MINERVA, NY — March 4th — Fred Morse Sr., a well-known member of the Minerva community and a former volunteer and lifelong department supporter, passed away, according to the Minerva Volunteer Fire & Rescue, 1495 NY-28N. In order to identify a former Hewitt's Oil tanker that had been converted into a water tanker as fire apparatus, Morse helped painted it during the department's early years.

The Morse family has had a history of public service. In the 1980s, his late wife Rose worked as an EMT, and their son Fred Morse Jr. went on to become an assistant fire chief, fireman, and EMT. During his tenure as Town Supervisor, Morse advocated for financing emergency supplies, such as the department's 1991 purchase of Jaws of Life.