MT. UPTON - Howard W. Ostrander Sr., 86, of Mt. Upton, passed away Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006 at Chenango Memorial Hospital, Norwich.
He was born the second of 8 children to the late Walter and Ruth (Kruger) Ostrander on Oct. 1, 1920 in Rockdale.
Howard attended a rural Rockdale School and the Mt. Upton Central School. He married Ruth Seely on Nov. 10, 1940 in Masonville. She predeceased him on Feb. 22, 1997.
He operated a dairy farm while maintaining employment at Scintilla in Sidney during WWII and through the 1950s and 60s. Howard continued to work for Bendix Corp. while operating Spencer Milk Co. until he retired in 1985.
Howard worked hard for his family and to make life better for others. He was involved in farm and union organizations and attended town and county board meetings. He was an advocate for all taxpayers by speaking and writing to local and state representatives urging them to limit government spending and taxation. He was a past president of the IAM&AW and was one of the first members of the Credit Committee for the Sidney Federal Credit Union. He was a past officer for the Eastern Milk Producers. Howard felt fortunate to have his family live near by and will be missed by all of them.
Howard is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law, Charlene and Don LaFever of Norwich, Rosann and Richard Banner of Sidney and Veleda and Clifford Banta of Unadilla; two sons and daughters-in-law, Howard and Deb Ostrander, Jr. of Mt. Upton and Mark and Erin Ostrander of Port Leyden; a special friend, Georgiana Merwin and her family of Trout Creek; 15 grandchildren, Jon French, Jim French, Wendy Harmon, Julie Lanfair, Barbara Pierce, James Banta, Sr., Jeremiah Ostrander, Joshua Ostrander, Jessica Ostrander, Christopher Ostrander, RuBea Ostrander, Matthew Ostrander, Shelby Markham, Delaney Markham and Jasdon Levonsailor; 19 great-grandchildren; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Donald Ostrander of Michigan and Florida and Carroll and Phyllis Ostrander of Mt. Upton along with many nieces and nephews.
He was also predeceased by two sons, Glenn and Kevin Ostrander; a son-in-law, Ronnie French; a great-granddaughter, Logan Harmon; a brother, Kenneth Ostrander and three sisters, Thelma Peck, Pauline Partridge and Luella Puffer.
Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel, 21 Main St., Sidney. Funeral services will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at the funeral chapel. Burial will follow in Maplewood Cemetery, Mt. Upton.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Rockdale Community Church or the American Heart Association or the Trout Creek Community Church.
Arrangements by C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel, Sidney.