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Mrs. Flora L. Taylor Bissett, 91, formerly of Gorham, passed away on Thursday evening, Nov. 1, 2001, at Sunbridge Health and Rehabilitation Center in North Conway. She was born in Canada on Nov. 27, 1909, the daughter of Alfred and Delia (Laplante) Taylor, and was a lifelong resident of Gorham. Mrs. Bissett loved the outdoors and gardening. She was a member of Holy Family Church.
Members of the family include her daughter, Jean Hale, of Pinedale, Wyo; six grandchildren, Lisa Montminy of Gorham, Steve Lavoie of North Conway, Michael Lavoie of Berlin, Merrily Lepage of Gorham, Mark St. Germain of Gorham and Scott St. Germain of Manchester; six great-grandchildren, Linda Montminy, Ella Montminy, Heather Lepage and Tiffany Lepage, all of Gorham, and Kyle St. Germain and Karl St. Germain, both of Manchester. She was predeceased by her husband, Chester Bissett, who passed away on Nov. 25, 1982, a daughter, Linda Lavoie, and a brother, Wifred Taylor.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2001, at noon at the Bryant Funeral Home, 1 Promenade Street, Gorham, with interment in the Holy Family Cemetery. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday morning, Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to noon, prior to the funeral service. Anyone who wishes may contribute to a charity of one's choice in her memory.
Mary-Pat Hennelly, 64, of North Conway, died November 3, 2001, at the Memorial Hospital. Born in Dothan, Alabama, the daughter of James and Opal (Childre) Regan, she lived in New York City all of her life prior to moving to North Conway in 1997.
Mrs. Hennelly worked for Steuben Glass and American Airlines for many years.
She was an avid reader, gardener, loved animals and enjoyed equestrian events.
The family includes: two daughters, Erin M. DiStefano of Waltham, Mass., and Childre M. Hennelly of North Conway; two sisters, Anne Milke of San Diego, Calif., and Linda Basedow of Baldwin, N.Y.; and many close friends in New York and North Conway.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountains Church in North Conway. Burial will be in Our Lady of the Mountains Cemetery.
Visiting hours will be Monday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Furber and White Funeral Home in North Conway.
Paula Kann Valar, 79, of Franconia died at home on Friday, Nov. 2, 2001, from complications of a stroke.
She was born in Vienna, Austria, Feb. 1, 1922, the daughter of Dr. Leo and Stefanie (Tschauner) Kann.
She immigrated to the United States in 1940 and settled in North Conway, where she trained under Skimeister Hannes Schneider and had a successful alpine ski racing career. Among other accomplishments, she won six consecutive Harvey Gibson Trophy Races on Mount Cranmore (1942-1947) and in 1946 she became the first woman to win the Golden Cannon Pin, racing top to bottom on Cannon Mountain. She was the 1946 U.S. National Downhill Champion. She was named to the U.S. Ski Team in 1947 and in 1948 she competed for the United States in the Winter Olympic Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
In 1950, she married Paul S. Valar of Davos, Switzerland. They made their home in Franconia, where together they raised four daughters and operated the Franconia Ski School on Cannon Mountain, the Mittersill Sport Shop, and Valar Sports in Franconia. They summered in East Wallingford, Vt., where they restored and ran a 265-acre dairy farm until 1975.
In 1953, she became the first female certification examiner for what is now the Professional Ski Instructors of America. She developed a children's ski teaching method which was featured in LIFE Magazine in 1962. In 1970, she was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, Mich.
She was past president of the Franconia Notch Chamber of Commerce, ran a property management company and was an active realtor. She taught skiing and German at the White Mountain School in Bethlehem, where she also served as trustee. She was instrumental in the founding of the New England Ski Museum in Franconia Notch and championed innumerable other causes. Her civic contributions were recognized in 2000 when she was named the New England Regional Winner of the Texaco Star Award.
Survivors include her husband of 51 years, Paul S. Valar; four daughters, Stefanie B. Valar and her husband Edward A. Hauck of Lancaster, Penn., Victoria Valar and her husband, John E. Kelly of Breckenridge, Colo., Pia Valar-Dugan and her husband Kenneth M. Dugan Jr. of Jackson, Wyo., and Christina Valar Breen and her husband Yellow Light Breen on Winthrop, Maine; and two grandchildren, Annina Valar Breen and Cannon Valar Breen.
