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Edward J. Harris
POWNAL — Edward J. Harris, 68, died Feb. 6, 2002, at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington.
He was born Sept. 27, 1933, the son of Edward and Eldora (Gelinas) Harris.
He received his education in Pownal schools and attended high school in Hoosick Falls, N.Y.
Mr. Harris married
Etta Rhodes on Sept. 15, 1956, in Hoosick Falls.
He was employed at the Pownal Tannery for a time and most recently at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington as a custodian for several years.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving with the military police.
Mr. Harris was a member of the Faith Christian Fellowship in Pownal and National Rifle Association.
He enjoyed hunting and fishing, and was an avid hiker.
Survivors include his wife of Pownal; two daughters, Brenda Harris and Becky Burdick, both of Pownal; a sister, Hazel Mullen of Schuylerville, N.Y.; two brothers, Robert Harris of Petersburgh, N.Y., and Harold Harris of Stephentown, N.Y.; four grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
He was predeceased by a son, Ronald Harris; and a sister, Virginia Harris.
A service to celebrate Mr. Harris’ life will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the Hanson-Walbridge Funeral Home in Bennington with the Rev. Gerald Frey and the Rev. Gary Rogers officiating. Interment will take place at a later date in Oak Hill cemetery in Pownal.
Friends may call Friday at 1 p.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or Bennington County Hospice, in care of the Hanson-Walbridge Funeral Home, P.O. Box 957, Bennington, 05201.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Hanson-Walbridge Funeral Home.
Joyce M. Allen
WEST WARDSBORO — Joyce M. Allen, 76, died Feb. 5, 2002, at her home from cancer.
She was born Oct. 25, 1925, in the family homestead, the daughter of Clarence and Edith (Putnam) Streeter.
She was educated in Wardsboro and attended Brattleboro High School.
She married
Robert Allen on June 30, 1945, in West Wardsboro. He died in 1997.
Mrs. Allen served as West Wardsboro postmaster with the post office located in her home for 47 years, retiring in 1992.
She was a member of the National Association of Post Masters, Wardsboro Fire Department Auxiliary, Order of the Eastern Star, Mount Lebanon Chapter in Jamaica, and was active with the local Grange for many years. She was also a member of the West Wardsboro Baptist Church.
She enjoyed bingo, playing cards and cooking, and was known as the “Bean Queen” of Wardsboro.
Survivors include two daughters, Bette Parsons and Sherry Rogers, both of West Wardsboro; two sisters, Virginia Wilson of Wilmington and Phyllis Hall of Halifax, Nova Scotia; two grandsons; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
She was predeceased by a brother, Bernard Streeter; and a sister, Inez Bills.
A service to celebrate Mrs. Allen’s life will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. at the West Wardsboro Baptist Church with the Rev. John Cerrato Jr., pastor of the Wilmington Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will take place in West Wardsboro cemetery.
A reception will be held in the church vestry following the service.
Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to Wardsboro Fire and Rescue, Wardsboro, 05355, in care of Robert Arms, or West Wardsboro Baptist Church Painting Fund, West Wardsboro, 05360.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Atamaniuk Funeral Home.
Norman Chase
BETHEL — Norman Chase, 80, died Feb. 5, 2002, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.
Arrangements are pending at the Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock.
Mary Grover
BENNINGTON — Mary Grover, 65, died Feb. 6, 2002, at Centers for Living and Rehabilitation.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Mahar & Son Funeral Home.
Clemontine T. Hadfield Rites
SPRINGFIELD — The memorial service for Clemontine T. Hadfield, 94, who died Feb. 4, 2002, was held Wednesday at the Davis Memorial Chapel in Springfield with the Rev. Thomas W. Hiltsley, pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will take place at a later date in Beech Grove cemetery in Westport, Mass.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Davis Memorial Chapel.
Albert E. Litchfield Jr. Rites
NEWFANE — The memorial service for Albert E. Litchfield Jr., who died Jan. 19, 2002, was held Saturday at the National Guard Armory in Westminster with the Rev. Joe Coleman of the Calvary Chapel of the West River Valley officiating.
Soloist was Alison Dougan.
Phil Trevorrow, WM, of Blazing Star Lodge 23 performed the Masonic service, and Kate Coleman, WM, of Mount Lebanon Chapter performed the Eastern Star Service.
The National Guard provided military honors. Capt. Brouilette presented the flag to Mrs. Litchfield.
Refreshments were served under the direction of Kate Coleman and Sheila Eddy of Mount Lebanon Chapter, OES, in Jamaica. They were assisted by members of Keystone Chapter 5 in Ludlow, Mizpah Chapter 40 in Chester, Alpha Chapter 53 in Bellows Falls, Bingham Chapter 30 in Brattleboro and Mayflower Chapter 19 in Wilmington.
