Elvira E. "Vi" Lockwood

Elvira E. “Vi” Lockwood, age 96, formerly of Castile and Geneseo, passed peacefully to a new life on July 17, 2018 at Livingston County Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Mt. Morris.
Vi was born to Edward and Mina Reich on November 22, 1921 in Buffalo, NY. Elvira was the youngest of 5 children in a German family with brothers: Edward and Wilbur and sisters: Edna and Arlene. She grew up working in the family grocery store in Town Line, NY. She graduated from Lancaster High School. On Nov. 8, 1941 Elvira married the love of her life, Harold Lockwood in the Town Line Lutheran Church. At the end of World War II, they returned to their farm on Tenefy Rd. in Castile, NY. For more than 50 years Vi and Harold operated Lockview Farms, a dairy and crop farm, and later, a very successful hog operation. She was a busy farm wife and mother helping her husband, caring for her family, cooking, preserving food from her garden and sewing special clothes for her girls. Additional friends and family were often at her kitchen table enjoying the good food. She shared her skills as a 4-H leader for many years and was active in Beef and Hog Organizations. Her skills driving the farm truck were put to use driving school bus for Letchworth Central. She was also a longtime member of the Castile United Church of Christ.
Vi loved to go places and was always quick to pack a sandwich and take off for an afternoon, a day or a week of fun with her family and friends. In later years Vi and Harold loved to travel across the United States in their motor home, traveling to Alaska 3 times!
Most of all, Vi loved her family. She was a wonderful Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmothers. Harold and Vi celebrated 60 years of marriage before Harold’s death in 2002. She will be greatly missed by her five children and their spouses: Joan and Wayne Sage of Perry, Carol and Wayne Gillis of Manlius, Harold and Thelma Lockwood of Corsicana, TX, Lorraine and Kevin Wolfer of Lyons, James and Penny Lockwood of Silver Springs and by Vi’s nephew Edward Reich of Livonia. Her 12 Grandchildren and 27 Great Grandchildren remember her with smiles for all the fun and love she shared with them! Her family was truly blessed by her love and care.
Family and friends may call on Friday July 20th from 11am-1pm at the Eaton-Watson Funeral Home, LLC. 98 North Main St. in Perry where services will follow at 1pm at the funeral home.
She will be laid to rest in Grace Cemetery in Castile.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wyoming County 4-H Program 36 Center St. Suite B Warsaw, New York 14569.