Milestones

Obituaries

• Jean (Barnard) Anderson, 94, of Dummerston. Died Feb. 10 at Dart­mouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., as a result of inju­ries sustained in an auto accident on Feb. 7. Wife of the late Laurence E. Ander­son Sr. for 65 years. Mother of Laurence E. Anderson Jr. and his wife, Charlene, of Brattleboro and Sally Peltz and her hus­band David of Niles, Mich. Sis­ter of Erleine Putnam of Eastham, Mass., and the late Ellen Carpenter and Earl Barnard. She was born at her grandmoth­er's farm in Sutton, N.H., the daughter of the late Earl and Hazel (Colby) Barnard. She spent her early years in Brattleboro, Chester and Claremont, N.H. before moving back to Brattleboro dur­ing her fresh­man year of high school. She grad­uated from Brattleboro High School, Class of 1936. She then worked at New England Telephone in Brattleboro as a phone opera­tor for 33 years before her retire­ment in 1980. She loved spending time traveling with her family and friends across the country and throughout Canada on motorcycles. She enjoyed taking rides on the back roads of Vermont and New Hamp­shire and, up until her death, she still was able to go for those rides and have lunch with her drivers. She also loved at­tending parties and entertaining family and friends, and spending time on their boat “Puck­er Power” on the Connecticut Riv­er. She spent winters snowmobiling across the countryside. She was an avid reader, and an animal and bird lover, feeding hundreds of birds and squirrels year round. She enjoyed making cross stitch and needlepoint pictures for friends and family members, and never missed the Lawrence Welk Show on Saturday nights. Her kindness, generosity and humor will be missed by all that knew her. Memorial information: A memorial service was held on Feb. 15 at Ker-Westerland Funeral Home in Brattleboro. Burial will take place in the spring. Donations to Rescue, Inc., PO Box 593, Brattle­boro, VT 05302 or Windham County Hu­mane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Condolen­ces may be offered at http://www.kerwesterlund.com.

• John E. Benson, 65, of Rockingham. Died Feb. 10. Father of John “Chris” Benson of Springfield, Stacie Merritt of Charlestown, N.H., Tonia Welch of Rockingham, and Shannon Wardwell of Springfield. Brother of Paul R. Benson Sr. of Andover. Born in Springfield, the son of the late Ellsworth and Margaret Benson, he was a former police officer, an EMT for the Doc Dinsmore Ambulance Service, and a long-time firefighter in Bellows Falls. He was employed as a truck driver for Carroll Cement Company for 25 years, prior to his retirement. He enjoyed the outdoors, camping, sports, NASCAR racing and animals. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 23, at 10 a.m., at Adams Funeral Home in Chester. Interment will be announced at a later date. Donations to the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire, or the Bellows Falls Fire Department.

• Charles M. Clark, 83, of Vernon. Died Feb. 8 at Vernon Green Nursing Home following a period of declining health. Husband of Edith Kuhn Clark for more than 56 years. Father of Ralph Hillman and his wife, Joy, of Enfield, Conn. Stepfather of Janet Kearby of Baytown, Texas. Brother of Theresa Crosier of Bernardston, Mass. Born in Bernardston, one of 13 children of the late Ralph and Beatrice (Johnson) Clark, he grew up in Bernardston and attended public schools there. He was employed as a custodian at Mount Herman School in Northfield, Mass., where he retired from in 1994. He also worked as a custodian at Brattleboro Union High School and, in his earlier years, at the former Northfield Hotel, where he first met his wife. He loved Country & Western music, was fascinated with trains and the railroad, and loved to travel via rail. He also enjoyed taking bus tours with his wife to areas throughout New England, and especially loved the coast of Maine. He also enjoyed his beloved pet cats. He was a member of the Vernon Seniors and the Vernon Historians. Memorial information: A graveside committal service will be conducted in the family lot in Stebbins Cemetery in Vernon in the springtime when the cemetery reopens at a time and date to be announced by the funeral home. Donations to Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at http://www.atamaniuk.com.

