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Gretchen B. Knights, 102, of Sanibel, Fla., and most recently a resident of both the Highlands in Topsham, Maine, and St. Andrews Village in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, died July 25, 2001, while visiting her son in North Lovell, Maine.
She was born in Ipswich, Mass., in 1898. She graduated from Abbot Academy, now affiliated with Phillips Andover Academy. For 74 years she lived in Wayland, Mass., summering in North Lovell, Maine. She was a member of the Wayland, Mass., Garden Club and the First Parish Church of Wayland, and she was a volunteers for 20 years at the Waltham Hospital.
She was predeceased by her husband, Alonzo F. Knights, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Warton School, and son, Richard A. Knights.
Survivors include her son, David A. Knights, of Marblehead, Mass., and North Lovell; a daughter, Mrs. L. Whitman (Deborah) Smith, of Southport, Maine, and Sanibel, Fla.; six grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 18, at noon from the Lovell United Church of Christ.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Trustees of Phillips Academy, 180 Main Street, Andover, MA. 01810, or to the Lovell United Church of Christ, Center Lovell, ME 04016.
Arrangements are with Wood Funeral Home of Fryeburg.
Debra "Debbie" L. Edson, 41, of Attleboro, Mass., died on July 31, 2001, at home after a long illness.
Debbie was born March 6, 1960, a daughter of Bernard and Louise Edson. She attended public schools until her illness progressed to a point that made schooling difficult.
In her youth Debbie frequently traveled with her family to visit her grandfather, Fred Eastman of Stow, Maine. After her father retired, the family made camping trips throughout New England, Florida and Canada.
Debbie was very good natured, kind and loving toward all those in her family and the larger community of health-care professionals who helped with her care on a daily and acute basis. The family is particularly grateful to the health-care workers at Sturdy Memorial Hospital, the Visiting Nurse Agency and local paramedics and ambulance drivers who transported Debbie to and from her stays at area care facilities.
Debbie was fortunate to have the love and care of her mother, Louise, and sister, Linda, as well as a host of nursing assistants who allowed Debbie to stay at home where she passed with dignity. Debbie was also very close to her father, Bert Edson, originally from Bridgton, Maine, who died in 1986.
Debbie is survived by her mother, Louise Ballard Eastman Edson, originally of Stow, Maine; her sister, Judith Edson Kinzie of Barrington, R.I.; a brother, Ronald J. Edson of North Attleboro; sister Linda Edson Class of North Attleboro; brother Gery W. Edson of Boise, Idaho; and nieces and nephews.
A funeral will be held on Saturday, Aug. 4, at 8 a.m. from the Duffy-Poule Funeral Home, 20 Peck St., Attleboro, followed by a Funeral Mass at 9 a.m. in St. John the Evangelist Church, 133 North Main Street, Attleboro. Visiting hours will be held on Friday, Aug. 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. Burial will follow at 3 p.m. in Pine Grove Cemetery, Fryeburg. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in her memory may be made to: The Visiting Nurse Agency, 141 Park St., Attleboro MA 02703.
WOLFEBORO -- Helen (Iles) Ridings, 89, formerly of the Ledges, died Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2001, at the Sunbridge Care of Wolfeboro.
She was born Dec. 21, 1911, in Beverly, Mass., the daughter of the late Frank and Addie Iles. Mrs. Ridings had lived in Wolfeboro since 1972. She had worked at Bailey's Motel for several years.
She is survived by a son, David W. Ridings of Wolfeboro; four grandsons, David S. Ridings of Wolfeboro, Matthew Ridings of Dover, Michael Ridings of Dover, and Billy Ridings of Wolfeboro; two granddaughters, Kristin Steenbruggen of Reading, Mass., and Tracy Haynes of Danvers, Mass.; and two nieces, Joanne Ward and June Wahl.
There will be no calling hours. Memorial services will be held today (Friday) at 2 p.m. at the Lord Funeral Home, Route 28, Wolfeboro.
Memorial donations may be made in her memory to the Hospice/VNA of Southern Carroll County, PO Box 1620, Wolfeboro NH 03894.
