Obituary of Paul W. Birk

Mr. Paul W. Birk, 85, formerly of Nellis Street, Nelliston, died Sunday, January 4, 2009 at the Folts Home in Herkimer. Born on July 25, 1923 in Nelliston, he was the only son of Harry D. Birk and Catherine M. Wahler. A lifelong area resident, Paul attended school in Nelliston and was a 1941 graduate of Fort Plain High School. He also attended Centenary College of Shreveport, Louisiana. For 37 years he worked in the maintenance department at Beech- Nut in Canajoharie. He was also employed as a Maintenance Supervisor at the Montgomery County Sewer Plant in Nelliston for six years. Mr. Birk was an Army veteran of WWII, serving with the 86th Infantry Division 343rd Infantry Regiment in Europe and the Philippine Islands, and was the recipient of the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star, European Theater with Star, and Asiatic Pacific Theater ribbons. He also served in the 824th Tank Destroyer Unit and The U.S. Air Corps, pilot training program. In 1954, he became an official of the Town of Palatine which spanned 45 years until his retirement in January in 1999. Paul served 28 years as Town Justice and later as a Councilman with the Town Board. One of his goals was to have a new town barn constructed, which became a reality in 1992. Mr. Birk was a member of the Fort Plain Masonic Lodge No. 433 F&AM, Canajoharie Chapter RAM 53, Ancient Scottish Rite Valley of Utica, Ziyara Shrine Temple of Utica, Mohawk Valley Post 3275 Veterans of Foreign Wars Fort Plain, American Legion Post 554, 86th Blackhawk Infantry Division Association, New York State Magistrates Association, Montgomery County Magistrates Association, Crawford County Genealogy Society of Bucyrus, Ohio and the Trinity Lutheran Church of Stone Arabia. He was also of the original founders of the Nelliston Youth and Civic League, now the Nelliston Ball Park. On April 22, 1944 he was united in marriage to the former Edith A. Coso. That union lasted 59 years until her passing on December 13, 2003. His loving family includes his two daughters, Nancy K. Davern and her husband Jeffrey of Little Falls and Diane L. Rehse and her husband Dirk of Webster; three grandchildren, Catherine Leonard of Fort Plain, Zachary Miller of Nelliston and Wesley Rehse of Webster; three great grandchildren, Hannah, Janae and Mathea Leonard. Funeral services will be conducted on Friday, January 9, 2009 at 10 o'clock at the Lenz & Betz Funeral Home, 69 Otsego Street, Canajoharie. Interment will take place in the spring, with full military honors in the Fort Plain Cemetery. Relatives and friends are invited and may call from 5 until 8 Thursday evening at the funeral home. A Masonic service will take place on Friday at 9:30a.m. prior to funeral services. Contributions may be made to the Trinity Lutheran Church of Stone Arabia or Mid- County Volunteer Ambulance Service.