U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-CurrentRachel K. Walter
Ret. Secretary, 87
Rachel Kile Walter of Divine Corners, a retired Community Service secretary and an Avon representative, died Saturday, November 29, 2003, at the Skilled Nursing Unit of the Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. She was 87 years of age.
The daughter of the late Joseph and Edith Jacobsen, she was born May 12, 1916, in Hurleyville. She was the widow of Albert A. Walter.
Mrs. Walter is survived by two sons, Richard A. Walter of Pine Mountain Club, Calif., and Gene A. Walter of Divine Corners; two grandsons, Kyle and George Walter; a great-granddaughter, Alexis Walter; a step-granddaughter, Lisanne Pahler of California; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call at the Colonial Memorial Funeral Home, 396 Main St., Woodbourne, on Thursday from 2-4 p.m.
Services will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home with the Rev. Robert Pinto officiating.
Cremation will be private.
Memorial contributions may be made to Toys for Tots or to the charity of one's choice.
Roberta L. Goddard
Ret. Tel Operator, 57
Roberta L. Goddard of Loch Sheldrake, a retired telephone operator for the New Jersey Telephone Company, died Sunday, December 28, 2003, at the Seelig Division of the Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. She was 57 years of age.
The daughter of the late Joseph and Ruby Slocum Lanni, she was born June 20, 1946, in Nebraska.
Mrs. Goddard had previously worked as an administrative director for the Allan Moris Co. in Miami, Fla.
She is survived by her husband, Richard F. Goddard of Loch Sheldrake; a daughter, Rose Marie Tredo of Maryland; and a brother, William Slocum of New Jersey.
A memorial service will be private.
Arrangements were made by the Colonial Memorial Funeral Home in Woodbourne.
Florence E. Gehrke
Ret. Math Teacher, 96
Florence E. Gehrke of Torrington, Conn., a former resident of Litchfield, died Monday, December 29, 2003, at the Litchfield Woods Health Care Center in Torrington.
The daughter of the late W. Ray and Rosa Lewis Elmore, she was born February 20. 1907, in South Fallsburg.
A graduate of Albany Teachers College, Mrs. Gehrke taught math for 42 years. She had traveled extensively and had visited every continent.
She is survived by a son, Gerard W. Gehrke of Torrington, Conn.; three brothers, J. Russell Elmore of New Hartford, Conn., James Elmore of Melbourne, Fla., and Walter D. Elmore of High Falls; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held in the spring.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Ronald McDonald House, 745 West Governor Rd., Hershey, Pa. 17033
Effie Mae Soto
Ret. LPN, 86
Effie Mae Soto, a retired licensed practical nurse, a six-year resident of Sullivan County and a former resident of Cornwall-on-Hudson, died Monday, December 29, 2003, at the Sullivan County Adult Care Center in Liberty. She was 86 years of age.
The daughter of the late John and Della Twiggs, she was born July 14, 1917, in Brooklyn. She was the widow of Manuel Soto.
Mrs. Soto had worked for many years as an LPN at the New York Military Academy at Cornwall-on-Hudson and had attended St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church in Cornwall-on-Hudson. She had also been a volunteer for the Cornwall Hospital.
She is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Jacqueline and Fred Conklin Sr. of Middletown and Linda and Roger McDermott of Equinunk, Pa.; five grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and eight nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Dorothy Randazzo.
There will be no visitation.
Private cremation was made at the Cedar Hill Crematory in Middle Hope.
A memorial service will be held at Ramsay's Funeral Home, 275 South Main St., Liberty, on Tuesday at 1 p.m. with the Rev. Ivan Csete of St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church in Forestburgh officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sullivan County Adult Care Family Council, P.O. Box 671, Liberty, N.Y. 12754.
MaryEllen Conklin
Homemaker, 47
MaryEllen Conklin of Ferndale, a homemaker and a 13-year area resident, died Tuesday, December 23, 2003, at the Seelig Division of the Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. She was 47 years of age.
The daughter of Emma M. Gannon Beam and the late Enos F. Beam Sr., she was born April 10, 1956, in Suffern.
She is survived by her mother of Haverstraw; her step-mother, Martha Wells of Phoenix City, Ala.; her husband, Victor Conklin Sr., at home; four sons, Hiram Casiano, Victor Conklin Jr. and Michael P. Casiano, all of Ferndale, and Donald Keese and his fiancée, Erin, of Liberty; a daughter and son-in-law, Rosa and Benjamin Decker III of Accord; two brothers, Enos Beam Jr. of Clearwater, Fla., and Douglas and his wife, Kelly Beam, of Bloomingburg; seven sisters and six brothers-in-law, Ellen (Arrendondo) and Frank Pizarro of Huguenot, Josephine and Brian Arnold of Tampa, Fla., Shelley and Pete Vlastasy of the State of Florida, Helen O'Brian of New York, Mary Jane and Eli Helmuth of Richmond, Ga., Betty Jean and Grady Bobo of Phoenix City, Ala., and Kathleen and Tim Mann of Port Jervis; nine grandchildren; and 29 nieces and nephews.
Cremation was made at the Cedar Hill Crematory in Middle Hope.
