Howard Leo DuChaine (1897 - 1963)
Lela and Howard
Howard was born in Kelletville, Forest County, PA. In 1925 Howard, then 28, moved from Pennsylvania to the Westfield, NY area with his parents, Gideon and Rachel, and brothers Bernard and Edward. They lived between Mayville and Westfield, on a farm. Howard and Bernard worked on the dairy farm and had a milk route in Westfield. In 1927, after a whirlwind three-week romance, he married Lela Marie Mays and afterwards they settled in Westfield where they had a restaurant, the Alpine Chalet for a time. Howard also worked for the Welches Grape company for many years. He composed a song for Lela and she had it copyrighted in 1964. Howard and Lela had one son, Gene DuChaine who married Marion Chandley and had no children. They are buried in the Westfield Union Cemetery in Westfield, NY.
