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- Marilyn S. Weidman, age 80, passed away peacefully, Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at Highland Hospital in Rochester.
Marilyn was born January 11, 1935 in Angelica, a daughter of Myrl & Agnes (McGuire) Yencer. She was a graduate of Canaseraga High School and attended beauty school. She was predeceased by her husband Lynn A. Weidman on Oct. 5, 2005. Marilyn was a retired beautician formerly owning and operating Marilyn's Beauty Shop in Swain for many years; after and during which she worked at Swain Ski Center, was hostess at Scovill's Restaurant in Dansville and the Sierra Inn in Swain. In addition to her parents and husband, she was also predeceased by a brother, Terrance Yencer.
Marilyn was a member of the Canaseraga Lioness Club, a life member of the Swain Ski Patrol; she was the Town of Grove Historian, a past Assessor of the Town of Grove, a past member of the Canaseraga Fire Dept and Rescue Squad and also was actively involved with the Swain Hollow Village Condo Assoc.
Marilyn loved talking to everyone she met; she was affectionately known as "Grandma, The Mayor, Historian & Newsfeed of Swain" "Better than Facebook"; she enjoyed skiing, snowmobiling, drinking coffee and living in Swain, but most of all she loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and many friends.
Marilyn is survived by her children, Kevin (Sarah) Weidman, Linsie Kreiley and Amy (Jim) Tingley; her grandchildren, Erin (Wayne) Weidman, Katie (Ryan) Blakley, Lacey (Damien) Chandler & Chelsea (Robert) Kreiley; her great grandchildren, Tieler & Knox Chandler; her sister, Linda (Jon) Shay; sister-in-law, Mary Womak; 2 aunts & 1 uncle, Betty Carney, Helen Shoemaker & Ronald Thompson; several nieces, nephews & cousins.
Friends may call 5-8 pm Friday and 11am-2pm Saturday at the Chamberlin – Baird Funeral Home, 73 Main St., Dansville. Funeral Service will be held 2 pm Sunday at the Dansville Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Canaseraga.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Canaseraga Lioness Club, the Canaseraga Ambulance Fund, C/o Lion's, PO Box 179, Canaseraga, NY 14822 or a charity of the donor's choice. Those who wish to send condolences to the family may do so at www.bairdfuneralhomes.com
- SWAIN - Marylin Weidman, 70, known around the hamlet as the "Mayor of Swain," has certainly had her share of experiences in an area where snow flies and skiing abounds. Weidman, the Grove town historian, has held many different jobs in the area while residing in Swain, including:
- Canaseraga Fire and Ambulance squad, for 19 years.
- Canaseraga American Legion and Auxiliary.
- National Ski Patrol, for 17 years.
- Sierra Inn Hostess for seven years.
- Lioness Club chartered member.
- Grove town assessor
- Member of the Grove Zoning Board of Appeals
- Beauty shop owner (in her home at 2263 County Route 24).
- Reporter for the Canaseraga Creek Crier, a local newsletter which covered Canaseraga, Birdsall and Swain.
In addition to being town historian, she currently manages the Swain Hollow Village Condominiums Association.
"I just love Swain," Weidman said Thursday at her home. "It's developed a lot from when I first remember it."
An avid skier, she was born Jan. 11, 1935, in Angelica to Myrl and Agnes Yencer. Her 89-year-old mother, Agnes Yencer, lives next door at 2267 County Route 24 and is the oldest living person in Swain. Yencer also works for the Grandparent Program at Creekside Community Home in Nunda.
Weidman attended school in the old Swain School House for kindergarten through third grade and the Canaseraga School during grades four through 12. She graduated in 1953. After working at Kodak in Rochester and the Doyle Beauty Shop in Buffalo she opened her own beauty shop in her home, which she ran up until three years ago.
