United States High School Yearbooks by County
Florence Ackerman, 99, aunt of Roxbury man
Florence L. Ackerman, 99, of Simeon Drive, Bethel, died May 30 at Bethel Health Care Center. She was the widow of Kenneth Murphy and Edward Ackerman.
Mrs. Ackerman was born Aug. 28, 1902, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Gardner.
She grew up in the Bethel area. She and her first husband, Kenneth Murphy, owned and operated the Bethel Auto Driving School for over 20 years.
Upon her retirement and the death of her husband, she became a housemother at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury until 1972, when she married Edward Ackerman.
Mrs. Ackerman was a parishioner of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bethel.
She is survived by a daughter, Nancy Tierney and her husband Donald of Danbury; a son-in-law, Robert Ford III of South Hampton, Pa.; a grandson, Jeffrey Tierney and his wife Susan of Danbury; two granddaughters, Betsy Isaacs and her husband Glenn of Greensburg, Pa., and Susan Zanzow and her husband John of Radnor, Pa.; two great-grandchildren, David and Tricia Tierney; and a nephew, Robert Barrett and his wife Lois of Roxbury. She was predeceased by a brother, Bob Gardner, a sister, Edna Barrett, and a daughter, Betty Ford.
Funeral services and burial will take place at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Bethel Health Care Recreation Department, c/o Bethel Health Care, 13 Parklawn Drive, Bethel, CT 06801, or to St. Thomas Church, 95 Greenwood Ave., Bethel, CT 06801.
Alice K. Turro, 74, former New Milford resident
Alice K. Turro, 74, of Rutland, Vt., died June 5 after an extended illness. She was the widow of Leonard Turro.
Mrs. Turro was born March 15, 1928, in Waterbury, daughter of the late John and Theresa (Burns) Kenny.
She was a graduate of Wilby High School in Waterbury, Class of 1946.
Mrs. Turro and her husband owned and operated a home improvement business for many years. She lived in New Milford from 1959 to 1970, then relocated to Killington, Vt. She was most recently employed as group sales manager at the Northstar Lodge in Killington.
Mrs. Turro is survived by three sons, Ronald and his wife Maureen of Rutland, David and his wife Ellen of Rutland, and Brian and his wife Robin of Bomoseen, Vt.; and three grandchildren, Alison, David Jr. and Jacqueline. She was predeceased by a son, Leonard Jr.
A funeral mass will be held tomorrow (Saturday) at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Rutland.
Friends may call at the Lillis Funeral Home, 58 Bridge St., New Milford, Monday from 11 a.m. to noon. Burial will follow at St. Francis Cemetery in New Milford.
Contributions in her memory may be made to ALS Research Fund, Department of Neurology, Room C219, UVM, Burlington, VT 05401; or to Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association Hospice, P.O. Box 787, Rutland, VT 05702.
Elizabeth Ullman, 90, was active in Washington
Elizabeth (McOmber) Ullman, 90, of Washington died May 30 at New Milford Hospital. She was the widow of Urban (Chester) Ullman.
Mrs. Ullman was born June 14, 1911, in Ann Arbor, Mich., daughter of the late Fred and Jesse (Neergaard) McOmber.
She graduated from University High School, attended Pine Manor College and graduated from the University of Michigan.
She had a lifelong passion for poetry, writing and music. She sang with the Choral Union at Michigan and with choirs in Maine and Washington. She was a member of bell choirs.
Mrs. Ullman was an ardent supporter of the environment and wildlife preservation. She was instrumental in establishing both the town’s recycling program and its entry into the regional hazardous waste disposal program. She assisted in organizing the town’s first Earth Day celebration.
She was a Meals on Wheels volunteer into her 80s, and she participated in reading programs for children at Washington Primary School.
She was an assistant librarian at The Gunnery, where her husband was a teacher, in her early years in Washington, and she took part in several theater productions there.
Mrs. Ullman was a past member of the League of Women Voters and the Housatonic Valley Association, a contributing member of the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club, and a supporter of public television and radio.
