Obituary of Carolyn O. Weatherwax

Carolyn O. Weatherwax, 81, passed away on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.

Born in Albany on April 27, 1941, she was the daughter of the late Allen and Olive VanHoesen Hotaling.  Carolyn was a graduate of Saratoga High School in 1959, Broome Technical Community College and completed a one year internship at Binghamton General Hospital, Kilmer Memorial Lab School for Medical Technology.  Her working career spanned 46 years, working the first three in Hematology at Albany Medical Center and spending the next 43 years at Saratoga Hospital retiring as Supervisor of Hematology.

Carolyn was a long-time member of the New York State Archaeology Association, where she served as Treasurer in that organization.  She was also an active member and Treasurer of the Auringer Seelye Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association, centered in Saratoga Springs, NY.  She was a long-time member of the Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave, NY and volunteered on numerous “digs” with their Archaeology Department.  She also volunteered in support of Dr. Roger Starbuck’s colonial and military history field excavations in Lake George and on Rogers Island near Fort Edward for at least twenty years.  She was also active in and a participating member in the Society of Industrial Archaeology. With that group she did extensive research on the Route 9 graphite mine and published her research results. She also worked on the West Point Foundry project with this same organization.

Carolyn loved geology and mineral collecting which brought her to the Poland Mining Camp in Poland Springs, Maine for the joy of pouring through the old gem mines looking for tourmaline, quartz and beryl crystals for her collection.  She loved to travel and visited many mining and early industrial sites in the States as well as traveling extensively worldwide.  She was active in the Schenectady County Community College “Community Archaeology Program”, and graduated with a proficiency in the basic science of archaeological investigative work including fieldwork and artifact identification and curation.  Finally, in all of the above activities, she made many close friends who she worked with and who shared her keen interest in her “hobbies”.

Carol Weatherwax was active in the Northern New England Chapter of the Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA).  Much of this was due to the keen interest she had developed in the old Saratoga Graphite Products Mine and Mill found on her property near Wilton, New York.  She researched and documented the history of this fascinating site and shared her findings with others.  Another graphite mine she studied with others was the Empire Graphite Company in Porters Corners near Greenfield.  Through SIA she networked with other likeminded people and went on many field trips to mills, iron furnaces, mines, and the like throughout New York and New England.  Her interest in mines, geology, and travel drew her to participate in several noteworthy conferences with the Mining History Association (MHA) including Scranton, Pennsylvania and Franklin, New Jersey in 2005, and Creede, Colorado in 2009.

She was lifelong member of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Survivors include her daughter, Bonny Wilson; son, Timothy Weatherwax; and grandchildren, Timothy J. Weatherwax, III, Jessica M. Wilson, Sierra L. Beckenstein.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Friday, July 14, 2023 from 4 to 6:30 pm at Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Ave., Delmar.  A time of sharing will be held at 6:30 pm.  Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to:

Clarksville Historical Society, P.O. Box 91, Clarksville, NY 12041 www.clarksvillenyhistoricalsociety.org/donate

Community Hospice, 310 So. Manning Blvd., Albany, NY  12208 www.communityhospice.org/donate/

Saratoga Hospital Foundation, 211 Church St., Saratoga Springs, NY  12866 www.saratogahospitalfoundation.org/giving