Donald Dow Cool

Donald’s death: 15 August 1988 at the Saratoga Springs Hospital, Saratoga Springs, New York (or at least pronounced there), from complications of a heart attack while mowing his yard; interred 18 August 1988 in the Ernest Bowman plot in the Adams Rural Cemetery, Adams, Adams Township, Jefferson County, New York. Donald also had diabetes, which probably contributed to his heart condition.

3. Donald’s formal education:

From	To	School Name, Location, Diploma/Degree
1916	1924	LeRaysville Grammar School, LeRaysville, LeRay Township, Jefferson County, New York.
1924	1928	Evans Mills High School, Evans Mills, LeRay Township, Jefferson County, New York; played baseball and basketball.
1928	1929	Watertown School of Commerce, Watertown, Jefferson County, New York; secretarial course.

4. Donald’s marriage:

a. To whom: Margaret Maria Bowman (photos) (more info)

“Molly”

(Maria was pronounced "Mariah")

(1) Margaret’s parents: Ernest Felt and Laura Lovica (Loadwick) Bowman of Pleasant Street Road, LeRaysville, Jefferson County, New York.

(2) Margaret’s birth: 3 September 1913 on the family farm outside LeRaysville, Jefferson County, New York.

Margaret’s death: Thursday, 19 February 2004 (age 90) at Mount Trace Nursing Home, Silva, North Carolina; interred Adams Rural Cemetery, Adams, Jefferson County, New York.

(3) Margaret’s formal education:

From	To	School Name, Location, Diploma/Degree
1918	1925	A country grammar school (1^st thru 8^th grades) in LeRay Township outside the Village of LeRaysville (she was the 3^rd generation of her family to attend that school). She walked to school for several years, then had a bicycle.
1925	1930	Evans Mills High School (9^th thru 12^th grades); 15 members of her freshman class, 11 in her sophomore class, and 6 in her graduating class.
1930	1931	St Lawrence University, Canton, St Lawrence County, New York; could not afford more than 1 year of study. She came home in May 1931.

(4) Margaret’s addresses before & after marriage:

From	To	Address
1913	1930	Resided with her parents on the family farm outside LeRaysville, LeRay Township, Jefferson County, New York.

	2004	Ensly Adult Care Home, 505 Rocking Cove Road, Sylvia, North Carolina 28779.

(5) Other biographical notes on Margaret:

(a) Margaret in Jan 1997: "Don and I were sweet hearts off and on in high school…. I received my engagement ring on my birthday, 9-3-31. That fall we planned to be married in April when Don would be 21. George and Ruth [Don's brother & sister-in-law] came for Dad and Mother Cool's 25^th anniversary and wer disappointed we didn't get married while they were here. They said they couldn't come back in April because of the expense and Ruth was also teaching. The four of us went to a basketball game and they suggested several times we should plan to be married on Dad and Mother Cool's anniversary. Before Don went home that night he tried to convince me to change our wedding date. I knew we were only 4 days from the proposed date, so didn't give him an affirmative answer until I had talked it over with my dad and mother. Mother felt it was a bit soon and it seemed there was much to be done in 4 days. Don and I wanted to be married at home and we wanted a Reverend French, one of our farmer ministers, to marry us. I called Don the next morning and asked him to come up and we would talk it over. He always told our friends I had called and asked him to marry me. Reverend French said he and his wife would come for the 25^th anniversary as sell as to marry us. Don and I spent the day at the 25^th anniversary and were married at night at 8 PM. Don came up home the morning of our wedding and made ice cream for the reception. Mother made a very nice sponge cake and Don always called it our wedding cake. I made many of them in our following years. It was a small wedding with only uncles and aunts and close friends. Many cousins couldn't come. Don had 11 cousins and I had 7. Many kids for a rather small house. During the evening it began to snow very hard. Someone made a 'Just Married' sign and George took the minister and wife back to where they were staying. The storm became a blizzard and everyone felt we shouldn't go to Watertown for our first night of married life, so we spent the night at home in my bedroom The next day we went down to Dad and Mother Cool's and the next night there. That was the extent of our wedding trip…. Dad had bought the house across the road while I was in high school so that became our new home. During the months of January and February we lived with my Dad and Mother. Mother papered the house all through and Don and I painted. It was a very comfortable home. We didn't have runnig water or electricity, but Dad ran a big electric cord across the road. Wouldn't be able to do that today. I don't know how they got it across as there were many cars on the road at that time…. We lived in this house until Uncle Sam bought us out."

