Author: Canaan Town Library

Adrian Lionel “Boots” Jette

from the January 22, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Lebanon, NH–Adrian L. “Boots” Jette, 80, died Saturday morning, January 18, 1997, at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. He was born in Lebanon, NH April 5, 1916, the son of Napoleon A. and Albina (LaLiberte) Jette. He graduated from Sacred Heart School and attended Lebanon High School where he was proud to have been on the Class of 1934 undefeated season football team. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and had a great interest in football. Mr. Jette was a 23 year volunteer fireman on the Lebanon Fire Department; was a life member of the NH State Fireman’s Association; and was a past president of the Lebanon Fireman’s Association. He was also a life member of the Hartford, VT Lodge of Elks. He had been employed as a spinner in the Lebanon Woolen MIlls, and later became Supervisor of the Buildings and Ground Dept. of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH; retiring April 1, 1979. He was married to Regis (Heath) on Sept. 5, 1938.

Friends called at the Ricker Funeral Home, 56 School Street in Lebanon, and a Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Tuesday, January 21, at 10:00 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church of Lebanon. Burial followed in the Valley Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requested memorial contributions be made to the Upper Valley Senior Center, 10 Campbell St., Lebanon, NH 03766.

Survivors include: Wife Regis H. (Heath) Jette, Lebanon; Sons: Earl R. Jette, Lebanon; and James J. Jette of Enfield; Daughters: Marguerite E. Baliko, Valley Lee, MD, and Anne M. Jette, Lebanon. Sisters: Yvonne St. Jean, Lebanon and Helen Bonneau of Williston, VT and brother Philip Jetter of Silver Springs, FL; 11 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Preceded in death by: 4 Brothers: Theodore-Antonio-Roland-Olivia; 3 sisters: Blanche-Eva-Rose and 1 grandson, Tyree John Baliko.

Robert William Prosser

From the January 22, 1997 of The Country Chronicle

Grafton, NH–Robert William Prosser, 49, died on January 15, 1997 at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. He attended North Providence, RI high school and lived in North Providence until moving to NH in 1976. While in RI he was self-employed as a commercial fisherman in Warwick. He was married on June 5, 1965 to Rachel Vaillant. They made their home in Canaan and Grafton, NH since their marriage. He owned and operated Bob’s Classic Auto Body in Grafton for many years, restoring classic street rods. He enjoyed prospecting for gold and was in the process of forming a business “Week-Enders Gold” prospecting equipment in Grafton.

Friends called at the Ricker Funeral Home in Enfield on Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon. Memorial contributions may be made to the Grafton Police Department, c/o Merle Kenyon, Grafton, NH 03240.

Survivors include: his wife, Rachel Prosser of Grafton; his mother, “Betty” Prosser Jackson of Cumberland, RI; a daughter, Michelle Mullen of Groton, NH; a daughter, Barbie Lemire of Gilford, NH; a brother, Stephen Prosser of Eden Mills, VT; a sister, Barbara Semenkow of Lincoln, RI; a sister, Betty-Jo Jackson of Woonsocket, RI; his maternal grandmother, Beatrice Meenan of Smithfield, RI; five grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Robert C. Eastman

from the April 23, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Canaan, NH–Robert C. Eastman, 59, suddenly passed away on April 17, 1997 from a heart attack at DHMC in Lebanon, NH. The son of Clarence and Majorie (Pierce) Eastman, he was born September 22, 1937 in Orange, NH. He was a lifelong resident of the area and graduated from Canaan High School. Following graduation he was married to Patricia Bean in July of 1960. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army and was discharged in 1966. He had worked for Verham News Corp. in West Lebanon for 25 years before becoming employed with the Dartmouth College Buildings & Grounds Dept. for the past 15 years. He was active with the Royal Ranger program in the Assembly of God Church in Canaan and served as head usher and treasurer of the Sunday School. He was an avid hunter and fisherman but his main interest in life was spending time with his family.

Friends called at the Ricker Funeral Home in Lebanon on Saturday evening from 7-9 p.m. Funeral services were held on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Canaan Assembly of God church with the Rev. Dr. David E. Baker officiating. Burial followed in the Wells Cemetery in Canaan. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Canaan Christian School, c/o Canaan Assembly of God Church, PO Box 265, Canaan, NH 03741.

