Obituary of Mary Forness

Mary "Midge" Forness "Loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend" Allegany, NY-- Mary K. "Midge" Forness of 100 N. 2nd St. died Monday (March 24, 2003) in her home. Born April 10, 1941 in Olean she was the daughter of Hollis Eugene and Mary B. Soplop Barney. On May 19, 1962 in St. Bonaventure Church in Allegany she married Pete Forness who survives. Mrs. Forness was a 1959 graduate of Allegany Central School and first worked in the Allegany Central School library for ten years. For more than twenty years she had been a real estate agent in the Olean area, most recently working for the Jones Realty Group. She was a member of the Cattaraugus County Association of Realtors, having served as a past member of the Board of Directors, past secretary,and participated on many of its committees. As an involved resident of Allegany, she served on the Town of Allegany Zoning Board for fifteen years, was involved with the Allegany Central School Alumni Association and served on the Allegany Alumni Scholarship Committee for many years. She also was a member of the Welcome Wagon Club of the Enchanted Mountains. Midge enjoyed golfing, where she was an active member of the St. Bonaventure Ladies Golf Leagues. Additionally, she enjoyed gardening, summers with her husband at Cuba Lake, vacationing with her sisters, and spoiling her grandchildren. These activities generated many memories that she enjoyed sharing with her husband, children, grandchildren and friends. Surviving besides her husband are a daughter Pam (Cas) Konieczka of Olean; a son Bobby (Nancy) Forness of Mesa, AZ; 3 granddaughters Casey Konieczka, Lindsey Forness and Allison Forness; sisters !DiAnn (Mike) Arnold of Lewisville, TX, Fran Barney of Walled Lake, MI and several cousins, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by 2 brothers Robert Barney in 1957 and James Barney in 1959. There will be no visitation. Friends are invited to attend a memorial mass to be celebrated Thursday (March 27, 2003) at 10:30am in St. Bonaventure Church, Allegany. The family will greet friends in church immediately following the mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Allegany Central School Alumni Association C/O Diana M. Rzepka 153 W. Main St. Allegany, NY 14706, to The Lackey Foundation For Children 833 N. Union St. Olean, NY 14760, or to Homecare and Hospice 1225 W. State St. Olean, NY 14760. Arrangements are under direction of the Casey, Halwig & Hartle Funeral Home, Olean.