b. Marriage date & location: Engaged 3 September 1931. Married 4 months later, Friday, 1 January 1932 (the 25^th wedding anniversary of Donald's parents) at the Ernest Felt Bowman residence on Pleasant Street Road about 1½ miles outside LeRaysville, Jefferson County, New York with Reverend Myron French of Fine, New York, and Reverend Louis Bruce, pastor of the Evans Mills Methodist Church, officiating. Donald’s older brother, George, was Best Man, and George’s wife, Ruth (Grace) Cool was a Bridesmaid.

c. Children:

(1. Janet Laura Cool: Born 6 March 1935.

(2. Clifford Ernest Cool: Born 13 May 1937.

(3. Leonard Dow Cool: Born 1941.

(4. Gerald Donald Cool: Born 1942.

“Jerry”

5. Donald’s employment history:

From	To	Employer, location, job
1929	1931	Ford Garage, Carthage, Wilna Township, Jefferson County, New York. The garage had financial problems and closed, putting Don out of work.
1931	1931	Drove truck in Potsdam, St Lawrence County until late in the fall (coming home to LeRaysville on weekends) when he was hired by Margaret's father to harvest the potato crop. It was the most lucrative job available to the local boys, because Ernest Bowman would pay 10 cents per bushel harvested. Considering Don was dating Margaret Bowman, there was additional motive to remain in that capacity past the fall harvest.
1931	1941	Potato farming on Pleasant Street Road about 1½ miles outside LeRaysville. Moved about 10 years later when their property was expropriated to expand Pine Camp.
1941	1960	Purchased and operated a 220-acre farm (formerly owned by Clinton "Clint" E. Schick) on North Park Street, Adams, Jefferson County, New York. Initially tried to grow potatoes, but found the loamy soil in Adams to be less conducive to that crop than the more sandy soil of the LeRaysville area had been. Changed to dairy farming and kept a herd of more than 100 pure bred, registered Holstein cattle, about 60 of which were milking. Also employed as a book keeper. Recognized by the New York State College of Agriculture for his farming leadership.
1960	1962	Worked at Gibbs & McIlvennie Garage in Adams as the Service Manager, while son, Leonard ran the family farm. In June 1962 sold the farm with machinery and cows to the Bedors.
1962	1988	Retired.

6. Donald’s addresses:

From	To	Address
1909	1932	Resided with parents on the family farm on Pleasant Street Road (RD #2), LeRaysville, Jefferson County, New York.
1932	1941	Resided across the street from Margaret’s parents on her parents’ farm on Pleasant Street Road. Had to move when the Government expropriated the Bowman farm (and many others) to expand Pine Camp prior to World War II.
1941	1942	Resided with Margaret's parents in a home they bought on S. Park Street in Adams to use until the farm house on N. Park Street was ready to occupy.
1942	1962	43 North Park Street (farm on the outskirts of the village), Adams, Jefferson County, New York. Sold farm.
1962	1968	Hungerford Avenue, Adams, New York.
1968	1987	3030 Heatherway, Lakeland, Florida 33801.
1987	1988	Embury Apartments, 105 E. Lawrence Street, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866.

7. Donald’s organizational affiliations:

From	To	Organization, offices held
1941	1963	Adams United Methodist Church; member of the Board of Directors.
		Jefferson County, New York Agricultural Extension Service Executive Committee, Chairman.
		New York State Agricultural Extension Service Advisory Committee; representative for the Northern District.
		New York State Agricultural Society; served on a 4-person New York State Committee on Century Farms, which identified and evaluated for special recognition those farms in New York State that had been in a family for more than 100 years.
		New York State College of Agriculture, Canton, New York; member of the advisory committee to the Department of Agronomy.
		Cornell University, Ithaca, New York; Budget Committee advisor.
		Federal Home Loan Association (FHA) loan committee; member.
		Adams High School Board of Education; member for 22 years.

8. Other biographical notes on Donald:

9. Census records:

1920 US Census: Donald was 8 years old and residing with his parents in LeRaysville, Jefferson County, New York.

1930 US Census: Donald, age 18 and single, resided with his parents in LeRaysville, Jefferson County, New York.

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