Marion Annie Aldrich
Marion Annie Aldrich, 91, of Brownington died peacefully on Friday, July 24, 2015, having had a long, happy life.
She was born on September 10, 1923, to Annie and Lyle “Mitch” Fox. She grew up in Brownington with her half-brothers Ted, Albert, and Archie Bellway.
She married Roderic Aldrich on March 29, 1939, and soon started a family. She was a wonderful mother to sons John, Michael, and Stephen, and her only daughter, Gail.
Ms. Aldrich worked hard for many years at American Maple and Selbar Weaving, both in Newport. For several years, she also was the Brownington school cook and owned and operated her own school bus.
She was dearly loved by many friends and neighbors, and was immensely loved by her family. Her dearest of friends were family such as her cousin Marjorie Blake and sisters-in-law Avis Joslyn, and Eileen Provost. She set a wonderful example as a wife who showed deep respect and devoted support to her husband of 58 years. Her ability to care for her family with beautiful, delicious meals was always greeted with excitement, and the way she would offer helpful advice and encouragement was trustworthy.
Missing her greatly will be her daughter-in-law Neta Aldrich of East Charleston; her sons: Michael Aldrich, and his wife, Claire, of Isle Lamotte, and Stephen Aldrich and his wife, Linda, of Brownington; her daughter Gail and her husband, Timothy McKenna, of Jericho; and nearly 50 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband and her son John.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 31, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home at 4670 Darling Hill Road in Newport. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday from 1 p.m., until the hour of the funeral. The burial will be held shortly after at Pleasant View Cemetery in Orleans, and will conclude with refreshments at the American Legion Post #23.
Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.
Martha Ann Wellman McKay
Martha Wellman McKay died peacefully in her sleep at Wake Robin Retirement Community in Shelburne on June 12, 2015.
She was born on September 14, 1921, in a two-room house in Hereford, Texas, to Robert Elliott and Corinne Hopkins Elliott. Dust-bowl conditions prompted her family to move to Dallas, Texas, where her father began working for Ford Motor Company.
When she was nine, they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. During World War II, the family lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, while her father was a superintendent at the nearby Willow Run bomber plant.
She received a bachelor of arts in biology from the University of Michigan during that time.
She also met First Lieutenant Thomas Jerome Wellman, who she married in August 1945.
Mr. Wellman’s career as a chemical salesman for DuPont meant frequent moves to Delaware, Cleveland, Ohio, Connecticut, California, New York, and California again.
Mrs. McKay was an active member of her church and volunteered in nonprofit organizations wherever she went.
The couple had a strong interest in music, singing in church choirs and attending the opera, symphony and ballet. They were both accomplished cooks and loved to entertain.
In the early 1960s, the family built a small camp on Lake Willoughby that became the family’s anchor throughout their marriage and travels.
After Mr. Wellman died in 1995, Mrs. McKay moved to the wonderful Wake Robin Retirement Community in Shelburne.
There, in 2000, she met and married Dr. R. James McKay, who established the pediatrics department at Fletcher-Allen Medical Center in Burlington, and who predeceased her in 2012. Mrs. McKay was also predeceased by her older brother, Robert, and younger sister, Dell Elliott.
She is survived by her daughter Brynn Raupagh and her husband, Paul; her son Keith Wellman; three grandchildren: Lisa McVety and her husband, David, Elliott Raupagh and his wife, Ariel, and Daniel Raupagh and his wife, Ruth; and three great-grandchildren as well as her McKay stepsons: Robert and his wife, Barbara, David, Daniel and his wife, Nancy, Timothy and his wife, Betsy, and their families, to whom she was equally devoted.
A memorial service will be held at Westmore Community Church on Wednesday, August 12, at 2 p.m. Interment will be a private, family-only event.
Donations in her name may be made to the Westmore Association Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 143, Orleans, Vermont 05860.
Addison H. Merrick
Addison Hoyt Merrick, 91, of Craftsbury died on July 21, 2015.
He was completely independent and active physically, intellectually and socially until shortly before his death of complications from injuries in a car accident. He was a teacher and a citizen, a lover of words and wood — a chainsaw-wielding poet and a liberal in the finest sense of the word.
He was born in Montclair, New Jersey, on August 2, 1923, the son of Elliott Tucker Merrick and Margaret Emma (Day) Merrick. The family spent summers in Ogunquit, Maine, where the Hoyt family had two huge mansions. One of these can still be spotted by the large metal H on the roof. The 17-year-old Mr. Merrick served as a chauffeur for one of the wealthy aunts, played tennis, and hiked up Mount Agimenticus. The place is now a resort town, jam-packed with tourists. Then, it was a “quiet little farming and fishing village,” in the words of Mr. Merrick’s brother. The natural world, rocks and beaches were the main features of the place. A walking path at water’s edge called the Marginal Way has a bench in memory of Mr. Merrick’s parents, his sister Margaret, and his niece Tucker.