Survivors include: his mother, Marjorie Eastman of Canaan; his wife, Patricia Eastman of Canaan; a daughter, Bobbi L. Barney of Canaan; a daughter, Diane L. Clark of Lebanon; a daughter, Paige Dauphinais of Enfield; seven grandchildren and nieces.

Ricker Funeral Home in Lebanon was in charge of arrangements.

Bertram Victor Hulslander

from the April 16, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Keene, NH–11/24/1921 – 4/9/1997 Graduated from Keene High School in 1939 and was married to Mary E. Sanders on May 1, 1943. In 1944 he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving during WWII. He had been a resident of Keene for many years where he owned and operated B.V. Hulslander, Inc., a plumbing and heating company. He later worked throughout New England for Economy Plumbing & Heating of Keene until his retirement. He was a lifetime member of the Keene Lodge of Elks and was a member of the American Legion of West Lebanon. He enjoyed collecting buttons and was a member of the National Button Association, the NH Button Club, and the Twin Valley Button Club. In honor of his request, there will be no services.

Survivors include: Wife. Mary E. Hulslander, West Lebanon; Son, John B. Hulslander, Keene; Son, Ralph P. Hulslander, Long Island, NY; Daughter Rosalyn M. Brown, Chandler, AZ; Daughter, Marilee A. Ballou, Dover, NH; Sister, Beverly King, Keene; Sister, Dorothy Parent, Swanzey, NH; Sister, Una Burke, Swanzey, NH; Brother, Robert Hulslander, Spofford, NH; Brother, Philip Hulslander, Surry, NH; 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Roger C. Foster

from the April 9, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Enfield, NH–Roger C. Foster, 88, died Wednesday April 2, 1997 at the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, NH. He was born in Enfield, NH Oct. 28, 1908, the son of the late Walter & Annie (Clough) Foster. A lifelong Enfield resident he attended local schools. He had worked on the family farm for years helping to raise cattle and poultry. He loved the out-of-doors and for most of his life he was a self-employed woodsman. Well known throughout the area for his generosity, he could often be found doing errands for many area residents. He enjoyed visiting his friends and neighbors, and caring for his many cats.

There will be no calling hours. Graveside services will be held in the spring in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Enfield. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his memory may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are under the direction of the Ricker Funeral Home of Lebanon.

Survivors include: a niece, Harriet Stevens of Canaan, NH; a niece, Eleanor Anderson of Canaan, NH; a nephew, Harry Foster of West Willington, CT. He was preceded in death by a brother, Harry Foster and a nephew, Eugene Foster.

Lane Dwinell

from the April 2, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Hanover, NH–Lane Dwinell, 90, of Hanover, the only person in New Hampshire history to hold the offices of House Speaker, Senate President and Governor in successive terms, died Thursday, March 27th, 1997, in his home at Kendal at Hanover.

He was born Nov. 14, 1906 in Newport, VT, the son of Dean and Ruth (Lane) Dwinell. He attended schools in Newport and Pasadena, CA before moving to Lebanon for his senior year in high school. He graduated from Lebanon High School in 1924, from Dartmouth College in 1928 and from Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 1929.

In 1932 he married Elizabeth Cushman of Lebanon, and they lived for a time in New York City where Gov. Dwinell was employed in the Treasurer’s office of General Motors Corp. from 1929 to 1936. They returned to Lebanon in 1936 when Mr. Dwinell joined his father in Carter & Churchill Co., the family-owned clothing manufacturer that was later known as Profile Skiwear. He was actively involved in that business for 31 years, most of them as Chief Executive Officer and it grew to become a nationally recognized maker of skiing apparel.

In 1946 and 1947 he was president of the New Hampshire Manufacturer’s Association. He was also involved over the years as a director of the Northern Railroad, Granite State Electric Co., Currier & Co. in Lebanon, the Lebanon Industrial Development Authority, the New England Council Vermont Motor Inns, and the New Hampshire Business Development Corporation. He was a longtime trustee of Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, and also served as a trustee of Colby-Sawyer College in New London, Dartmouth College, and the University of New Hampshire. He was given honorary degrees from the later two, as well as Suffolk University and New England College.

He was associated with the National Bank of Lebanon (now Citizens Bank) for more than 30 years beginning in 1947, when he was elected to the Board of Directors. He was chairman of the board from 1968 to 1979, during which time the bank became the first in the state to open a branch office.

He became active in local affairs shortly after his return to Lebanon, winning election to the town budget committee and serving as a Special Justice of the Lebanon Municipal Court.

