EARLVILLE – Anna Pearl Leete, 92, passed away June 2, 2009. Anna loved her family, her Lord and her church, her students and teaching. She obtained her Undergraduate and Masters of Education degrees from Cortland State University. She also studied at Boston University, Northwestern University and completed 50 credit hours toward her Doctorate. Her first teaching position was in a one-room school house in North Brookfield in 1940.
Anna retired in 1972 from the Sherburne-Earlville School district. She was an elementary supervisor in the Hamilton School district for about 10 years, and was a reading specialist. Anna was also involved with BOCES.
Among her interests and hobbies were traveling and collecting beautiful specimens of rocks. She traveled all over the country collecting a variety of stones which she displayed and spoke about to various groups. She made jewelry from some of the types of stones. As recently as January of this year, she displayed her rocks to students in the BOCES program in Morris.
Anna (“Annie” to many) was exceptionally compassionate and gifted with mentoring skills. She was loved by her friends and family and will be greatly missed.
Annie was deeply involved with her church family at the Earlville First Baptist Church. She was active with the American Baptist Women, a member of the Board, a member of the White Cross, and at one time was the Superintendent of the Board of Christian Education.
Anna loved genealogy and spent the last several years researching her family history, and e-mailing family and friends.
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Lola Leete; nieces and nephews: Arthur Lyon, Arlene Lyon-Blood, Archie Lyon, Alice Lyon, Daniel Leete, Patricia Leete Sensinger, and several great and great-great nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her mother, Rosa Pearl Bidwell Leete on January 17, 1966, her father, Merton Almond Leete on Jan. 25, 1991, her brother, Charles Merton Leete on Nov. 10, 1994, and her sister, Lillian May Lyon on Jan. 28, 2007.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday from the First Baptist Church, Earlville, followed by interment in the Earlville Cemetery.
Friends are invited to call at the Burgess & Tedesco Funeral Home, 3 Preston St., Earlville, on Friday from 4-7 p.m.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the First Baptist Church, Stained Glass Window Fund, PO Box 127, Earlville, NY 13332; or to the Earlville Fire Department, PO Box 37, Earlville, NY 13332.