Mr. Merrick’s family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, and sent him to a boarding school, Hebron Academy in Hebron, Maine, where he was part of a championship basketball team. He loved tennis, football and basketball as both an athlete and a fan. He was especially a fan of the Boston Celtics and the Denver Broncos.
Mr. Merrick was the youngest of four children. His brother Elliott Tucker Merrick III was 19 years older, the author of Green Mountain Farm and Northern Nurse among other books. Elliott Merrick came to Craftsbury and wrote about his back-to-the-land life during the Great Depression. Addison Merrick visited and fell in love with Craftsbury. His love of the place drove his career path and life after that. He moved back to Vermont in 1968 and built a stone house in Craftsbury where he lived until his death. He loved growing potatoes and corn, working in his woods, and floating on an air mattress in his pond.
He got a bachelor’s degree at Middlebury College in 1948, and later a PhD from Harvard University. He was not a humble man, but neither did he put on airs. He dressed like a woodsman and never allowed anyone to address him as Dr. Merrick, preferring to be called Ad or Addison, even by his grandchildren.
He served in World War II as a radio operator in a B-29 bomber in the South Pacific. He was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the 883rd Bombardment Squadron. He earned a Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he went back to Montclair and worked for the Montclair Times newspaper. He met Helen Peirce Ellis, and they were married on June 7, 1952.
The couple spent their first year of marriage on a fire tower in Montana, and later traveled west to live in a houseboat in Seattle, Washington.
The Merricks moved to Arlington, Massachusetts, and had two daughters. Mr. Merrick taught English and writing at the Lowell Technological Institute while he worked on his doctoral degree. Ms. Merrick and her brothers inherited a summer home in Tamworth, New Hampshire, that was in the Ellis family for 100 years.
Mr. Merrick played tennis in tournaments with family members of former U.S. President Grover Cleveland. He loved to drag his children, nieces and nephews out of bed at 4:30 a.m. to go kayaking on Great Hill Pond as quietly as possible to try to see the moose.
Mr. Merrick taught English literature at Johnson State College, including science fiction, fantasy, and Russian literature. After his retirement in the mid-1980s, he led a reading group consisting of neighbors and former students. He published poems in the Northern New England Review, the Green Mountain Review, the Chronicle, the Hardwick Gazette and others.
Later in life, he became interested in genealogy and traced his roots to three brothers who came from Wales in 1636. He became fascinated with an ancestor named Llywelyn who fought in the battle of Bosworth in 1485. A sword of Llywelyn’s hangs in a manor in Wales to this day.
Mr. Merrick was a champion of wilderness and donated regularly to nonprofit organizations that helped protect the natural environment. Even in later years, as his income dwindled, he considered himself middle class and gave money to dozens of causes.
Mr. Merrick leaves his daughters: Bethany Margaret Merrick Dunbar and her boyfriend, Jim Bowes, of West Glover, and Ann Elizabeth Merrick Harrington and her husband, Steve, of Burlington; four grandchildren: Tristan Dunbar, Katie Dunbar, Jamie Harrington and Willa Harrington; nephews: Austen Merrick of Harrisonville, Missouri, Bruce Mock of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, and Bill Ellis of Clifton, New Jersey; and nieces: Jolly Booth of South Bend, Indiana, Sue Merrick Hoover of Port Townsend, Washington, and Susan Ellis Kruckow and her husband, Jim, of Elmira, New York.
He was predeceased by his wife of 59 years; his parents; his brother Elliott Tucker Merrick III; his sisters: Josephine Mock and Margaret Halpin; his nieces: Tucker Halpin and Ann Mock; and by his nephew Kim Merrick.
Services will be held on September 6 with the Reverend Alan Parker at the United Church of Craftsbury Common at 2 p.m., with a celebration of his life afterwards at his home. Donations in his memory may be made to the Nature Conservancy at 27 State Street, Suite 4 in Montpelier, Vermont 05602.
Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.
John R. Moore
John R. Moore, 83, of Troy, died on July 19, 2015, in Newport.
He was born on May 8, 1932, in Chicago, Illinois, to Reuel Moore and Elizabeth Mullin. On January 21, 1985, Mr. Moore married Mary Lou Peterson.
He served his country as a Marine in the U.S. military, serving in the Korean War, and he was a policeman for the Chicago Police Department. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, North Troy chapter, and he enjoyed studying criminology and politics.
Mr. Moore is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Lou Huseby-Moore, of Troy.
He was predeceased by his brother James Moore.
Funeral services took place at 11 a.m. at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Troy, where a Mass will be celebrated on July 25.
Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the Tri Parish, 130 South Pleasant Street, Troy, Vermont 05868.
Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.
Rosalie Lynn Potwin
Rosalie Lynn Potwin, 41, of Newport, died on July 26, 2015.
