Haluska, Martha

Birth

Martha Haluska was born on Oct. 20, 1922, in East Berne, where she grew up and raised her family, the daughter of the late John and Mary (Stemple) Haluska. Her brothers and sisters were:

• Joseph J. Haluska of Albany (16 NOV 1912 - 28 DEC 1999)
• John Michael Haluska of Milton (Ulster Co.) (29 SEP 1914 - 5 DEC 1996)
• Charles V. Haluska of East Berne, (12 FEB 1919 - 20 JAN 2004) father of Stanley Haluska
• Frank Haluska of Loudonville
• Elsie Megas of Albany (9 AUG 1917 - 30 MAY 1989)
• Helen Crooks (6 MAR 1916 - 28 FEB 1994)
• Dorothy Robinson of Clarksyille (ABT 1927 - 31 MAR 2009)
• Emily Chase of East Berne

Occupation

While Martha Haluska Garry worked for many years as a homemaker, she took on other means of work when her husband, George Garry, retired on disability. She cleaned houses for families along Warners Lake, cooked at Marcy Nursing Home in Berne, and worked for the old Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Northeastern New York in Slingerlands. Mrs. Garry was known by friends and family as a “phenomenal” baker, her daughters said.

Marriage & Children

Martha Haluska married George Garry. Their children were:

• Joan Morrow and her husband, Morris, of Fruitland Park, Fla.
• Sue Halse and her husband, Ed, of Guilderland
• Barbara Gray and her husband, Don, of East Berne
• Elaine Decker of Altamont;
• Tom Garry of East Berne
• Mike Garry and his wife, Brenda, of Schenectady.

Death

Martha Haluska Garry died on Monday, May 21, 2012, at her home in East Berne. She was 89.

Obituary

Martha “Grandma GG” Garry

BERNE — Martha Garry was a caring wife, mother, and grandmother, who loved to knit, bake, and play the harmonica for her family.“She was just the best mother in the world,” said Barbara Gray, one of Mrs. Garry’s daughters.

“The way she raised six of us, and was so willing to help out and care for anybody that needed anything in the community. She was such a beautiful person.”

She died on Monday, May 21, 2012, at her home in East Berne. She was 89.

“She could be a lot of fun, but the thing that sticks out is that she took care of everybody,” said another daughter, Elaine Decker. “She had a neighbor who was a friend, and she would take her to the Laundromat because she didn’t think her elderly neighbor should be going down the basement stairs to do the laundry.”

The daughter of the late John and Mary (Stemple) Haluska, Mrs. Garry was born on Oct. 20, 1922, in East Berne, where she grew up and raised her family.

While she worked for many years as a homemaker, she took on other means of work when her husband, George Garry, retired on disability. She cleaned houses for families along Warners Lake, cooked at Marcy Nursing Home in Berne, and worked for the old Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Northeastern New York in Slingerlands. Mrs. Garry was known by friends and family as a “phenomenal” baker, her daughters said.

Mrs. Decker says she always looked forward to her mother’s chocolate-chip cookies and jellybeans, “and they were our favorite Christmas presents,” she said. Mrs. Gray agreed.

“Everybody who visited, they’d let her know ahead of time so she could make them,” she said of her mother’s chocolate-chip cookies. “You couldn’t buy a cookie that tasted like that.” But Mrs. Garry’s talents didn’t end there.

“She loved to knit and crochet,” Mrs. Gray said. “I think she’s made everybody in the community an afghan,” she chuckled.

Mrs. Garry also had an affinity for wildlife, especially butterflies. “She always loved feeding the birds,” said Mrs. Gray. “She just loved the wildlife, and she was fascinated by all the different kinds that would come around.”

She enjoyed bowling, and joining the Hilltown Seniors for monthly dinners.

Mrs. Garry also watched The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie on television, “Because we could relate to those times,” said Mrs. Gray.

In her later years, family members always looked forward to a phone call accompanied by a unique rendition of “Happy Birthday” on the harmonica. On Easter, she’d call her grandkids and play “Peter Cottontail.” She even learned a few Christmas songs. “She was a talented harmonica player,” Mrs. Decker said of her mother. “She did that for us right up to the very end.”

Mrs. Garry is survived by her sister, Emily Chase of East Berne; six children: Joan Morrow and her husband, Morris, of Fruitland Park, Fla.; Sue Halse and her husband, Ed, of Guilderland; Barbara Gray and her husband, Don, of East Berne; Elaine Decker of Altamont; Tom Garry of East Berne; and Mike Garry and his wife, Brenda, of Schenectady. She also leaves behind 14 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and a special friend, Helen Quay.

Her husband, George, died before her, as did her brothers: John, Joe, Charles, and Frank Haluska; and her sisters: Elsie Megas, Helen Crooks, and Dorothy Robinson.

The family extends a special thank-you to Bonnie and Karina at St. Peter’s Community Hospice, who treated her like family. A funeral service will be held at noon today, Thursday, May 24, 2012 at Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont.

Interment will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery in Berne. Friends may call prior to the service from 10 a.m. to noon at the funeral home.

Interment will be at Woodlawn Cemetery in Berne. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Red Cross at ARCNENY, 33 Everett Road. Albany, NY 12205. — Zach Simeone

Altamont Enterprise – Thursday, May 24, 2012

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