His entry into state politics came when he was elected to represent Lebanon at the 1948 Constitutional Convention. He was also elected to the legislature that year, by which time he had already served four years on the state Board of Education.

He chaired the House of Ways and Means Committee in his first term, and in his second he was elected Speaker. Following that term, he was elected in 1952 to the stat Senate, where he was chosen President. He followed up that two-year stint by winning the Governor’s office in November 1954, and was re-elected in 1956.

During his gubernatorial tenure he applied private sector principles to state government by tightening accounting procedures and gave state employees healthy raises to diminish excessive turnover. He also signed a bill that provided state aid for school construction, and another that allowed groups of school districts to band together to form cooperative districts. Under that bill, districts that banded together were given extra money for school construction.

The state’s interstate highway system also was laid out during his tenure, and he also hosted President Dwight D. Eisenhower, which set the stage for the next phase of his career.

After leaving state government in 1959, Gov. Dwinell was appointed by President Eisenhower to be Assistant Secretary of State for Administration, overseeing the department’s budget, personnel, and embassy operations, a job that took him and Mrs. Dwinell to U.S. embassies around the world.

He left that post in 1961 and returned to Carter & Churchill, but re-entered the federal government in 1969, when President Richard M. Nixon appointed him an administrator of the Agency for International Development. That job also entailed much foreign travel, and he held it until 1971. He also was appointed by Nixon in 1971 to the Board of Foreign Scholarships, and reappointed in 1974 by President Ford.

In 1972 he was chairman of President Nixon’s re-election campaign in New Hampshire, and Nixon’s official announcement of his intention to seek a second term was made in the form of a personal letter to Gov. Dwinell, which he was authorized to make public.

He also served as chairman of President Ronald Reagan’s New Hampshire campaigns in 1980 and 1984.

His involvement in politics at the state and federal levels led to his attending seven Republican National Conventions from 1952 to 1988. He chaired the New Hampshire delegation to those conventions in 1956, 1968, 1972, 1980 and 1984.

He and Mrs. Dwinell underwrote many community causes during their more than 60 years in Lebanon, including a wing of the Lebanon Library, the pool at the Carter-Witherall Center, and the publishing of a new Lebanon history in 1994.

He was a member of the Lebanon Rotary Club, Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, Sons of American Revolution, Sons of Colonial Wars, Moose and Grange.

He was predeceased by a sister, Eleanor Boreilla, and his wife Elizabeth C. Dwinell, who died on Oct.29, 1996. He is survived by nieces and nephews.

Memorial services following a private burial will be held on Monday, March 31, at 11 am in the First Congregational Church of Lebanon. The Rev. Richard N. Slater will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: The Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, 10 Alice Peck Day Drive , Lebanon, NH 03766. Arrangements are under the direction of the Ricker Funeral Home of Lebanon, NH.

Mary Frances Grace

from the March 5, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Orange, NH–Mary Frances Grace, 76, died Saturday, February 22, 1997 at Genesis Elder Care in Lebanon, NH following a long illness. She was born in Lynn, MA September 28, 1920, the daughter of Dr. Frank & Edith (Lister) Mitchell. She attended schools in Grafton and Canaan, NH. She had lived in this area most of her life and had been a member of the Mt. Cardigan Square Dance Club. She was married to Elwin H. Grace–her husband of 56 years–in 1941. She was a homemaker all of her life and was dedicated to her family.

Friends called at the Ricker Funeral Home, Route 4 in Enfield on Tuesday evening from 7-9 p.m. Funeral services were conducted Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Canaan United Methodist Church. Burial will be at a later date in the Canaan Street Cemetery.

Memorial contributions in memory of Mrs. Grace may be made to: Mascoma Home Health Care, Main St, Canaan, NH.

Survivors include: her husband, Elwin H. Grace of Orange; a daughter, Jean Ollis of Enfield; a daughter, Linda Lashua of Canaan; her twin sister, Jeanne Evans of Canaan; a sister, Dottie Lull of Potter Place, NH; a sister, Bernice Houze of Franklin; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her brother, Allan Mitchell.

Robert E. Lawson, Sr.

from the February 26, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Canaan, NH–Robert Edward Lawson, Sr., 51, died Sunday, Feb. 16, 1997 at his home following a long illness. He was born in Laconia, NH Sept. 13, 1945, the son of Kenneth and Viola (Bragg) Hooker Sr. He attended schools in Epsom, Canaan, and was a graduate of Lebanon High School – Class of 1964. He had been employed by NYNEX in Lebanon as a mechanic for 25 years. He was a member of the Lebanon Lodge of Elks, and a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #2320 of Manchester. He enjoyed working out in the gym and flower gardening. He was married to Esther Woodley, May 7, 1994. Memorial Contributions in memory of Robert may be made to: The Norris Cotton Center, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756.

