QUEENSBURY – Carol H. (Foote) Mears, 90, of The Glen at Hiland Meadows, Queensbury died Sunday, May 8, 2016 at The Stanton Nursing & Rehabilitation Centre in Queensbury.
Born August 14, 1925 at the farm home in the Durkeetown section of the Town of Fort Edward, she was the youngest daughter of Chester and Edna (Harsha) Foote. She always felt fortunate to have lived on progressive dairy farms where she could assist in the family business.
Carol attended the rural district #5 school and the Durkeetown Baptist Church, later the site of her wedding, all within a mile of her home. She enjoyed the one-room schoolhouse of 10 students and one teacher for the elementary grades, and then the Fort Edward Junior and Senior High School, where she graduated at 15 years of age as class valedictorian.
Carol was active in the Washington County 4-H program and was awarded a 10-day trip to the 1942 National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 1946 in mathematics and science while dually enrolled in Liberal Arts and the School of Education at Syracuse University. Carol played French horn in the University’s marching band. Following graduation, she taught secondary mathematics at the Mexico Academy and Central School in Mexico, NY for two years.
On April 2, 1949 Carol married her husband of 67 years, William H. Mears of Kingsbury. They lived on the Mears family farm until 1957, when they moved to their own dairy farm on East Road in Fort Edward.
Carol was active with her husband, Bill in the Hudson Falls Baptist Church, and later in the Durkeetown Baptist Church, and in several farm organizations, especially the Tri-County Holstein Club and Washington County Farm Bureau Women. The dispersal sale of the registered Mears Meadows Holstein herd was held in 1985, and the farm was sold in divisions in 1999, the 50th year of their marriage. As a couple they visited several of the national parks, Hawaii and many of the other states, as well as Canada and the British Isles. They then retired to their “first apartment” located in Queensbury. For the last several years they have been members of the Pine Knolls Alliance Church in South Glens Falls.
Carol especially enjoyed being a homemaker, mother and grandmother. Photography, Bible studies and flower gardens were long time interests. She was an officer of the Glens Falls-Lake George Christian Women’s Club when it was established locally in 1975, and continued to be an active member for almost 30 years. She also assisted with the activities of the Fort Hudson Auxiliary at the Fort Hudson Health Center.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by an infant daughter (Susan) at birth in 1950 and her sisters, Margaret Labosier in 2003 and Adaline Savage in 2013.
Besides her husband, William Mears, she is survived by four daughters and their families, Margaret (Peg) Godin and her husband, Mark of South Hamilton, MA and their children, Maggie and her husband, Anthony and son , Ezekiel of Pasadena, CA and Jonathan of Seattle, WA; Marcia Etu and her deceased husband, Dr. Paul Etu of Winchester, VA and their family, Eric Etu and his wife, Liza and daughter, Sabine of Walnut Creek, CA, Joshua Etu and his wife, Sarah and their children Julia, William and Brendan of Fredricksburg, VA, and Nathan Etu of Glens Falls, NY; Sally Dawson and her husband, Allen of Hernadon, VA and her daughter, Rebecca Seifried of Boston, MA; and Amy Teitsch and her husband, John of Wynantskill and her son, Alexander Mears as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews.
Friends may call on Saturday from 12 Noon to 2 p.m. at the Carleton Funeral Home, Inc., 68 Main Street in Hudson Falls.
A Memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m. at the funeral home on Saturday, following the calling hours.
The family suggests that memorial donations be made to the charity of one’s choice.