She said the Swain Ski Resort was opened as a one-rope tow slope by David and Bina Robinson in 1947 and was an immediate hit among youths in the area. "Before the ski resort bought groomers, me and some of the other neighborhood kids would go and sidestep on the slope and flatten the surface down," Weidman said. "That would be our pass for the day." Back then, she said, general and hardware stores, as well as two gas stations, existed on County Route 24. An elk farm existed on French Hill Road, which has since been turned into a lodge. She said a big sawmill also existed, as lumber was the primary business in town at that time. "Every day at noon, a whistle would blow at the sawmill," she said. "It was a real lumber town."
Along the way, Weidman married Lynn Weidman of Ossian in 1956, and the two moved into their home in May 1959. They have three children - a son, Kevin, and two daughters, Linsie Kreiley and Amy Tingley. Her husband previously served as a Grove town board member for 28 years and currently works in maintenance at the Swain Ski Center.
Showing a keen interest in the history of the area, she became Grove town historian in 2000. She unearthed several old facts about Swain, including the burial of a Civil War veteran and the "Ossian Giant" on Swain Hill.
Frederick Decker, also known as the "Ossian Giant," was born in 1836 in Geneseo. Decker grew to be more than seven feet tall and weighed more than 300 pounds, an incredible stature in those times.
After working as a lumberman in the town of Ossian, he joined the Barnum & Bailey Circus and toured with Tom Thumb and other figures. He died in March 1886 in Swain. Weidman said another historical aspect of Swain is the Finger Lakes Trail, which connects the Allegheny Mountains to the Catskill Mountains. She said many hikers go down the various trails in Swain.
Another of her searches led to the discovery of the first-ever Town of Grove board meeting agenda from April 3, 1827. The following laws were enacted during that meeting: first, meat, cattle and sheep were considered free commoners from the first of April to the tenth of November each year; second, studs and board were not be allowed to run at large in any case, under a penalty of five dollars; third, rams were not be allowed to run at large from the first of September to the first of January, under a penalty of five dollars; fourth, a four and a half-foot fence was lawful, and every overseer of highways was considered a lawful viewer and pound master; fifth, no cattle sheep or hogs were allowed to run at large within a half mile of any store, tavern or mill between the first of November, under a penalty of one dollar for each offense.
The hamlet of Swain, she said, was named for Samuel Swain, who got theidea for naming the town of Grove from the "huge grove of trees that surrounded the area."
The boom of the Swain Ski Center, along with the development of local businesses such as Mauld's Pizza Shop, Downhill Drew's Restaurant and the Wildwood Restaurant, as well as the Mountainside Inn and Sierra Inn, has helped Swain's economy. Despite these advancements, she wants more businesses to arrive in the town she loves. "I've always wanted to see more businesses arrive," she said. "The town deserves everything. My husband and I have met so many nice people here, and it's a great area. Our 16 by 36 foot pool was like a community pool over the years, and it symbolized everyone's closeness." Weidman is pleased with the work of the town board and all its employees. She said Town Highway Superintendent Jesse Griffith, who has served the town for 12 years, has done a fine job. "He's got about 40 miles of dirt roads in town that have to be paved, so he's always busy," she said. "He's very good at helping people. He's simply done a great job here."
Griffith's grandfather, Leo, also served as highway superintendent in the past. Weidman also had praise for Town Supervisor Mike Johnsen. "The town should be very thankful for him and the job that he's done," Weidman said. "He's done a great job since he took over for Bill Norton (former town supervisor) and he's simply a great man. He cares a lot about what residents think and does well."
Another figure who Weidman said was instrumental in the town's history was Bill Whitney, a former highway superintendent, board trustee and town supervisor.
These days, Johnsen said Weidman is probably the most visible figures in town. "I think she's so popular among everyone," Johnsen said. "She knows everyone and has done so much to help the town. She's also not afraid to tell us what she thinks and fix problems. She's just a great person." Weidman continues to ski, snowmobile and do a little bit of everything these days. "Winter-time is always bustling around here," she said with a smile. "It's a great area that everyone has grown to appreciate."
'Mayor of Swain' stands tall in her community
By STEVEN DLUGOSZ - THE SPECTATOR (2005)
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1935 - 2015 (80 years)
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