A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2001, at the White Mountain School in Bethlehem at 2 p.m. in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Paula K. Valar Scholarship Fund, c/o White Mountain School, 371 West Farm Road, Bethlehem, NH 03574.
Edna Merrill Philbrick passed away Oct. 30, 2001, at her home on South Main Street, Newmarket. She was born in South Windham, Maine, on Dec. 28, 1905, and was the daughter of Quaker parents, Charles and Abby (Hawkes) Merrill.
She graduated from Nasson College, Springvale, Maine, in 1926 with a diploma in institutional dietetics. She taught elementary education in Wells, Maine, Nottingham, Lee, and Newfields.
Mrs. Philbrick was past president of the Nottingham Women's Club and a member of Pawtuccaway Grange of Nottingham and the Jeremiah Smith Grange of Lee. She was a past member of Granite Chapter of Newfields and Exeter chapters of the national Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was also a member of the N.H. Society of Mayflower Descendents, the Queen Esther Chapter of Eastern Star in Epping, and the Windham, Maine, Historical Society.
In March of last year, Edna was the recipient of a plaque celebrating 80 years of membership in the grange.
She is the widow of Fred B. Philbrick, who founded Waukeela Camp for Girls in Eaton Center, and she became the owner in 1959 when Mr. Philbrick died.
She leaves no immediate family, but shared 24 years living with her companion, Verna L. Moberg in Newmarket. Other survivors include a stepdaughter-in-law, Kathy Harvey of Bennington, Vt. She was predeceased by a stepson, Joseph Harvey, and a stepdaughter, Goldie Harvey Tudor of Great Falls, Mt. She is survived by a niece, Doris Mullen of Dover, and nephews Herbert Philbrick of South Berwick, Maine, and Richard Philbrick of Niskyuna, N.Y. She was also predeceased by a nephew, Leonard Philbrick of Oceanside, Calif., who died in December 2000.
Private services will be held at the convenience of the family, and burial will take place in Riverside Cemetery, Newmarket.
Rather than flowers, memorials may be made to the Durham Evangelical Church, Durham, the Rockingham Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice Care, Exeter, or the Newmarket Fire and Rescue, 186 Main Street, Newmarket, NH 03857.
The Kent and Pelezar Funeral Home, 77 Exeter Street, Newmarket, is assisting with arrangements.
Margaret Helen Champion, 101, of Center Ossipee, died Thursday, Nov. 1, 2001, at Sunbridge Care and Rehabilitation, Wolfeboro, where she had resided for several months.
She was born May 20, 1900, in Lancaster, a daughter of the late John H. and Mary M. LaForce.
Mrs .Champion and her husband, the late Frederick R. Champion, lived and raised their family is Swampscott, Mass., moving to Center Ossipee in 1967.
Two sons, Donald R. Champion of Kingston, and Eugene F. Champion of Somers, Conn., predeceased her.
She is survived by her daughter, Barbara J. O'Donnell, and son-in-law Francis O'Donnell of North Sandwich; a son, Thomas F. Champion and daughter-in-law Hilde Champion of Center Ossipee and Newburyport, Mass.; daughter-in-law Marion Champion of Somers, Conn.; and daughter-in-law Dorothy Champion Hanson of Barrington; 15 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
She was a member of St. Joseph's Parish, Center Ossipee.
Margaret's life journey, bridging three centuries, was full of change and challenge. Through all, she persevered. In her later years, as she remained independent and active around her home on Moultonville Road, she was an inspiration to family, neighbors in Moultonville, and the community. Her strength was nourished particularly by the love of and for her grandchildren, praying the rosary, and her love of home, flowers, plants, birds, cats, and other small critters. She will be missed by all.
Her life will be celebrated at a Funeral Mass, 12 noon, today, Nov. 3, 2001, at St. Joseph Church, Moultonville Road. Burial will follow at the Grant Hill Cemetery.
Arrangements are by Brian Lord of Lord Funeral Home, Center Ossipee.
