Obituary of Louise Casscles

With deepest sadness, our family acknowledges the loss of our beloved mother, Louise Anita Casscles on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at her residence in Queensbury, New York at the age of 91. Lou was a 34 year resident of Schenectady, New York and had been a communicant of Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Niskayuna, New York, recently moving to the Queensbury area to be near her daughter, Pam and fiancée, Gary of Argyle, New York. She was a 17 year retiree of the City Mission of Schenectady, as well as an employee of the Community General Hospital of Sullivan County, while residing in the Liberty, New York. Born into a large German family hailing from Wisconsin, homesteading in Poplar, Montana, Louise was the last surviving sibling of nine children born to Joseph and Clara Etzel, born in the Pisces month of March in 1923. Upon high school graduation, she attended Business college and employment at Boeing Aircraft, she joined the military branch of the US Navy, residing in Sand Point, Washington. Her first introduction to the east coast was boot camp at Hunter College in New York, and permanent post in Alameda, California, upon meeting her husband, Charles Walter Casscles, US Navy Chief Petty Officer, of Newburgh, New York, and marrying in Nevada in 1954. Affectionately known as "Pinky" by her female Navy mates, Lou was very proud of her ten year stint in the Navy, earning many lifelong friends and decorated with several distinctions such as the American Area Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the National Defense Service Ribbon. Her love of the west coast was established in the quaint suburb of the San Francisco Bay area, San Leandro, California, where starting their small family of two daughters. Residency in Sullivan County, New York, followed soon after Charlie's retirement from the US Naval Air Station, Alameda, California. My mother's heart was left, literally, on the west coast that she loved, the Golden Gate Bridge that lead to our home in San Leandro - and she never failed to tell her husband this fact - very often…for many, many years. Predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Clara Etzel of Poplar, Montana, her husband, Charles Walter Casscles in the fall of 1980, nine siblings: Marcella Blevins, Clarice Doornek, Josephine Rasmussen, Marion Wood, Cyril Etzel, Henrich Etzel, Clarence Etzel, and their respective families, all of Montana. She is survived by her two daughters, Pam Casscles and her fiancée, Gary Miller of Argyle, NY and Carol Ann Malloch (Doug), one grandson, Douglas Malloch of Ballston Lake, NY. Fondly remembering nieces - Helen Morris (Walt) of Twin Bridges, MT, Nancy Dunn of Schenectady, NY, Linda Welch (Don) of Peru, NY, sister-in-laws, Frances Casscles of Jamesville, NY and Harriett Brola of Oregon, and cherished cousin, Inez Johnson of Wisconsin and lifelong Navy friend, Marion Vigen of Minnesota, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Calling hours will be held Sunday 2-4 and 6-8 PM in the Glenville Funeral Home, 9 Glenridge Rd. East Glenville. Funeral services will be on Monday, December 15 with Pastor Dan Cragan of the City Mission. Burial will full military honors will take place at the Gerald B.H. Solomon National Cemetery, Schuylerville, NY. Her beloved husband Charlie is to join her in the spring of 2015. Online condolences to the family may be expressed to the Glenville Funeral Home's website www.glenvilelfuneralhome. In speaking on her mother's behalf, her daughter, Pam would like to convey the unique individual her mother was - serving her country, her German heritage, her family and her community to the best of her ability and her generosity was effortless to the less fortunate. Her strong faith in her religion sustained her in the most trying of times, and her fortitude was an inspiration to her family, especially to her daughter, Pam who was in awe of her mother's deep devotion to the people in her life, and will continue to serve her family and friends to the best of her ability, in her mother's honor. Many thanks to the Ellis Family Health Center of Schenectady and its affiliates, Dr. William Vacca of Schenectady Cardiology , and the Schenectady Goosehill family of businesses for their friendship and care over the course of many years. Charitable donations may be forwarded to the City Mission of Schenectady, the Saratoga National Honor Guard Association (attn.: Saratoga National Veterans Cemetery, 200 Duell Road, Schuylerville, NY 12871 or the Ellis Hospital "Right Heart" Center, attn.: Ellis Medicine Foundation. Arrangements provided by the Glenville Funeral Home of Scotia-Glenville.