A. John Holden Jr.
SHELBURNE — A. John Holden Jr. died on February 5, 2002, at Wake Robin in Shelburne, Vermont, after a very long, productive and happy life. He was born in West Newton, Massachusetts, on September 18, 1900. Although Vermont residents, his parents, Frances Coleman Holden and Arthur John Holden Sr., were living in Massachusetts for a short period at that time for business reasons.
John graduated from Westminster School and Harvard College. He started college aiming at a career in engineering, but after a summer pushing wheelbarrows of dirt at a construction site he decided he didn’t want to spend his life tearing apart the earth, and soon chose education as his career. His first two teaching posts were at the Manual Training High School in Louisville, Kentucky, and Roxbury Latin School in Massachusetts.
A job with the Vermont Commission on Country Life brought John back to Vermont and led to teaching jobs at Maple Corner in Calais, and then at East Montpelier’s Morse School. In 1933, during his years at the Morse School, John married
Polly Bullard of Elmira, New York. They bought a house in East Montpelier, which has remained the center of their family life ever since. The strong roots they put down in Washington County continue to enrich the life of the family.
After work on an Ed.D. at Teachers’ College Columbia University, John became the superintendent of schools in Danville, Vermont. His territory included numerous rural one-room schools. Winter visits were on some roads, which had been plowed, and others on which the snow had been compacted by horses dragging a door-like plate of boards over it. A big shovel and a substantial jack were part of John’s standard equipment.
After six years in Danville, John taught at Middlebury College and did community outreach for Geneseo State College (now SUNY Geneseo) in Geneseo, New York. In 1949 he became Commissioner of Education for the state of Vermont, a job he held until his retirement in 1965. During this time he served a term as chairman of the national organization of Chief State School Officers. In 1958, while in this position, he was a member of a group of educators who were the American half of the first cultural exchange between the U.S. and Soviet Union.
Not ready to take it easy after retirement, John, with Polly, went to Newton, Massachusetts, to work for the Education Development Center. This was an organization dedicated to helping public schools improve the quality of the education they provide. Then, on an interim basis, in 1970-71, John served as president of Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, Vermont.
Moving back to East Montpelier, John had the time to pursue research in environmental issues, long an interest of his. For several years he gave a course titled “Man and the Environment in Vermont History” at Johnson State College. It focussed on the work of George Perkins Marsh, a Vermonter who was one of the earliest American environmentalists. John was the first chairman of Vermont’s District Five Environmental Commission, and also served on the board of the Vermont Natural Resources Council. He actively supported a number of national organizations that work on environmental issues.
A community leader, John was a dedicated churchgoer, hiker, skier, actor, singer, wood-splitter, and formidable scrabble opponent with a strong love of ice cream. At age 75, John took up a new career in the theater. He played lead roles in many productions of both the Plainfield Little Theater and the Undadilla theater. He thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity this gave him to make many friendships in the younger generations. John also sang in the Barre Choraleers and the choir of the Adamant Methodist Church.
John loved the outdoors. In warm weather he hiked, and in the winter he skied. He was one of Vermont’s very early skiers, using the slopes of Mt. Anthony in Bennington when he was a boy, and the Toll Road on Mt. Mansfield later. With no lifts, a day’s skiing on Mt. Mansfield consisted of spending the morning walking up to the summit and then, after lunch, skiing down. He enjoyed hiking in Europe as a young man; at one point he climbed the Matterhorn two days in a row. John spent his 80th birthday on a 10-day hiking trip in the Alps.
John was predeceased by his sisters, Persis Sibley Holden and Frances Holden Lamb, and his brothers, Waldo Coleman Holden and Richard Stedman Holden.
John leaves his wife, Polly, his four children and three children-in-law: Sally (Sarah) and John Thompson of Milton, Ontario, Canada; Spike (Coleman) Holden and Janet MacLeod of East Montpelier; Bonnie and Walter Carter of Newton Center, Massachusetts; Martha Holden of East Montpelier. He also leaves his four grandchildren and one grandchild-in-law: Norman Carter, Loring Holden, Catherine Carter, and Jessica Holden Sherwood and Jesse Sherwood. He is also remembered with great affection by his sister-in-law, Mrs. Richard (Mathew) Holden, twelve nieces and nephews, their spouses and their children.
The family is very appreciative of the support provided to John by the staff on the skilled nursing unit at Wake Robin, and the special help given to him by Bill Nedde, Barbara Jordan, Kristen Borquist and Liz Fukushima. All these people created a friendly and caring atmosphere for John’s last years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Vermont Natural Resources Council, 9 Bailey Avenue, Montpelier, Vt., 05602.
