NORWICH – Kenneth A. Oralls, 86, of Norwich, passed away Saturday morning, April 11, 2009, in the Valley View Manor Nursing Home where he had made his home for the past several years.
Ken was born in Sidney, the son of Alec and Myrtle Tymeson Oralls, in October of 1922. He grew up in the Unadilla, Guilford and Oxford areas, where he attended the local schools. On May 17, 1952, he married Julia Armondi, who passed away March 8, 2003. He had owned and operated a farm in the Oxford area and eventually went to work for the New York State Highway Department for over 20 years, from which, he retired. Ken had a true love for pulling ponies, which he enjoyed over the years, and he was an avid bowler.
Ken was always comforted and proud of the fact that as a young boy, at the age of 12, he lived next door to his wife Julia when she was born. Soon after her birth, he visited one day, and when he saw her, he told her parents that someday he would marry her, which he did. Years later, Ken wrote a song to commemorate the day she was born and sang it to her on their anniversary.
Ken is survived by his children: Rosemary (Donald) Green of Vestal; Kittie (David) Bush of Ogdensburg; Charles Oralls of Missolula; MO, Dale (Brenda) Oralls of Greene; Marjorie (Guy) Elwood of Beaver Meadow and Beth Edridge of Fla.; his sisters: Bertha Orr of Preston; Catherine Braisted of Binghamton and Joyce (Ralph) VanWormer of Norwich. Also surviving are 15 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, his sister-in-law Alberta Oralls of Oxford and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Besides his wife Julia, Ken was predeceased by his brother Ralph Oralls.
Funeral services for Ken will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday from the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home. Interment will be at a later date in the J.D. Lewis Cemetery of Preston. Friends may call from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at 11 on Thursday at the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home.
Please consider memorial contributions to Valley View Manor Nursing Home, 40 Park Street, Norwich, NY 13815.