Annette Idythe (Butler) Lapierre
Annette Idythe (Butler) Lapierre, 73, died in Barton Thursday, November 6, 2008, surrounded by her loving family and members of the Orleans Fire Department.
The firemen gave Mrs. Lapierre a final salute out of respect for their dispatcher.
She was born on April 23, 1935, on the Arthur Butler homestead in Irasburg. Her parents were Arthur W. Landers Butler and Glenna M. Huntington Butler.
For the first two years of school, she walked to the Burton Hill Country School, until it closed. Then she was bused to the Irasburg Elementary School. During this time, her father was the Irasburg road commissioner.
She assisted the family with farm chores, while three of her brothers were serving in World War II.
During her high school years at Orleans High School, she boarded at Gordon and Barbara Spencer’s home. During one summer, she worked as a waitress at the Alpine Hotel in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. At this time, she met Emile Lapierre of Orleans, and they were married on June 27, 1953. Mr. Lapierre predeceased her on November 3. She graduated from Orleans High School in June 1953.
Mr. and Mrs. Lapierre lived with his great-aunt Idell Taylor, and they operated the filling station and small country store, at the present location of the the Sunoco One-Stop in Orleans, for five years until it was sold to the Sunoco Oil Company.
Their first two children, Connie Marie and Deborah Ann, were born at this time. The small family moved to an apartment building where daughters Mary Jane, Cynthia Jean, and Karen Olive were born.
In May 1966, she and her husband bought their first and only home at 36 Water Street in Orleans, where their son William Arthur was born. For half a year before William was born, Mrs. Lapierre worked as a cook for Rena and Gordon Marcotte at Maple Lane Nursing Home.
In the mid-1970s, Mr. Lapierre became the Orleans fire chief, and Mrs. Lapierre purchased a CB base station radio and soon began dispatching for the Orleans Fire Department, as each firetruck had a CB radio in it. Her CB handle was the Phantom Base.
For many years she had a red phone to answer fire calls. Finally, all the CB radios were changed to the FM system.
She served as the Orleans fire and ambulance dispatcher for more than 30 years and was the answering service for both Barton and Orleans villages to assist with power outages, etc.
She was extremely dedicated to Orleans residents, and all are very grateful to her for all these years of service.
She is survived by her six children and their partners: Connie and Robert Hunt of Groveton, New Hampshire, Debbie Ehrgood and Kim Whipple of Evansville, Mary Jane of Orleans, Cindy Pickel of Newport, Karen of Orleans, and William “Bill” of Orleans; by 15 grandchildren; by seven great-grandchildren; by her siblings: Bernard Butler of Barton, Arland Butler of Irasburg, Fay Butler of Massachusetts, Francis Butler and his wife, Phyllis, of Massachusetts, Pauline Fernandez anf her husband, Jose, of West Virginia, and Florence Tillinghast and her husband, George, of Pennsylvania; by two brothers-in-law, Donald Lapierre and his wife, Jackie, of Derby Line and William “Bill” Lapierre and his wife, Delores, of Newport; and by sister-in-law Marilyn Barry and her husband, Lloyd, of Newport. She was predeceased by her husband, Emile Lapierre; by granddaughter Shannon Annette Pickel; by great-granddaughter Morgan Ann Lapierre-Diette; by son-in-law David Pickel; by two sisters, Beatrice Kittredge and Shirley Smith; by brother Stanley Butler; and by her best friend, Joan Pouliot.
She was a remarkable woman and will be sadly missed, but always remembered for so many different things.
She loved putting together a Butler Huntington genealogy with the help of second cousins Herb Marsh and Mike Estabrook. She was so proud of being the Orleans fire and ambulance dispatcher. She looked forward to her Monday afternoon tea with her niece Dorothy Campbell and her annual fire conventions with her husband and Marilyn and Lloyd Barry.
She cherished her family and will continue to be their matriach as she becomes their guardian angel and mother.
Funeral services were held November 11 at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Orleans with the Reverend Sixmund Nyabenda celebrating a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will be in Pleasantview Cemetery in Orleans.
Should friends desire, contributions in Mrs. Lapierre’s memory may be made to the Orleans Emergency Unit, Orleans, Vermont 05860.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
Arrangements are by Curtis-Britch Converse-Rushford Funeral Homes.