The funeral service will take place on Saturday, February 9, at 3 p.m. at the Adamant Methodist Church in Adamant, Vermont. Following the ceremony, a reception will be held at the Capital Plaza (formerly the Montpelier Tavern) in Montpelier. Friends who cannot attend the funeral are cordially invited to come to the reception.
Elizabeth Jaques
SOUTH BURLINGTON — Elizabeth “Betty” (Barrus) Jaques, 92, died at her home on Tuesday, February 5, 2002, following a brief illness surrounded by her loving family.
She was born January 6, 1910, in Port Byron, N.Y., the daughter of William H. and Nellie (Gray) Barrus.
Mrs. Jaques was an active member of the community and enjoyed her family and friends. She was a member of the Williston Country Club, where she played golf as late as this past season. She was a weekly contender at Pizza Putt with several of her friends. She also enjoyed painting and was a grandmother volunteer at Chamberlin School in South Burlington for many years as well as an active member of the South Burlington Senior Citizens.
Betty is survived by her eight children: Bruce Elliott of Pennsylvania, Ronald Elliott and wife, Maureen, of California, Peter Elliott and wife, Diana, of Georgia, Joyce Lansdown of Florida, Janet Doyle and husband, Jim, Dian Elliott, Carol Montrone and husband, Jim, and Terry Farr and husband, Chuck, all of Vermont, 11 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and her sister, Edith Mazzoli and husband, Al, of Florida, several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by nine brothers and sisters.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 8, 2002, at 3:30 p.m. in the Richmond Congregational Church. There are no visiting hours. Memorial gifts may be made to Hospice of the Champlain Valley, 1110 Prim Rd., Suite 1, Colchester, Vt., 05446.
Gifford Funeral Service, 22 Depot St., Richmond, is in charge of arrangements.
Shirley M. Messer
Shirley May Messer, 76, of Rutland died Feb. 7, 2002, at Rutland Regional Medical Center.
She was born July 4, 1925, in Ellensburg Depot, N.Y., the daughter of Byron and Mabel (Bessie) Oliver.
She was raised in Newport, N.H., and attended local schools.
Survivors include her husband, John Messer of Franklin, N.H.; three sons, Robert Sawyer Sr. of Rutland, Byron Sawyer of Franklin, N.H., and Norman Sawyer of Pittsford; two daughters, Gladys Evans of Shelbyville, Tenn., and Linda Reynolds of Clarendon; a sister, Gladys Oliver of Lebanon, N.H.; two brothers, Leon Oliver of Concord, N.H., and Harold Oliver of Brooklyn, N.Y.; several stepchildren, grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her first husband, Harold Sawyer in 1982; a son, Earl Goss Jr.; a grandson; and a sister, Catherine Ballard.
The funeral service will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Aldous Funeral Home in Rutland. Burial will take place at a later date in Plymouth cemetery.
Friends may call Saturday from noon until the time of the service at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shirley Messer Memorial Fund, in care of Robert Sawyer, 182 Pearl St., Rutland, 05701.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Aldous Funeral Home.
Mary E. Kantorski
Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Kantorski, 70, of Rutland died Feb. 7, 2002, at Rutland Regional Medical Center.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Aldous Funeral Home.
Steve J. Tyminski
WEST RUTLAND — Steve J. “Pop” Tyminski, 75, died Feb. 6, 2002, at his home.
He was born Jan. 24, 1927, in West Rutland, the son of Stanislaus and Alexandria (Bioty) Tyminski.
He married
Jean Kalinowski, who died in 2001.
Mr. Tyminski was owner and operator of Steve’s Restaurant in West Rutland for many years, and later was employed at General Electric Co. for more than 15 years, retiring in 1991.
He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during World War II.
He was a member of American Legion Post 87 of Rutland and the Elks Club.
Mr. Tyminski was a loyal Red Sox fan and an avid bingo player.
Survivors include two daughters, Linda Ellis of Rutland and Sandra Stanley of Chippenhook; a sister, Frances Koba of Middletown, Conn.; three grandchildren; one great-grandson; and nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by two brothers, Stanley Tyminski and Peter Tyminski; and three sisters, Stella Bania, Alice Tyminski and Julia Zieller.
The funeral service will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in West Rutland. Interment will follow with burial at a later date in St. Stanislaus cemetery.
Calling hours will be held today from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Clifford Funeral Home in Rutland.
Memorial contributions may be made to Rutland Regional Medical Center Community Cancer Center, Allen Street, Rutland, 05701.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Clifford Funeral Home.
