Lillian N. Gregrow

Lillian N. Gregrow

Berkshire, NY

Lillian N. Gregrow, 98, passed away on January 1, 2025, at her cherished home on West Creek Road, Berkshire, NY. She was born on Blackman Hill outside of Speedsville on October 18, 1926, the daughter of the late William and Bernice (Goodrich) Needham.

She will be sorely missed by her children Jeffrey “Jeff” Gregrow, David Gregrow, and Kathleen "Trina" Gregrow, her beloved grandchildren Leah, Sabrina, and Emma as well has her precious great-granddaughter, Davina. Lillian is also survived by her former sister-in-law Ann Hernandez, as well as several nieces and nephews and their children.

In addition to her parents, Lillian was reunited in Heaven with her loving husband Roy Gregrow, her treasured siblings Dorothy (Ralph) Torrey, Phyllis (Merle) Harris, Marjorie Needham, William “Bill” Needham Jr. and Carolyn (Merv) Barbe; her in-laws Clara (Michael) Urchuck, Alice (Andy) Tavelli, Fanny (Charles) Swartout, Walter Gregrow, Nick (Anita) Gregrow, Paul (Mary) Gregrow, Pauleen (Robert) Vaughn, Ruby (Fred) Woodin, Peter (Laura) Gregrow, Steven Gregrow, Viola (Walt) Kobylarz, Bernard (Polly) Gregrow, and her close cousin Beverly Keane. Lillian was also predeceased by many cousins, nieces and nephews both in the United States and in England.

Lillian was born in her grandparents' farm house that they had built themselves. At the time, her father was working for them as a hired hand. She spent a significant amount of her youth on this farm and enjoyed recounting her many fond memories of the loving company of her grandparents, catching minnows in the stream to try to fry them to eat, having to use an outhouse, and admiring the many flower beds that surrounded the home.

She was stricken with horrible polio at age of 8, that did significant damage to her muscles from her waist down. She was so crippled by the disease that she had to spend an entire year at a Reconstruction Home in Elmira to learn how to walk again. That experience probably contributed greatly to her incredible perseverance and irrepressible drive that she exhibited throughout the rest of her life.

She was a very talented artist in high school, which lead to her winning an award for one of her drawings that was later honored with a display in NYC. In her senior year, she was selected as the Queen of the Senior Prom. Since this was during the time of WWII, money and materials were scarce, so the young men from the shop class stepped up to fashion for her a crown from scrap metal. She greatly appreciated their effort and the crown so much that she kept that crown her entire life. She graduated from Newark Valley High School in 1945.

After high school she went to work as a key-punch operator for GLF Corporation, the predecessor of Agway, in Ithaca. She ended up leaving that position to go back to Blackman Hill to care for her aging grandmother. That was an early, perfect example of her willingness to make personal sacrifices for the betterment of others.

Lillian met the love of her life, Roy A. Gregrow, during her high school years at a dance near the village green in Speedsville, after which their romance blossomed. She said that she was attracted to him because "he was a gentleman and a good dancer." They were married for all eternity on June 6, 1947.

Her most cherished travel experience of her life was a few years after her marriage when her father took out a loan to take himself, his wife, and several of their children over the pond to England on the Queen Elizabeth Ocean liner to visit his parents and family for an extended summer vacation. Lillian glowingly talked about those special memories frequently right up until the very end of her life, which included time roaming the English countryside, riding in her cousins' sports cars and on their motorcycles, walking near the shore not far from her English grandparents' home, relishing the culture of her father, and bonding with all of her English cousins.

She and Roy later brought their 3 children into the world and ensured that they were raised in a loving and structured home life. She could be called a "homemaker," but she was so much more, including mother, Nana, Great Nana, sister, daughter, granddaughter, wife, mentor, counselor, medic, homework helper, flower bed connoisseur, gardener, canner, chef, refinisher, house painter, wall paperer, treasurer, financial planner, vacation coordinator, tractor driver, marksman, Sunday school teacher, renowned apple pie baker, genealogist, story teller, and friend.

Lillian loved gardening and tending to her multiple beautiful flower beds encircling her home. She was also well known for her roadside display of flowers at the edge of her garden and around the barns, including canna lilies, cleomes, gladiolus, and dahlias.

She and Roy loved dancing and stayed involved with it until her legs began to give way due to post polio syndrome. They were actively involved in a square dancing club and participated in numerous such dancing events. They were also great polka dancers, which they endeavored to pass onto their children. They would give them polka dancing lessons in the carpeted living room, which left their kids with beautiful memories of holding onto their parents when spinning around the room doing the 3 step dance.

Probably her second most favorite travel experience was flying to Hawaii with Roy following his retirement from IBM Owego. They experienced Hawaiian luaus, spectacular scenery, tasty macadamia nuts, and at one point even with Roy literally dancing on a tabletop in celebration of his retirement (which probably made her blush).

Lillian was the respected and admired Matriarch of the family, being here with us and guiding us for close to 100 years. Everyone that had the privilege and honor to know her all say what a sweet and caring person she was. She is leaving a void here on earth that will be impossible to fill, but Heaven now has a wonderful and gifted new angel.

Friends and family are invited to a period of visitation at MacPherson Funeral Home, 5 Whig Street, Newark Valley, NY, on Friday, January 10, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A service celebrating her life will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at 11:00a.m. at the Jenksville Methodist Church, 7880 West Creek Road, Berkshire, NY 13760, with Pastor Sean Chanthasone officiating. A luncheon for family and friends at the Church annex will follow. Lillian will be laid to rest next to her husband at Glen Hope Cemetery in the Spring. Memories and condolences can be shared in her guestbook online at www.macphersonfh.com