John A. Bebel

John A. Bebel
of CampvilleJohn A. Bebel, 95, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 16th, at his home in Campville. He was predeceased by his parents, William and Josephine (Libera) Bebel; and by a brother, William Bebel; and sisters, Genevieve Bachynski, Stella Dropp, Helen Bebel, Ida Gray, and Mary Perot. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 63 years, Mary (Osovski) Bebel; his five children, Barbara Enkling and husband, Howard Enkling, Owego and Gold Canyon, Arizona, Joanne Cooney and husband, Terence Cooney, Esq., Owego, Janis Higgins, Apalachin, Colonel Joseph C. Bebel, USAF (retired) and wife, Carol, St. George, Utah, and Michael J. Bebel and wife, Suzanne, Westfield, N.J.; 13 grandchildren, Bonnie Meyers, Kathryn Cooney, PhD, Joseph Cooney, MD, John Higgins, Shannon Higgins, Barbara Arient, Christopher Bebel, Joseph J. (JJ) Bebel, Brian Bebel, Zachary Bebel, Jessica Bebel, Samantha Bebel, and Alexa Bebel; and six great-grandchildren, Rachael Seymour, Olivia Higgins, Shamus Higgins, Maya Cooney, Ayden Arient and Madison Bebel. He is also survived by his brother, Zigmund Bebel; and sister, Cassie Lamoreaux; and sisters-in-law, Dorothy Osovski, Ella Osovski, and Josephine Osovski; brother-in-law, Conrad Osovski; and numerous nieces and nephews. One of his nephews, Rev. Alfred Bebel, will celebrate the Funeral Mass. Born in Sosnoweiz, Poland on March 1, 1911, at six months of age he accompanied his mother, brother, Bill, and sister, Genevieve, to America where they joined his father who worked as an explosives expert in the coal mines in Jeddo, Pa. After seven years in Jeddo, the family bought a farm on Anderson Hill in Candor. John well remembered the experience of growing up on a farm in the early days of the last century, and enjoyed retelling his many stories of mishap and mischief on the farm. His formal education was obtained at the one room schoolhouse in Candor, where Austin Howard was his teacher. Mr. Howard kindled a love of poetry in John which he retained to his last days. One of his favorite poems was "The Village Blacksmith" by Longfellow, which he would recite from memory at the slightest provocation. One of his first jobs off the farm was as a laborer and later riveter on the Court Street Bridge in Owego in 1930. He was invited to join the bridge builders as a permanent employee and move on to the next job, but he declined, noting that he was needed on the farm. A strapping young man of 6' with a powerful physique, he was recruited by the owner of Endicott Forging for a job there as he was waiting outside for a friend. When he reported for work the next day, the foreman was puzzled - there was no job opening; but a place was made for John since he had been personally hired by the owner. The owner's judgment proved astute. John was soon operating a "hammer", the most difficult and skilled job in a forging works. He was subsequently made the foreman, and later brought into management as supervisor of operations of Endicott Forging. In those days worker safety was not a major concern of management, and the working conditions at the forging works were very dangerous as well as arduous. While still a hammerman, John realized the workers needed an advocate to further safety and other interests. He resolved to bring in a union. He did so without incident, mainly because he was held in such esteem by the management of the plant. He then held the post of union president for seven years until he was invited to join the management team as shop foreman. After 40 years at Endicott Forging, John retired in 1973. As a result of Union negotiations, the forging works had instituted a pension plan for employees, and John collected a pension for 33 years in retirement. Not content with retired life, John took a job at Wickes Lumber in Campville for a few years, and then worked as custodian of buildings and grounds at Tioga County Old Men's Home, although he was older than any of the residents of the Home. He retired from the County in 1986 and he and Mary enjoyed retired life at the home he had personally built in 1950 in Campville. He was very active maintaining the 2 acre grounds of his home, and enjoyed a nightly game of pinochle up until a week before his death. The family wishes to express its thanks to the Campville EMT, to the Hospice program at Lourdes Hospital, to Fr. Bill Moorby and the pastoral team at St. Patrick Church, to the staff at Estey, Monroe and Fahey and especially to John's caregivers for the last few months, Andrew Biggs, Alice Creech, Donna zu Hone, Melissa Barrett, and Beth McBride. They became members of our family and will always be remembered with love and appreciation.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Patrick Church in Owego Saturday, March, 18, at 12:00 p.m. Burial will take place at the convenience of the family at St. Patrick's Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Saturday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Estey, Monroe and Fahey Funeral Home in Owego. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in John's memory may be made to Lourdes Hospital Foundation, Hospice Unit, 169 Riverside Dr., Binghamton, N.Y. 13902.