Elizabeth “Betty” Benner
Elizabeth “Betty” Benner, 97, of Derby died on November 23, 2010, in Newport.
She was born on July 14, 1913, in Derby, a daughter of Lewis Bates and Cora (Clough) Bates.
She graduated from Derby Academy in 1931 and Burlington Business College in 1932. In 1934 she married Richard “Dick” Benner. They owned and operated Dick’s Drive-In Diner located on the Derby-Derby Line Road. She also worked for the city of Newport as assistant city clerk for 40 years.
Mrs. Benner was a very active person. She was a member of the Derby United Church since 1928 and served as deacon, and she was a member and former treasurer of the Lakeside Chapter #27 Order of the Eastern Star, and also a member of the Navy Grange. Her greatest pleasures were her many friends, who were dear to her, playing cards, sharing dinners, long conversations, going for a ride, and the comfort of their companionship.
She is survived by her sister Rebecca Corrow of Newport; by nieces Pauline Wallace of Lebanon, New Hampshire, Carol Fifield of The Villages, Florida; by nephews Philip Chaffee of Moultonboro, New Hampshire, Dave Lafoe and his wife, Sally, of Warren’s Gore, and Richard Lafoe and his wife, Ann, of Coventry. She was predeceased by her husband, Dick Benner and by her sisters Ruth Lafoe and Rachel Chaffee.
Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home at 4670 Darling Hill Road in Newport. Members of the Lakeside Chapter # 27 Order of the Eastern Star will conduct a service at 5:15 p.m. on December 1 at the funeral home. Graveside services will be held in the spring at the Derby Center cemetery.
Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
Monica E. Blake
Monica E. Blake, 54, of Orleans died suddenly on November 22, 2010, in Newport.
She was born September 13, 1956, in Newport, a daughter of Georgiana (LaClair) Chaffee and Lloyd Chaffee and the late Paul Labrecque.
On February 23, 1974, she married Harry Blake who survives her.
Mrs. Blake was employed by Louis Garneau Clothing Manufacturing in Newport. Her hobbies included reading, watching NASCAR on television, and listening to country music. She went to Loudon, New Hampshire, to see her favorite NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon.
She is survived by her husband, Harry Blake, of Orleans; her sons Jeremy Blake of Milton and Jeff Blake of Orleans; her grandchildren Jeremy Blake and Shante Blake, both of Burlington; by the following brothers and sisters: Mark Labrecque and his wife, Virginia, of Texas, Artie Chaffee and his wife, Jaime, of Island Pond, Lori Curtis and her companion, Frank Dwyer, of Sheffield, Faith Prescott and her husband, Quint, of Glover; sisters-in-law Eleanor Willis and her husband, Stan, of Orleans, Betty Racine and her husband, Paul, of Orleans, Linda Chadburn and her husband, Gordon, of Irasburg; by her brother-in-law Wayne Blake; and by several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sisters Lisa Dwyer and Candy Schminkey.
Funeral services were held at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home in Newport on November 27 with the Reverend Richard Whitehill officiating. Interment was in the Pleasantview Cemetery in Orleans.
Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Orleans Emergency Unit, care of Dot Collier, treasurer, 1327 Dry Pond Road, Glover, Vermont 05839.
Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
Donalda A. Fontaine
Donalda A. “Memere” Fontaine, 95, of Derby died peacefully on November 25, 2010, at Rose and Fred LaBarron’s home in Derby surrounded by her family. Mrs. LaBarron is her daughter.
She was born on October 31, 1915, in Compton, Quebec, a daughter of Josepha and Alma (Gilbert) Audet.
On June 25, 1938 she married Lucien Tetreault who predeceased her on May 11, 1946. She later married Alphonse Fontaine on October 5, 1957, who predeceased her on March 10, 1968.
After her husband, Lucien, died, she raised and provided for her seven children.
She enjoyed visiting and family gatherings, playing bingo, card games, especially “31” with her grandchildren, cooking and canning, gardening, collecting owls, birdwatching, and singing in French. She especially loved going to see her children.
She was a member of St. Benedict’s Labre Catholic Church in West Charleston.
She is survived by her daughters: Dolores Letourneau and her husband, Andre, of East Charleston, Rose LaBarron and her husband, Fred, of Derby, and Cecile Dionne and her husband Leo (Rusty) of Chicopee, Massachusetts; by her cherished 15 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren; by a sister Marie Lanctot of Hampton, Massachusetts; brothers Maurice Audet of Troy and Gille Audet of Sherbrooke, Quebec; and by many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by following children: Ronald Tetreault in 1990, Lucien Tetreault and Denise Schultz both in 1995, and Jean Paul Tetreault in 2008; by great-granddaughter Brianna Riopelle; son in-law Roger Plante; daughter in-law Carol Tetreault; and by the following brothers: Artel, twins Camille and Adrienne, Henri-Louis, and Armand.
Funeral services were held November 27 at St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Derby Line with the Reverend Michael Reardon celebrating a Mass. Interment will be in St. Mary’s cemetery in Newport at a later date.
Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the St. Benedict’s Labre Catholic Church, West Charleston, Vermont 05872.
Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
Rhonda Elaine Libby
Rhonda Elaine Libby, 44, of Barton died suddenly on November 22, 2010, in Newport.
She was born January 6, 1966, in Newport, a daughter of David and Jeannette (Shufelt) Libby.
Ms. Libby was employed by Ethan Allen Manufacturing for over 11 years.
She loved horseback riding, and she loved her dog Angel and her many other pets. She enjoyed family gatherings and being with her many friends. She was always the life of the party, and she very much enjoyed her job until health issues forced her to retire.
She is survived by her daughter Nina and her husband, Geoff Carpenter, of Barton; by the following brothers and sisters: Wayne Libby and his wife, Cindy, of Brownington Center, Darcy Libby and his companion, Pam Viens, of Brownington Center, Monte Libby and his wife, Nicole, of Newport, Deborah Libby and her companion, Paul Labrecque, of Brownington, Darlene Donna and her husband, Brian, of Newport Center, Randy White and his wife, Pam, of Westmore, and Lesa Johnson and her husband, Richard, of Sutton; her longtime companion Vernon “Skeet” Stauffeneker of Barton; her ex-husband Steve Sicard; her mother-in-law Shirley Sicard of Westmore; and by several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, David and Jeannette Libby, and by a nephew Jason White.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, December 1, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home in Barton with the Pastor George Lawson officiating. Interment will follow in the Brownington Center Cemetery.
Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
Marion F. (Smith) McInnis
Marion F. (Smith), McInnis, 87, of Irasburg, died peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family on November 25, following a courageous battle with cancer.
Born in Coventry on March 25, 1923, she was a daughter of the late Edson and Glenda (Woodburn) Smith.
Mrs. McInnis attended graded school in Coventry and graduated from Nashua High School in Nashua, New Hampshire, class of 1942. A World War II Navy veteran of the Waves, she served as a cable and radio censor in New York City.
She married Donald McInnis in Nashua on June 14, 1947. The McInnis’ resided for many years on Caldwell Road in Nashua where they raised their family.
Mrs. McInnis had been employed by New England Telephone Company and Howard Johnson Hotels. In retirement, the family moved to Irasburg and enjoyed many happy years together.
In her leisure time, Mrs. McInnis enjoyed knitting, quilting, baking, puzzles, and most importantly, spending time with her family. She was a woman of great faith, and appreciated her dear friends and neighbors.
She was predeceased by her husband, Donald, with whom she celebrated 60 years of marriage; and by her two brothers, Russell and Edward Smith. Members of her family include five children: John and Maureen McInnis of Auburn, New Hampshire, James and Jacqueline McInnis of Cazenovia, New York, Brian McInnis of Nashua, Kathleen and Wesley Howard of Plymouth, New Hampshire, and Michael and Irma McInnis of Nashua; ten grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; four step-greatgrandchildren; two sisters, Arvilla (Billie) Houston and her husband, Jack, of Orleans, and Doris Pagliaroni of Waldwick, New Jersey; two sisters-in-law, Euphemia (Phemie) Richard of Nashua, and Pauline Smith of Forest Hill, California; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A Mass was celebrated at St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Newport on December 1. Interment will be at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Hudson, New Hampshire, at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Orleans-Essex Visting Nurses Assocation and Hospice, Inc., 46 Lakemont Road, Newport, Vermont 05855.
Arrangements by the Curtis-Britch-Rushford-Converse Funeral Homes.
Ann Z. Savola
Ann Savola, 93, an 11-year resident of Derby, died on November 22, 2010, following an extended period of declining health.
She was born on July 11, 1917, in New York City to the late Stephen Zwarych and Katherine (DeBaylo) Zwarych of Hackettstown, New Jersey.
She graduated from Hackettstown High School and Ryder College in Trenton, New Jersey.
She spent over 40 years as a resident of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where she lived with her loving husband of 43 years, William J. Savola, until his death in 1981.
For 25 years she worked as a bookkeeper and secretary at St. Mary’s Church in Longmeadow. She loved the Lord and her life was a testament to that. She enjoyed reading, especially her Bible and daily devotionals. She also enjoyed sewing, gardening, and was known for her generous hospitality.
She is predeceased by her son William J. Savola Jr. of Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and her brother Nicholas Zwarych of Great Meadows, New Jersey. Surviving her are her daughter Jo Ann S. French and her husband, David H. French, of Derby; her daughter-in-law Deborah L. Savola of Wilbraham; her sister Olga Gawdun of New Smyrna, Florida; and her brother Stephen Zwarych and his wife Marilyn of Belvidere, New Jersey.
Mrs. Savola (Nanny) will be fondly remembered by her grandchildren: Kimberlee French Strepka, her husband, David, and their daughter Madeline of East Longmeadow; by William J. Savola III and Lindsey Savola of Wilbraham; and by Ashley Savola Abel and her husband, Joshua, of Ludlow, Massachusetts. She will also be greatly missed by her nieces and nephews and dear friends.