Ronald E. "Dooley" Chisholm, a resident of Wakefield, and formerly of Glen and Medford, Mass., died unexpectedly Sunday, July 29, 2001, at his home of a heart attack at the age of 64.
Born in Medford, Mass., on March 26, 1937, he was a son of the late Ernest J. and Alma (Ryan) Chisholm. He was a graduate of the Medford Vocational School in Medford, Mass. Mr. Chisholm was a disabled veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and was a former member of the Knights of Columbus. Prior to retirement, he was owner of the Dooley's House of offset in Medford, Mass., and Glen.
He is survived by one sister, Alma "Chiki" Rigazio of Chelmsford, Mass. He was pre-deceased by one brother, Paul K. Chisholm.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, Route 4, Chelmsford, Mass. Cremation is at Merrimack Crematory, Merrimack. There are no visiting hours.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Holt International Children's Services "Waiting Children," PO Box 2880, Eugene OR 97402-9970.
The Blake Funeral Home, 24 Worthen St., Chelmsford, Mass., is in charge of arrangements.
CONWAY -- June L. Wagner, 82, of North Conway, died July 30, 2001, at the Merriman House in North Conway after a lengthy illness.
Born in Kankakee, Ill., the daughter of Richard and Carolyn (Nusbaum) Groves, she lived in Hartford, Conn., and West Palm Beach, Fla., prior to moving to the Mount Washington Valley in 1995.
Mrs. Wagner had worked as a secretary for the Visiting Nurses Association in Hartford, Conn., for several years.
The family includes: three sons, Jess E. Wagner Jr., of Newington, Conn., Edward K. Wagner Sr., of Center Conway, and Robert E. Wagner, of Hartford, Conn.; a daughter, Darlene M. Chomko, of Newington, Conn.; seven grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
A graveside service will be held Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 11 a.m. in West Meadow Cemetery in Newington, Conn. There will be no visiting hours.
The Furber and White Funeral Home in North Conway is in charge of local arrangements.
Dorothy (Downing) Auderer, 79, of Wolfeboro, passed away Monday, July 30, 2001, at Huggins Hospital, Wolfeboro.
She was born Feb. 8, 1922, in Fayetteville, N.C., the daughter of the late Albert and Louise (Carder) Downing. Dot attended the Worth Business School in Fayetteville, N.C. In 1945 Dot and her husband, the late Albert F. Auderer Jr., moved to Wolfeboro, where they raised their three children.
Dot later co-operated a preschool in Wolfeboro for many years before becoming a secretary and bookkeeper for the Fred E. Varney Company of Wolfeboro. In 1988 Dot served as assistant activities director at the Clipper Home, now known as Sunbridge Care of Wolfeboro.
As a member of the All Saints Episcopal Church in Wolfeboro, Dot sometimes served as a lay Eucharist Minister as well as the alter Guild and Choir. Dot was a member of and active in the founding chapter of Hospice of Wolfeboro at its inception in 1981.
She is survived by her children Albert F. Auderer III of San Diego, Calif., Michael Auderer of Virginia Beach, Va., and Linda Trainor of Abington, Mass.; three grandchildren, Sarah Lynn Trainor of Watertown, Mass., Amanda Midori Auderer and Michael Alexander Auderer of Virginia Beach, Va.; three sisters Gertrude Blake, Virginia Gainey and Elizabeth Williams, all of North Carolina; and a brother Charles Downing of Tenn. She was predeceased by a sister Sarah Camlin of North Carolina.
There will be no calling hours. Memorial services will be Friday at 11 a.m. at the All Saints Episcopal Church, South Main Street, Wolfeboro.
Donations in her memory may be made to the Hospice of Southern Carroll county, PO Box 1620, Wolfeboro NH 03894.
Lord Funeral Home, Route 28, Wolfeboro is in charge of arrangements.
FRYEBURG -- Carlton A. Mills, 54, died Monday July 30, 2001, at the Mercy Hospital in Portland.
