Mary L. Bobak Olmstead, 102, of Oriskany Falls, passed away Thursday, October 2, 2014 at the Katherine Luther Residential Healthcare Facility in Clinton.
She was born November 27, 1911 in Leechburg, PA, a daughter of Hungarian immigrants Joseph and Agnes Angelovich Bobak. Her family moved to Sperryville, NY in 1915 and Mary attended a one-room school until eighth grade. Early on, she had trouble learning English because her family spoke only Hungarian, but she persevered and became an excellent speller who went on to compete in the New York State Fair’s Spelling Bee in Lowville when she was in 7th grade. She completed her education at the Lowville Academy and left home for Syracuse where she worked at Woolworth’s. She met her future husband, Clifford J. Olmstead during a visit home while attending a dance at the Hungarian Hall in Greig. They married, bought a farm in Deansboro and started their family of eight children. Along with assisting her husband in the daily operation of their farm, she was a wonderful homemaker, and a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She was also an excellent seamstress whose creations won blue ribbons at county fairs. Clifford predeceased her on May 2, 1979 and Mary moved to Oriskany Falls in 1985.
Mary was a member of the American Legion Kelley Phillips Post #569 Auxiliary in Oriskany Falls and the Deansboro Home Bureau.
Surviving are her children, Gerald and Dawn Olmstead of Clinton; Stewart and Sue Olmstead, Kathleen and Peter Hughes, all of Deansboro; Joanne and Richard Billings, Donna and James Dowd, all of Oriskany Falls; a daughter-in-law, Pamela Olmstead of Louisville, KY; a sister, Elizabeth Western of Lowville; 18 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and great-great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by three sons, an infant Ronald, Ralph and Rudolph “Ike” Olmstead, a daughter-in-law, Mona Olmstead; two sisters, Julia Wilder and Agnes Anderson; and a brother, Joseph Bobak, Jr.
Funeral services will be held at 3pm Saturday, October 4, 2014 from the Burges & Tedesco Funeral Home (Kloster & Northrop Memorial Chapel), 210 E. Main St., Waterville, followed by interment in the Deansboro Cemetery.
Friends are invited to call at the funeral home on Saturday from 1-3pm prior to the service.
Contributions in her memory may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care, 4277 Middle Settlement Rd., New Hartford, NY 13413; or to the Oriskany Falls Fire Department.