A funeral service was held on Monday, November 29, at the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Hampden, Massachusetts. Burial followed at the Hillcrest Park Cemetery
The family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s organization.
Dennis Adelord Taylor
Dennis Adelord Taylor, 56, of Nashville, Tennesee, died suddenly of a massive heart attack in Greenville, Texas, on October 17, 2010, while on tour with the Delbert McClinton Band.
He was born November 13, 1953, in Barton.
He graduated from Barton Graded School, Lake Region Union High School, and Johnson State College. He also attended Berklee School of Music in Boston for three semesters.
His passion was music, and he was fortunate to be able to pursue this career until his untimely death.
He played with the Vermont Jazz Ensemble while living in Vermont, and he taught saxophone at Johnson State College before moving to New Orleans. He joined the Gatemouth Brown Band and toured with them, also playing with local jazz and blues bands. In 1985 he moved to Boston where he freelanced at local clubs. In 1989 he and his wife, Karen Leipziger, moved to Nashville where they have lived for the past 222 years.
He has played with Buckwheat Zydeco, Michelle Shocked, Duke Robillard, and Shelby Lynn, and toured with Kenny Rogers’ Christmas Show and Brenda Lee, and for the last two and a half years played with Delbert McClinton. He has also done numerous sessions with various artists.
He traveled all over the U.S., the lower provinces of Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia. He had a great sense of humor and friends and family have many happy memories of him telling stories of his travels.
He had volunteered weekly at the W.O. Smith School of Music for the last 17 years, teaching saxophone to underprivilidged students. He also had many private students. He found he loved teaching and his students. He was not only their teacher but also a friend and confidant.
He had also written six instructional books for saxophone for the Hal Leonard Publishing Company.
On October 21, a memorial service was held at the W.O. Smith School where friends, family and fellow band members shared their stories about Mr. Taylor, his music, his love and compassion for his friends and family, his great sense of humor, his ready smile, his encouragement to his friends, and his gentle nature, which will be greatly missed.
On November 7, a musical tribute was held at B.B. King’s club in downtown Nashville. Over 400 people gathered to listen to the bands and performers. Many traveled from out of state to pay their respects. All who performed had either played with Mr. Taylor in various bands, or he had played on their recordings. Their final salute was the playing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” by all the horn players in honor of his lifelong love of the Boston Red Sox.
Mr. Taylor had just completed a lifelong dream of recording his own CD. He had finished all the tracks and now his wife is completing the project.
He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Karen Leipziger; his parents, Ad and Lois Taylor, of Barton; his sisters Kathy Trecartin and her husband, Doug, of Central Point, Oregon, Patricia Taylor and her spouse, Pam Skriletz, of Orleans; by his brother Daniel Taylor and his wife, Kelly, and their two sons, Benjamin and Joshua of St. Paul, Minnesota; his mother-in-law Evelyn Leipziger of New York City; and his sister-in-law Deidre Leipziger and her two children Izzy and Kiki of Brooklyn, New York.
There will be a graveside service at Westlook Cemetery in Glover in the spring.
Donations in his memory may be made to: Dennis Taylor Memorial Fund, W.O. Smith School of Music, 1125 8th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennesee 37203.
Erma Ethel Ticehurst
Erma Ethel Ticehurst, 92, a resident of Brownington for over 80 years, died at her home on Ticehurst Road in Brownington on her son Ron’s birthday — November 26, 2010 — surrounded by her loving family.
She was born August 24, 1918, in Brownington, a daughter of William and Ethel (Mizner) Reid. In 1954 she married Carl Ticehurst who predeceased her in 1982. Prior to her marriage, she taught at a one-room schoolhouse in West Glover and also in surrounding towns.
Mrs. Ticehurst was a dairy farmer and ran a community home in Brownington for many years. She enjoyed cooking rolls and doughnuts, and she loved all her animals, especially her cats.
She is survived by her children: Carla Ticehurst and her friend, Aurele (Beeb) Souliere, of Brownington, Colleen Cloutier and her husband, Ronald, of Barton, Reid Kilby and his wife, Regina, of Milton, and Dale Kilby of Glover; by the following grandchildren: Becky Souliere of Brownington, Amanda Ticehurst of Burlington, Marsha Cloutier of Barton, Michael Cloutier of Barton, Odessa Hopkins and her husband, Bryant, of Grand Isle, Marlene Smith of Morrisville; by her great-grandchildren: Alexandria Cloutier, Heather Fitzpatrick and her husband, Scott, William Henry Ticehurst-Groves, Joshua and Timothy Hopkins, and Christopher and Jeremy Wells; by great-great-grandchildren Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kenedi Fitzpatrick, Joshua, Brooke, and Jasmine Wells: and by several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by sons Robert and Ronald Ticehurst; stepdaughter Alberta Smith; and by three sisters: Alice Lancaster, Doris Brigham, and Phyllis Lawes.
Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday December 2, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Memorial Chapel at 37 Lake Road in Newport where funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 3, with Pastor George Lawson officiating. Interment will follow in the Brownington Center cemetery.
Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Frontier Animal Society, 502 Strawberry Acres, Newport, Vermont 05855.
Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
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