Obituaries
Editor's note: The Commons will publish brief biographical information for citizens of Windham County and others, on request, as community news, free of charge.
• Francis L. Amidon Sr., 79, of Putney. Died May 23 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Husband of Shirley Thirsher Amidon for 43 years. Father of Francis Amidon Jr. of Florida; and John E. Amidon and his wife, Joyce, of Winchester, N.H. Stepfather of David W. Davis of Putney. Brother of Reginald F. Amidon Sr., Freida M.L. Wade, Roberta J. Jenna, and Carolyn Amidon. Predeceased by two children, Dennis E. Amidon and Donna M. Broxson. Born in Westminster West, the son of Edwin R. and Myrtle L. (Akley) Amidon, he worked for Putney Paper Co. for many years as a machinist before retiring in 1983. He enjoyed fishing, watching television and coin collecting. Memorial information: A memorial service was held May 28 at Ker Westerlund Funeral Home in Brattleboro. Donations to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
• John P. Barry, 86, of Bellows Falls. Died May 19 at his home. Husband of Estelle “Topsy” (O'Connor) Barry for 63 years. Father of Christopher (Julie Smith) Barry of Westminster; Mary Kay (Timothy) Pfadenhauer of Bellows Falls; Julie (Raymond) Chamberland of Bellows Falls; Barbara (Michael) Janiszyn of Springfield; and Stephen (Valerie) Barry of Westminster. Predeceased by his sister, Mary Parrot. He was born in Bellows Falls, the son of William and Maude (Boyle) Barry, and graduated from Bellows Falls High School in 1943, where he played basketball, baseball and was captain and an All-State tackle on the football team. After graduation, he immediately enlisted in the Marine Corps during World War II. In his educational career, he earned a B.S. from the University of Vermont, a M.Ed. from Boston University, a C.A.G.S. from the University of Connecticut and an Honorary Doctor of Humanities from the College of St. Joseph. During a distinguished and storied career as an educator, he taught in public elementary and secondary classrooms, instructed in college, was a principal of elementary and junior high school, and served as assistant Superintendent of Schools. He was also director of the Education Department at the former Windham College in Putney. Four Vermont governors selected him to serve on education committees during his career. In tribute to his open-mindedness and respect for his educational colleagues, he served two terms on the Board of Directors of the National Education Association and represented all Vermont teachers in Washington, D.C. He spent the last 15 years of his professional life teaching young children at Kurn Hattin Homes in Westminster. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on May 25 at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls. Donations to Kurn Hattin Homes, to endow the John P. Barry Children's Fund.
• Anne Eliot Crompton, 81, of Brattleboro, formerly of Chesterfield, Mass. Died May 22 at Holton Home in Brattleboro. Wife of the late Willard Crompton for 48 years. Mother of Joseph Earle Crompton and his wife, Carole Moody, of Brattleboro; Samuel Etinde Crompton and his wife, Charlotte Etinde Crompton, of Hadley, Mass.; Carrie Crompton and her husband, George Elliott, of Andover, Conn.; Nancy Anne Crompton of Brattleboro; and Catherine Atkins Crompton and her husband, James Adelbert Beers, of Amesbury, Mass. Sister of Alexander Eliot of Venice Beach, Calif. She was born in Northampton, Mass., daughter of the late Samuel Atkins and Ethel Augusta Cook Eliot Jr., who christened her Patience Anne Eliot. Later in life, she was known to all by her pen name, Anne Eliot Crompton. She was the author of 18 books, all fiction, books, all fiction, ranging from Arthurian fantasy (Merlin's Harp and its sequels) to books with a Native American theme (The Winter Wife and The Ice Trail) to young adult chapter books (such as The Rainbow Pony). She also served on the Parents Choice Award committee for children's books. Anne attended the Sacred Heart School in Newton, Mass. The Cromptons raised five children in an 18th-century farmhouse in Chesterfield, and participated in the community through service in the Cultural Council, the Arts Council, and the Highland Community for Elder Living. The Cromptons kept dairy goats, as well as Shetland ponies, chickens, ducks, and turkeys, on the farm. She documented her life in Chesterfield through numerous oil paintings and watercolors of her family and the local trees and wildlife. She was also a musician who played several instruments; in her later years, she performed on both the Celtic harp and the piano. Memorial information: Donations to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Inc., 97 North Hatfield Rd., P.O. Box 160, Hatfield, MA 01038, [email protected]; or Holton Home, 158 Western Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301-6089.
