Elsie Aldrich Wattles (Class of 1929) has gone home with the LORD

Elsie Aldrick Wattle is in the Middle Row (3rd from left)
1928 Theologue of the Junior Class of 1929

Mrs. Elsie Aldrich Wattles has gone home to be with her Lord. Elsie came to PBTS in the Fall of 1926 and graduated in the late spring of 1929. I sent a letter to her in the Fall of 2006 and received an email back from her daughter who told me about her wonderful mother who had just turned 100 years old. She told me that her "Mother LOVED Practical--she ALWAYS called it "The Bible School." She had a beautiful singing voice, and in his letter to Mom for her birthday, the President said she was in a singing group--4-part I believe--all ladies. She personally knew Gordon Davis and his wife, Fern [Hazel]. There was a Dr. Lowe that she always spoke of with highest regard."

Below is the Obituary printed in today's (Tuesday, December 9, 2008 issue of the Auburn Citizen).

MORAVIA -- Elsie Aldrich Wattles went home to be with her Lord on Monday, Dec. 8, 2008, at the DeMond Manor, Moravia, at the age of 102. Born on Aug. 27, 1906, to Edward and Nora Aldrich, Town Line Road, Venice, she grew up with siblings Jay, Ruth, Lucy, June and Gladys, who predeceased her. Elsie graduated from Practical Bible College (currently Davis College), Johnson City, N.Y. with the Class of 1926, and was the eldest alum. On June 8, 1932, she married Bert E. Wattles, a Venice rural mail carrier, who brought to this new marriage three daughters, whom Elsie raised as her own. Together they had three daughters, blending a musical family. Bert passed away in February 1974, at the age of 90. Elsie was the oldest member of the Milan Church, Locke. She retired from Moravia Central School as a member of the cafeteria staff, had resided in the Locke/Moravia area all her life, and was a previous resident of Millstream Court. She was blessed with a melodious singing voice and her cookie baking was well known by all of the children who entered her home. She will be in Heaven for Christmas, the home she had looked forward to for many years. Surviving are her daughters, Esther L. Sutherland, of Dove Canyon, Calif., Carol (Jim) Kirk, of Moravia, and Ruth (Ken) Devine, of Locke. She was a Grandma to 11 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren and two step-great-great-grandchildren. Three daughters, Mary Minturn, of Auburn, Wilma Wattles, of Pennsylvania, and Barbara Sweet, of Florida, predeceased her as well as two grandsons, Robert and Alan. The family extends their gratitude and praise to Phyllis DeMond, who provided unconditional and exceptional care for their Mother and Grandma for the past seven years. A celebration of Elsie"s life will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, at the Wade Funeral Home, 22 Church St., Moravia. Pastor James Main will officiate. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m., prior to the service. Interment will be in Genoa Rural Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please give the gift of unconditional love to your families and consider Four Town Ambulance, Moravia, as a living memorial. To send a message to the family, sign our guest book at www.auburnpub.com and click on obituaries.