George Edgar Drake (12-4)

2. George’s birth: 24 October 1925 at home on the family farm about two miles from Evans Mills and one mile from LeRaysville on what is now Route 26 in the Town of LeRay, Jefferson County, New York.

George’s death: Sunday, 3 July 2005, age 79, at home on LeRay Street in Evans Mills, Jefferson County, New York complications of congestive heart failure, aggravated by emphysema; interred Sanford Corners Cemetery, Calcium, Jefferson County, New York.

3. George’s formal education:

From	To	School Name, Location, Diploma/Degree
1930	1932	LeRaysville Elementary School, LeRaysville, Jefferson County, New York; twice failed 1^st grade (see other notes, below).
1932	1937	Evans Mills Elementary School, Evans Mills, Jefferson County, New York.
1937	1941	Evans Mills High School, Evans Mills, New York.
1941	1943	Union Academy of Belleville, Belleville, Jefferson county, New York.

4. George’s military Service: Volunteered to serve in World War II, but some lingering paralysis from having had polio as a child disqualified George from military service during World War II.

5. George’s marriage:

a. To whom: Evelyn Tempa Gardner (photos) (more info)

“Evie”

SSN: 094-20-8878

(1) Evie’s birth: Sunday, 18 July 1926 (7¼ lb, 21 inches) at home on the family farm at Gardnerville, Town of LeRay, Jefferson County, New York.

Evie’s death: At home, Saturday, 21 January 1989, age 62, from complications of a multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow), which she fought for 9 years and required 132 blood transfusions and chemo-therapy for years; was also diabetic and hypertensive; interred 24 January with a large number of her Gardner ancestors in the Sanford Corners Cemetery, Calcium, Jefferson County, New York. Funeral at the Evans Mills United Methodist Church with Reverend Colin Kerr-Carpenter presiding.

(2) Evie’s parents: Elwood Lawrence and Ruth Evelyn (Bennett) Gardner of Evans Mills, Jefferson County, New York.

(3) Evie’s formal education:

From	To	School Name, Location, Diploma/Degree
1931	1943	Evans Mills High School. State Diploma.
1943	1945	New York State Agricultural and Technical Institute, Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York; graduated Jan 1945 with an associates degree majoring in hospital dietetics.
1945	1945	Methodist Hospital, 6 7^th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York; internship in advanced dietetic training starting 1 August 1945.

(4) Evie’s employment history:

From	To	Employer, Location, Job Title
		Lake Placid Company, Lake Placid Club, Essex County, New York. (was there in 1943)
1945	1945	Onondaga Sanatorium, Onondaga, New York (there on 30 Jan 45).
1945	1946	Methodist Hospital, 6 7^th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. Trainee and Staff Dietician.
1946	1947	New York State Department of Mental Hygiene, St Lawrence State Hospital, Ogdensburg, New York; Head Dietician. Engaged to George E. Drake while in this capacity.
1947	1951	Evans Mills High School. Initiated the first lunch program there and served as “Cafeteria Manager.” Also organized first Home Economics classes taught there.
1951	1964	Leave of absence to raise her children.
1964	1882	Indian River Central High School (which opened 1957); Cafeteria Manager. Retired due to ill health.
1982	1989	Retired

(5) Evie’s residences before marriage:

From	To	Addresses
		Resided with her parents on the family farm on the Gardnerville Road about 3 miles outside Evans Mills, Jefferson County, New York.
		Lake Placid, New York in 1943
		519 8^th Avenue, Brooklyn 15, New York.

(6) Evie’s organizational affiliations:

From	To	Organization, place in it
		Evans Mills United Methodist Church
		United Methodist Women
		Order of the Easter Star, Evans Mills Rebekah Lodge # 641/164. Matron for a term, and later, Noble Grand Matron.
		Evans Mills Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary
		Girls Scouts of America. Leader.

(7) Other biographical notes on Evie:

(a) Evie was named for her two grandmothers, Evelyn (Horner) Bennett and Tempa (Waful) Gardner.