Survivors include: Wife, Esther (Woodley) Lawson, Enfield, NH; Mother, Viola (Bragg) Hooker, Meriden, NH; Son, Robert Lawson, Jr., Claremont, NH; Daughter, Laurie Ulbricht, Yorktown, VA; Stepdaughter, Vicki McAlister, Canaan, NH; Stepdaughter, Karen Hammond, Lebanon, NH; Sister, Linda Bean, Deerfield, MA; Sister, Cindy Passner, Hanover, NH; Sister, Carole Kennedy, Philidelphia, PA; Sister, Donna Clark, Haverhill, NH; Sister, Linda Labbie, Ryegate, VT; Brother, Ken Hooker, Jr., Canaan, NH; Brother, Richard Hooker, Cambridge, NY; Brother, Timothy Hooker, Claremont, NH; Brother, Kevin Hooker, Meriden, NH; Brother, Thomas Hooker, Lebanon,NH; 2 grandchildren, many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Preceded in death by: Father Kenneth Hooker, Sr.

Harriet F. Welch

from the February 26, 1997 issue of The Country Chroncicle

Canaan, NH–Harriet Foster Welch, 84, died Friday, Feb. 20, 1997 at the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, NH. She was born in Newport, VT June 29, 1912 the daughter of the late Walter A. and Bertha (Aldrich) Dane. She attended schools in Newton Center, MA and was a graduate of Smith College with a degree in French literature. An accomplished musician and dancer, she taught ballet and tap dance in the Boston area. During WWII she served with the U.S. Army Air Corps in the China/Burma Theatre as a Staff Asst. for the American Red Cross in India. Her home on Canaan Street was the setting for annual summer shows featuring her family as instructors and musicians and including a wealth of locally recruited talent. Harriet was married to Austin H. Welch, a former Professor at Dartmouth Hitchcock College, The University of New Hampshire, and the First President of the former Canaan College. Mr. Welch died in 1983.

She is survived locally by her dear friend and caretaker Velma Adams of Canaan, NH.

Harriet was preceded by her parents; and 2 sisters: Barbara and Helen Dane. There are no known surviving family members.

Warren Douglas Proctor

from the February 19,1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Enfield, NH–Warren Douglas Proctor, 86, died Monday morning, Feb. 10, 1997 at the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, NH. He was born in Freemont, NH April 26, 1910, the son of the late Percy and Jennie (Brooks) Proctor. He attended schools in Freemont, later graduated from Manchester, NH Central High School, and attended the University of New Hampshire. He had been employed by Cote Buick in Derry, NH from 1934-1942. Mr. Proctor was a U.S. Army Veteran of WWII and served from 1942-1946. He was involved in various battle including the Battle of the Bulge, and received a Purple Heart. The Government of Belgium nominated Warren as a Fellow in the Court of Leopold II, and award him with the Croix de Guerre with Palm for bravery and wounds received in the liberation of Belgium. Following his discharge he worked as a salesman until 1950 when along with his wife Dorothy, operated the Proctor’s General Store in Enfield Center until it was sold to his son in 1979.

Mr. Proctor was a longtime member and had served as trustee at the Enfield Center Union Church. He was also a 32nd Degree Mason; and was a member of the V.F.W. in White River Jct.,VT.

There were no calling hours. Funeral services were conducted on Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. in the Enfield Center Union Church. Burial will be in the spring in the Mt. Calm Cemetery in Enfield Center.

Memorial contributions in memory of Mr. Proctor may be made to: The Enfield Center Union Church, P.O. Box 82, Enfield Center, NH 03749.

Survivors include: his wife, Dorothy Mae (Wilson) Proctor of Enfield Center; a daughter, Sandra Pregent of Lebanon; a son, James Proctor of Enfield Center; a sister, Eva Clark of Lynchburg, VA; a sister, Doris Oakes of Salisbury, NH; a sister, Carrie Magoon of Dover, NH; a grandson, Ethan Pregent of Lebanon, NH; many nieces, nephews and cousins.

The Ricker Funeral Home of Lebanon was in charge of arrangements.