An 'unofficial' fireman for 70 years

WHO: Howard M. Lee, 92, has considered Ellisburg to be his home his entire life. He served in the Army during World War II, which took him to Pennsylvania, California and Tennessee.

He has been a water purifier, worked in a steel mill and was foreman in a uranium salvage laboratory. He also raised poultry and worked at Lunman's Appliance and Furniture Center in Adams, where he repaired appliances for several years.

His wife, F. LaVona Lee, died in 2005 at age 88. They raised three daughters, Nancy A. Lichtenstein, Mary L. Bettinger and Jean Lee-Mosier, and a son, John Q. Twin sons, Dan and Dale, did not live to adulthood. Mr. Lee also has nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He still lives in the house where he grew up at 5365 Route 289.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT? "I've officially volunteered for 58 years, unofficially for more than 70 years. Back in the older days, we didn't have all the equipment we do now.

"I helped my uncle build the first motorized fire truck. I was probably 15, 16. That wasn't too fancy. One guy drove, one guy turned a crank for the siren and another rang the bell.

"I considered myself a member of the fire department, but I wasn't officially until I came back from the Army in the '40s.

"I was assistant fire chief for a lot of years. The old fire chief used to turn it over a lot to me. Secretary for quite a long time."

AND WHAT DO YOU DO NOW WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? "Now, I don't go to fires. I keep the fish fry straightened out.

"I've made the coleslaw for years. Everybody started to copy it, but nobody can seem to get it the same. Nobody can figure my secret. Others come and say, 'I want to know what your secret is.'

"And they watch me and I say, 'Now you know my secret — there isn't one.'

"I'll keep doing it as long as I can."

WHEN DID YOU LEAVE ELLISBURG? "I got a chemical engineer degree from RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). I probably wouldn't have ever gone to college if my mother hadn't insisted.

"I saw how the other half lives. I worked for a few years for a paper mill and lithograph plant in Rochester. Then I worked for Uncle Sam.

"I had to leave the country anyway for hay fever. The Army gave shots for hay fever, so after I got out I decided I wanted to stay in the country. I hired out by the month on farms to see if I liked it. I worked in woods a little bit.

"When I was supposed to go back, they had to give my job back (at the lithograph plant in Rochester) and I told them to keep it."

WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WERE YOU INVOLVED IN? "I was 70 years in the Masons. I did belong to the Grange and Union Academy Board of Trustees. I was a (town snowplow) wingman on the night crew until I was 88.

"I've been active in government stuff, but I haven't been in office. I was too busy. I didn't think I had time to do a good job.

"Someone came to the house to ask me to run for school board. My mother said, 'You can ask, but I won't vote for him. He's too busy.'"

WHY DID YOU STAY IN ELLISBURG? "Because I didn't want to bring my kids up in cities. It's always made me happy. I've had the same P.O. box my entire life. I didn't always live here, but my mother collected my mail. So all the time I was in the Army, I never had another address. How many people can say they've stayed their entire life in the same house?"

WHAT'S CHANGED ABOUT THE AREA? "The country was wide open. You could go anywhere and do anything you wanted to do. I never owned a swimsuit until I came back from the Army. I went down to the beach and my mother said, 'You'd better bring your swimsuit.'

"I said, 'Why? I've never worn one before.'

"So, sure enough, I go down and there are a whole bunch of kids swimming and lying around. When they left, I stripped down and before I had even dove in the water, another car pulls up."

If you have a suggestion for a Times Q&A, contact staff writer Nancy Madsen at 661-2358 or nmadsen@wdt.net.