She was born on February 6, 1974, in Newport, to Donald Aiken and Mary Hoose. On August 30, 2013, she married Kenneth Potwin Sr.
She was a caregiver at ARIS Solutions in White River Junction. She loved to read, play bingo, crochet, fish, and watch soap operas. She also loved to take care of her mother. She loved her husband, Kenny, and enjoyed time with her grandchildren who loved her very much.
She is survived by her children: Dereck Collins and Amanda Collins, both of Newport; along with her two stepsons: Kenny Potwin Jr. and Devon Potwin, both of Island Pond. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Iziah, Ayriel, and Wyatt; by her brother Roger Aiken and his wife, Miranda, of South Carolina; her sister Joyce Jenness and her husband, Don, of Newport; her half sister Shirley Rose of St. Albans; and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her twin brothers Ray and Roy Aiken, her brother Rocky, and by her sister Bonnie Sargent.
A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 8, at the Coventry Village Cemetery in Coventry.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the family in care of Pamala LaRock, P.O. Box 538, East Barre, Vermont 05649. A potluck supper will follow the graveside service at her sister Joyce Jenness’ home at 704 Clyde Street in Newport.
Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.
John Philip Snyder
John Philip Snyder of Wilmington, Delaware, and Morgan died on July 18, 2015, at the age of 73.
He was born in 1941 in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and later moved to New Jersey where he graduated from Metuchen High School. He received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in Asian studies from Seton Hall University.
In 1959 he joined the Air Force, through which he studied the Chinese language at Yale University and then worked as a translator, stationed in Japan. As an astute businessman and skilled linguist, fluent in both Chinese and Japanese, he began a career in international sales with the Westinghouse Corporation in Japan. He later worked at Sanyo Business Systems, which allowed him additional travel throughout Asia.
After moving to Delaware in 2010, he taught Chinese Conversation at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where he was thrilled to share his interest in, and lifelong passion for, the language and cultures of China and Japan.
Mr. Snyder was a multi-talented individual with diverse interests. From his youth until the recent past, he enjoyed working on construction projects, renovating homes, making furniture, and his most impressive effort, the construction of an expansive bridge across his creek in Morgan. Moreover, he never hesitated to help others with electrical work, plumbing or carpentry.
His other interests included a deep love of music, ranging from bluegrass to classic rock to opera. He also enjoyed collecting antiques and had an extensive collection of Asian and American art. He took great pleasure challenging himself by trying to identify and translate marks on his Chinese and Japanese paintings, scrolls and porcelains. However, his greatest joy in life was fresh water fishing, especially at his home in Morgan, a place he cherished for its beauty, tranquility and long lasting friendships.
He is survived by his mother, Jean Catherine Snyder; his brother Jeffrey Bruce Snyder; his wife of 49 years, Therese Snyder; their three sons and their families: David and his wife, Mary Benson Snyder, Gary and his wife, Jessica Johner Snyder, and Erich and his wife, Lauren Saracene; three granddaughters: Alexandra, Chloe, and Morgan; as well as several beloved in-laws, nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his father, John H. Snyder, and his brother Joel David Snyder.
The family has requested that as a condolence, donations be made to the Morgan Historical Society, P.O. Box 113, Morgan, Vermont 05853.
Marilyn Spaulding
Marilyn Spaulding, 82, of St Johnsbury died on July 18, 2015.
Born in Barton on August 26, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Garold and Margaret (Morrison) Wright and graduated from Orleans High School.
Ms. Spaulding and her husband, Gordon Spaulding, were married in Orleans on December 6, 1958.
She met her husband while working at New England Telephone in St. Johnsbury, where she continued working until the birth of her son. She found great joy in life in her roles as wife and mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
In later years she worked for Hovey’s Department Store until its closing, and volunteered with the auxiliary of the Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) for many years until retiring in 2014. The many people that she met at Hovey’s and in the NVRH Auxiliary were very dear to her. The Spauldings were good members of the North Congregational Church.
She is survived by her grandson Michael Spaulding and Amanda Halle of Warner, New Hampshire; her granddaughter Elise Kent and her husband, William, of Lawrence, Massachusetts; her great-grandchildren: Kae Spaulding, Evan Kent and Jocelyn Oliver; and two sisters: Arlene Wright of St Johnsbury, and Paula Moloney and her husband, Charles, of Marshfield, Massachusetts.
She was predeceased by her beloved husband in November 2014, and by her dear son Todd Spaulding, in February 2015.
Funeral services were held at the Sayles Funeral Home on Saturday, July 25 at 11. The Reverend William Cotte officiated. Burial followed at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the volunteers at NVRH Auxiliary, 1315 Hospital Drive, St. Johnsbury, Vermont 05819, or to the North Congregational Church at 1325 Main Street, St. Johnsbury, Vermont 05819.
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