• Lawrence Ward Hill, 99, of Deltona, Fla. Died Feb. 10 at the Hos­pice House in Merrimack, N.H. He was living at the home of his daughter in Nashua, N.H., until hospitalized. Husband of the late Marguerite Eva Watkins for nearly 56 years. Father of Richard Lawrence Hill and his wife, Sandra, of Rochester, N.Y., and Sherry Marguerite Cupak and her husband, John, of Nashua. Born in Hali­fax, the son of Grace Thurber and George Hill, he was one of four siblings, all of whom have predeceased him: Margaret, Burton, and Eleanor. In his early years, he helped his brother in Halifax with logging and maple sugaring. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps from 1942 until 1945, where he maintained P-39 and P-40 aircraft for the 324th Fighter Group. He was deployed to Africa, Italy, France, and Germany. He was pro­moted to master sergeant and awarded a Bronze Star for his serv­ice. After the war, he re­turned to open a garage in Guilford and was the fire chief before join­ing John Deere in 1954. Lawrence moved from Guilford to Agawam, Mass., then to Baldwins­ville, N.Y, where he worked for John Deere until his retirement in 1975. He worked for Syracuse Diesel until he and his wife relo­cated to Deltona and be­came “snowbirds,” driving up north in the summer and returning to south in the winter. Memorial information: A graveside serv­ice with military honors will be held in the spring in the family lot in Chesterfield West Cemetery in New Hampshire. Dona­tions to Home Health & Hospice Care, 7 Executive Park Drive Merri­mack, NH 03054.

• Florence F. (Whitcomb) Potter, 100, formerly of Londonderry. Died Feb. 10 at Mt. Ascutney Hospital in Windsor. Wife of the late Wendell H. Potter. Mother of the Rev. John H. Potter, and his wife, Gail, of Franklin, Mass., and the late Kenneth W. Potter. Born in Worcester, Mass., the daughter of the late Ar­thur and Louise Whitcomb, she lived in Massachusetts and New Hamp­shire and was a longtime resident of Londonderry. She greatly loved her family and was loved in re­turn by them and many others. She enjoyed writing letters and staying in touch with family and friends. She was a member of the Second Congregational Church in Londonder­ry where she served as deacon, clerk, Church Council member, Sun­day school teacher, President of the Dorcas Guild and choir member. She also was the church secretary for 35 years until she retired at the age of 97. She was the past Ppesident of the following church and community organizations: Vermont Fellowship of Women of the Vermont Conference of the United Church of Christ; Hill & Valley Council of Church Women United; Bellows Falls Woman's Club; and Rockingham Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. She was named Woman of the Year by the Bellows Falls Rotary Club in 1966 for her community service. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Feb. 16 at the Second Congrega­tional Church in Londonderry. Pri­vate interment will take place at a later date at Oak Hill Cemetery in Bellows Falls. Donations to the memorial fund of the Second Congregational Church, P.O. Box 77, Londonderry, VT 05148.

• Cindi B. Rathbun, 59, of Spofford, N.H. Died Feb. 11 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Cen­ter in Lebanon, N.H. Wife of Michael Rau. Mother of Christopher Rathbun and his wife, Don­na, of Guilford and Jennifer Rathbun of Hinsdale, N.H. Sister of Robb M. Boudreau and his wife, Laura, of Guilford and Wendi Mackin and her husband, Tim, of Erving, Mass. Born in Brattleboro, the daughter of Robert and Helen (Bills) Boudreau, she attended St. Michael's School and was a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, Class of 1971. She had worked at C & S Whole­sale Grocers for 26 years. More recently, she was co-owner of Double R Alpacas and was raising 16 alpacas at her home in Spofford. Before joining C & S, she had worked at the former Vermont National Bank. She enjoyed gardening, visits to the beaches of Maine and time shared with her family, especially her grandchildren. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Feb. 16 at Guilford Community Church in Algiers. Burial will take place in the springtime in Meet­inghouse Hill Cemetery. Donations to a special educational scholarship for her two grandchil­dren, Troy and Madison, at Brattleboro Savings & Loan, 221 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301, in care of Donna Rathbun. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at http://www.atamaniuk.com.

• Russell C. Schaefer, 93, of Dover. Died Feb. 8 at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend. Husband of Irene (Lanou) Schaefer and the late Anna (Kozon) Schaefer. Father of Declan Schaefer of Pittsfield, Mass., Honore Davis of Las Vegas, Nev., Judith Ann Larocque of North Granby, Conn., Patricia Mary Schaefer of Granby, Conn., and the late Linda Schaefer. Stepfather of George Dolloph of Ches­ter, Deborah Rose Wolf of Craftsbury Common, Julia Buffum of Springfield, Fred Bussino and family of Alexan­dria, N.H., William Bussino and family of Wethersfield, and the late Melinda Bussino. Brother of the late William, Roy, Ralph, and Marsha Schaefer. Born in Windsor, Conn., the son of William and Helen (Terwilliger) Schaefer, he served in the Navy during World War II. He was stationed on the Aleutian Islands when they were attacked by the Jap­anese. Russ re­ceived a Naval commendation for his work on building a dock in Alaska's Bab­cock Bay, where he worked ship to shore. He was later a gun cap­tain on the USS Duluth, which cleared the mines in Tokyo Bay so Gen. Douglas McArthur could hold the peace treaty signing with Japan. He was self­-employed as a plumbing and heating contractor. He enjoyed hunting, fish­ing in Long Island Sound, ballroom dancing, and was a member of the American Legion and VFW in Brattle­boro, and the Masons in Connecticut. In 2000, he and his wife Irene built a cabin and relocated to Brattleboro. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Feb. 13 at Ker-Westerlund Funeral Home in Brattleboro. Burial will take place at Riverside Cemetery in Wind­sor, Conn. in spring. Donations to American Legion Post 5, 32 Linden St., Brat­tleboro, VT 05301.