He was born in Stoneham, Maine, the son of Edward and Clara Curtis Mills. He lived in Fryeburg his whole life and graduated from Fryeburg Academy, class of 1965.
For over 30 years Cartlon was a painting and wallpapering contractor. He was a parishioner of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, a member of Pythagorean Lodge of Masons, Fryeburg Lions, Fryeburg Fire Department, and he was a youth basketball coach.
He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Nancy Addario Mills, of Fryeburg; one son, Dana S. Mills, and his wife, Allison, of Pembroke Pines, Fla.; two daughters, Mrs. Perry (Dionne) Morneau, of Auburn, and Danielle Mills, of Fryeburg; two brothers, Roger E. Mills and Clayton A. Mills, both of Fryeburg; four sisters, Mrs. Vincent (Beverly) O'Boyle, of Levitt, Pa., Mrs. Phillip (Jean) Hubbard, of Hartland, Maine, Mrs. Lawrence (Roxanne) Alexander, of Midlothian, Va., and Mrs. Peter (Violet) Eastman, of Fryeburg; and four grandchildren, Mallory, Taylor, Alina and Delaney.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated Thursday at 11 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Route 5, Fryeburg, with Rev. Joseph Witlock as the celebrate. Donations in memory of Carlton may be made to the Fryeburg Rescue, P.O. Box 177, Fryeburg, ME 04037.
Arrangements are by Wood Funeral Home of Fryeburg.
WOLFEBORO -- Bruce A. Stearns,who has been executive director of the New Jersey Sire Stakes Program in the N.J. State Department of Agriculture for the past 16 years, died Friday, July 27, 2001, at his vacation home in Wolfeboro. He was 58.
Though his most recent position was head of the state program responsible for administration of a state-bred harness racing program for New Jersey-sired trotters and pacers, he previously was a racetrack publicist and writer for 15 years and was recognized with national awards for his efforts.
Mr. Stearns, a resident of Ewing Township, N.J., was an acknowledged authority on harness racing history and a collector of harness racing memorabilia. His harness racing career included being a racetrack official and announcer, and he also was involved in grooming, training and racing harness horses.
He was born May 24, 1943, in Dover, the son of the late William and Mary (Adams) Stearns. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he did post graduate work there and at Boston University.
After he was graduated from University of New Hampshire in 1967 with a bachelor's degree in history, Mr. Stearns took a turn at training horses for three years on a small farm, first in Nottingham and then Hampstead, while teaching high school history and economics. He taught at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, at which he boasted that the poet Robert Frost also taught, but not at the same time.
During his college years, he was active in harness racing, serving as publicity assistant at Rockingham Park in Salem, the same track that his late father, Bill Stearns, later a three-term New Hampshire state legislator, served as publicity director from 1958-67. In the 1970s, Mr. Stearns held the same position as his father at that track.
In addition, Mr. Stearns was an assistant race secretary at Laurel (Md.), Freehold (N.J.), and Kentucky Raceways and an assistant general manager at Pocono Downs before joining the publicity staff at Rockingham. After the grandstand of that track burned down, Mr. Stearns became the publicity director at Liberty Bell Park in Philadelphia, a job he held until taking the N.J. Sire Stakes position in May 1985.
He was a past president and member of the North American Harness Publicists Association, which honored him with its Golden Pen Award in 1986, and a member of the U.S. Harness Writers Association, which named him Member of the Year in 1994. He was the first and has been the only treasurer of the New Jersey Chapter of USHWA.
For nearly 20 years, he had also chaired the prestigious Harness Racing Hall of Fame Screening Committee for USHWA, which nominates candidates for election to the Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.J.
Mr. Stearns is survived by his wife of 36 years, Marcia Bickford Stearns, and two daughters Catherine Stearns Medich of Lawrenceville, N.J., and Christine Stearns of Jersey City, N.J.
There will be no calling hours. Funeral services will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Water Village Church, Route 171, Ossipee. Burial will be in the Lakeview Cemetery, Wolfeboro. The family is planning a memorial service in New Jersey the following week.
Lord Funeral Home, Route 28, Wolfeboro is in charge of arrangements.