• Glenn Drohan, 59, of North Adams, Mass. Died May 26 at North Adams Regional Hospital. Partner of Marsha Landry. Father of Mollie Drohan. Brother of Kerry Drohan. An award-winning newspaperman for more than 25 years, he spent most of his professional career at the North Adams Transcript, where he started as a correspondent in 1985 and served two stints as the paper's editor. He also worked for The Berkshire Eagle for 12 years and was managing editor of the Brattleboro Reformer from 1996 t0 1998. Memorial information: At his request, no funeral services will be held. Family and friends are invited to celebrate his life at the Freight Yard Pub in North Adams on Saturday, June 18, at 4 p.m.
• Carol (Pritchett) Grobe, 65, of Brattleboro. Died May 22 at Thompson House in Brattleboro. Husband of the late Donald Grobe for 21 years. Mother of Tony Grobe, and his wife Dawn, of Brattleboro. Sister of Marjorie Tabechian of Rochester, N.Y.; John Pritchett of Syracuse, N.Y.; and Donald Pritchett of Denver, Colo. Born in Schenectady, N.Y., daughter of Marion (Cowell) and the late Jack Pritchett, she attended elementary and high school in Schenectady, and graduated from Smith College in 1967 with a Bachelor's degree in Music. After graduating college, Carol moved to San Francisco where she sang in the chorus of the San Francisco Opera. In 1971, she auditioned for and was hired by the Deutsche Oper Berlin. It was while singing with the opera company that she met her husband. The family frequently traveled in Europe and the United States, and during this time, she earned a Masters Degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. After her husband's death in 1986, Carol returned to the United States: first to New York to be near her mother and then to Putney and finally Guilford. Once in the Brattleboro area, she continued her interest in human relations by working with Hospice and Families in Recovery. For the last 20 years, she was intimately involved with the Dodge family and Putney Mountain Winery, starting as a caretaker for their young daughter, Maggie, and eventually becoming the first employee of the winery. Over the years she worked in many aspects of the company, including bottling, bookkeeping, and sharing the products with customers at Basketville. Memorial information: No services will be held. Donations to your local Hospice are encouraged.
• Raymond R. Marsh, 85, of Tamworth, N.H. Died May 24 at Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H. Husband of the late Jean Marsh. Father of Stephen Marsh of Brattleboro; Maureen Meyers of Venice, Fla.; Robert Marsh of West Dover; and the late Michael Marsh. Born in Brookline, the son of the late Raymond and Agnes (Bills) Marsh, he lived in Tamworth for most of his life. He served in Army Air Corps during World War II as a tail gunner. He was self-employed excavation contractor for many years. He was a member of the Indian Mound Golf Club in Center Ossipee, N.H. Memorial information: A funeral service will be held on June 28 at the Lord Funeral Home in Tamworth.
• Evelyn “Betsy' Hall Merrill, 92, of Chesterfield, N.H. Died May 23. Wife of the late David Aldrich and the late Henry Merrill. Born in Brattleboro, the daughter of Fred and Ethel Hall, she was a graduate of Brattleboro High School, Class of 1936, and also from Katharine Gibbs School for Women in Boston. She married Mr. Aldrich in 1941 and settled in Southborough, Mass., where they raised six children. After her husband's death, she eventually married her former BHS classmate, Mr. Merrill, in 1982. For more than twenty years, they enjoyed world travel and entertaining family and friends on their Chesterfield farm. They were members of the First Congregational Church in Brattleboro. She was known for her love of animals and her love of dancing. Her many interests included travel, reading, poetry, baking, and most often she was found puttering around in her flower gardens. A truly generous and kind-hearted person, she was also a “dyed in the wool” Yankee, tracing her lineage back to the American Revolution, and was one of the last of a great generation of Americans who touched the hands of those who fought in the Civil War. Memorial information: Services will be private. Donations to Hospice or the Alzheimer's Association.
• Freida K. Mitchell, 84, of Brattleboro. Died May 27 at Pine Heights Nursing Home in Brattleboro. Wife of the late Denver Mitchell for 60 years. Mother of Harold “Mitch” Mitchell and his wife, Andrea, and Leonard “Lenny” Mitchell and his wife, Darleen. Predeceased by a sister, Charlene Doyle. Born in East Fairfield, the second daughter of Hugh and Hazel (Nolen) McClaren, she attended East Fairfield schools. In 1957, the Mitchells moved to Brattleboro and became licensed practical nurses through a program at the Brattleboro Retreat. They continued to work there for 28 years. A devout Catholic, she was a long time parishioner of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held May 31 at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, with burial at Locust Ridge Cemetery in Brattleboro. Donations to the Pine Heights Nursing Home activities fund.
