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Support the local businesses that help make Genesee County a great place to live

By Howard B. Owens

With the holidays upon us it is a good time to remind Genesee County residents that we're fortunate to live in a community with a strong base of locally owned businesses.

Locally owned businesses are the backbone of any local community.  Local owners give back to the community in ways

Robert W. Mullen

By Joshua Smith

Stafford - Robert W. Mullen, 86, of Stafford, went home to be with his Savior on Thursday, (December 27, 2018) at The Grand Rehabilitation & Nursing at Batavia, following a lengthy illness.

Mr. Mullen was born January 26, 1932 in Batavia, a son of the late Earl W. and Terresa (Wooster) Mullen.

Easily recognizable by his trademark Stetson Cowboy Hat, Robert was a long-time member of Northgate Free Methodist Church, and recently was attending Roanoke Community Church in Stafford where he was active as the music director. 

Mr. Mullen was proud of the community in which he lived and spent most of his life living on the Mullen Family Farm in Stafford.

Bob was a farmer.  He and Helen spent three years living in Arizona where he worked as a ranch hand and the two owned a small milk store, the Ro-Kay Dairy.

When an injury prevented him from physically performing farm work, he began coursework at Roberts Wesleyan College.  After obtaining a degree in social work, Robert became a teacher with BOCES and taught special education in several school districts in Monroe County until transferring into the Churchville-Chili Schools where he retired after 22 years in 1994. 

Following his retirement, he took a part time position with BOCES of Genesee County teaching the GED Course at the Genesee Co. Jail where he had an exceptional pass rate.  This was largely due to his unique experiential style of teaching that allowed students to connect with the material in a real-world sense rather than purely hypothetical.  He retired from this position at the age of 80 after 18 years.

A proud but humble man, Bob's passions were farming, horses, and children.  He would often stop to give any child he encountered a quarter and say hello.  He was a 65+ year 4-H Leader and was instrumental in developing the 4-H Tractor and Machine Safety Program in Genesee County.  He was a long time member of the Genesee Co. Fair Board, the Stafford Grange #416, Genesee Pomona Grange #10, as well as the NYS and National Grange.  He served as a Junior Leader with the Stafford Grange. 

He was a longtime volunteer with the Salvation Army and together with Helen was proud to have been a sponsor of a child through International Childcare Ministries for many years.  He was active with the former Genesee Co. Churches United Jail Ministry.  For many years he served as the Stafford Historian and Zoning Officer and was active with the Genesee Co. Senior Foundation.

Due in no small part to all of his associations, volunteer work, and dedication to his community, it is no surprise that Bob was honored as Geneseean of the Year in 2006 by the Genesee Co. Chamber of Commerce. 

He is survived by his wife, Helen H. (Hunt) Mullen, whom he married July 12, 1953; a daughter, Jacqueline (Eladio Montalvo) Mullen of Puerto Rico; sons, Robert W. (Regina) Mullen, II of Stafford, and Richard (Debbie) Spink of CA; brothers, Theodore (late Jane) Mullen of Freeville, and Lester (Barbara) Mullen of Stafford; a sister, Nancy (James) Clarq of Phelps; a brother-in-law, Herbert (Bunnie) Call of LeRoy; sisters-in-law, Gari Mullen of NM, and Dodie Mullen of Australia.  11 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild, along with several nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

Bob is preceded in death by a great-granddaughter, Jaselis Camacho; brothers, Earl William, Roy, and John Mullen; sisters, Zelda Sipher, Louise Phelps, Lyla Stephens, Eleanor McCrumb, Arlene Call, Mary Ann Mullen, and Ruth Mullen.

Friends may call on Wednesday from 10 to 1 p.m. at H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home, 403 East Main St., Batavia, where Robert’s Funeral Service will immediately follow calling at 1:00 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cornell Cooperative Extension, 4-H Tractor Certification Program, 420 East Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020.  Burial will take place in Morganville Cemetery, Stafford.

Please leave a condolence, share a story or light a candle at www.bataviafuneralhomes.com.

Steven E. Pullen

By Ronald Konieczny

Steven E. Pullen, 72 of Batavia, passed away on Friday (September 30, 2022) at United Memorial Medical Center.