(b) Evie frequently put her culinary education and experience to work creating complex, ornate wedding cakes for a number of people. For instance, she created the 50^th wedding anniversary cake for her parents-in-law, Almond Henry and Roxanna (Cool) Drake.

b. When & where married: Monday, 25 August 1947 at the Evans Mills United Methodist Church, Le Ray Township, Jefferson County, New York. Evelyn’s uncle, Reverend Erwin Bennett, officiated. Of interest, George’s grandmother, Anna K. (Brown) Cool, and his mother, Roxanna (Cool) Drake, hosted a wedding shower for Evie on 21 August at the Cool residence.

d. Children:

(1) Cynthia Lou Drake: Born 1951.

(2) Kevin Douglas Drake: Born 1954.

(3) Patricia Lynn Drake: Born 1956.

6. George’s employment history:

From	To	Employer, location, job title

1945		Borden Milk Products plant, Evans Mills, Jefferson County, New York; machine operator. Engaged to Evelyn Gardner while in this capacity.
	1958	Hathaway Bakeries, Watertown, Jefferson County, New York; truck driver/delivery man.
1958	1987	GLF Corporation (changed name to Agway Feed Company in 1968), Evans Mills, Jefferson county, New York; worked in feed store until early 1960s; then delivered grain to farmers from the grain mill in Evans Mills.
1987	2005	Retired.

7. George’s addresses:

From	To	Address
1925	1941	Living with parents on family farm about 1 mile outside LeRaysville toward Evans Mills on what is now Route 26, Le Ray Township, Jefferson County, New York.
1941	1945	Living with parents on family farm at Ikes Crossing (Taylor Settlement Road) between Adams and Belleville, Jefferson County, New York.
1945	2005	8526 LeRay Street, Evans Mills, Le Ray Township, Jefferson County, New York 13637 in a house he and Evelyn purchased from the estate of Evelyn’s paternal grandmother, Tempa Lydia (Waful) Gardner, for $3,000.

8. George’s organizational affiliations:

From	To	Organization, offices held
1945	1965	Methodist Men’s Brotherhood; President.
1945	2005	Evans Mills Methodist Church, Evans Mills, Jefferson County, New York; President of Board of Trustees; sang in choir while physically able.
1959	1963	Boy Scots of America; Cub Scout Master.
1947	1989	Evans Mills Volunteer Fire Department, eventually becoming President and Chief of Fire Policy; chosen as Fireman of the Year in 1992.
1947	1995	Pisgah # 720 of Free and Accepted Masons, Evans Mills. Master (1956, 57, 73) and Director of Ceremonies (1976) for local lodge; District Deputy Grand Master for the Jefferson & Lewis County Districts (1982).
1974	2005	Pisgah Chapter # 164 Order of the Easter Star (OES), Evans Mills; Patron (10 times), District Grand Lecturer in 1993.

9. Other biographical notes on George:

a. George had a twin brother, Lorenzo Dow Drake.

b. For reasons that aren’t clear, George, who started elementary school on time with his twin brother, Lorenzo, twice failed 1^st grade at the LeRaysville Elementary School. His parents were frustrated by the situation and suspected the LeRaysville teacher was part of the problem. They decided to find out if George was that slow or, rather, there was something else wrong, so they moved George to the Evans Mills Elementary School. That meant paying tuition for George at Evans Mills and providing transportation for him to Evans Mills through 6^th grade. George had no further problems in school, but he remained two years behind his twin brother, Lorenzo. When Lorenzo graduated at Belleville High School in 1941, George decided to drop out of school. He subsequently earned a general educational development (GED) credential, certifying that he had achieved high school-level academic skills. George’s parents always blamed the LeRaysville Elementary School teacher for this problem, and when it came time for their daughter, Agnes, to go to elementary school, they sent her to Evans Mills.

c. In October 1952 George was elected President of the Evans Mills Brotherhood Organization.

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