She is survived by two sons, Urban Jr. of New York City and Charles of Washington; and two grandchildren.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Washington Ambulance Association, Washington Volunteer Fire Department, Washington, CT 06794; or to New Milford Visiting Nurses Association, 68 Park Lane Road, New Milford, CT 06776; or to the Steep Rock Association, 2 Bryan Plaza, Washington, CT 06794.
Mae Reynolds, 90, was a New Milford resident
Mae (Kane) Reynolds, 90, of 206 Chestnut Grove, New Milford, died May 26 from injuries sustained in a car accident. She was the widow of Ralph W. Reynolds.
Mrs. Reynolds was born May 2, 1912, in Danbury, daughter of the late Thomas and Mary (Doyle) Kane.
She was a graduate of Danbury High School, Class of 1930, and had a career in real estate in Brookfield.
She had been active in St. Joseph’s Church, Brookfield, and St. Jude’s Church, Boca Raton, Fla., and was a member of St. Francis Xavier Church, New Milford. She was a former member of Ridgewood Country Club in Danbury.
Mrs. Reynolds is survived by two daughters, Linda Maxwell of Brookfield and Rosemary Fink of Tucson, Ariz.; six grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
The Lillis Funeral of New Milford was in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the State of Connecticut Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 198 West St., Rocky Hill, CT 06067, or to St. Francis Xavier Church, 1 Elm St., New Milford, CT 06776.
Paulene Kelley, 52, was a New Milford resident
Paulene Kelley, 52, of New Milford died May 31, joining her husband, Jack Kelley, on their 35th anniversary.
Mrs. Kelley was born July 27, 1949, in Sharon. She married and moved to New Milford in 1969. After raising three daughters, she went on to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse in 1991.
She is survived by her daughters, Tina Kelley-Schmidheini and her husband Ralph of New York, Jacqueline Kelley, and Benjalena Ashley and her husband Kenneth, all of New Milford; several siblings; her grandchildren, Marissa “Marie” Wandall of New Milford, Mattie and Jack Schmidheini of New York and a grandchild on the way whose arrival she anxiously anticipated. Family members said she will be lovingly remembered by her friends at her summer residence in Austerlitz, N.Y., as well as by her best buddy, Frannie Dufore.
Funeral services are private, and there are no calling hours. Burial will at the convenience of the family.
William Weber, 84, was a New Milford resident
William H. Weber, 84, of 9 Fieldstone Lane, New Milford, died June 2 at New Milford Hospital. He was the widower of May (Edgerly) Weber.
Mr. Weber was born Dec. 2, 1917, in South Bronx, N.Y., son of the late Henry W. and Louise (Tillman) Weber.
He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the U.S. Army Air Corps on B29s on Saipan.
He was a textile technician with Standard Products in New Rochelle, N.Y., retiring in 1982. He was also a single-engine fixed wing private pilot from 1937 to 1980. He moved from Long Island to New Milford in 1985.
Mr. Weber is survived by two sons, Stephen of New Milford and Frederick of Terre Haute, Ind.; two daughters, Lorraine Cassidy of Lexington, Ky., and Faith Weber-Delappe of Alameda, Calif.; and seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by two brothers and three sisters.
The Lillis Funeral Home of New Milford handled arrangements.
Madeline Lyons, 77, was active in the Washington community
Madeline (Cherniske) Strattman Lyons, 77, of 97 Blackville Road, Washington Depot died June 10 at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Torrington. She was the wife of Ralph H. Lyons.
Mrs. Lyons was born Aug. 14, 1924, in New Milford, daughter of the late John W. and Sara J. (Reddington) Cherniske.
She was a graduate of New Milford High School, Class of 1942. She was the first housemother at Devereux-Glenholme School in Washington and a former bus driver for the Washington school system.
She was a secretary of the Warren-Washington VNA and a member of the New Milford VFW Auxiliary, the Auxiliary of the Washington Volunteer Fire Department and the Litchfield County Sheriff Association. She was also a former member of the Washington Board of Selectmen and former registrar of voters in Washington.
Besides her husband, Mrs. Lyons is survived by five daughters, Harriet Berry of North Carolina, Linda McGarr and Sandra Forese of Washington, Judy Fairfield of Texas, and Susan Martin of Warren; 12 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son, John Strattman.
Private burial will take place at the convenience of the family.
