Flaubert and Point of View
At the Blessing of the Hounds, on the opening day of fox-hunting season, a Saturday (large horses sleekly groomed, men and women in red riding costumes seated on them or holding them by the bridle, a little girl less interested in the horses than in her friend across the road, as small as she is, almost small enough to walk right under the bellies of these tall horses, the duck or goose that can be heard in the occasional silence squawking in the brook down below the country store, the car that now and then approaches this congested small country square and then turns around as best it can, the two pug dogs held on a leash by an elderly woman who says that she has brought them to see the Blessing of the Hounds, the onlookers holding their coffee cups steaming in the cool early-morning air, the pack of hunting dogs milling about loose in the road, tightly controlled by the handler with her long whip, the speech of the Master of the Hounds and the silences as he pauses with bowed head between remarks, when the duck or goose can be heard squawking), I am reminded, at last, of Flaubert’s lesson concerning the singular point of view, not by the little girl interested mainly in her friend, the other little girl, or by the duck or goose interested only in whatever it is that is making it squawk down below in the brook, but by the two pug dogs, as they strain at their leashes to reach one particular spot on the ground, intent not on the horses, the riders, the speech of the Master of the Hounds, the hunting dogs, or the squawking duck or goose, but only on the yellowish-white dollops of foam that have dropped from the mouth of a high-spirited horse nearby onto the dark pavement and that are so strange to them and so fragrant.
Family Shopping
The plump, pretty younger sister is running out of the store. The thin, older sister is running after her. The pretty younger sister is carrying a bag of cheese twists. She had left the thin older sister behind in the store to pay for them.
“Give that to me!” says the older sister. “I’ll wring your neck!”
Local Obits
Helen loved long walks, gardening, and her grandchildren.
Richard founded his own business.
Anna later helped on the family farm.
Robert enjoyed his home.
Alfred enjoyed his best friends, which were his two cats.
Henry enjoyed woodworking.
Ed loved life and lived it to the fullest.
John enjoyed fishing and woodworking.
“Tootles” enjoyed puzzles of all kinds, painting items her husband built, and keeping in touch with family and friends via the computer.
Tammy enjoyed reading and bowling. She bowled in the Mixed League at the Barbecue Recreation Lanes.
Margaret enjoyed watching NASCAR, doing crossword puzzles, and spending time with her grandchildren.
Eva was an avid gardener, bird watcher, and also enjoyed reading and writing poetry. She loved entertaining.
Madeleine traveled extensively. She enjoyed painting, ceramics, bridge, golf, any card game, word search puzzles, gardening, coin and stamp collecting, and flower arranging. She loved visiting with friends both at camp and at the family home on Main Street.
Albert was an animal lover.
Jean, a special-ed aide, liked to crochet and knit.
Harold enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, and time spent with family.
Charlotte was an avid quilter, and also loved picking blueberries on her farm in Taborton.
Alvin was a skilled craftsman and gardener. He was also an avid sportsman, enjoying trout fishing, ice fishing, grouse and deer hunting. He was a member of the Ruffed Grouse Society.
Richard enjoyed his favorite hobbies of fishing and boating, and was a thirty-year member of the Hook Boat Club.
Sven, 80, a builder, was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Nordic Glee Club, and the American Union of Swedish Singers. He liked to travel, hunt, golf, and throw parties. He was most often found in his workshop building something.
Spencer poured his remaining years into milking cows and tilling the land. He always liked the smell of fresh-cut hay on a hot summer day. He loved the animals and seemed like he could live in the barn. He always spoke of the old days when the neighborhood was all farmers and how they would always lend a helping hand. Sons and nephews who worked with him found it hard to keep pace even though they were twenty to thirty years younger. He lived a full life, continuing to do tractor work on the farm even after it was sold.
He also enjoyed watching football in the fall, and always said Joe Montana was the best QB to play the game.
In later years, he liked to visit Stewart’s regularly with his brother Harold and watch the people. He had the gift of gab; with anyone who knew him or even didn’t know him, he would strike up an hour-long conversation.
Helena, 70, liked long walks.
Mrs. Brown was a registered nurse for thirty-two years. She was very fond of the nursing field.
Roxanna was an avid golfer and bowler, and loved crocheting and oil and watercolor painting.
Frederick was the owner of Half Moon Saloon for ten years and was a member of the Elks Lodge, where he served as past exalted ruler for a year.
Benjamin, 91, was a WWII vet and a brick mason.
Jessie, 93, worked at area factories in her younger years. She enjoyed gardening and bowling.
Anne, 51, enjoyed fishing and gardening.
Eleanor worked for Dandy Laundry and Cleaners for twenty-seven years and for local families in a domestic capacity.
Dick was meticulous in the care he gave to his home, yard, and automobiles.
