The Musings of A Simple Country Man
By Hobie Morris
(Brookfield, NY – Aug. 2015) A remarkable Brookfield woman, known widely in this central New York area for her extensive literary accomplishments as well as her culinary expertise, recently passed away and was interred in the quaint and historic Brookfield Rural Cemetery. From her eternal resting place a stone could be thrown to where her childhood home once stood. A majestic old church bell rings in the steeple of the pre-Civil War Baptist Church, where she worshipped throughout her life. The church steeple can also be seen from her resting spot. The location’s ambience is serene and beautiful. The surrounding forest covered hills are deeply verdant in all shades of iridescent greens. Donna Tanney is home. She loved this rural community with all her being. A lifelong love affair that she captured in her many beautiful writings that she recaptured in all the writing mediums and even her primitive but meaningful art work.
For many years Donna and her husband Charlie lived the life of the past in their l9th century homestead on the Gates Hill that overlooks the Beaver Valley deeply below. Charlie drove award winning Percheron draft horses on a sleigh in winter and stagecoach in summer through the Brookfield area. Donna then served home cooked dinners that were very popular, bringing in people from many states. Donna and Charlie recreated a lifestyle that was extremely unique and very exciting for those unfamiliar with the way people lived a century and a half ago.
There are many chapters in Donna Tanney’s book, both the ones she so beautifully wrote and her personal life story. Her writings will continue to be enjoyed and will enrich future generations. She was a gifted writer with a special talent to capture in dialogue the characters and plot of a time long ago in the Brookfield community. History fascinated Donna. Her roots grew deep in the rocks of the often unforgiving soil of this remote rural community. Her grandfather in fact began the first newspaper in Brookfield in the mid-1870’s.
Donna was a mother lode of historical information that she gladly shared in many different ways. Genealogists were always requesting information from her. She was always working on new history projects, right up until the end.
Donna was an indefatigable worker in many other ways. For instance, she built a massive field stone fireplace and chimney, doing the whole process from finding the stones in old walls and cellars to carrying them to the truck or wagon and eventually cementing them all together. It was an amazing labor of love.
We also greatly admired her tremendous determination and love for others. Despite many personal bumps in her long life she somehow persevered and kept on keeping on. Nothing short of death was she incapable of surmounting. When she had a near fatal aneurysm at age 56, she miraculously survived. Ironically, her mother died of the same affliction at that same age. Donna would survive and live a very exciting and eventful life for another 35 years.
My lovely wife Lois and I valued our 45 year friendship with Donna Tanney and her husband Charlie. Today they are united in the location they never wanted to leave. Donna’s last chapter here on earth has indeed been written, but her many writings will ripple away through the generations to follow. Her new chapter will be composed in her heavenly home.
Hobie Morris is a Brookfield resident and simple country man.