Births
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), April 13, 2015, a son, Camden Scott Pederson, to Eilidh and David Pederson.
School news
• Bellows Falls Union High School held its induction ceremony for five new junior members of the Jessie A. Judd-Marilee B. Huntoon Chapter of the National Honor Society: Reaghan Lapinski, Nicole Murray, Zachary Streeter, Elena Tansley, and Christian Terry. Also inducted were seniors Amy Baker, Molly Dufault, and Sarah Wells.
• Oscar Smith, a senior from Whitingham, was named the Windham Regional Career Center's March 2015 student of the month. He was recommended for this honor by his Agriculture and Natural Resources teacher, Sam Rowley. Smith will graduate from Twin Valley High School this June but, like a number of his fellow students, he travels daily to the Career Center to take courses offered there as well. Smith plans to work for a year after he graduates and then attend college the following year with an intended major in wildlife and land management. He then hopes to work for the Vermont Agency of Transportation, in part to help manage our highway median strips in a way that would minimize accidents involving wildlife and automobiles.
Obituaries
• Edward J. “Eddie” Augliano, 83, of Vernon. Died April 12 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. Husband of Elka Golling for nearly 58 years. Brother of the late Benny Augliano and Catherine “Dolly” Leone. Born in Watertown, N.Y., the son of Nicholas and Harriet (Barcomb) Augliano, he was educated in Brattleboro, attending St. Michael's High School. He later enlisted in the Marine Corps and served his country during the Korean Conflict. He worked most of his career as an electrician, employed for many years at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, which he retired from. He also worked at Vermont Yankee and at Northfield Mount Herman School. For more than 10 years, he served as a deputy sheriff with the Windham County Sheriff's Department. Memorial information: In keeping with his final wishes, no calling hours or funeral services are scheduled. Burial of his cremated remains will be in Tyler Cemetery in Vernon. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Atamaniuk Funeral Home of Brattleboro is in charge of arrangements.
• Charles C. “Chuck” Detch, 72, of Brattleboro. Died April 14 at home after a recent diagnosis of cancer. Husband of Erna Detch for nearly 50 years. Father of Allen and his wife, Jeanette; Susan and her husband, John Train; and Michael and his wife, Heather. Brother of James A. Detch and his wife, Karen, of Bullville, N.Y.; and Janet Haycook and her husband, Edward, of Canton, N.Y. Born in Middletown, N.Y., the son of Allen and Ruth Detch, he spent his lifetime in the agricultural field. He farmed with his father and brother, worked for Kraft Foods in Galena, Ill., for John Deere at RN Johnson in Walpole, N.H., the Holstein Association of Brattleboro. and Blue Seal Feeds in Brandon. He retired in 2007 to enjoy his grandchildren, go hunting and fishing, farm with his brother, and travel with his wife to Aruba and California. A graduate of 1965 from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Dairy Science, he held memberships in the Dairy Shrine Club in Madison, Wis., Elks Lodge 1499 in Brattleboro, Holstein Foundation charter member in Brattleboro, Realtor Association of Vermont, First Congregational Church in West Brattleboro, and the National Rifle Association. Memorial information: A graveside service was held April 19 at North Cemetery in Vernon. Donations to Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire, P.O. Box 976, White River Junction, VT 05001. Ker-Westerlund Funeral Home of Brattleboro is in charge of arrangements.
• Ann (Park) Kuusela, 78, of Bellows Falls. Died April 8 in the home she had lived in for 54 years. Wife of George M. Kuusela for nearly 59 years. Mother of Allen Kuusela and his wife, Michelle, of Springfield, Vt.; Carol Hampshire and her husband, Jim, of Grafton; Claire Merchant of Cambridgeport; and Cynthia Gendron and her husband, Morris, of Dummerston. Sister of Dr. Robert Park of Gibsonia, Pa., and the late Nancy (Park) White of Lebanon, N.H. Daughter of the late Charles L. Park, Jr. and Edna Herridon. Befitting of her kindness and compassion for others, she was a nurse with numerous years of service at Rockingham Memorial Hospital as well as Springfield Health & Rehab. She continued to work at other facilities well past normal retirement age. Personally, she enjoyed the beach, camping, knitting/crocheting, crafts and gardening, as well as caring for and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Memorial information: A memorial service was held April 20 at the Athens Church.