A memorial service will be held at the Ramsay's Funeral Home, 275 S. Main St., Liberty, on Friday at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Paul Ruter officiating.
Flora Volz
Homemaker, 81
Flora Volz of Beach Lake, Pa., a homemaker and an area resident since 1969, died Tuesday, December 30, 2003, at the Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pa. She was 81 years of age.
The daughter of the late Parouk and Sirvart Boudakian Sinamian, she was born January 31, 1922, in Detroit, Mich. She was the widow of Alfred Volz who died in 1991.
Mrs. Volz was a member of the Welcome Lake Ladies Aid, the Welcome Lake Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary and the Beach Lake Methodist Church.
She is survived by six children, Ellen Eaton of Bell Harbor, Janet Langel and her husband, Dieter, and Alan Volz, all of Beach Lake, Pa., Dorothy Ciezkowski of Chatham, Va., Kenneth Volz and his wife, Angie of State College, Pa., and Gloria Garrity of Blairstown, N.J.; two sisters, Mary Stahlman of Tunkhannock, Pa., and Kathleen Payne of California; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call at the Rasmussen Sons Funeral Home in Narrowsburg on Friday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.
Services will be held at the funeral home on Saturday at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Gordon Weightman officiating.
Cremation will be made at the Twin Tiers Crematory in Endicott.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Welcome Lake Fire Department, Beach Lake, Pa. 18405 or to the Tusten Ambulance Corps, Narrowsburg, N.Y. 12764.
Charles Sommer, 94
Charles H. Sommer of Newburgh died Monday, December 29, 2003, at the Cornwall Hospital. He was 94 years of age.
The son of the late Charles and Martha Hoffmann Sommer, he was born July 30, 1909, in Brooklyn. He was the widower of Edna Crawford Sommer.
Mr. Sommer was a member of Grace United Methodist Church of Newburgh, Hudson River Lodge #309, F.&A.M., and for many years served on the school board of the Gardiner Town School.
He is survived by two grandchildren and their spouses, Dana and Brad Wilson of Tacoma, Wash., and Kurt and Kim Engness of Newburgh; two great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews, including his special niece, Arlene Brown of Grahamsville; and his dear friends, Jim and Joan Terry of Newburgh. He was predeceased by a daughter Phyllis Engness; two brothers, Arthur and Otto Sommer, and three sisters, Emelya, Martha and Dorothy.
Friends may call at the Doulin Newburgh Funeral Home, 318 N. Montgomery St., Newburgh, on Friday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home.
Burial will be made in the Cedar Hill Cemetery, Route 9W North, Newburgh.
Alan Kenneth Drake
Ret. Teacher, 63
Alan Kenneth Drake entered into eternal life on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 surrounded by his family.
The son of the late Kenneth and Vincenza Drake, he was born March 18, 1943 in Middletown.
He grew up in Jeffersonville where he was chosen Scholar/Athlete of his high school graduating class. After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Math at SUNY at Albany, Mr. Drake taught Math at Shaker High for 32 years, retiring in 1998.
He also taught math at the evening division of Sage College of Albany, and was chairman of the board at School Systems Federal Credit Union for almost 20 years.
Alan was a long time member of the “Buddah” campers, attending the Annual Black Fly Festival in Sharp Bridge every June. He also enjoyed orienteering, boating, golfing, camping, cross-country skiing and listening to Mozart and Barry Manilow tapes.
Upon his retirement, he and his wife Judy traveled extensively, frequented area restaurants and were active members of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Clifton Park.
He is survived by his wife, Judith Voigt Drake; his son, Todd Drake and wife, Cynthia of Latham; daughters, Susan Olszewski and husband, Peter of Rock City Falls, Karen Wolsey of Ballston Spa; grandchildren, Garrett, Logan and Cailen Drake, Danielle and Jennifer Gardner, Noelle Olszewski, Skyler and Jesse Wolsey; a brother, Kenneth Drake of San Antonio, Texas and a sister, Diane Drake of Troy.
A Service of Burial was held Saturday, September 30 at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Clifton Park.
The cremains will be placed in the Chapel of the Angels Columbarlum at St. George’s.
Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to St. George’s Episcopal Church, Parkinson’s Research or to Hospice. Farewell, gentle teacher/athlete.
Katheryn Werner
Student, 16
Katheryn Schalamon Werner, a three year resident of the area, passed away suddenly on Monday, October 2, 2006 as a result of a motor vehicle accident. She was 16.
The beloved daughter of Kenneth and Lorraine Schalamon Werner, she was born December 1, 1989 in Morristown, N.J.
Katheryn had many interests and talents, and was a home-schooled straight “A” student. She enjoyed taking photographs, playing the guitar and piano, singing, karate, and volunteering and doing community service. She was a joy and inspiration to all who knew her.
Katheryn leaves behind her parents at home; her maternal grandparents, Barbara and Wesley Schalamon of Colorado; her godmother, Bernadette Simmons of New York City; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Memorial services were held Thursday at Colonial Memorial Funeral Home, Woodbourne.
Cremation will be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Prasad Project, 465 Brickman Road, Hurleyville, New York 12747 or at www.prasad.org. (Please include Katheryn’s name in the memo of the check.)
