Lydia A. Ivory

Born June 9, 1921 in Syracuse, Lydia was the daughter of Alfred and Myrtle See.

Lydia held a number of jobs during her early years in the Syracuse area, working for Smith Corona and GE amongst others. For most of her life, however, she was content with being a wife, mother, and grandmother. At the time of her passing she was the matriarch over 4 generations, and was particularly pleased to learn that her great-great grand daughter was named after her.

During her many years living in Homer, Lydia and her husband Edwin were active members of the Homer Baptist Church. She was an avid gardener during that period and could always be counted on for leaving zucchini and tomatoes on neighbors doorsteps during the middle of the night. Friends and family will remember her for having been an active animal lover for many years, often giving a caring home to dogs and cats with special needs.

Throughout her life, Lydia was always proud of her children and the families they formed, but she held a special place in her heart for two other members of her family. Her brother Gail was a medic during WWII who died during the invasion of Normandy, while her grandfather Omar Colegrove was a veteran of many battles in the Civil War. Lydia would make sure that there were flowers on their graves well into her 80's, and visited the sites as recently as this past summer. She is also predeceased by her brother Kermit.

Lydia made many friends living independently at the Friendship House in Cortland for the years after the death of her husband Ed in 1983. Most recently, as her health started to decline, she lived at the Presbyterian Residential Community in New Hartford, NY.

While her eldest son, Leon, passed away in 2008, Lydia is survived by her remaining six children and their families; Virginia Cox and her husband Jim of Belfast, NY; Carl Aldrich and his wife Delores of Charlotte, NC; Charlotte Markert and her husband John of Syracuse, who were from her early years in Syracuse, while John and his wife Tracy of New Hartford, NY; Gordon and his wife Teri of Cortland, and Joyce VanZile and her husband Jim of Elkton, MD; from Lydia's many years in Cortland County. At last count, Lydia also left behind over a dozen grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, November 16, 2012 at the Donald L. Barber Funeral Home, 5016 N. Main St., Homer, with Pastor Steve Thompson officiating. Interment will follow in Glenwood Cemetery, where Lydia will be laid to rest beside her beloved Edwin.

Calling hours will be held at the funeral home on Friday from 11 a.m. until the time of the funeral.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Lydia's name to either the Homer Fire Department Benevolent Association, PO Box 58, Homer, NY 13077 for the purchase of an AED or to the Friendship House Activity Fund, 13 Leon Ave., Cortland, NY 13045.