IN MEMORIAM: Joseph R. Konchar, 91;

Retired Farmer Owned Elm Inn In Heyday

MILFORD – Joseph R. Konchar, 91, a retired farmer who owned the Elm Inn in its heyday, died Saturday, April 20, 2019, at Cooperstown Center.

Born March 19, 1928, Joe was the youngest and last surviving of the 13 children of August and Antoinette (Ocaker) Konchar.

At an early age, his family moved from the family’s Christian Hill farm in the Town of Otsego where he was born, to Milford where his parents had purchased another farm where they would continue the family tradition of dairy farming.
Joe attended Milford Central School.

On May 29, 1958, Joe married his lifelong love, Dorothy Kanzler. Joe and Dorothy purchased the farm on Route 28, just north of Milford, and continued to engage in dairy farming at that location. In the late 1970s, Joe and Dorothy sold the farm and purchased the Elm Inn in Milford.

The Inn quickly became known as the place to go for great “home cooked” food at a reasonable price as well as for its hospitality. Joe and Dorothy hosted many local organizations at the Inn such as Rotary, various school functions as well as numerous other events. They also hosted hunters every year during hunting season. Joe and Dorothy operated the Inn for more than 22 years before retiring in the late 1990s.

Throughout their lives together Joe and Dorothy traveled extensively. They visited nearly every state, many of them several times.

Joe was an accomplished bowler. He was also known, as most successful farmers are, for his ability to patch and fix all manner of things.

Joe was proud of his Slovenian heritage and loved to sing traditional  songs in Slovenian whenever a microphone was at hand.  He especially enjoyed entertaining people by telling stories and reminiscing about his youth and growing up on the family farm.

He was a member of the Farmers Benevolent Society (The Cornfield) on County Route 26 in Fly Creek and was a faithful communicant at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown.

Joseph is survived by his wife, Dorothy, with whom he celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last May 29.

He was predeceased by his brothers, August, Stanley, Edward, Bill, Albin and Tony; half-brother, Frank; sisters, Anna Svet, Pauline Kralj, Mary Kukenberger, Frances Linich; and half-sister, Antonia.

Visiting hours will be 4 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 24, at the Tillapaugh Funeral Home, 28 Pioneer St., Cooperstown.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m., Thursday morning April 25, also at the funeral home. Burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Index will be later in the spring.