Milestones

Obituaries

• Raymond Forr­est Bell, 74, of Guilford. Died Feb. 13 at his home. Father of Scott Sitka, Gary Sitka, Todd Bell, Raelene Bell, and the late Gregory Sitka. Stepfather of Cecile Ford. Brother of Rus­sell F. Bell, Ronald F. Bell, Randall F. Bell, Reagan F. Bell, Maureen R. Guerrara, and the late Richard F. and Mary T. Bell. Born in Chelmsford, Mass., he gradu­ated from Farm­ington High School in 1956 and en­listed in the Naval Reserve, where he served until 1963. He had a passion for all sports, but he particularly enjoyed baseball and golfing with family and friends. Memorial information: His family is planning a celebration of his life and to honor his selfless­ness and all he has given of himself to others. Donations to Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire, P.O. Box 976, White River Junc­tion, VT 05001-0976.

• Peter Louis Bover, 52, of Vernon. Died Feb. 8 at Pine Heights in Brattleboro, after a long battle with cancer. Father of Ja­cob Bover of Brattleboro. Brother of Joyce Cook of Fiskdale, Mass., Irene Hull of Grayland, Wash., Ann Reed of Brattleboro, Charles Bover of San Diego, Calif., Raymond Bover of Vernon, Douglas Bover of Groton, Mass., and the late Beverly Kaye and Gloria Brooks. The son of the late Harold and Anna (Gembarowski) Bover, he was active in the Brattleboro Outing Club Junior Ski-jumping program and jumped Harris Hill at age 13. At 14, he be­came a member of The Sprites, a pop­ular local pop band. When he was 18, he played bass in Fox Chase, a band with Steve Tallarico, who later became Steven Tyler, lead singer for Aerosmith. He later attended Lyndon State Col­lege and Berklee College of Music in Boston. He had many talents, but it was his musical talents that were most exceptional and versatile. He played flute, drums, and guitar. Following his years at college, he spent six years on the road with Sug­ar Cane, a Latino Vegas-style show band touring North America, as well as Panama and Puerto Rico. He also did recording session work and, in 1981, played the bass tracks on Al­bert Crabtree's “Cold Steel” album. He worked at various jobs, in­cluding driving a taxi in New York City, L.E. Weed & Son Concrete Products and most recently with J&J Discount of Keene, N.H. Whatever job he had, he loved to tell humorous sto­ries about his different experiences. Memorial information: A celebra­tion of his life was held Feb. 22 at the Ea­gles Club in Brattleboro. Donations to his son, Jacob, in care of Ann Reed, 79 Gar­field Drive. Apt. #2, Brattleboro, VT 05301.

• Beatrice Barnes Fisher, 87, of Grafton. Died Feb. 13. Wife of the late Vern Fisher for 36 years. Mother of Barbara Rog­ers of South Londonderry, Deborah Litchfield of West Townshend, Cyn­thia Greulich and her husband, Edward, of Millington, Tenn., Dr. Lynn Fisher of Charlestown, N.H., Maureen Fletcher and hus­band, Scott, of Saxtons River; Sheryl Miller and her husband Jonathan, of Grafton; Cecile Smith and her husband, Jerry, of Grafton; and Warren Fisher and his wife Susan, of Melissa, Texas. Sister of Ralph Barnes of Springfield, and the late Leighton and Joseph Barnes, and Rhoena Longley. The youngest child of the late Harlan and Carrie (Cater) Barnes, she was born in the fami­ly home on Westminster West Road. She re­ceived her edu­cation at the one-room school near her home. She went on to Bellows Falls High School, where she graduated with the Class of 1943. She attend­ed church in Saxtons River and was an active member of the Girl Scout troop there. Growing up on the family farm and helping with the chores helped her with a well­-rounded education in that field. She learned early to drive the horses and oxen. As a young girl, she read the Bible to a blind neighbor several times a week, and therefore learned to love the Lord and to do His will. She was very proud of the fact that, at 14, she joined her family as Grange members in Saxtons River, serving first as Lady Assistant Stew­ard. After she got married, she joined the Grafton Church, and served as Sunday School Super­intendent, Moderator, Clerk and Dea­con, attaining the role of Deacon Emeritus. She also transferred mem­bership to the Grafton Grange and held many different offices there as well as Chaplain of the Vermont State Grange for two terms. She served on the Ed Aid Fund for sever­al years and at the time was Master of Grafton Grange and Chaplain of Mountain Valley Pomona Grange. She also worked for the U.S. Postal Serv­ice, serving in West Brattleboro and Putney. She was known as “Busy Bea,” as she was an active member of the community in so many ways. She was a member­ of the Grafton Parent Teacher Group, as well as a Town Lister, Auditor, and Justice of the Peace. She was a 4-H Leader for many years, and a trustee of 4-H Camp Waubanong. She was a Farm Bureau Member and Windham County Farm Wife of the Year in 1978, and a board member of the Bellows Falls Senior Center, Grafton Cares, and the Vermont Grange Cen­ter. In 1981, she was Vermont Mother of the Year. She was the driving force behind the annual Grafton Memorial Day Parade, the Town Meeting Dinner, and the sugar-on-snow and strawberry dinners over the years. Memorial information: Following cre­mation, there will be a burial at the Houghtonville Cemetery, followed by a celebration of her life on her birth date, July 13, 2013, at the family farm on Fisher Hill that she held so dear for the past 69 years. Donations to the Vermont Grange Center, Grace Cot­tage Hospital, Grafton Cares, and the Grafton Fire Department.

