Charlotte M. Heaney

Charlotte died on Friday, December 7, 2012 at the AO Fox Memorial Hospital after a valiant battle with pneumonia.

She was born in Ramapo, NY on July 5, 1922, the daughter of Russell B. and Margaret (Baisley) Secor. She married Leslie W. Heaney on September 8, 1940 and he predeceased her on September 27, 1984. She and her husband built their own home on Gay Brook Road in North Franklin in 1953. It was her pride and joy.

Charlotte was a fiercely independent and hardworking woman who was the ultimate homesteader. She took pride in living off the land by farming, fishing and gardening. She was a member of the North Franklin Grange. Many a person will remember her out in the fields with her scythe. She canned her own vegetable, jams and jellies. She made maple syrup, kept chickens and cows, and loved animals of all kinds. She sewed her own clothes, loved to bake and had an inquisitive mind.

She leaves behind the legacy of her huge giving heart, her loving goodness and kindness. A stranger was just a friend she hadn’t met yet. She loved nothing better than to sit around her kitchen table with family and friends, visiting, sharing a homemade meal and stories about her life. The house was filled with laughter and joy. She would always say “This is the place”. She will be sorely missed, leaving a huge hole in our hearts.

She is survived by two sons, William (Cynthia ) Heaney of North Franklin, Richard ( Judy ) Heaney of Masonville; her three grandsons, Brian, Craig and Evan Heaney; her two granddaughters, Amanda (Ed) Heaney-Smith and Alison Heaney; three step-grandchildren, Joanne Bourgeois, John Bourgeois and Dorothy McKee; a great grandson, Nevada of Bainbridge; her brother, Dewain Secor of Montgomery; sister-in-law, Kay Secor of New City; four nieces, Pam Secor of New City, Kim Farkas of Nanuet, Patty Finecal of Middletown and Shirley Peterson of North Carolina.

She was predeceased by her parents, her husband, two brothers, Henry and Russell and a sister, Julia.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 1 pm in the Kenneth L. Bennett Funeral Home, 425 Main Street, Franklin. Burial will follow in the Ouleout Valley Cemetery, Franklin.

Friends may call on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 from 5 to 7 pm at the funeral home.

Donations in Charlotte’s memory may be made to the Franklin Fire Department or Emergency Squad, 351 Main Street, Franklin, NY 13775.

Condolences to the family may be made online by visiting our website: www.bennettfh.com.

Arrangements are by the Kenneth L. Bennett Funeral Home, Franklin.