 Julia
E. Duke
November 12, 2012
 NEW
HARTFORD,
N.Y. —
Julia E.
Duke, 85, of The Meadows, died Sunday, Nov. 11, at the
Siegenthaler Center, a hospice facility, after a courageous
battle with COPD.
Born June 13, 1927 in Gouverneur, NY, she was the daughter
of Louis and Lottie I. Washburn. She attended school in
Gouverneur.
In October 1945 she met Harry Duke, a sailor on leave. Two
weeks later, on Nov. 6, 1945, they married in Watertown, a
union that lasted sixty years until Harry’s death on June
24, 2006.
Mr. Duke was a career Navy man and they lived in many
places, including Sasabo, Japan, from 1954 to 1956, Massena,
South Carolina from 1977 to 1993, and then moved to the
Utica area.
Mrs. Duke often reminisced of being a young mother traveling
alone with two small children, across the country by rail
and across the Pacific by ship, to join her Navy husband in
Japan. The trains were full of servicemen and each was
polite, helpful, courteous and respectful. She carried that
admiration and respect for our service men and women
throughout her life. She was proud of our military and proud
of the country they defended.
Following Mr. Duke’s retirement from the New York Power
Authority in Massena, the couple went south to the most
beautiful town in the country, Manning, South Carolina for
sixteen years. Due to reclining health they moved back to
the area to be closer to family.
Family was Mrs. Duke’s greatest passion and she was a
devoted mother, wife and grandmother and will be greatly
missed.
Survivors include two sons and their wives, Richard and
Renee of Plymouth, MN and Steven and Roseanne of Whitesboro;
grandsons, Joseph and Nicholas; and great grandchildren,
Jared, Jamie, Josie, Jason Robert and Macy.
The funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at Frederick
Bros. Funeral Home, Theresa, with Pastor Robert Vrooman
officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Theresa.
Contributions may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care,
Inc., 4277 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, NY, 13413.
Condolences may be made
online at www.frederickbrosfuneralhome.com.
Information provided by Frederick
Bros. Funeral Home, Inc. and Newzjunky, Watertown, N.Y.
|