Earlier in her career, Elizabeth, known as “Betty,” spent her free time with soldiers returning from the war—dancing, playing Ping-Pong, and talking. She sang in the church choir and served briefly as church treasurer.
Laura enjoyed playing cards, doing puzzles, and traveling.
Jeffrey enjoyed golfing and working on the family farm.
Stella was known for her love of cats.
Marion, 100, was a homemaker her entire life. She enjoyed playing cards at the Senior Center and going on her many trips to Colorado. She always looked for the good in people.
Nellie, 79, was employed at the former Snow White Laundry. She enjoyed playing bingo, doing jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with family. She is predeceased by a brother, eight sisters, and one boy she helped to raise.
John, 73, died suddenly after being stricken while driving in Grafton. He was an avid hunter who enjoyed farming.
Clyde, 90, served in the Navy during WWII and was a meat cutter by trade. He was a member of the American Legion, the Stephentown Fire Company, the Tamarac Twirlers, the Quadrille Square Dance Club, and the Albany Camera Club.
With regrets, Mary Ellen leaves behind her son James, her sister Theresa, her companion Rich, and her brother Harold. Anyone who knew her, knew her love for Tigger.
Elva, 81, attended the two-room schoolhouse in North Petersburgh.
Evelyn, 87, worked at Montgomery Ward in Menands and was also a waitress at the Crooked Lake Hotel. She enjoyed the horses at Saratoga and loved to sing and dance. Throughout the early part of her life, she often partnered with Billy Nassau at the Cat in the Fiddle Restaurant.
Linda Ann is also survived by her cat, Sable, and her dog, Socks. She will be remembered for her book collection, especially those written by her favorite author, Nora Roberts, and for her gifts to family and friends of pillowcases she embroidered. She will also be remembered for her extensive collection of elephant figurines.
Bernie, 86, was a member of the Derby Club, the Hoosick Falls Fire Department, the Hoosick Falls Rescue Squad, the Kiwanis, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Knights of Columbus, the Pioneer Fish and Game Club, and the Hoot ’n Holler Club. He was interested in fishing, hunting, gardening, and beekeeping.
Robert, 83, was predeceased by his wife, Anne, known as “Nancy.” He served in the U.S. Navy as a petty officer, third class, and was honored with a Victory Medal.
Alvin, 88, liked to fish, paint, garden, cook, and watch the Yankees.
Paul, 78, worked on county highways, was a member of the famed Keyser’s Softball Team, and loved to bowl and jitterbug with his sister Babe.
Virginia, 99, was a grandmother and church member.
Robert, 81, was an evening manager at the Grand Union.
Isabel, 95, was a mother and grandmother.
Donald was an inspiration to all.
Jerold, 72, cook and counselor, worked as a mover for many years and loved attending fairs, wandering country roads, “anything Vermont,” and playing Father Christmas.
Francis, 79, Korean War vet and soils expert, retired as drill supervisor. He was an avid sportsman and trivia whiz. He was a member of the American Legion, the Kinderhook Elks Lodge, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Tin Can Sailors-National Association of Destroyer Vets, the Men’s Club of Five Towns, the Saints Social Club, and the ROMEOs. His quick wit, easy smile, and legendary handlebar mustache will be sorely missed.
Margaret, 88, church member and Yankees fan, loved traveling with her late husband to engine and tractor shows all over the nation.
Betty, 81, secretary, enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren.
William, 81, had a passion for history and genealogy.
Gordon, 68, an avid hunter, died peacefully at the Firemen’s Home on Monday.
Ronald, 72, former fire chief and retired truck driver, was an avid duck hunter.
Ellen, 87, volunteered at the Amtrak Station Snack Bar.
Joseph, 76, peacefully fell asleep in death in the cool early morning of August 26. He was best known in the community as a master plumber, and until his death was an active member of the Federation of Polish Sportsmen. He loved his wife and family. He loved his thirty-five race horses, but loved one especially, his stallion Bright Cat, who died earlier this year.
Ida, 95, put friends and family first.
John, 74, a veteran, worked for the Thruway Authority.
Ruth, 85, was a passionate animal lover and wildlife observer.
Anne, 62, found joy in felines, especially her friends Daisy, Rigel, Grace, Luci, Celeste, and Smokey.
Ernest, 85, was a merchant marine during WWII, often sailing in enemy waters. He later worked as a welder and repairman, and enjoyed woodworking after his retirement.
Edwin, 94, left one daughter.
Diane, 60, was a beauty school grad and upholsterer.
James, 87, worked for many years as a laurel picker for Engwer Florist Supply of Troy. He loved gardening, canning, wine-making, and putting down a crock of green tomatoes or sauerkraut.
Dolores, 83, a seamstress, had a sense of humor. In her earlier days, she worked at the Kadin Brothers Pocketbook Factory.