Leonard N. Zeller

EDWARDS - Leonard N. "Lennie" Zeller, 54, of 256 Main Street, died Monday at Edward John Noble Hospital, Gouverneur, after suffering a heart attack while responding to an ambulance call.

Mr. Zeller was a truck driver for Gouverneur Talc for 29 years, and lived in Edwards all his life.

He was a member of the Edwards Volunteer Fire Department and its former chief. He sometimes drove an ambulance for the Edwards Volunteer Rescue Squad, and was walking to the fire station Monday morning to respond to an ambulance call on River Road when he collapsed and died on the Main Street bridge across the Oswegatchie River.

Mr. Zeller was an avid whitetail deer hunter and a fisherman. He played in summer softball leagues and was a former bowler in the Edwards bowling league.

Born April 1, 1943, at Gouverneur, a son of Daniel and Vivian Camidge Zeller, he graduated from Edwards Central School in 1961. He married Patricia A. Matejcik on February 23, 1963, in Sacred Heart Church with the Reverand Father Francis Beyette officiating.

Surviving besides his wife and mother, now of Degrasse, are a son, Wesley J., Canton; a daughter, Mrs. Roger (Barbara) A. Tresidder, Edwards; two brothers, Clarence W., Fowler, and Larry H., Edwards; two sisters, Keitha M. Gayne, Mexico, and Mrs. Steven (Kathy Jo) Payne, Antwerp; a half sister, Patricia Brazell, Watertown; and five grandchildren, Madison, R.J. and Jimmy Tresidder of Edwards and Zackary and Cole Zeller of Canton.

Two brothers, Rowland E. and Frederick G., died before him.

The funeral will be at 1 P.M. Thursday at Edwards First United Methodist Church, with the Reverand Connie Seifert, assisted by the Reverand Father Charles J. Richard, officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery.

There will be a fireman's service at 8 P.M. today at the funeral home.

Calling hours will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M. today and Wednesday at French Funeral Home, 188 Main Street.

Donations may be made to the Edwards Volunteer Fire Department.

Volunteer firemen from across the area came together Thursday in respect and sadness to give a fallen comrade a firefighter's send off.

Members of over a dozen area fire departments and rescue squads joined Edwards volunteers to lead Leonard Zeller, a well known fireman and past chief of his hometown department, to his final resting place in Edwards' Fairview Cemetery.

Edwards volunteers had practiced that portion of the ceremony Wednesday, according to reports.

Outside the church Thursday an honor guard of over 150 area firemen stood at attention during the service and when Mr. Zeller was lifted onto the truck.

Many fire vehicles from area departments lined the street as the procession passed.

The Gouverneur and Canton departments brought their aerial ladder trucks, and together their large ladders formed an arch at the town hall, under which the procession passed. A large flag hung from the ladders.

The procession wound through town to the local cemetery, where a brief service ensued. A flag in Mr. Zeller's honor was folded and presented to Mrs. Zeller and the family.

The ceremony was directed by Paul Martin, a fire protection specialist with the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

The office was notified of Mr. Zeller's death Tuesday and Mr. Martin came to Edwards that day.

"I'm glad we could help in this small way," Mr. Martin said of the service he and his agency provided to the Edwards Fire Department. Mr. Zeller's was the 16th ceremony for a deceased fireman in the state this year, he said.

A number of well known area firemen expressed their appreciation to the state agency and its representative.

Richville Fire Department's Marty Hassett called the ceremony "very impressive."

Gouverneur's Joe Lacks said it was great to see the state office help the local firemen and their departments.

Over 300 firefighters from St. Lawrence, Lewis and Jefferson Counties gathered in Edwards, Thursday December 18 to honor one of their own, former Edwards Fire Chief, Leonard Zeller, who was stricken with a heart attack on December 15, while en route to answer a rescue alarm.

Lennie, the son of vivian Camidge Zeller and the late Daniel Zeller and a life-long resident of Edwards, devoted many hours to anything pertaining to the Fire and Rescue Departments, as well as serving as Fire Chief.

Lennie always made it a priority to accompany his grandchildren, Madison, R.J. and Jimmy to children's library activities, scouting and sporting events, as well as teaching them his fishing skills, which was evident this summer during the children's fishing derby.

One of my recollections of his participation in the children's programs was this spring, when he made it a point to be on scene, ready, willing and able to assist in transferring cages of native northern New York animals from the car to the library for the children's nature study, only to find that the animals had undergone a taxidermy transformation and could be tucked under the arm of the presenter.

You would have had to be present to appreciate the humor by observing the expression on Lennie's face, when he was informed that assistance wasn't needed for the stuffed animals. That episode continued to be a joke with us every time we met.

Town Justice Fred Finley remarked that Lennie's absence at the children's Christmas party on Saturday was a sad day for him, as he was always a big part of this tradition.

It would be impossible for Lennie's family, the Edwards Fire and Rescue, and our entire town to express the sincere thank you's to all of the firefighters from surrounding areas of Antwerp, Philadelphia, Potsdam, Richville, Theresa, DeKalb, Harrisville, Russell, Star Lake, Gouverneur, Norfolk, Fort Drum, Oxbow, Glen Park, Fine, West Stockholm, Norwood, Heuvelton, Hermon, West Potsdam, Newton Falls, as well as Gouverneur and Madrid Rescue, and Potsdam Fire Department for being on stand-by and answering the call during the time our unit was out of service. The Ladies Auxiliary, who were ever present, provided a great meal for around 400 people. The joint effort of all to give Lennie a farewell party, the likes of which Edwards has never before witnessed.

The overflowing standing room only attendance at the Methodist Church was an indication of his many friends, with one of the impressive segments of his service being a tribute "Good Bye Uncle Lennie", composed by his niece Bathsheba Payne and delivered by Pastor Connie, as was the sound of taps played by Greg Matejcik and Adam Ziemba, ringing out thru-out the village.

The combined efforts of firefighter Eric Morrow and New York State Fire Protection Specialist Paul Martin of Albany, were certainly evident in the professional organization of Lennie's service.

If I have omitted any departments which took part in this event, please feel free to contact me and I shall make amends.