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Merna H. Lester
Lived In Area
ORANGE - Merna H. (Baldwin) Guido Lester, 74, of 269W Hannah Marie Dr., Atoka, Tenn., formerly of Orange, died Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at the Tipton Baptist Memorial Hospital in Covington, TN.
She was born in Petersham, on Jan. 12, 1930, a daughter of Charles and Flora (DeCamp) Baldwin. She attended schools in Petersham, moved to Athol, later returned to Petersham, then moved to Tennessee in 2000.
She had worked for the N. D. Cass Company in Athol for several years. She enjoyed sewing, bird watching, puzzles and reading. She was a member of New Hope Baptist Church in Millington, TN.
She leaves a daughter; Rosanna Carter and a granddaughter, Samara Carter, all of Atoka; two brothers, Bernie Baldwin of Barre, and Richard Baldwin of Massachusetts. A son, Edward Guido, died in 2001.
Private graveside services will be held at the West Street Cemetery in Petersham at the convenience of the family.
The Higgins - O’Connor Funeral Home of Athol is directing arrangements.
Constance Ann Peters
FLORIDA - Constance Ann “Connie” Peters, of Lehigh Acres, FL, passed away on Friday, May 14, 2004, at the Southwest Regional Medical Center in Fort Myers, FL.
She is survived by her loving husband, Robert, Sr.; two sons, Robert, Jr., (Susan), and Timothy H., Sr., (Connie). Two sons preceded her in death, Peter and Scott. She is also survived by two brothers and two sisters, Bernard Barns Jr., of Petersham, MA; Sanford A. Barns of Crystal River, FL; Janet Parnes of Barre, MA; and Barbara Donahue of Rensselaer, NY; 11 grandchildren, 12 great - grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
A memorial service will be conducted on Tuesday, May 25 at 7 p.m. at the Anderson Funeral Home of Lehigh Acres. Friends may call from 6 until 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Interment will be at a later date in Petersham, MA.
The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either the American Cancer Society or Hope Hospice Foundation in her name.
Arrangements are by the Anderson Funeral Home of Lehigh Acres, 2701 Lee Blvd, Lehigh Acres, FL.
Allen P. Stewart
Boat Pilot, Builder
ORANGE - Allen Perkins Stewart, 77, died Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at Athol Memorial Hospital. He lived on the Forster Farm on Chestnut Hill in Orange since 1981.
Allen was born in Quincy, on June 29, 1926, the son and oldest child of Viola Louise Allen Stewart and Albert Stewart. He attended the Farm and Trade School on Thompson's Island from 1940 - 1942. He graduated from Fitchburg State Teachers College in 1951 with a Bachelor's Degree in teaching. He received his Masters Degree from the University of Bridgeport in 1962.
Allen served as a Staff Sergeant in the 26th Infantry, 1st Division of the United States Army from November of 1944 until his Honorable discharge in August, 1946.
He married Suzanne Alberta Forster, whom he met in college at a Valentine's Day dance. They married Feb. 24, 1951. Their oldest daughter, Bonnie Louise Stewart was born in Dalton, MA and Cynthia Sue Stewart, Darlene Stewart and Robert Douglas Stewart, were born in Trumbull, CT.
Allen taught at the Dalton High School from 1951 until 1953, at Middlebrook School in Trumbull, CT from 1953 - 1959, and Trumbull High School from 1959 - 1960. He was an Industrial Arts teacher at Dalton Junior High School from 1960 until 1966 and the drafting teacher at Wahconah Regional High School in Dalton from 1966 until his retirement in 1981.
Allen worked at the Sandy Island YMCA Family Camp on Lake Winnapesaukee, NH as a boat pilot from 1949 to 1954. He returned to Sandy Island in 1970 as the builder for the camp and worked there each summer until 2002. He and his wife, Suzanne, commuted to Sandy Island from their summer home on Little Two Mile Island on Lake Winnapesaukee. It was at Sandy Island that Alan met Lewis Derby and brought him into our family. Alan enjoyed early morning fishing on the lake as well as constantly improving the family camp on Little Two Mile Island.
Allen and Suzanne moved to the Forster Farm in Orange in 1981 to live with Suzanne's parents, Clifford and Katherine Forster, and Suzanne's sister, Dorothy Forster. Alan and Suzanne enjoyed entertaining and were part of creating a strong neighborhood. Bruce and Rachel Scherer were brought into the family during this time. Lorraine McNulty also joined their extended family with Alan acting as father of the bride when she married Thomas McNulty.
He leaves his wife of 53 years, Suzanne Forster Stewart; his daughters, Bonnie L. Stewart and Darlene Stewart, another daughter, Cynthia Stewart Szafir and her husband Stanley Szafir, and his granddaughter, Jennifer Szafir; his son, Robert Stewart and his wife, Vicki Howard Stewart, and their children, Taryn Stewart, Krysten Stewart, and Bryan Stewart. He is also survived by three sisters, Lois Bogue, Judy Cooper, and Carol Kelley and her husband Bert Kelley, along with their children. Alan also leaves his sister in law, Dorothy E. Forster, his mother in law, Katherine Forster, and his brother in law, Clifford J. Forster Jr. along with his wife Dorothy Wigglesworth Forster and their children. Alan leaves his special friends Lewis and Laurie Derby and their children, Bruce and Rachel Scherer and their children, and Lorraine and Thomas McNulty and their children.