• Alan Gene Mattison, 43, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died April 13 at home following a long battle with cancer. Husband of Natalie J. Washkevich for nearly 21 years. Father of Brittany Alicia Mattison. Brother of Bruce Mattison and his wife, Lynne, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Lynne Rice and her husband, Dan; Sandy Mattison; and Eileen Mattison and her husband, Larry, all of Bennington. Born in Brattleboro, the son of Clyde A. Mattison and Kathleen J. Mattison of Hinsdale, he graduated from Hinsdale High School in 1990. He was a hard worker at several local businesses, most recently at Albert's Organics. He was a loving son, husband, father and brother. He loved harness racing, hunting, the Boston Red Sox, the Miami Dolphins, photography, playing video games, Magic card games, riding his four-wheeler, and spending time with his family. Memorial information: A funeral service was held at the First Congregational Church of Hinsdale on April 18. Donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
• John Dennis “Farmer” Nau, 61, of Gardnersville, Nev., formerly of Brookline. Died April 11 after a long struggle with many illnesses. Former husband of Katherine Harris Nau. Father of Elizabeth Kimball and her husband, William, of Oklahoma; Vicky Lewis and her husband, Paul, of Arizona; Brittany Nau and her husband, Dwight Wilson, of Arizona; and Jared Nau and his wife, Katie, of Sacramento, Calif. Brother of Catherine Nau of Cushing, Maine; Laurie Nau-Martocci and her husband, Nick, of Yuma, Ariz., and Brookline; and the late Michael Peter Nau. Born in Stamford, Conn., the son of Cynthia Nau and the late Courtney Nau, he moved when just a year old with his parents to farm in Brookline. He graduated from Leland & Gray Union High School in Townshend. Following a short career in farming, he packed up his family and headed west to pursue his dream to be a ski instructor and settled at Lake Tahoe, Calif., a dream that lasted for quite a few years before he returned to farming, this time on a small ranch raising horses. Some years later, he turned to his last journey with his church, Valley Christian Fellowship in Gardnerville, and became Outreach Pastor in 2013. Memorial information: A memorial service was held at Valley Christian Fellowship on April 19. Donations to Valley Christian Fellowship, P.O. Box 1362, Gardnerville, NV 89410.
• Carol Bertram “Callie B” Newton, 73, of Marlboro. Died April 4 at her home following complications after surgery for a meningioma. Mother of Michael and Ben. Sister of Sara. Born in Elizabeth, N.J., and lived near Philadelphia. She spent all her summers in Jamaica at the Newton School, founded by her Uncle David and Aunt Margaret Newton. She studied English at Temple University and the University of Washington and then emigrated to Alaska in 1963. She married and divorced Hans Van Der Laan, a noted Dutch mountaineer. She married George Lustig with whom she had two sons in a wilderness homestead without water or electricity. They parted and she returned to the Northeast in 1975. She helped Jane Robertson operate a dairy farm in Nova Scotia until 1980. There she also earned a license and practiced as a bovine artificial insemination technician. She settled permanently in Vermont in 1982. She earned an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Antioch University. She sang with the White Shoes, an a cappella vocal group. She completed a course in the Gaelic language ahead of a journey to Ireland in 1999. She was a gifted writer and photographer. She had a great love of literature, strong coffee, tobacco, and chocolate, and her favorite form of exercise was a good sit. She moved to Marlboro in 1994, where she served on the Selectboard, and was a bibliotherapist at Bartleby's Books in Wilmington until her death. She marked many lives with her love, strength, and wit. Memorial information: There will be a celebration of her life at her Marlboro home on June 20 at noon.
• Scott Skrzyniarz, 36, of Bellingham, Mass. Died April 9. Husband of Tanya L. (Bartlett) Skrzyniarz of Bellingham. Father of Randy Lynn and Rylee Elizabeth Skrzyniarz. Brother of Tracy (David) Gerard of Vernon, Dennis Norse of Miami, Fla., and Lindsey Norse of Boston. Stepbrother of Jessica Norse of West Palm Beach, Fla., Jared Rousseau of Virginia Beach, Va., and Josh Norse of Hudson, N.H. Born in Brattleboro, son of Peter and Linda Skrzyniarz of West Chesterfield, N.H. and Linda and Martin Toney of Hinsdale, N.H., he was an excellent licensed electrician by trade. He graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 1996 where he played football and basketball. He truly loved the outdoors, enjoyed fishing, working around his house and in the woods. However, his world revolved around his beautiful daughters, whom he loved more than anything in this world. He will be remembered by his family and friends as having a huge heart and being compassionate to those in need. Memorial information: A funeral service was held April 16 at Keene-Brown Funeral Home in North Smithfield, R.I., followed by a private burial. Donations to NAMI Mass. Schrafft's Center, 529 Main St., Suite 1M17, Boston, MA 02129-1125.
