United States High School Yearbooks by County
William Cruse, 89, lived in New Milford
William Cruse, 89, active in civic affairs and a former Danbury councilman, died March 29 at the Candlewood Valley Care Center in New Milford.
A resident of New Milford, Mr. Cruse was the husband of the late Zelma Jacqueline Darden Cruse.
He is survived by a stepson, Allen L. Williams of New Milford; a stepdaughter, Joyce J. Williams of Danbury; four grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Anna Balash, 82, sister of New Milford resident
Anna J. Dietz Balash, 82, a Danbury native, died March 29 at Danbury Hospital.
Mrs. Balash, of 27 Laurel St., Danbury, was the wife of Thomas E. Balash.
Her survivors include two daughters, Thelma A. Green of Newtown and Patricia M. James of Brookfield; three sisters, Thelma Hill of New Milford and Sophie Muehlfeld and Mildred Derbin, both of Danbury; four grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, 40 North St., Danbury, Ct. 06810, or to the American Diabetes Association, 300 Researchh Parkway, Meriden, Ct. 06450
Franklin H. Nichols Jr., 74, residents' father
Franklin H. Nichols Jr. of Guilford, father of Franklin H. Nichols III of Washington and Louise Morse Nichols of New Milford, died March 18 while vacationing with his wife, Joy Hallock Nichols, in Boca Grand, Fla. He was 74.
Besides his wife and two local children, he is survived by two other children; five stepchildren; 21 grandchildren; and a sister.
His first wife, Louise Newell Nichols, the mother of his four children, died in 1969.
Contributions in his memory may be made to Creative Arts Workshop, 80 Audubon St., New Haven, Ct. 06510, or the Camp Kieve Scholarship Fund, Nobleboro, Maine 06455.
James Callahan Sr., 83, local resident's father
James F. Callahan, 83, a retired refrigeration mechanic and serviceman for the Breyers Ice Cream Co., died March 28 in Danbury.
He was the husband of Maria Sadowski Callahan of 226 Ball Pond Road, New Fairfield.
Besides his wife, Mr. Callahan is survived by two sons, James F. Callahan Jr. of New Fairfield and Gregory J. Callahan of Los Angeles; three daughters, Patricia Bowers of New Milford, Joan Lachowicz of Omaha, Neb., and Dorothy Lathrop of Fremont, Neb.; a brother, Frank Callahan of New Port Richie, Fla.; a sister, Grace Bowler of Greenlawn, Long Island, N.Y.; 10 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions in his memory may be made to New Fairfield/Sherman Animal Welfare, P.O. Box 8232, New Fairfield, Ct. 06812.
Elmira Smith, 87, mother of New Milford man
Elmira Smith, 87, of Lake Luzerne, N.Y., mother of Kenneth Webb of New Milford, died March 23 at Glens Falls Hospital, Glens Falls, N.Y.
Besides her local son, she is survived by two daughters; a brother; 17 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her first husband, Frank Webb, in 1930, and her second, Frank Smith, in 1976.
Services were in New York. Arrangements were made by Clark Associates Funeral Home in Katonah, N.Y.
Anne Rae Humeston, 55, was machine operator
Anne Rae Humeston, 55, a retired machine operator in New Milford, died March 25 at New Milford Hospital.
Mrs. Humeston, of Dover Plains, N.Y., was the wife of James R. Humeston.
In addition to her husband and her father, Raymond W. Griffin of Salamanca, N.Y., she is survived by a daughter, Krista A. Humeston of Dover Plains, and a sister, Esther M. Lounsberry of Florida.
Marjorie Williams, 83, lifelong area resident
Marjorie Stuart Williams, 83, formerly of Sarah Sanford Road, Bridgewater, died May 15 at New Milford Nursing Home.
She was the wife of the late James E. Williams Sr.
Born in Sherman, March 16, 1915, she was a daughter of C. Henry and Lucy Woodin Stuart.
Mrs. Williams had lived in Bridgewater since 1953 and was a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Bridgewater and the Women's Auxiliary of the Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Department.
Survivors include her stepmother, Olive Stuart of Bridgewater; three sons, Ronald Williams and James E. Williams Jr., both of New Milford, and Gary Williams of Ocean Isle, N.C.; three brothers, Donald Stuart and William T. Stuart, both of Bridgewater, and Richard Stuart of North Carolina; six sisters, Dorothy Barrett and Lucy Ferriss, both of New Milford, Loretta Larson of Vermont, Olive Williams and Priscilla Orvis, both of Bridgewater, and Nancy Stuart of Naugatuck; four grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the New Milford Visiting Nurse Association, Hospice Home Care, 68 Park Lane Road, New Milford, Ct. 06776.
The Lillis Funeral Home, New Milford, is in charge of the arrangements.
W.F. McCarthy, 71, was retired dentist
Dr. William F. McCarthy, 71, a retired dentist, died May 18 at Danbury Hospital.
