56 Years of Service

Winfield S. Kelsey

May 31, 2012

THERESA, N.Y. Winfield S. Wink Kelsey, Sr., 74, of Red Lake Road died Wednesday, May 30, at his home while under the care of his family and Hospice of Jefferson County.

Born July 23, 1937, in Theresa, the son of the late Winfield H. and the late Lois I. Graves Kelsey, he graduated in 1955 from Theresa High School.

Mr. Kelsey entered the Army in 1956 and continued in the Reserves until Honorably Discharged in 1963.

He married Nellie Bacon on Oct. 26, 1956, at the United Methodist Church of Theresa.

Mr. Kelsey was employed at Dairylea Milk Plant, Theresa, Indian River Central School in Philadelphia as a school bus driver, United States Postal Service in Theresa and Redwood as a rural route mail carrier and owned his own farm on the Red Lake Road.

He was a fifty six year active member of the Theresa Fire Department, serving as a Commissioner of the Theresa Fire District for forty six years, most of those years as chairman, a forty year member of the Firemens Association of the State of New York FASNY, and most recently Sergeant at Arms, a life member and past president of the Northern New York Volunteer Firemens Association, a member of the Theresa Rotary, having a perfect attendance for 45 years, Jefferson County Volunteer Chiefs and Firefighters Association, the Masons and Order of the Eastern Star.

Mr. Kelsey enjoyed hunting, bowling, shuffleboard, cooking and spending time at his camp on Crystal Lake with family and friends.

Survivors including his wife, Nellie, are two sons and their wives, Winfield, Jr. Butch and Lynne, Rochester and Scott and Lori, Theresa two daughters and a son-in-law, Wanda and JB Kavanaugh, Clayton and Lynn Kelsey and her companion, Donald Butch Simpson two sisters, Phyllis Marsh, Antwerp and Margaret Hunter, LaFargeville six grandchildren, Brennon Kavanaugh, Shenel Eaves, Courtney Spears, Brian Kelsey, Heather Kelsey and Taylore Kelsey seven great grandchildren nieces, nephews and cousins.

The funeral will be 1 p.m. Sunday, June 3, at Frederick Bros. Funeral Home, Theresa with Rev. Samuel P. Lundy, chaplain to the Northern New York Volunteer Firemens Association. A gathering of friends and family will follow at the Theresa Fire Hall.

Calling hours are 1 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at the funeral home.

Donations may be made to the Theresa Fire Department, Theresa Rotary Club or Hospice of Jefferson County.

Condolences may be made online at www.frederickbrosfuneralhome. com.


Information provided by Frederick Bros. Funeral Home, Inc. and Newzjunky, Watertown, N.Y.