• Joann Edith Heselton Nichols, 80, of Brattleboro. Died May 22 at Pine Heights Rehabilitation Center. Wife of the late Alaric George Nichols for nearly 18 years. Sister of Leon Heselton and his wife, Emmy, of Frankfort, N.Y., and Elroy Heselton, and his wife Betty, of Quechee. Predeceased by sisters Blanche Hurlburt Marro and Hilda Heselton Bartucca. Born in Tinmouth at the home of her maternal grandparents, Leon and Clara Gilman, she was raised in Bridgewater by her parents, Ward and Gladys Heselton, and graduated in 1948 from Woodstock High School. She was employed in Brattleboro by the Holstein Friesian Association of America, Brattleboro Trust Co., Gates Insurance Agency, Marlboro College, and the law office of John A. Rocray. She joined Centre Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in 1955, and served for the next 56 years as a church school teacher, church clerk, historian, and member of Deacons, Christian education, and Member Care. She was also a member of many genealogical and historical societies. She was a charter member of the Genealogical Society of Vermont in 1971 and was president from 1975-1993. She published the genealogy of Giles Roberts of Scarborough, Maine, and compiled Index to Known Cemetery Listings in Vermont, the third edition which was published in 1995 by the Vermont Historical Society. For several years, she was a member of the Brattleboro Historical Society. Memorial information: A funeral service was held May 25 at Centre Congregational Church. Burial will take place June 17 at 2 p.m. at Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery in Brattleboro. Donations to Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main St. , Brattleboro, VT 05301, or Brattleboro Historical Society, 230 Main St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Samiha Naili Northup, 87, of Townshend. Died May 19 at Grace Cottage Hospital. Wife of the late John H. Northup Jr. for 62 years. Mother of John H. Northup III and his wife, Shara, of Florence, S.C.; and Ronald E. Northup and Karen Johnson of North Carolina. Predeceased by a brother, Gamil Naili. Born in the Abdeen Division of Cairo, Egypt, the daughter of Mustafa Bey Naili and Marcelle Berger Naili. Together with her husband, who died just recently on March 11, they spent many years working overseas with the State Department before returning to Vermont in 1975. She then worked for her community, serving for 10 years as Executive Director of the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as serving the town of Vernon for 10 years as its town manager. Memorial information: Mr. and Mrs. Northup were buried together May 25 in Oakwood Cemetery in Townshend during a private family service. Donations to any charity of the donor's choice.
• Elmer Herbert Turner, 88, of Brattleboro. Died May 18 at his home. Husband of Ruth Allen for nearly 69 years. Father of Floyd “Pal” Turner and wife, Margaret, of Cape Coral, Fla.; and Lyn Dorman and husband, Michael, of Jackson, Mich. Predeceased by his brother, Clarence Turner. Born in Brattleboro, the son of Elmer and Sadie (Potter) Turner, he was raised and educated in West Townshend and was a graduate of Leland & Gray Seminary, Class of 1941. Served in the Army during World War II in the European Theater of Operations, taking part in the Normandy invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. Following the war, he returned to Brattleboro, where he owned and operated Turner's Tydol service station on Canal Street for 27 years. In conjunction with the station, he operated a paving business for several years. Upon the sale of the business, he ran his own repair shop and also worked for Hugh Sparks Construction Co., as a truck driver and equipment operator, work that he thoroughly enjoyed. He was a member of the West Townshend Congregational Church, American Legion, Brattleboro Post 5, and the B.P.O. Elks, Brattleboro Lodge. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time at a family-owned hunting camp in West Wardsboro. He also enjoyed RV camping and, with his wife, traveled across country with their Airstream trailer, a memorable trip that took six months. He was an accomplished woodworker and enjoyed puttering around his home. He was always ready, willing, and able to help a neighbor or someone in need of assistance and would humbly refuse any payment or credit for what had been accomplished. For 18 years, the Turners wintered in Englewood, Fla., enjoying the warm weather and friendships which developed over the years. Memorial information: Graveside committal services were conducted May 28 in West Wardsboro Cemetery. