----- Original Message ----- From: <mmills2725@aol.com> To: <NYALLEGA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, March 31, 2003 3:39 PM Subject: [NYAllega] Mary Crowley obit > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Surnames: Crowley, Raycraft (?) > Classification: Obituary > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/BUB.2ACI/5861 > > Message Board Post: > > Mary E. Crowley > > Mary E. CROWLEY passed away at her home near Fillmore, September 3rd, 1932, at the age of 71 years and following an illness of several months duration. The funeral, which was largely attended, was held Tuesday afternoon in the Fillmore M.E. Church, the Rev. C. H. NASH, pastor, officiating and she was laid to rest in Pine Grove cemetery beside her mother who died several years ago. Services at the grave were in charge of Aurora Chapter, O. E. S. of which lodge she was a charter member. > > In the death of Miss CROWLEY, not only this immediate community, but in an unbounded area, has lost its most noted educator and leader in civic and cultural affairs, and one whose influence as a teacher over a period of 43 years, will extend to future generations. > > Mary E. CROWLEY, the daughter of Charles and Catherine RAYCRAFT (?) CROWLEY, was born in Ireland and after the death of her father, came with her mother and brother to this country in 1862 and settled near Fillmore. The brother and sister attended the common schools and both went to the Geneseo Normal School. Her brother, Dennis D., who died about two years ago, was for many years a prominent physician in Oakland, California. > > After her graduation from Geneseo Normal School, Miss CROWLEY began teaching in the Dutch Hill district in 1879. Several terms were then taught in the Minard district and at Short Tract. Fourteen summers were spent in taking summer courses at Chautauqua.. Miss CROWLEY later taught at Lattice Bridge school and then at Hume, where she remained for five years. In the y ear of 1908, she accepted the position of preceptress(sp) of Fillmore High School. Retaining this position until 1917, she then became principal of the school and remained in that capacity until 1921. > > At that time, solicitude for her mother, whose health was failing, caused her to tender her resignation. Although she had so shaped her whole work that she could be at home as much as possible, driving a horse even after the advent of the automobile, to and from school, she felt that her teaching took her from home too much during the declining years of her mother's life. > > Fillmore High School, as did her other schools, made an excellent record under her leadership. After her mother's death, Miss CROWLEY lived alone at her pleasant home which she chose to call Riverlawn. > > In 1929, the first Crowley reunion of her former students was held in Fillmore, and the reunion was in one way a unique one, inasmuch as that as pupils of the same teacher, two generations of many families were present. This condition existed because of the fact that Miss CROWLEY had always taught in the same supervisory district, conducting in all only six different schools > > At the time of her death, Miss CROWLEY was president of the Wide Awake Club of Fillmore, which organization she was instrumental in organizing in 1895 and of which she had been president since it was founded. Her interest in the work of the Fillmore public library extended from the time it was founded to the close of her active career because of failing health. > > A member of the Board of Education of Fillmore High School for several years, she was elected president of that body but a few weeks before her death. She was also president of the Teacher's Association of the First Supervisory District of Allegany County. > > In addition to her duties as a teacher, in nearly every district in which she taught she inculcated an active interest among her pupils and others, in literary and educational matters (last part missing). > [Northern Allegany Observer obituary, transcribed by Louise Y. Mills, 2003, from Cora Lahr's scrapbooks, Fillmore, NY] > > > ==== NYALLEGA Mailing List ==== > To Unsub form NYAllega-L send a new email to NYAllega-L-request@rootsweb.com with the word unsubscribe in the subject line > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >