Obituary of Samuel L. Kitchen

Samuel L. Kitchen, 79, a longtime resident of Clinton and Vernon, passed away Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at St. Elizabeth Medical Center surrounded by his family after a long struggle with Parkinson's. He was born August 25, 1932 in Vernon, to the late Lincoln and Edith Clark Kitchen and graduated from VVS. Sam was a dairy farmer who, alone with his father, built his barn in 1950. On August 29, 1953 he married to Esther M. Harney at Oriskany Falls Methodist Church. He also worked at Pohl's Agway in Vernon and taught 4-H for 25 years. He was a member of the Farm Bureau, CNY Parkinson's Association and Lairdsville Methodist Church. He was a man who would drop anything to help neighbors, friends and family. Sam liked carpentry and built and remodeled several homes. He enjoyed his camp on Madison Lake and time spent in Holiday, FL. He enjoyed snowmobiling and loved making maple syrup, but enjoyed the times spent with his family most of all. He is survived by his devoted wife Esther of Vernon; his two sons, Douglas G. & Pondra Kitchen of Clinton and David S. & Heidi Kitchen of Vernon; four grandchildren, his beloved granddaughter Kristen and her husband David Hartman, Brittany Kitchen, Derek & Angie Scalzo and Johnny Whaley; three great-grandchildren, Sydnee, Logan and James; four sisters, Mary Erickson of New Mexico, Ann Hunt of Vernon Center, Katherine & Edward Crosby of Rochester and Betty Pylman of Oriskany Falls; two brothers, Frank & Jane Kitchen of Vernon and Francis Kitchen of Clinton; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Fay Harney of Knoxboro, LeRoy & Georgia Harney of Oriskany Falls, Jack & Monica Harney of CA, Robert & Gloria Harney of Rome, Jim Babcock of Oriskany Falls, Charlene Bugbee & Dan Bateman of Clinton, Jim Babcock of Oriskany Falls and Liza Harney of New Hartford; many nieces and nephews and special family member, Cindy Woods. He was predeceased by his parents; his brother Eugene "Bud" Kitchen; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Kitchen, Bessie Babcock and Alida Odit; and brothers-in-law, Vin Hunt, John Pylman, Eugene Harney, Halsey Harney & Jim Harney. Funeral services will be held at 10am Friday, October 14, 2011 at Owens-Pavlot & Rogers Funeral Service, Inc, 35 College St., Clinton. Burial will be in Kirkland Prospect Cemetery. Friends are invited to call Thursday from 2-4 & 7-9pm at the funeral home. Please consider donations in Sam's memory to CNY Parkinson's Support Group, PO Box 181, New Hartford, NY 13413.