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Barney Vandervalk, 91, of Brattleboro. Died May 21 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Husband of Jean Pike for nearly 49 years. Father of Peter Vandervalk of Dummerston; and David Vandervalk and wife, Valerie, of Chelmsford, Mass. Predeceased by three sisters and one brother. Born in Fair Lawn, N.J., the son of Nicholas and Nellie (Dykstra) Vandervalk, he was a graduate of Hawthorne (N.J.) High School. He served in the Marine Corps in World War II, and then went on to receive his Journeyman's Certificate through the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners in Hackensack, N.J. in February 1951. He was a lifelong carpenter, working for several Brattleboro area building contractors. Following his retirement in 1982, he drove a school bus for Cheshire Transportation in the Brattleboro area. He was a member of the Green Thumb Association through SEVCA, and served as a personal driver for the organization, a position he enjoyed. He was a lifelong bicycle riding enthusiast and competed in hundreds of cycling competitions in New Jersey and New England, winning many events. He also enjoyed skating and during the winter months, he competed in speed skating events while residing in New Jersey. A quiet, humble and unassuming man, he was always willing to help his family or anyone else in need. Memorial information: A memorial gathering was held on May 28 at his son Peter's home in Dummerston. Burial in Christ Church Cemetery in Algiers will be private. Donations to Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Dorothy Anne Nelson Wonsey, 77, of Montague Center, Mass. Died May 24. Wife of the late Leonard Wonsey for 46 years. Mother of Dana Wonsey, Leonard Wonsey Jr., LuAnne Herrick, Marjorie Paton, and Thomas Wonsey. Born in Guilford, one of 10 children of Emile Henry and Ethelyn Amidon Nelson. Worked in the Montague School System lunch program, prior to employment at the University of Massachusetts, retiring in 1990. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, bowling, puzzles and playing cards “with the girls.” Memorial information: A memorial service was held on May 28 at the First Congregational Church (Trinitarian) in Montague Center, Mass., with burial in Elm Grove Cemetery in Montague Center. Donations to Hospice of Franklin County, 329 Conway St., Suite 2, Greenfield, MA 01301; or to the Franklin County Home Care Corp., 330 Montague City Rd., Turners Falls, MA 01376.
Births
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), May 15, 2011, a son, Julius Michael Sobieski, to Megan Chase and Ryan Sobieski of Hinsdale, N.H.; grandson to Robert and Connie Chase of Brattleboro, Richard and Laurie Wheeler of Brattleboro, and Joseph Sobieski of Lake Pleasant, Mass.
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), May 2, 2011, a daughter, Dalia Martina Lundsted Romo, to Celena Lundsted and Jorge Romo of Marlboro; granddaughter to Lynn and Marty Lundsted of Marlboro, and Maria and Enrique Romo of Los Angeles, Calif.; great-granddaughter to Hugh and Joyce Whitney, and Sylvia Johnson, all of Marlboro, and Perfecta Jimenez of Santa Ana, Mexico.
College news
• Robin Gallup of West Dover received a Bachelor of Science in international business during Quinnipiac University's 80th undergraduate commencement exercises on May 22 in Hamden, Conn.
• The following local students were named to Keene State College's Dean's List for the 2011 spring semester: MacKenzie Carter Prasch of South Londonderry, Michiel Robert Byington of Westminster, Jocelyn Ashlee Hill of West Halifax, Lenea Brook Jacque and Ignazio Enzo Macaluso of Brattleboro. Elizabeth Mary Hackett of Newfane, Selina Nicole Thomas and Philip Sean Zachariah of Putney, William F. Sevigny of Vernon, Amy Duffy of West Townshend.
• The University of Vermont awarded a posthumous Master of Science in Nursing degree to Monica Morse of Guilford on May 21. Morse, who died on April 10 at the age of 48, was a pediatric nurse at Springfield Hospital. at the time of her death, she was nearing completion of her degree program to become a nurse practitioner. Her MSN was presented by UVM president Dan Fogel to her husband, Charles Morse.
• Two local students received awards at Moving-Up Day ceremonies held recently at St. Lawrence University, in Canton, N.Y. Kelly M. Skinner of Londonderry, a Fine Arts and Sociology major in the Class of 2011, was presented with the Frits H. Sample Memorial Endowment, which is awarded to an outstanding student athlete from the Alpine ski team. Audrey F. Wallace of West Dover, a Performance and Communications Arts major in Class of 2011, was presented with the Rhetoric and Communication Studies Award, which is given annually to a senior who demonstrates outstanding work in rhetoric and communication.
• Luke Charles McCullock of East Dummerston, graduated with a B.A. in sociology from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va.