addison. She and Gib loved to round and square dance and were honorary members of the Champagne Whirlaways Square Dance Club. They together belonged to the Freeman and Addison Grange chapters and attended Woodhull Community Friends senior citizens group and loved to travel. Ellies's greatest pleasure came from spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Surviving is her husband of 64 years, Gerald Chase of Addison, her children and their spouses, Jerry & Judy Chase of Addison, Susan & Robert Nichols of Addison, Jeffery & Mary Chase of Charleston, SC, Steven Chase & Lynda Shupert of Fayetteville, NC and Joseph G. Chase of Addison, her grandchildren, Kelly Conklin, Jared Chase, Pamela Carpenter, Carolyn McPhail, Jonathon Pearce, Melanie Collier, Dan Nichols, Karen McNeill, John Nichols, Laura Thompson, John Chase and Patricia Radcliff, 23 great grandchildren, her siblings, Helen (Neil) Lewis of Buffalo, Arthur (Gloria) Cornell Jr. of Holland, NY, Shirley Wright of Batavia and Rosemary Ferraro of Simpsonville, NC and her canine pal Rocky. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Ellie was preceded in death by her sister, Jean Golding and her brother, Kenneth Cornell. Friends may call on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 6-8 PM and again on Friday from noon to 2 PM at the Tuscarora Baptist Church, Cook Road, Tuscarora. Funeral services will be conducted there on Friday at 2 PM with Pastor Rollin Howard officiating. Burial will be in Addison Rural Cemetery. Memorials may be made in Ellie's name to the Alzheimer's Assoc., the American Cancer Society or Tuscarora Baptist Church. Service: Friday, October 18, 2013 2:00 PM Tuscarora Baptist Church Tuscarora, NY Visitation: Thursday, October 17, 2013 6-8 PM Friday, October 18, 2013 Noon to 2 PM Tuscarora Baptist Church Tuscarora, NY