Eugene E. Cain

July 6, 1922 - December 18, 2021

Scotia- Eugene Edwin Cain died peacefully from natural causes at the Baptist Nursing Home in Scotia, New York on Saturday, December 18, 2021, just 199 days short of his 100th birthday. He was born in Cobleskill, New York on July 6, 1922, the eldest son of Edwin and Myrtle (Handy) Cain, getting his first name from his grandfather and his middle name from his father. Gene is survived by a huge family including his sisters Linda and her husband Dan Robinson from Johnstown, New York, Mary Jean Thomas from San Antonio, Texas, his stepdaughter Francine and her husband Ron Black from Snohomish, Washington, his step daughter-in-law Madeline Cain from Manchester, Connecticut, dozens of nieces and nephews and their children, grandchildren and great-granchildren. He is predeceased by his wife Frances (Graupner) Cain, his siblings Mildred, Thelma, James, Harold, William, Lynn, John, and Gene's stepsons Herbert and Dean. Growing up as a young man through the Great Depression, Gene managed to find work with room and board at a local farm during the summers. His duties included threshing grain, cutting corn, filling silos, gathering hay, feeding chickens and milking cows. Shortly thereafter he graduated from Cobleskill High School in 1941 and was hired by the General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York in December, just days before the attack at Pearl Harbor. He patriotically volunteered to enlist in the U.S. Army in 1942 where he was trained in infantry and sang the song "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition". The Army taught Gene to read and transmit Morse code messages for the 98th Signal Company and he was immediately stationed inside a secret tunnel on the Hawiian Island of Kaua'i to support the war effort in the Pacific theater. Gene was a decorated World War II Veteran and honorably discharged from active duty in 1945. After his service in the defense of his country, Gene returned to the General Electric plant managing the assembly of motors until his earned retirement in 1987. In 1958 Gene bought an acre of land at 116 Dawson Road, Scotia, New York and designed and built his own home there with help from family. Ten years later Gene married his longtime love Frances Graupner and he soon became a prolific writer of numerous published love poems to Fran. Together they enjoyed traveling and camping to many parts of America until Fran's passing in 2002. Gene's other talents included singing, fluent picking of guitars, banjos and ukeleles with his brothers, recording family events using movie cameras and projecting reel to reel film. In addition he cooked award winning chili for family gatherings while engaging family members with sincere meaningful conversations about life. Furthermore, Gene meticulously studied the Bible and tirelessly donated a considerable amount of his time and effort to advance the teachings of Christianity with the Victory Baptist Church. As one example, Gene routinely mailed out personalized calendars to loved ones with printed bible phrases such as "Believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved". In his spare time Gene enjoyed listening to country music, collecting cuckoo clocks, cultivating a vegetable garden and maintaining his property. Gene was blessed by God with a long, healthy, talented, busy and fulfilling life. Gene's best gifts to the community were his many acts of kindness, his welcoming smile, his warm personality and his selfless devotion to church functions. He is proudly described as a hard working, respected, compassionate and eagerly helpful Christian. He rarely used a discouraging word and always led by example. Gene will be fondly remembered as a father figure to his closest relations, a loyal loving husband to Fran, a Deacon with his fellow Baptists and a good, decent man by anyone familiar with his character. May the good Lord treat Gene favorably by reuniting his soul with his beloved Frances in heaven. Gene's body will be laid to rest alongside his sweetheart Fran at the Sweetman Cemetery on Sweetman Road in Charlton, New York, scheduled for Saturday, April 30, 2022. Graveside services will start at 12:00 noon followed by a church service and reception at the Victory Baptist Church, 771Swaggertown Road Scotia New York. Victory Baptist Church will be livestreaming the church service for Gene from their website https://www.scotiavictory.com Arrangements entrusted to The White Funeral Home, Scotia. Gene donated to worthy charitable organizations and his family would prefer that any donations be forwarded in his name to the charity of one's choosing.