• Gary T. Kurkul, 58, of Westminster. Died Feb. 18 at his home. Father of Eric Kurkul of Pataluna, Calif., and Rachael Ayre of Santa Rosa, Calif. Brother of Walter Kurkul Jr. and his wife, Cathy, of Westminster and the late Lucille Magwire. Born in Bellows Falls, the son of Charlotte (Muzzey) and the late Walter Kurkul, he was a 1972 graduate of Bellows Falls High School and worked for Kurkul Farm, Green Mountain Power, Green Mountain Orchards, and Hubbard Farms. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Feb. 23 at St. Pe­ters Church in North Walpole, N.H., with burial in West­minster Cemetery.

• Elaine Carmen Jaeger, 80, of Brattleboro. Died Feb. 16 at Holton Home. Former wife of Paul Weinstein. Mother of Lynne Jaeger Weinstein and her husband, Billy Straus, of Put­ney, and Paul Weinstein Jr. and his wife, Jessica Milano, of Chevy Chase, Md. Born in Springfield, Mass., the daughter of the late Helen and Leon Jaeger, she was raised in Longmeadow, Mass., with her brother Leon. At the age of 17, she left Longmeadow and moved to New York to follow her dream of enter­ing the world of the arts. She grad­uated from Parsons School of De­sign, and worked as a graphic de­signer for many years until her ear­ly 40s. She then pursued her pas­sion for the fine arts, first making jewelry for several years and then becoming a painter. In New York, she married and raised two loving children.Her family was her greatest joy. A devotee of jazz, with her former husband she founded the Heav­enly Jazz concert series that was held on Sunday afternoons in New York City throughout the 1980s. She moved to Holton Home five years ago. Memorial information: No services announced. Donations to Holton Home, 138 Western Ave., Brattle­boro, VT 05346.

• Madolyn E. Meyer, 80, of Guilford. Died Feb. 18 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. Wife of Herbert Meyer for 55 years. Mother of Jonathan “Jay” Meyer and his wife, Anne, of Putney; Jeffrey Meyer of Palm Coast, Fla.; and the late Frederick Meyer. Sister of the late Harvey and Clayton Cutting, Minerva Cutting, and her twin sister Marolyn Murray. Born on the family farm in Guilford, the daughter of the late Leon and Mabel (Woodard) Cutting. She attended lo­cal schools and was a graduate of Brattleboro High School. A devoted wife, mother and homemaker, she cherished time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren and great­-grandchildren. Madolyn also en­joyed puttering about her home. A communicant of St. Michael's Episcopal Church, she also held membership with the American Le­gion Women's Auxiliary and Order of the Eastern Star. Memorial information: A memorial service will be conducted on Saturday, March 16, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Mi­chael's Episcopal Church in Brat­tleboro. Burial will follow the services in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery. Donations to Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattle­boro, VT 05302.

• Walter Neubert Sr., 79, of Halifax. Died Feb. 10 at his home. Husband of the late Hannelore (Wittkemper) Neubert, who died on Dec. 31, 2012. Father of Walter Neubert Jr. and his wife, Patricia, of North Arlington, N.J. Born in Czechoslova­kia, the son of the late Anton and Josephine (Pescheck) Neubert, he was educated in Cze­choslovakian schools, graduating as a certified electrician. He worked for the U.S. Army in Germany as a pri­vate mechanic, as a cinema film oper­ator, and for the Department of Public Works for the town of Wattschied, Germany. He came to the United States in 1967 and worked as a contractor. In 1996, he retired to Halifax, where he worked for the remainder of his years for the Craft's Inn in Wilmington. He loved sailing, working his land, tending to his chickens, and cut­ting the grass. He enjoyed spending time with his family and was always there to lend a helping hand to his fellow neighbor with his dogs by his side. Memorial information: A celebration of the lives of Walter Neubert, Sr. and Hannelore Neubert will be an­nounced later in the spring. Donations to the Halifax Rescue Squad, in care of Covey, Allen and Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.

