Lessley Sanders

Richmondville- Lessley V. Sanders, 93, of Main St., died Monday, October 31, 2016 at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown following a brief illness.

Born February 11, 1923 in Pontiac, KS, she was the daughter of George D. and Margaret (George) Hamilton.

Lessley graduated from El Dorado High School in El Dorado, KS in 1941. She joined the WAVES (US Navy) in August 1943 and was stationed at Hunter College, Bronx, NY, then the naval barracks in Washington, D.C. and lastly at Patuxent River, MD. She was a specialist in communications and received an honorable discharge from Memphis, TN in 1945.

On December 1, 1945, she married Edward Russell Sanders in Silver Springs, MD and following his discharge from the service, they made their home in Bloomingdale, NJ.

Lessley was a 71-year member of the Silentia OES 56 in Butler, NJ and an honorary member of the Rising Star Order of Eastern Star in Cobleskill. She was a member of the Richmondville United Methodist Church and the UMW, the Marion Study Club, and Ecumenical Bible Study. She was also a lifelong member of the Ralph Sperbeck Post 249 and their auxiliary in Richmondville.

Lessley was predeceased by her husband, E. Russell Sanders, in 1990 and her son, Bruce, in 1999.

Survivors include her children: Russell (Nancy) Sanders of S. Butler, NY, Donnell (Karen) Sanders of Butler, NJ and daughter-in-law, Annie Sanders of Statesville, NC; her grandchildren: Bryan (Traci) Sanders and their child: Zen Sanders, Michael (Jessica) Sanders and their children: Abigale and Emily Sanders, Thomas (Katie) Sanders and their children: Nathen, Allison, and Finn Sanders, Alicia (Frank) Sanders and their children: Mason, Ryan, and Maria Steen, Jack Sanders, Bruce (Julia) Sanders and their children: Ava and Dylan Sanders, Paul (Tanya) Buttaccio and their children: Frank and Charlie Buttaccio, Erica VanCamp and her children: Brianna, Natalie, Adrianna, and Rebecca VanCamp.

A funeral service will be held at 10 AM on Thursday, November 3, 2016 at Mereness-Putnam Funeral Home, 171 Elm St., Cobleskill with Rev. Jeffrey Smith of the Richmondville United Methodist Church officiating. Burial with military honors will follow in Richmondville Rural Cemetery. Family and friends are also invited to attend a period of visitation at the funeral home on Wednesday from 6 to 8 PM.

Memorial contributions may be made to the United Methodist Church, Main St., Richmondville, NY 12149.

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