It was a red-letter day for LutheranCare resident Joseph Crandall when he was surprised by the presentation of a special lapel pin commemorating 45 years of service to the New Hartford Fire Department. Joe was, at one time, the oldest living active member of the department serving as its secretary and coordinating the annual New Hartford Fire Department Fund Drive among other roles.
He resigned from the Fire Department in 2015 for health reasons. When officers of the fire department discovered that Joe would not be attending the installation banquet where the pin was to be presented, they made arrangements for a private ceremony on the LutheranCare campus in Clinton where he now resides.