• John Newton, 83, of Landgrove. Died Feb. 13 at his home, after a short illness. Husband of Anna Dibble Newton. Father of Michael Newton, and his wife, Suzi, of Georgetown, Maine; Sally Newton and her husband, Michael, of West Townshend; James Newton and his wife, Paula, of Townshend; Peter Newton and his wife, Diane, of Windham; and Amos New­ton and his wife, Ilana, of Jamaica. Stepfather of Katy and Andrew Morse. Brother of Mary Western of Windham, Margaret Newton of Brattleboro, and Michael Newton of Corvallis, Ore. Born in Hart­ford, Conn., he moved to Jamaica in 1937 with his parents, the late David and Mar­garet Newton, who started an independent boys' school, The Newton School, on a farm near Hamilton Falls. He graduated from The Newton School in 1947, received a B.A. from Princeton University in 1957, and a Mas­ters from Harvard in 1958. He taught science at the Chester and Springfield high schools from 1958-1969. He was the principal of Leland & Gray High School in Townshend, Vt., from 1969-1977. In 1978, he started Hamilton Falls Lumber Co., and continued to run the business through December 2012. He designed and built over 200 barns and houses in Southern Ver­mont. His selfless compassion for others was re­markable, and he will be long remembered by the fortunate people whose lives he touched in his gentle, strong, and ele­gant way. Memorial information: There will be a private memorial serv­ice. Donations to the Grace Cottage Foundation, P.O. Box 1, Townshend VT 05353.

• Shirley M. Nokes, 89, of Vernon. Died Feb. 19 at home. Mother of Kenneth Nokes and his wife, Janet, of Vernon; Donald Nukes and his wife, Susan, of Rehoboth, Mass.; Barbara Nokes and hus­band, John Zumbach, of Vernon; Susan Quinn of Bellows Falls; Mary Valiante of Northfield, Mass.; and Rita Wiley and her partner Bill Borchers of Walpole, N.H. Sister of the late Carl Dennis, Muriel Whitney, and Ann Silva. Born in Springfield, Mass., the daughter of the late Ju­lius and Hazel (Garrow) Den­nis. She grew up in Spring­field, and graduated from Bay Path Business School. After she married, she lived in the Indian Orchard/Ludlow, Mass., area with her fam­ily until 1958, when she, her hus­band, and their six children moved to Lake George, N.Y., where they bought and operated a Victorian bed & breakfast. In 1964, she moved her family to Brattleboro, where she joined her brother in a start-up wholesale building supply company and worked there for many years. In 1986, she opened her own business, The Whistle Stop General Store, with her daughters. She was a hard work­ing business woman, but she loved the social aspects of the store and interacting with the community. All were welcome in her home, espe­cially at her famous Sunday dinners. She will be especially re­membered for her kind and loving spirit and her infectious laugh. Her six children were the focus of her life and remained in the area to be near her. She loved to travel with her family and friends and visited many places around the world. She was a member of both St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro and St Patrick's Church in Northfield. In recent years, she was also a member of the Vernon Seniors. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Feb. 22 at St. Patrick's Church in North­field. Donations to the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, 1 Elmwood Ave., Kansas City, KS 66103, or Food for the Poor, 6401 Lyons Rd., Coconut Creek, FL 23073.

• Howard E. Rotchford, 88, of Wilmington. Died Feb. 16 at the home of his daughter, Ste­phanie Arsenault, following a val­iant and courageous battle with cancer. Husband of Elizabeth (Press) Rotchford for nearly 62 years. Father of William and his wife, Tina Rotchford, of Osh­kosh, Wis.; Ste­phanie and her husband Richard Arsenault of Wilmington; and Su­zanne and her husband, John Fullerton,of Moultonborough, N.H. Brother of the late William Rotchford. He was born in Bronx, N.Y., son of the late Matthew and Helen (Freeman) Rotchford. Fol­lowing high school, he en­tered college, af­ter a few months he en­listed in the Army Air Corps. He served during World War II, fulfilling his dream of becoming a pilot. Upon his return from the war, he continued his pilot duties, serving in the Air National Guard patrolling the Northeast border of the U.S. dur­ing the Korean War. He then re-entered college, and graduated from Col­gate. He became a commercial airline pilot work­ing for Northeast Airlines (now Delta), from which he retired. He loved playing baseball and had tried out with the then-New York Giants. He was offered a position but chose to go to college instead. He was a devoted New York Yan­kees fan. He enjoyed the family lake house in Sidney, Maine, spending time there every year since the age of two, missing only the two years he was away in the Army. His passion there was fishing in the lake and spend­ing time with his family. After retir­ing to Florida, he joined the Marco Island Veterans of Foreign Wars. Memorial information: A memorial Mass was held Feb. 22 at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Wilmington. There will be a service this summer in Sidney, Maine, where he will be laid to rest. Donations to either the Dana Farber Cancer Cen­ter in Boston or The AstraZeneca Hope Lodge in Jamaica Plain, Mass., in care of the Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.