He was born July 18, 1950 in Nampa, Idaho, a son of the late Jesse Pullen and Dorothy Corttis Pullen Cox.

Steven and Connie met in May of 1972 and married May 4, 1974. Fifty years together and 48 years married. They raised 4 fine children in Perry, NY. where they lived until 2010.

Steven worked as a steel fitter at Graham Corporation in Batavia for over 45 years. For many years he also worked as a white water raft guide, primarily in Letchworth State Park. Over the years he was a Boy Scout, a member of the NRA, an American Red Cross instructor, and a volunteer ambulance responder among other things. He had enjoyed traveling around the US since his retirement, revisiting many spots he had seen as a child.  He had a life time love of photography and miniature trains.

He was predeceased by his daughter Lucy Pullen who died in 2018.

Survivors include his wife, Constance Kline Pullen of Batavia. Daughter, Sandra (Terry) Rawleigh of Dansville. Sons, James “Jamie” Pullen and William “Willie”, both of Batavia. Grandchildren, Madelynn and Alexander Rawleigh. Brothers and sisters, Julie Grant, Robert Pullen, Janice Palumbos, Debra Pendergast and Lillian Hashimoto. Also survived by sisters in-law and numerous nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are cordially invited to share thoughts, condolences and fond memories on Saturday (October 8th) from 3-5pm at the J. LEONARD McANDREW FUNERAL HOME, LLC, 2 Bogue Ave., Batavia, NY, where a remembrance service will commence at 5pm.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at: www.mcandrewfuneralhomes.net.

ARRANGEMENTS WERE ENTRUSTED TO THE J. LEONARD McANDREW FUNERAL HOME, LLC, 2 BOGUE AVE., BATAVIA, NY 14020. RONALD KONIECZNY II, DIRECTOR.

 

 

The Long Journey of an Antique Pocket Watch

By Anne Marie Starowitz

In 1834, an early jeweler, Jerome A. Clark, owned a jewelry store at 90 Main Street, Batavia, NY.  George Austin worked at Clark's jewelry store after school.  A few years later, Charles Prescott came to work as a clerk for Mr. Clark, and a friendship was formed between the two younger

BHS Class of 1973 preparing for 50th Reunion

By Press Release

Press release:

The Batavia High School Class of 1973 has announced that it will be holding its 50th class reunion on July 8, 2023, at the Batavia Downs Gaming grandstand on Park Road.

The reunion committee will be mailing “save the date” cards over the next few weeks and

Sheriff's Office unveils K-9 training course at Fire Training Center

By Press Release

Press release:

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office new K9 obstacle course is located at the Genesee County Fire Training Center and is the result of a partnership with the Rochester Area Crime Stoppers.

All labor and materials from design, layout, construction, and completion were donated through a collaboration with local

Alabama Fire honors its own, installs new officers

By Virginia Kropf

For the first time in two years, the Alabama Volunteer Fire Company held an award and installation banquet.

The fire company was not able to have their annual banquet in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid, and decided to scale down the event this year due to continued concerns, said

Sign of the times, or a big can of worms: first digital sign proposed for downtown

By Joanne Beck

As members of the city’s Planning and Development Committee mulled a request Tuesday for a digital sign  — which would be the first one approved for downtown Batavia — all action came to a hush at one point.

Members Ed Flynn, David Beatty, Chairman Duane Preston and John Ognibene looked

Love is in the air for a first-time vendor fair to benefit Volunteers For Animals

By Joanne Beck

It’s a familiar story with a surprise twist for one Batavia-based nonprofit.

Volunteers For Animals had been planning its first-ever vendor fair for early April in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and rendered all public activities dead. That’s the familiar part for so many organizations that had to press

Law and Order: Batavia man accused selling cocaine

By Howard B. Owens

Jonathan P. “Bless”  Little, 32, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th, resisting arrest, and criminal impersonation 2nd. During a traffic stop in the City of Batavia on May 12, officers determined that the passenger of the vehicle was

Library director to begin new chapter end of next month

By Joanne Beck

There’s a certain library director who bowls, collects cocktail paraphernalia and has taken a “deep dive” into trivia tournaments. This person is also about to head southeast toward Westchester County.

Give up? You won’t make his trivia team — a regional first place winner — any time soon then. The

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