College news

• Lesley Frese of South Londonderry and Ella Young of Vernon were named to the fall 2012 President's List at Community College of Vermont. The President''s List includes full-time students with a 4.0 grade point average. The following students were named to the CCV Dean's List for the fall 2012 semester: Justin Garciadealba of Grafton; Kristina Willette, Ashley Frost, Robin Shannon, Charles Draper, and Justin Polnack of Brattleboro; Elizabeth Hauty of Marlboro; Susan Nichols and Hillary Hauer of Newfane; Paul Youngson of Putney; Denny Hughes and Alice Fuller of Vernon; and Julie Edmonds of West Dover. The Dean's List includes full-time students with a GPA of 3.5 to 3.99.

• Skyler Duncan of Wilmington, a member of the Class of 2014 majoring in business administration and psychology, was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2012 semester at Elmira (N.Y.) College.

• Abigail Thomas, a member of the class of 2016 at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., earned term honors for the fall 2012 semester.

• Dylan Avera of West Dover was named to the Honors List for the fall 2012 semester at the New England School of Communications in Bangor, Maine.

Transitions

• The Brattleboro Pastoral Counseling Center welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors - the Rev. Roger Brown, the Rev. Judith Kinley, and Sylvia Sykes. Rev.Brown is a semi-retired United Church of Christ minister and is the chairperson of the Centre Church Peace and Justice Committee, and a member of the Brattleboro Area Interfaith Initiative. After a career in nursing education, Rev. Kinley became an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She served on the boards of several community agencies including the United Way, Brattleboro Area Hospice and the Brattleboro Retreat. Sykes has worked as a LPN at the Austine School, Rockingham Memorial Hospital, and Springfield Hospital. She is an avid volunteer, spending most of her time at the First Baptist Church as a past trustee, treasurer, church school teacher, member of Grace's Kitchen staff, and the Women's Society. More information about the center is available at http://www.bpccvt.com, or by calling 802-254-9071.

• Thomas Fahner and Connie Sanderson are the new Co-Executive Directors of Kurn Hattin Homes for Children in Westminster, a charitable home and school for children whose families are experiencing a time of need. The two will split the organization's top administrative duties with Fahner as head of Residential and Academic Life, and Sanderson overseeing Business Operations and Institutional Advancement. Sanderson came to the organization as a Development Officer in 1988 and held the position of Director of Development from 1990 until the present. She is serving in her third year as president of Westminster Cares and holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive credential awarded by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Fahner joined the Kurn Hattin community as school principal in 1989 and became Director of Residential and Educational Services in 1993. He is the former president and a current member of the National Fellowship of Childcare Executives, as well as of the Bellows Falls Rotary Club.

• The Marine Corps League, Detachment 798, recently elected a new slate of officers. They are Armand Nadeau of Hinsdale, N.H., Commandant; Anthony Previte of Marlow, N.H., Senior Vice Commandant; Scott Larabee of Vernon, Junior Vice Commandant; and Christopher Casey of Brattleboro, Judge Advocate. Appointed officers include Doug Reed of Newfane, Adjutant; Joseph Garofalo of East Dover, Paymaster; Mark Hynes of Hinsdale, Sergeant At-Arms; James Wall of Swanzey, N.H., Chaplain; and Richard Hodgdon of Brattleboro as Junior Past Commandant. The detachment members meet monthly on the third Wednesday of each month at the Brattleboro American Legion Post 5 on Linden Street.

Awards

• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital has been awarded a $10,000 grant by The Fanny Holt Ames and Edna Louise Holt Fund, enabling it to establish a collaborative breast care education program with Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend. Funds from the grant will be used to train two technologists from the BMH Imaging Department as certified breast care educators. The technologists will then visit Grace Cottage Hospital twice a month over a six-month period to educate women in the hospital's service area about methods for early breast cancer detection and prevention.