April 28, 2008  

CROGHAN, N.Y. —  Gilbert J. Lehman, 84, of 9672 School St., died Sunday evening at Lewis County General Hospital where he had been a patient since Wednesday. 

Born Oct. 10, 1923, in the town of New Bremen, son of Elmer and Rosella Roggie Lehman, he graduated from Beaver Falls High School in 1940. 

He married Esther M. Roggie on Aug. 20, 1946, at Lowville Mennonite Church with the Rev. Chris Nafziger officiating. They purchased a dairy farm on the Brewery Road in 1946 and operated it until their retirement in 1997. 

Mr. Lehman was a member of the Croghan Mennonite Church where he taught Sunday school until the time of his death. He was active in the Mennonite Disaster Service, Gideon’s International, and spent time in Haiti assisting in church sponsored building projects. He and his wife were involved in Mennonite Central Committee trainee programs, and also hosted Fresh Air Kids through the Kiwanis Club. 

He was a member of the Beaver River Central School Board from 1975 to 1980. He was a member of the Railroad Historical Society of New York, Northern New York Farmers Marketing Coop, American Mennonite Camping Association, Lewis County Farm Bureau, and Cornell Cooperative Extension. 

Mr. Lehman was also a member of the American Maple Museum, New York Maple Producers, Lewis County Historical Society, Northern New York Agricultural Historical Society in Stone Mills, Flywheels and Pulley, and the New York Steam Engine Association. 

He enjoyed traveling, reading, collecting and working on antique hit and miss engines, and visiting with people. 

Surviving are his wife of Croghan; four sons and three daughters-in-law, Paul and Jane, North Tonawanda, Timothy and Jewel, Portland, Ore.; David, New Bremen, and Walter and Tammy, Croghan; a daughter and her husband, Kathleen and Bruce Widrick, Croghan; two brothers and their wives, Elmer and Eileen, Hartsville, Ohio, and Milton and Ruby, Lowville; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Maietta and Arnold Moshier, Bahia Vista, Fla.; and Cleo Clark, Butler, Pa.; nine grandchildren, six great grandchildren; nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

A brother, Larry, and three sisters Beulah, Delores Zehr, and Ella Mae Lehman, all died before him.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 2, at the Croghan Mennonite Church, with Revs. John Martin and Chad Atwood pastors, and Julius Moser, retired pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Calling Hours will be 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at the church. 

Arrangements are with the Adirondack Funeral Home, Croghan. 

Instead of flowers, donations may be made to Mennonite Disaster Service, P.O. Box 546, Lowville, N.Y. 13367; the American Maple Museum, P.O. Box 81, Croghan, N.Y. 13327; or the Railway Historical Society of NNY, Croghan, N.Y. 13327.

Information provided by Adirondack Funeral Home, Croghan, and Newzjunky, Watertown, N.Y.