OXFORD – Arthur P. Ives of Oxford, passed away Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010 at home after a struggle with A.L.S. and esophageal cancer.
He was born March 2, 1930, in Sherburne to Paris and Alta (Wade) Ives. On June 20, 1953, in Greene, he married Phyllis Cowles.
He is survived by his wife Phyllis; his three sons, Dale and Kathy Ives of New Berlin, Terrence and Julie Ives of Bainbridge, and Harold Ives and companion Patty Rolfe of Oxford; his grandchildren, Leslie Ives Hewitt and husband Danny, Anne, Jessica, Nathaniel, Gabriel, Caleb, Hannah, Noah, Emma, Melinda, Michael and Richard Ives and nine great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Albert (Judy) Ives of Bainbridge, and sisters Arlene (Bob) Jenks of Pueblo West, Colo., Joyce Starr-Cain of Bainbridge, Betty June (Al) Slawson of Tucson, Ariz., and Martha (Rick) Lavis of Phoenix, Ariz.
At a young age, the family moved to Guilford, and later relocated to the farm his grandfather and great-grandfather had farmed. Arthur graduated from Cornell University and began farming with his father and brother-in-law Bob. He was active in the Farm Bureau and helped to form the Farm Family Insurance Company, writing policy #1 for the company. In time he became an Agency Manager. Having a desire to own his own business he opened an Allis Chalmers equipment business in Oxford. This led to the opportunity to teach Agricultural Mechanics for 17 years at the Chenango BOCES. He retired from teaching to join his sons in forming Ives Hauling Milk Company. In later years Arthur ran a truck vehicle repair garage, until a year ago when his illness forced him into retirement.
He was a member of the United Church of Oxford and sang in the choir. He was a fifty year member of Oxford Lodge #175 F&AM and served as Master in 1967. He was a former Assistant Grand Lecturer of the Broome-Chenango District. He was a member and Past Potentate, in 1987, of Kalurah Shriners in Endicott, and was known for flying children to the Shriners’ Hospitals. He was a member of the Scottish Rite, Valley of Binghamton and a member of Lafayette Chapter #340, Order of the Eastern Star. He was a former regional Vice President of the National Agricultural Teacher’s Association. He was a member of the International Flying Farmers. He enjoyed traveling in his RV and the camping group that he was involved with. He was former member of the Guilford Fire Department.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the United Church of Oxford, 25 Main St., Oxford with the Rev. Allen C. Lang, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in Riverview Cemetery, Oxford.
Friends may call at the Behe Funeral Home, 21 Main St., Oxford on Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. A Masonic Service will be held on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners’ Hospitals for Children, c/o Kalurah Shriners, 625 Dickson St., Endicott, NY 13760, Hospice of Chenango County, 21 Hayes St., Norwich, NY 13815, or the United Church of Oxford, PO Box 566, Oxford, NY 13830.