Mrs. Victoria Iris Bradt, 76, of Trackside Homes, Robin Circle, Johnstown, died Wednesday, Oct. 31, at home after being stricken. She was born on Oct. 10, 1925 in Ilford, England, the daughter of Albert Victor and May Nellie Spencer Harper. Mr. Bradt was a member of the veterans group at the Senior Citizen Service Center of Gloversville and Fulton County. She served with the British Army during World War II. Mrs. Bradt was employed as a waitress at several local restaurants including the former Johnstown Hotel, Union Hall, Holiday Inn, retiring from the White Holland House in 1989. Survivors include one son, David Bradt of Gloversville; three daughters, Denise Kennedy and Robin Bradt, both of Saratoga Springs and Dorothy Dettenrieder of Rockwood; two sisters, Carol Chapman of England and Vera Coulson of Ft. St. John, B.C., Canada; one niece, Vickie Steinmetz of Florida; six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; several other nieces, nephews and cousins. She was an English war bride, marrying Robert E. Bradt on July 12, 1946 and he died on Aug. 7, 1996. Calling hours will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at A.G. Cole Funeral Home Inc., 215 E. Main St., Johnstown, where funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Rev. Dorothy Okray will officiate. Burial will take place at Evergreen Cemetery, Fonda. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Fulton County Disabled American Veterans, or to the Johnstown Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

James A. Simon
November 1, 2001

James A. Simon, 75, of Houston, died Oct. 30. He was born in Gloversville, N.Y. He had been a resident of Houston for 50 years. A graduate of Juilliard School of Music in New York City, he came to Houston in 1951 to take the position of principal percussionist of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, a position he held until his retirement in 1985. He was hired by then conductor Efrem Kurtz. He went on to perform under many of the Symphony's greatest conductors, which included Leopold Stokowski, Sir John Barbirolli and Andre Previn, as well as with many of the world's finest musicians. Throughout much of his career with the Houston Symphony, he also led the city's most accomplished dance band, the Jimmy Simon Orchestra. He served his country in World War II as a member of the Navy. A graduate of Navy School of Music in Washington, D.C., he served in the Pacific Theater and was stationed on the island of Saipan. He spent much of his retirement at his summer home on Caroga Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. He is survived by his daughters, Kathleen Holmes and husband, Clayton; Lydia Feazell and husband, Thomas; Patricia Richardson and husband, Jassen, and his son, Christopher J. Simon and wife, Judy, all of Houston, as well as six grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Robert E. Simon of Rockville, Md., and his sister, Barbara A. Sarvis of Gaithersburg, Md. He is preceded in death by his wife, Nancy Heaton Simon. Pallbearers: Clayton Holmes, Thomas Feazell, Jassen Richardson, Joshua Feazell, Reece Anderson, Joseph Birkofer, Peter Slover. Honorary pallbearers: Robert E. Simon, Ernest Abdella, Paul Schmitt, Ned Battista, Milton Meinen, Jack Holmes. The family will be present to receive friends for visitation from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, at J.B. Earthman-Tanglewood Funeral Directors, 5740 San Felipe at Bering Drive. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 2, in the chapel of the funeral home. Interment to follow at Memorial Oaks Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Houston Hospice, 8811 Gaylord, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77024, or Mountain Valley Hospice, 73 N. Main St., Gloversville, NY 12078.

Josephine LaRonca
November 2, 2001

Josephine LaRonca, 91, of Clifton Park, died Oct. 30 at Samaritan Hospital after a short illness. She was born on Feb. 25, 1910, in Schenectady. She resided in Clifton Park for the past five years, having previously lived in Gloversville. She worked for St. Thomas Co. in Gloversville as a bookkeeper and for Reale's in Schenectady. She retired in 1971. Survivors include one son, John LaRonca of Clifton Park and three grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Frank H. LaRonca. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Catricala Funeral Home, 1597 Route 9, Clifton Park. Burial will take place at St. Anthony's Cemetery, Glenville. The family requests no flowers. Memorial contributions may be made to Samaritan Hospital Geriatrics Psychiatry Department.

Anita Wadsworth
November 2, 2001

Mrs. Anita E. Wadsworth, 100, formerly of Fourth Avenue, Gloversville, died Thursday at Fulton County Residential Health Care Facility, where she resided since 1995. She was born on Sept. 30, 1901 in Mayfield, the daughter of Rufus and Katherine Mead Cleveland. She was educated in the old Mayfield one-room schoolhouse. She was a glove worker. She at one time worked at Meyers Glove Co., Gloversville and the former Bachmo-Postman Glove Co. and retired in 1940. Survivors include one sister, Edith Kramnich of Gloversville; two granddaughters; one great-granddaughter; two nephews and four nieces. She was married on July 5, 1933 to James Wadsworth, who died in 1981. She was also predeceased by a daughter, Lois Fox; three sisters, Eva Kuehner, Dorothy Weaver and Freida Cleveland; and two brothers, Gordon and Richard Cleveland. Calling hours will be 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Kobuskie-Konik Funeral Home, 147 Bleecker St., Gloversville, where funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday. The Rev. R.W. Williams will officiate. Burial will take place at King Cemetery, Northampton.

Richard Wessels
November 2, 2001

Richard Wessels, 58, of Old State Road, Johnstown, died Thursday at Nathan Littauer Hospital after a short illness. He was born on Feb. 2, 1943 in Gloversville, the son of Alvin and Betty Swedberg Wessels. He attended area schools. He worked at UNI Distribution Corp. of Gloversville until the time of his illness. He was a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, Johnstown congregation. He is survived by one brother, Robert Sponenberg of Leominster, Mass.; and one sister, Ann Ackley of Johnstown. There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Kingdom Hall, 2802 Route 29, Johnstown. Burial will be private. Arrangements are by Barter & Donnan Funeral Home, Johnstown.

Mary Ellen Boel
November 3, 2001 Mary Ellen (Bent) Boel, formerly of the Gloversville area, died Wednesday after a brief illness at Memorial Hospital. She was the widow of the late Lawrence Boel; beloved mother of Shirley A. Bicknell of Beverly, Mass., Beverly Warner of Syracuse, Margaret Rudes of Gloversville, James Bent of Fultonville and Charles Bent of Gloversville; sister of Ruth Case of Scotia, Charles E. Heckman Jr. of Hobe Sound, Fla., Asbury Heckman of Delanson, Willis Heckman of Lucerine Mines, Pa. and Paul Heckman of McIntyre, Pa.; stepdaughter of Joseph Wojton of Cobleskill. She was also survived by 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Relatives and friends are invited to attend funeral services at 10 a.m. today at Family of God Nazarene Community Church, 361 Krumkil Road, Albany. Interment will take place in Memory Gardens Cemetery, Colonie. Arrangements are by Rockefeller Funeral Home.