• Maxine E. Smith, 93, of Vernon. Died April 16, 2015 at Pine Heights Nursing Home in Brattleboro. Wife of the late Floyd Smith for 56 years. Mother of Mary Sawin and her husband, Jesse, of Athol, Mass.; Kathryn Knapp and her husband, Richard,of Brattleboro; and the late Kermit and Albert Smith. Mother-in-law of Patricia T. Smith of Brattleboro and Susan Smith of Easthampton, Mass. Sister of Alberta Bellville of Brattleboro and the late Albert Magoon, Anita Stone, Robert Magoon, and Virginia Taylor. Born in Putney, the daughter of the late Watson and Kathryn (Kingsbury) Magoon, she was raised and educated in Brattleboro attending Brattleboro High School. She worked at the Holstein-Friesian Association working as a clerk and retired as a supervisor in 1986, following 23 faithful and dedicated years with the Association. Previously. she had worked at the former Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates on Cotton Mill Hill. A woman of strong faith, she was a longtime member of Vernon Union Church where she served as a deaconess and member of the church choir. She enjoyed square dancing and was a member of the former Green Mountain Squares, held membership in the Silver Liners Line Dance Club and was active for many years with the Vernon Seniors. For several years, she assisted with the town of Vernon monthly newspaper. She enjoyed gardening, her flowers, and puttering around her former home on Stebbins Road. She especially liked music and never missed the Lawrence Welk Show. She was an avid reader and cherished time spent with her family. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held on April 30, at 11 a.m., at the Vernon Union Church. A reception will follow the services to be held in the downstairs area of the church. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Townshend where she will be laid to rest next to her husband. Donations to Vernon Union Church, P.O. Box 111, Vernon, VT 05354. Arrangements are under the direction of the Atamaniuk Funeral Home.
• Margaret “Targ” Wicks Spicer, 90, of South Newfane. Died April 9. Wife of John Spicer for 62 years. Mother of Matt Spicer and his wife, Charlotte Spicer of Scituate, Mass., Beth Spicer of Brattleboro, Doug Spicer and his wife, Betsy, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and Meg Spicer and her spouse, Lisa Harris, of South Newfane. Born in Holyoke Mass., the daughter of the late Eleanor MacMaster Wicks and Robert Russell Wicks, she graduated from Miss Fine's School in Princeton, N.J., and earned her B.A. at Smith College. Following her graduation, she worked as a teacher at the Buckingham School in Cambridge, Mass. She met her future husband at a square dance in Westport Point, Mass, and they were married in Little Compton, R.I., on April 4, 1953. They lived in Paris, France immediately following the marriage, then in Providence, R.I., and Brookline, Mass, finally settling in South Newfane in 1977. She learned the craft of wooden boat model building from her father and, while she was in Brookline, she had a business making and restoring boat models. She was adept at large scale carpentry, and helped to build additions to their house in Westport, as well as helping to renovate their home in Vermont. She was interested in a variety of crafts, and she loved sailing, Nordic skiing, maple sugaring, gardening, brush clearing, paddling, and camping, but most of all she loved doing these things with her family. She spent every summer in Westport Point, where the Wicks family gathers. She traveled across the country with her family several times, by car and train. Along the way they would camp, hike, ride horses, always with lots of fun and laughing. She played the piano and was a member of a number of singing groups, including the Lexington Choral Society and the Brattleboro Community Chorus, performing in seven Gilbert and Sullivan operettas in the Brattleboro area. In addition to her boat model business and varied interests, she contributed generously to her community. She volunteered at the Southeastern Vermont Regional Library, the Moore Free Library of Newfane, the Historical Society of Windham County, and All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Brattleboro. She served on the board of the Brattleboro Music Center, and was Chair of the Friends of the Moore Free Library, where she established the annual book sale which is now their primary fundraising event. In 2002, she and John were both honored with the Community People Award from Brattleboro Savings & Loan. She will be remembered for her welcoming nature, her positive outlook on life and her great sense of humor. She valued family above all, and welcomed everyone into her family. Memorial information: There will be two celebrations of Targ's life: one at All Souls Church in West Brattleboro on Sunday, May 10, at 2 p.m., and the other will be held at the Westport Point United Methodist Church on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 2 p.m. Donations to Moore Free Library, 23 West St., Newfane VT 05345, the Brattleboro Music Center, 38 Walnut St., Brattleboro VT 05301, or the Westport River Watershed Alliance, 1151 Main Rd., Westport, MA 02790. Ker-Westerlund Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.