Schenevus - Paul Beecher Conley – died Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at home from kidney failure after a recent illness. He was born in Jamaica, Queens, NY March 28, 1917, the second son of Walter J. Conley and Zena Sikes Conley. He grew up in Cranford, NJ and graduated from Cleveland High School in Cranford in 1935. He attended Hamilton College for two years.

He was drafted into the Army in 1941 and served in World War II in the infantry and attained the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He was among the first 500 soldiers chosen for the 501st Parachute Battalion, the forerunner to the Airborne Infantry. Serving with the 4th Division in Normandy about three days after D-Day, he suffered from a grenade shrapnel wound and spent about a year in the hospital.

He moved to Schenevus, NY permanently in 1949 and married the former A. Irene Kinney June 25, 1949.

He was a rural mail carrier serving the Schenevus area for 19 years. He had a small beef herd on his farm on South Hill. He enjoyed his family, politics, keeping up with the news, reading and TV. He ran for President of the United States in 1988 and 1992 as a Republican candidate in the New Hampshire and other primaries. He was master of the Schenevus Valley Grange, belonged to the VFW, the DAV and attended the United Methodist Church in Schenevus.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years A. Irene Conley, Schenevus, NY; seven children and their families, daughter Charlene Perron and her husband Steven of Kentwood, MI and their five children, Laura and Todd Weaver and son Noah Weaver, Mark and Suzanne Perron, Lansen and Andrea Perron, Scott and Alissa Perron, and Ted and Amber Perron; son Davis Conley and his wife Christine of Otego, NY and their daughter Jennifer Linhard and her three children Brandon, Kylie and Chloe; son Gavin Conley, Schenevus, NY; son Blair Conley and his wife Margaret of Fort Dodge, IA and their three children Andrea, Anita and Brian; son Todd Conley and his wife Debra of Durham, NC; son Air Force Colonel Lansen Conley and his wife Pamela, Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, TX and their three children Grant, Kelly and Eric; daughter Paula May and her husband Timothy of Richmond, KY and their three children Allison, Julia and Brenden; brother J. Allison Conley and his wife Edna of Mountainside, NJ; several nephews, nieces and cousins; and sisters-in-law Eleanor Crouch and Evelyn Kinney

He was predeceased by his parents, two brothers, Meredith and Philip Conley and a brother-in-law Carlton Kinney.

Calling hours will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at the Heller Funeral Home, Schenevus.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Wednesday, May 31, 2006 at the Schenevus United Methodist Church with a graveside service immediately after in the Schenevus Cemetery.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Catskill Area Hospice, 1 Birchwood Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820, the Schenevus-Maryland Emergency Squad, 105 Co Hwy 34, Schenevus, NY 12155, or the Schenevus United Methodist Church, 66 Main Street, Schenevus, NY 12155.

The family wishes to thank Bassett HealthCare of Cooperstown and At Home Care of Oneonta. Also the family is grateful for Catskill Area Hospice, their staff and nurses Laura and Sharon for the loving care they gave Paul at home.

The family will receive private and public condolences at www.hellerfuneralhome.com .

The Heller Funeral Home, 25 Arch St. Schenevus is serving the family.