Dr. McCarthy, of 2 Dixon Road, Danbury, was the husband of V. Joyce Krimball McCarthy.
He was born in Danbury, Feb. 1, 1927, a son of John P. and Elizabeth Kratz McCarthy. He attended St. Peter School and was a 1945 graduate of Danbury High School.
He attended the University of Miami and the University of Louisville and was a graduate of Danbury Teachers College with a bachelor's degree in education. He later attended Fairfield University where he was awarded a master's degree in education.
A veteran of World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. Greyhound and the U.S.S. Indiana.
Dr. McCarthy began a teaching career and taught for five years in Brewster and New Fairfield.
He decided to pursue a career in dentistry and graduated from Temple University.
He opened his dental practice in the Germantown section of Danbury in 1961. He retired in 1987.
Dr. McCarthy had been a lifelong Danbury resident until moving to Westerly, R.I., where he lived for nine years. He returned to Danbury a year ago.
He was a member of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Church in Brookfield.
Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Kevin J. McCarthy of Gakona, Alaska, and John P. McCarthy of Danbury; two daughters, Maureen M. Wagher and Patricia J. McCarthy, both of Danbury; two sisters, Jane Straiton of Danbury and Marjorie McCarthy of New Milford; eight grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, Ct. 06492, or to the American Diabetes Association, 300 Research Parkway, Meriden, Ct. 06450.
John Hughes, 95, Canterbury School grad
John F. Hughes, 95, a former broker and member of the New York Stock Exchange, died May 16 at Notre Dame Care Center, Norwalk.
Mr. Hughes, of 16 Saw Mill Hill Road, Ridgefield, was the husband of the late Elizabeth Deyer Hughes.
He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., June 19, 1902, a son of John and Mary Cowley Hughes. He was a 1920 graduate of the Canterbury School in New Milford and a 1924 graduate of Yale University.
A Ridgefield resident since 1950, he was a member of St. Mary's Church in Ridgefield. He served as a director of the Ridgefield Library and as an associate director of the Keeler Tavern in Ridgefield.
His survivors include a brother, Paul Hughes of Bronx, N.Y., and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions in his memory may be made to a charity of one's choice.
There are no calling hours. The Kane Funeral Home, Ridgefield, is in charge of the arrangements.
Irene Matulevich, 82, New Milford resident
Irene H. Matulevich, 82, an area resident for most of her life, died May 18 at her home.
Mrs. Matulevich lived at 136 Carmen Hill Road in New Milford. She was the wife of the late John V. Matulevich.
She was born in Bayside, N.Y., Aug. 3, 1915, a daughter of Walter and Jennie Dexter Lazicki. She moved to Danbury as a young girl and had lived in the area since that time.
Mrs. Matulevich was a charter member of the Stony Hill Fire Department Auxiliary of Bethel. She was a member of Our Lady of the Lakes Church in New Milford and was a former member of St. Mary's Church of Bethel.
Her survivors include a son, John "Larry" Matulevich of New Milford; and two sisters, Margaret Zeiser of Tucson, Az., and Reggie Tangredi of Bethel.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Visiting Nurse Association, 68 Park Lane, New Milford, Ct. 06776.
The Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home, Danbury, was in charge of the arrangements.
Irving Conboy, 92, former Kent resident
Irving R. Conboy, 92, a retired printer and former Kent resident, died May 16 at his home on Bulls Bridge Road, Dover, N.Y.
Mr. Conboy was born March 25, 1906, in New York City, a son of William J. and Agnes Durning Conboy.
Before his retirement, he had owned and operated the Conboy Printing Co. in New York for many years.
Mr. Conboy had lived in New York City for many years before moving to Kent in 1968. He moved to Dover in 1986.
He is survived by three sons, Irving H. Conboy of Southfields, N.Y., William J. Conboy of Flemington, N.J., and Jeffrey Conboy of Kent; three daughters, Dolores Turner of New Milford, Charlotte Barnes of Winston-Salem, N.C., and Diane Snook of Arizona; a stepson, Richard Pederson of Amherst, N.Y.; 15 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
The Lillis Funeral Home, New Milford, is in charge of the arrangements.
Myra Decker, 87, mother of Roxbury resident
Myra L. Decker, 87, a retired employee of the Barden Corporation of Danbury, died May 12 at The Kent Home, Kent.
Mrs. Decker was the wife of the late Oliver O. Decker.
She was born in Freeport, N.Y., July 3, 1910. During her youth, she made her home in Danbury for many years. She later lived in Bethel and was a member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church.
Mrs. Decker is survived by a daughter, Nancy Cole of Roxbury; three grandchildren, Tammy Dushulaikis, Scott Cole and David Cole, all of Brookfield; and five great-grandchildren.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 300 Research Parkway, Meriden, Ct. 06450.
