Leland Story
August 10, 1921 – May 29, 2015
Leland Story, 93, of Kennedy, died Friday (May 29, 2015) at Heritage Park Rehab and Skilled Nursing.
He was born Aug. 10, 1921, in Frewsburg, N.Y., the son of Allen and Myrtle Hall Story.
He Joined the U.S. Army Air Force in 1941 and was a waist gunner on B17s, 95th Bomb Group.
He was shot down over Holland and was a prisoner of war for 15 months at five different camps before being released by American soldiers.
He married Phyllis Suckow in Frewsburg on Nov. 22, 1945. They lived in the New York City area while he took training as a draftsman. After returning to Frewsburg, he worked as a machinist at the former Blackstone Corp. and later as a draftsman for Marlin Rockwell.
The family moved to Pueblo, Colo., in 1959, where he worked at Triplex Mfg. and started his own ceramic tile installation business. In 1967, they moved to Denver, where he worked as a tool maker at Sunstrand Corp. After moving back to the Frewsburg area, he started a farm and Story and Sard apple orchard which he maintained for many years.
Lee was a member of the Frewsburg Fire Company, South Western POW Club, Frewsburg American Legion, and a founder and lifetime member of the Carroll Rod and Gun Club.
He was an avid gun enthusiast, repairing guns and making his own am-munition. In the last few years of his life, he turned to wood working and made many pieces of fine furniture.
Lee is survived by a daughter, Kathy Nissen, and a son, Gary (Adrienne) Story of Kennedy; five grandchildren: Timothy Nissen of Kodak, Tenn., Joseph Nissen of White Pine, Tenn., Adam Story of Frewsburg, Tyler Story of Kennedy, and Megan Petransky of North Carolina; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a sister, Elizabeth Story of Florida.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife, Phyllis Suckow Story, in November 2005; a granddaughter, Jani Rogers, in February 2014; a son-in-law, John Nissen, in December 2014; three brothers; and two sisters.
Burial for Lee and his wife's cremains will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Frewsburg, where a military graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday to recognize Lee and Phyllis as veterans of World War II.
Memorials may be made to the Samuel Derby Post 556 American Legion, Frewsburg.