Chenango Stories: Ed Sidote

By Jill Osterhout

Sun Staff Writer

Anyone who has ever met this 90-year resident of Norwich may ask themselves where all of his energy comes from.

From his two-mile walk in the morning to his continuous efforts and involvement with various clubs and organizations throughout the community, Edward Sidote never misses a beat.

Sidote was raised just down the street from where he resides today in the City of Norwich. He was raised by his mother after his father died after returning from World War I. His mother worked in the knitting mill in the area for 49 years. While attending Norwich High School, Sidote took up typing, which, following his high school years, came in handy as he headed off to war.

For the years leading up to World War II, Sidote worked in the office at the Norwich Borden Creamery, preparing shipping papers and later shipping. After graduation in 1935 from Norwich with a Regents diploma, Sidote enlisted in the Army in January of 1942 following Pearl Harbor. He was put to work in induction centers and overseas in medical supplies. His unit was preparing to land on Japanese beaches when the war was ended by the atomic bomb.

Following his Army tenure, Sidote came back to upstate New York and worked throughout the state for roughly 16 years. In the 1960s Ed’s mother became ill, and he decided Norwich would forever be his home. He owned a camp, which needed to be remodeled, and worked several years at Norwich Pharmaceutical. Sidote later would go into tax preparation for hundreds of clients in the area. When asked about the changes he has seen over time, Sidote said, “seeing the pharmaceutical plant transfer and close up was a real big change.”