Francis J. "Frank" Lauzon, 57, of Tamworth died Nov. 2, 2001, at Memorial Hospital in North Conway after a sudden illness. Born in Brockton, Mass., the son of George and Leona (Gagnon) Lauzon, he was raised in Halifax, Mass., by his foster mother, Viola Parker. He lived in Whitman, Mass., for several years and in Gorham for 10 years before moving to the Mount Washington Valley in 1993.
Mr. Lauzon was a U.S. Navy veteran in the Vietnam war; he had been a free-lance writer while living in Massachusetts and also a self-employed carpenter. He worked for Carroll County Mental Health for 13 years, retiring as residential director in 1996. For the past few years, he assisted at the Chocorua Camping Village.
Frank was a member and past commander of Ralph L. Shirley American Legion Post 46 in Conway and a past commander of the Gorham post. At the state level, he had been District 7 and District 8 past commander and the department historian.
The family includes his wife of 31 years, Mary J. Lauzon of Tamworth; two sons, Peter D. Lauzon of Tamworth and Jason F. Lauzon of Ocoee, Fla.; two grandsons, Jacob Lauzon of Tamworth and Jared Lauzon of Ocoee, Fla.; a brother, George Lauzon of Newnan, Ga.; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at the First Church of Christ Congregational in North Conway with the Rev. G. Alan Baxter, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in the Gilman Cemetery in Madison. Visiting hours will be Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Furber and White Funeral Home in North Conway.
Donations may be sent to the Ralph L. Shirley American Legion Post 46 Scholarship Fund, Conway, NH 03818.
FRYEBURG, Maine - Helen Susan Ballard, 87, a resident of Hicks Assisted Living Center, dies Friday, October 26, 2001, at the Bridgton Hospital.
Helen was predeceased by 10 siblings, and was the youngest daughter of Horace and Lelia Douglas Ballard.
She was a lifelong resident of Fryeburg and graduated from Fryeburg Academy, class of 1932.
For 21 years, Helen owned and operated Ballard's Restaurant in Fryeburg. She later worked as a pastry cook for Fryeburg Academy.
Helen enjoyed crafts, and she attended the Fryeburg New Church.
She is survived by a sister-in-law, Celia Ballard of Harrison; two nieces, Louise Edson of Attleboro, Mass., and Doris Kamel of Weathersfield, Vt.; four nephews, Donald Eastman of Springvale, Maine, Arte Fairbanks of Manteca, Calif., Donald Ballard of Shelburne Falls, Mass., and Carlton Ballard of Portland.A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, at Pine Grove Cemetery in Fryeburg, with the Rev. Kenneth Turley officiating.
Donations may be made in memory of Helen to the New Church Elevator Fund, 4 Oxford St., Fryeburg, Maine, 04037.
Arrangements are with Wood Funeral Home of Fryeburg.
Nancy (Brugman) Swansburg, 60, of Center Ossipee, died Oct. 25, 2001, at her home. She was born Aug. 26, 1941, in Winthrop, Mass., the daughter of the late Frank and Mary (Grace) Brugman. She attended local schools in Winthrop and later graduated from Hitchcock Secretarial School. Nancy was employed as a legal secretary. Nancy moved to Danvers, Mass., with her husband, where they raised their children. She was a communicant of St. Joseph's Church, Center Ossipee, a member of the Indian Mound Golf Club, Center Ossipee, and Heritage Oak Golf Club, Sarasota, Fla.
Her family includes her husband of 37 years, George F. Swansburg of Center Ossipee; a son, Christopher R. Swansburg of Barrington; seven grandchildren; a sister, Carol Melley of Bourne, Mass.; a brother, Thomas C. Brugman of Newport, R.I.; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a son, Stephen G. Swansburg, four weeks ago.
There will be no calling hours. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held today, Oct. 27, at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph's Church, Moultonville Road, Center Ossipee. Lord Funeral Home, 50 Moultonville Road, Center Ossipee, is in charge of arrangements.
Expressions of sympathy may be made in her memory to the Hospice of Southern Carroll County, P.O. Box 1620, Wolfeboro, NH 03894.