• Laurea M. (Stacy) Smead, 84, of Putney. Died Feb. 18 at her home. Wife of the late Hugh H. Smead for nearly 60 years. Mother of Jean M. Brodis and her hus­band, Gary, of Putney; Stephen B. Smead and his wife, Deena, of Ber­lin, Vt.; and Donald W. Smead and his wife, Lorelei, of Putney. Sister of the late William Stacy Jr. Born in Keene, N.H., the daughter of the late William L. Sr. and Ethel P. (Moultrop) Sta­cy, she graduated from Keene High School, Class of 1946. Together, she and her husband owned and operated Smead Craft Shop in Putney for over 30 years. She was also employed at Peerless Casualty Co. in Keene and Putney Nursery, Inc. She loved her family and friends, and entertained thou­sands at her table, both in Putney and Inverness, Fla., where she and her husband spent their winters from 1983 to 2001. She was very active in the community and in the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Following her husband's ill­ness with polio in 1953, she be­came the town chairman for the March of Dimes in Putney. She enjoyed music, going to concerts, was an avid doll collec­tor and loved flowers, especially pink roses. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. at Mountain View Seventh Day Adventist Church in Vernon. Burial will be held at Pleasant View Cemetery in Putney in the spring. Donations may be made to Fellowship Hall of Mountain View Seventh Day Adven­tist Church, 1002 Fort Bridgman Rd., Vernon, VT 05354, in care of Mrs. Wayne Mac-Beth.

• Milagros “Millie” Torres-Oliver, 87, of Brattleboro. Died Feb. 15 at Thompson House. Wife of the late Roberto Holvino for 47 years. Mother of Evangelina Holvino and her husband, James Cumming, of Brattle­boro and Roberto Holvino and his wife Carmen Morales, of Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, daughter of the late Vicente Torres and Estrella Oliver, she and her twin sister Providencia (Provi) were raised by their school teacher mother after their father died when they were three. After she graduated from high school, she studied nursing at the Presby­terian Hospital in El Condado, Puerto Rico, and finished her associate degree at the University of Puerto Rico. She worked as a legal secretary for the rest of her life. After her husband's death in 1994, she moved to Brattleboro in 1997. She loved to paint. She stud­ied at the River Gallery School in Brattleboro and with many mas­ter painters in New England. In Oc­tober 2003, she celebrated her successful “78 Years & Still Paint­ing” retrospective exhibit at Can­dle in the Night Gallery. She served as a volunteer at the Brat­tleboro Memorial Hospital and was a great cook. She lived through love, pain, and creativity, all with impeccable ele­gance, una dama (until the very end). Memorial information: A memorial gathering was held Feb. 23 at the River Gal­lery School. Donations to the River Gallery School, 32 Main St., Suite 201, Brattleboro, VT 05301, or to Brattleboro Area Hospice, 191 Canal St, Brattleboro, VT 05301.

• Scott A. Trevorrow, 44, of Mount Holly, formerly of Bellows Falls. Died Feb. 17 at his home. Father of Sawyer Trevorrow of Bellows Falls. Brother of Charles Trevorrow of Westminster, Carl Trevorrow, Jr. of Bellows Falls, Cindy Riendeau of Rocking­ham, Annette Trevorrow of Bellows Falls, and the late Michael Trevorrow. Born in Bellows Falls, the son of Carl and and the late Marilyn (Lawrence) Trevorrow, he attended schools in Bellows Falls, worked at Sonnax in Rockingham, and also as a carpenter in the Bel­lows Falls and Mount Holly areas. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. Memorial information: A graveside service was held Feb. 26 in Oak Hill Cemetery in Bellows Falls.

• Robert F. Williams, 83, of Bellows Falls. Died Feb. 19 at Springfield Health & Reha­bilitation Center. Husband of the late Jacqueline Johnson. Father of Valerie Legere of Greenfield, Mass., Debbie Grumbley of Keene, N.H., Sally Palmer of Bellows Falls, Cheryl Potter of Concord, N.H., and Dee Wil­liams of Bellows Falls. Born in Walpole, N.H., the son of Frank­lin and Sadie (Weir) Williams. He worked at Jones & Lamson and Whitney Blake. He was also the bell ringer at the United Church. He served in the Navy during World War II. He was an avid sports fan who loved the Red Sox and was very involved in Little League for many years. Memorial information: A graveside service was held Feb. 22 at Oak Hill Cemetery in Bellows Falls.