FORESTVILLE: Barbara Mae (Summerlee) Nederland Tower, passed from this Earth on July 9, 2016, after a long and brave battle with cancer. She was born on June 20, 1931, the daughter of the late Harlow and Dorothy Summerlee.
A Forestville resident most of her entire life, she graduated from Forestville Central School, Class of 1948. Mrs. Tower was a patriot. During WWII, at the age of 12, she collected scrap metal for the war effort.
After attending college at Cortland, she joined the United States Navy in 1952, serving as a hospital corpsman aboard the USNS Eldon H. Johnson, during the Korean War. Mrs. Tower loved softball. A lifetime player, she pitched slow pitch softball well into her 70s for various teams. She was well known for her skill and love of the game. At one time, she played for the former Koch’s Annies, a semi-pro softball team. While on active duty and stationed at Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina, Mrs. Tower captained and played for the Marine Corps women’s softball team, traveling the East Coast playing against other military teams. She returned home to Forestville and had four children-Jeffry, Jodi, Jon and Jay.
Mrs. Tower became a rural letter carrier for the United States Postal Service, working for 21 years and retiring in 1997. Upon her retirement, she began volunteering with the Forestville Food Pantry and continued to do so until shortly before her death. Mrs. Tower belonged to Fingers of Hope, a group that knits mittens & hats and sews quilts & burial gowns for those in need. She also knitted hats for premature babies for several hospitals across the country. Mrs. Tower made and sent scarves to the Seaman Christian Institute for sailors serving aboard ships in the Navy. She also sent care packages to deployed military members through the Warmth for Warriors Project.
Mrs. Tower was a member of J. Carter Knapp American Legion Post #953, Forestville and was honored as the Grand Marshall of the 2014 Fall Festival Parade.
Survivors include a daughter Jodi Nederland (Kevin) Johnson, two sons Jon (Diane) Tower and Jay Tower, all of Forestville and a sister Ruth Payne of Lehigh Acres, FL. Also surviving are four grandchildren, MSGT Heather (Miller) Shelton of Colorado Springs, CO, Kyal Johnson, Lynsey Johnson and Breanna Rohauer, all of Forestville, six great grandchildren, two nieces and two nephews. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her first husband Jack Nederland and by her second husband Marden “Rocky” Tower, a son, Jeffry Nederland and her friend and companion John Reardon.
Mrs. Tower requested that there be no funeral and in fact, she donated her remains to the University of Buffalo, School of Medicine. There will be a Celebration of her Life held on August 20th at 3 pm, at J. Carter Knapp American Legion Post #953, 6 Cedar Street, Forestville.
Jodi, Jon & Jay request that Barbara Mae’s friends and family attend the celebration and bring their stories of Barb to share. Memorial Donations may be made in her memory either to the Forestville Food Pantry, PO Box 309, Forestville, NY 14062 or to the Barb Tower Scholarship for Forestville Senior Girls Softball Players, C/O Jodi N. Johnson, 24 Lodi Street, Forestville, NY 14062.
Local Arrangements are by Riles & Woolley Funeral Home, Forestville. To post condolences go to www.rilesandwoolleyfuneralhome.com