The Lillis Funeral Home of New Milford handled arrangements.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Washington Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 294, Washington Depot, CT 06794; or to the VFW Post 1672, 11 Avery Road, New Milford, CT 06776.
Viola Gyle, 87, grandmother of New Milford woman
Viola May (Richards) Gyle, 87, of New Fairfield died June 5 at Danbury Hospital after a brief illness.
Mrs. Gyle was born Feb. 7, 1915, in Plymouth, Pa. She resided in New Jersey before moving to New Fairfield in 1982.
She was the Worthy Matron of Acacia Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star in Jersey City, N.J., and attended the United Methodist Church of New Fairfield.
Mrs. Gyle is survived by a son, Robert III and his wife Norma of New Fairfield; three grandchildren, Laura Smith and her husband Thomas of Ledyard, Tracy Poeti and her husband Timothy of New Milford and Robert IV of Brookfield; five great-grandsons, Stephen and Michael Smith, and Ryan, Tyler and Kyle Poeti.
A memorial service will be held today (Friday) at 2 p.m. at the New Fairfield United Methodist Church, 1 Beaver Bog Road, New Fairfield.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Connecticut Lions Charities, Inc., P.O. Box G, New Fairfield, CT 06812.
Helen Minck, 91, taught school in Warren
Helen (Durkin) Minck, 91, of Old Boston Post Road, Roxbury, formerly of Litchfield, died June 10 at the Lutheran Home in Southbury. She was the widow of William A. Minck.
Mrs. Minck was born Jan. 20, 1911, in Danbury, daughter of the late James and Mary Ann (Tuffy) Durkin.
She attended parochial school in Danbury and was a graduate of the Normal School in Danbury and then entered a career in teaching.
She first taught in Warren at a one-room rural school, which included grades one through eight. She also taught in New Fairfield and Brookfield, and after her husband died, she returned to Litchfield to teach at the Center School until her retirement in 1975.
Mrs. Minck served in various volunteer capacities over the years with the American Red Cross in Danbury, the Boy Scouts of America in Brookfield and the PTA of Brookfield. She was a communicant of St. Joseph’s Church in Brookfield and later St. Anthony of Padua in Litchfield and Our Lady of Grace Church in Bantam.
She was a member of the Milton Women’s Club and taught summer poetry class to children at Oliver Wolcott Library in Litchfield. She retired to Daytona Beach, Fla., for 20 years before returning home to Connecticut to be with her family when her health declined.
She is survived by two sons, Fred of Litchfield and Paul of Stephenville, Texas; a daughter, Sharon Elwell of Roxbury; and three grandchildren. She was predeceased by three sisters and two brothers.
A graveside service will be held today (Friday) at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony Cemetery in Litchfield. There are no calling hours. The Rowe Funeral Home of Litchfield is in charge of arrangements.
James Bellagamba, 79, father of New Milford man
James V. Bellagamba, 79, of 75 St. George Place, Walnut Tree Village, Sandy Hook, formerly of Ridgefield, died June 7 at his home. He was the husband of Helen (Grommes) Bellagamba.
Mr. Bellagamba was born Nov. 16, 1922, in Ridgefield, a son of the late Joseph and Ida (Bottachari) Bellagamba. He attended Ridgefield schools and was a Ridgefield resident until moving to Sandy Hook 15 months ago. He was a World War II U.S. Naval veteran.
He was a flooring specialist by trade and was a partner in the former B&B Floor Covering and later established and operated Bellagamba Floor Covering.
Mr. Bellagamba was an avid golfer, gardener and furniture refinisher. He was a member of Dhly Ridge Men’s Golf Club and of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, both of Ridgefield.
Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Robin of Bethel; two sons, Peter and his wife Carrie of New Milford and Jeff and his wife Laurie of Ridgefield; a brother, Silvio of New Fairfield; a sister, Mary Krompinger of Bethel; five grandchildren, Dena, Anthony James, Michael, Matthew and Kevin; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, Evo.
The Kane Funeral Home of Ridgefield handled arrangements.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Visiting Nurse Association, 800 Main St., Southbury, CT 06488; or to Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, 405 Main St., Danbury, CT 06810.
