Carol Anne (Manell) Senecal

Carol Anne (Manell) Senecal

Born:  February 18, 1934 in Whitehall, NY to Joseph Eugene Manell and Mary Louise (Robetor)

Graduated:  Whitehall High School 1951

First job:  Glens Falls Insurance Co., 1951-1955

Married – Wayne Robert Senecal – August 1, 1954

5 children:  Christopher Senecal, Catherine Tobin, David Senecal, Michael Senecal, Karen LeMin and numerous grandchildren.  Pre-deceased by one brother – Alan Bruce Manell, WWII veteran.

Hobbies:  Horses, scuba diving, photography, gardening and genealogy. She was an amateur photographer with 3 photos featured in farm magazines and won best scenic picture in a Glens Falls competition. 

She also loved to travel with her husband Wayne- visiting every US state, all the Canadian provinces, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rico, Panama, Columbia, Ireland and several islands in the Caribbean.

1958 – Participated in the dive in East Bay to recover the 1812 warship U.S.S. Ticonderoga, retrieved 2 items from ship – leather mail flap and a vial that are on display in the Whitehall Museum which opened in 1959.

1959 – Served on Bicentennial Committee, participated in parades and other activities.

1961 – 1965 – Den mother for Cub Scouts.

1965 – 1978 – One of the first female school bus drivers and enjoyed training new drivers for Whitehall School District.

1970’s – President of Whitehall Historical Society for 7 years. Member of Town and County Planning Boards, Grange lecturer and member of drill team, Jr. Grange Matron.  County Farm Bureau, Local Affairs chairman; Co-chairman with husband for Eastern NY Farm Bureau Membership Committee.

1980’s – Chairman of Town and County Planning Boards, member of Republican Club & Woman’s Club,  Historical Society Vice President & Museum trustee; Urban Cultural Park Committee, Dairylea Legislative Committee for Vermont & Eastern NY, Whitehall Town Clerk 1987-89, Greater Adirondack Resource Conservation Development Council 1985, Village Historic Preservation Commission, Urban Cultural Park Commission 1987.

1989 – 1999, Washington County Archivist, received NY State Regents Award for most improved local government archival program in 1990.

Genealogy – Several pages of her Veillette family research published in a Canadian book August 1988. 

2000-2018, Whitehall Village & Town Historian, Curator of Historical Society of Whitehall Research Library.

Carol was a founding member of the Skene Manor Committee, a member of the board for the Arts & Recreation for the Bridge Theater, served on the Washington County Historical Society Board of Trustees, Whitehall Chamber of Commerce and was also Curator of Historical Society of Whitehall Research Library.

Her many historical publications can be viewed at the Whitehall Library or the Historic Grounds Restaurant.

2015 – Carol received the James R. Cronkite Award for outstanding dedication in promoting and preserving the historical heritage of Washington County. 

Calling hours are Monday, April 15 from 5-7pm and April 16 from 10am to 11am prior to the

Memorial Service at 11am at the Jillson Funeral Home in Whitehall, New York, family burial

following at Our Lady of Angels Cemetery.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Carol Anne (Manell) Senecal, please visit our floral store.