Memorial services will be held at the North New Salem Congregational Church and Sandy Island YMCA Family Camp at dates and times to be announced.
Interment will be at the Forster Farm following cremation.
In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to the Sandy Island Improvement Fund, YMCA Boston, attention George Pacheco, 316 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115.
Witty's Funeral Home, Orange, is directing the arrangements.
Lisa D. Leblanc, 30, of 39 Ash St., formerly of Gardner, died Tuesday evening, May 18, 2004 in Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston after a period of failing health.
Lisa was the recipient of a heart transplant in 1993 and was blessed with a vibrant, healthy life until this past January.
She was born in Gardner High School in 1992 and was a House Coordinator at Crystal House in Gardner.
She was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Gardner. She enjoyed country line dancing, creating scrap books, movies, concerts, shopping, visiting the beach and ocean and trips to Walt Disney World. She will be fondly remembered as an enthusiastic Yankees Fan.
She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her beloved parents, Sylvio H. Leblanc and his wife Marie (Lore) Leblanc of Winchendon; two step - brothers Richard Washer of Winchendon and Robert Washer of Gardner; aunts and uncles, including Thomas Padula of Phillipston, Deborah Padula of Phillipston and Pamela Ablaza of East Templeton; two nieces, Cassidy Gardner and Amanda Washer of Leominster; one nephew Richard Washer, Jr. of Winchendon and one more niece or nephew on the way.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral service in the Lamoureux - Fletcher Community Funeral Home, 105 Central St., Gardner, on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Burial will follow in Silver Lake Cemetery, Athol.
Calling hours at the funeral home are from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday. The family suggests that contributions in her memory be made to the Children's Hospital Trust, 138 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446.
For directions to the funeral home or to sign the online guest register, visit www.fletcherfuneral.com.
Earl Drew
General Contractor, 83, Dies
ORANGE - Earl R. Drew Sr., 83, of 61 Tully Road, Tully, a well known general contractor, died on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at the Quabbin Valley Healthcare, Athol, following an illness.
Born in Troy, Massachusetts at a young age. He was educated in the former Tully School in Tully Center, which was a one room school house with eight grades.
He married Phyllis A. Moody on April 23, 1942.
A veteran of World War II, he was enlisted on Dec. 23, 1942 into the United States Army and served in the Rhineland, Ardennes, Northern France, Normandy, and Central Europe with Company C 555th Signal (AW) Battalion and obtained the rank of Technician Fourth Grade. He was Honorably discharged on Nov. 20, 1945.
Following his military service, he started a poultry farm before becoming a self employed general contractor, operating Earl R. Drew & Son for many years until retiring in 1992. During his career, he did excavating, site work, paving, and had an extensive trucking business hauling sand, gravel, and petroleum products as well has developing housing in the area. He enjoyed running his business and could be found out working with his crew.
Earl was also very active in community relations and had been a member of the Council on Aging, member of the Athol - Orange Elks Lodge 1897, American Legion Post 172 in Orange, the Mount Grace Chapter of AARP, member of the Community Church of North Orange & Tully, having served on the church's board of directors, and was also a member of the Orange Historical Society.
Very active with the Orange senior citizens, he held many offices through his years of membership as well as working with his wife planning senior trips.
He had been a member of the Tully Fire Department for many years, belonged to the Tully Muster Team, and was currently serving on the Tully Fire Station Building Committee to get a new station built for the Tully and North Orange area.
A past member of the Athol - Orange Industrial Development District, he was also a chairman and member of the Orange Board of Appeals, the Orange Finance Committee, past member of the Memorial Hall Committee, Chairman and member of the Orange Armory Commission, past member of the Athol - Orange Solid Waste District, past member of the Orange Search Committees for the Highway Superintendant, Building Inspector, Town Administrator, and the Transfer Station Superintendant.
He also had served on the committee to Save Gale Brooks School as well as helping with the Save Our Hospital campaign to keep Athol Memorial Hospital operating.
Earl enjoyed his life and especially being with his family. A hard working man, he also made time to travel and at one time he and Phyllis traveled across the country in their motorhome. He also had been collecting music boxes for years before a fire recently destroyed his home and collection.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Phyllis A. (Moody) Drew; sons, Earl R. Drew Jr. Of Hoffman, NC, Diane Cote of Mr. Airy, NC, Sheila Hall of Hudson, NH; three sons, Allan Blanchard of Box Elder, SD, Roger Blanchard of Shrewsbury, Kevin Blanchard of Athol; 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren; and two sisters, Linda Brunelle of Athol, and Margaret Connolly of Ridgewood, N.J.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, May 22, at 11 a.m. at the Fiske Funeral Home, 1356 Main St., Athol.
Burial will be private.
Calling hours will be held Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
There will be a Memorial Mass at the Our Lady Immaculate Church on Monday, May 24, at 8 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made in his memory to a charity of one's choice.
