Marcia Hartway

Marcia (Bowen) Hartway, age 93, of Johnsonburg, NY, passed away July 13, 2022, at the Wyoming County Skilled Nursing Facility.

Born February 18, 1929, in Hartland, NY to the late John and Iva (Boorom) Bowen, Marcia grew up in rural Orleans and Genesee counties, doing chores on the family’s small farm—handling a team of work horses, helping fill the hayloft, caring for the chickens, and milking the cows, all of which she enjoyed. Attending school was a great joy for her and excelled at spelling, winning her third grade spelling bee. She graduated from Oakfield High School in 1946. A lifelong reader, she passed this on to her five children, with regular trips to the library.

Marcia began her working years on the muck farms in Elba. She was a clerk in several stores, including J.J. Newberry in Batavia, W.T. Grants, Ben Franklin, and Ames in Warsaw. She also worked at Genesee Farms in Attica, and lastly at Merle Maple products as one of the “ladies in their eighties” who processed and packaged the maple candy.

Marcia loved nature and all living things: many a stray cat joined the family over the years; neighborhood dogs were regular visitors; her birdfeeders were always filled. She loved working outdoors, and was proud of having cleared an entire lot of weeds, scrub, and trees to enlarge the back yard. Indoors she was a Jumble wiz, and worked those and crossword puzzles together with her son Jim.

One of her greatest joys was and spending time with her grandchildren, especially in their younger years; they were always welcome at “Gram’s” house. Saturday night spaghetti dinners were a regular event, and anyone in the area was welcome to join in. She was also renowned for her pies and chocolate cookies. And any time you walked into the house, she would try to feed you, whether you were hungry or not. If you wanted to talk, she would listen. And if you wanted to laugh, that was her favorite thing to do. The only interruption to these were the winter months when she went to Chassahowitzka, Florida with her husband and the rest of the Hartway family.

Along with her parents, Marcia is predeceased by her husband of fifty-three years, Watson, and a son, James Hartway; brother Jack Bowen, sisters Iva Caton, Marjorie Nesbitt, Rose Kitanik, and Ruth Bowen.

She is survived by sisters Lois Nanni of Batavia and Norma Waldron of Oakfield; son Terry Hartway of Warsaw, and daughters Joanne (Frank) Dickes of Johnsonburg, Elizabeth (John) Head of Henrietta, and Mary (Mark) Eckstein of Johnsonburg; eight grandchildren, fourteen great grandchildren, and a platoon of nieces and nephews.

There will be no public services. Private burial will take place at Johnsonburg Cemetery. A celebration of life will take place at the family’s convenience. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in memory of Marcia to the Wyoming County SPCA, Route 98, Attica, 14011, and the Varysburg Fire and Rescue Department, Route 98, Varysburg, NY, 14167.