Russell Samuel Flinn

SHEKOMEKO — Russell Samuel Flinn, Sr., 88, a lifelong area resident, died Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at his home in Shekomeko. Mr. Flinn retired from the Webutuck Central School District in Amenia, where he worked for over thirty years. He began his career at Webutuck as a school bus driver and was also a general mechanic, he retired as their Transportation Supervisor. Prior to his time at Webutuck, he worked for Stillman’s Farm now known as Wethersfield Farm and he was also a machine operator at K&E in Millerton.

Born May 30, 1936, in Sharon, Conn., he was the son of the late Russell and Mary (Cox) Flinn. He attended Pine Plains High School in Amenia. On Nov. 21, 1954, at the Pine Plains Presbyterian Church, he married Shirley M. Meissner. Their marriage lasted nearly seventy years. Mrs. Flinn survives at home in Shekomeko. Mr. Flinn was a life member of the Millerton Gun Club and an avid antique car enthusiast; he owned several over the years. At the time of his death he owned a 1924 Model T Depot Hack and a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis. In his spare time, he thoroughly enjoyed caretaking and doing odd jobs for his neighbors and friends.

Mr. Flinn is survived by his loving wife Shirley, his daughter, Denise Lamont and her husband Kenneth of Ancram; his son, Russell Flinn, Jr. and his wife Donna of Millerton; five grandchildren, Kelly Roger, Kenneth Lamont, Jr., Alicia Bishop and her husband Jason, Allison Flinn and Nicholas Gyasi-Twum; five great grandchildren, Nathan Roger, Clayton Roger, Adalynn Lamont, Benjamin Bishop and Tyler Bishop; his son-in-law Kwab Gyasi-Twum of Norwalk, and his brother, Keith Flinn of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and two nieces. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his daughter, Susan Gyasi-Twum and his sister, Winifred Flinn.

A celebration of life will take place on Saturday, Sept/ 28, 2024, at the Millerton Fire House on Century Boulevard in Millerton, from 1 – 4 p.m. Pastor William Mayhew will conduct a service at 1:30 p.m. at the fire house. Memorial contributions may be made to the Millerton Fire Company, P.O. Box 733, Millerton, NY 12546 or The Millerton Gun Club, P.O. Box 720, Millerton, NY 12546.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546. To send an online condolence to the family, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com

Latest News

Haystack Festival brings literary minds to Norfolk

The Great Room at Norfolk Library filled to capacity for the Haystack Festival.

Jennifer Almquist

Just after noon on Sunday, Oct. 6, attendees of Norfolk Foundation’s Haystack Festival spilled out of the red Shingle Style Norfolk Library into brilliant October sunshine, emerging from the final book talk of the weekend (excepting an event for young readers later in the day). The talk, which was a conversation between horse experts journalist Sarah Maslin Nir and author David Chaffetz, was rife with equine puns and startling facts. The tongue-in-cheek use of the word “cavalier” brought laughs from the engaged audience, while Nir disclosed that horses eat for a full 16 hours a day.

The talk brought levity and humor to the festival’s conclusion, while also diving into the serious history of the relationship between society and horses. Chaffetz explained horses were fundamental in the formation of large empires: “We don’t see empires until horses became fundamental to the political state.” Nir elaborated that the “wild” horses in North America are not native, but feral horses descended from animals brought by Spanish imperialists. “No tea grows in England,” she explained, “it is the result of empire – and so are horses.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Project SAGE's solemn vigil

"The Red Sand Project" is intended to draw attention to often overlooked domestic violence issues in the Northwest Corner.

Natalia Zukerman

To mark the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Project SAGE held its annual community vigil on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at Community Field in Lakeville. Project SAGE is a community-focused organization dedicated to supporting, advocating, guiding and educating victims of relationship violence through a range of services and outreach programs.

A large group of people gathered quietly in the center of the field where they were handed packets of red sand. Red Sand Project, created by artist and activist Molly Gochman, is a participatory artwork that uses sidewalk interventions and earthwork installations to encourage people to reflect, connect, and take action against the vulnerabilities that contribute to human trafficking, modern slavery, and exploitation.

Keep ReadingShow less