Author: Canaan Town Library

Phyllis C. Withington

From the August 6, 2001 issue of The Country Chronicle

Canaan, NH–Phyliss C. Withington, 75, of Canaan died suddenly on Monday, July 30, 2001 at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. She was born in Orange, NH on June 29, 1926 the daughter of Pearl and Bertha (Grace) Cross. She was a lifelong resident of this area and was married to Robert H. Withington on June 29, 1953. Mrs. Withington had been employed at Dartmouth College for many years before her retirement in 1988. She enjoyed crafts work and camping with her family. She is survived by her husband of Canaan, two children-Diane Boisvert of Claremont and Douglas Withington of Canaan, three granddaughters, two great-grandchildren, two sisters-Dorothy Kendall of Canaan and Gloria Machon of Vicksburg, MS, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Ellen Gowing and a brother, George Cross.

Friends called at the Ricker Funeral Home in Enfield on Thursday evening from 7-9 pm. Funeral services were held at the Canaan United Methodist Church Friday at 11 am with the Rev. Patricia Williams officiating. Burial followed in the Wells Cemetery in Canaan.

Eunice F. Walker

From the August 6, 2001 issue of The Country Chronicle

Enfield, NH–Eunice F. Walker, 76, died Monday July 30, 2001 at the Alice Peck Day Extended Care Facility in Lebanon, NH following a long illness. She was born in North Wilmot, NH January 6, 1925, a daughter of the late Warren V. and Marie(LaJoie) Sargent. She grew up in Wilmot where she was the janitor for the 7th and 8th grades of her elementary school. She graduated from Andover High School in 1943. In 1945 she was married to her husband of 52 years David W. Walker who died in 1998. They made their home in Enfield Center where Eunice was a member of the Union Church, and a member and longtime secretary of the Mont Calm Grange. She was also a member of the NH State Grange and the National Grange. She was a correspondent for 25 years for two local newspapers covering Enfield Center and later Enfield. In her earlier years she loved fishing, farming, and her gardening. She also did volunteer work by crocheting and knitting baby hats, therapy balls, robes and mittens for hospitals, nursing homes and schools, and enjoyed making toys for the Shriners.

She was predeceased by her husband, four brothers, and one sister. She leaves a son: William W. Walker of Claremont, NH; a brother, Alfred Sargent of FL; two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; several nieces, nephews, cousins and many dear friends.

There were no calling hours. Funeral services were held Thursday morning at 11 am in the Ricker Funeral Home on 56 School St. in Lebanon, NH. Burial followed in the Mascoma Cemetery on Rte 4 in E. Lebanon.

Memorial contributions in the memory of Eunice may be made to the Enfield Fire Dept., or the Alice Peck Day Extended Care Facility in Lebanon.

Dylan Wayne Joyce

From the July 30, 2001 issue of The Country Chronicle

Claremont, NH–Dylan Wayne Joyce, 23 month-old son of Mia Joyce & Danny Sullivan, died Tuesday, July 24, 2001 at the Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont. He was born in Lebanon, NH August 20, 1999. Formerly of Canaan, NH he had been living in Claremont for the last 8 months with his mother and her friend Matthew Fontaine, and his maternal grandmother Melody Joyce. Dylan enjoyed playing with his trucks and cars, and loved dancing and swimming.

He is survived by his mother: Mia Joyce and her friend Matthew Fontaine of Claremont, NH who loved and helped raise Dylan; his maternal grandmother: Melody Joyce of Claremont, NH; his maternal grandfather: Darryl Joyce of Grafton, NH; his paternal grandparents: Cathy & Frank Sullivan of Claremont, NH; his maternal great-grandparents: Jennie & Wesley Joyce of Grafton, NH; his paternal great-grandparents: Ann & Frank Sullivan of Reading, MA; and several aunts and uncles including Shanon Downing of Claremont, NH who also helped raise Dylan.

Friends called at the Ricker Funeral Home, 56 School St., Lebanon, NH on Friday afternoon at 1 pm. Funeral services followed at 2 pm in the funeral home with Rev. Patricia Williams officiating. Burial was in Wells Cemetery in Canaan, NH.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions go towards a memorial monument be made to: “The Dylan Wayne Joyce Memorial Fund,” c/o any branch of Mascoma Savings Bank.

Frances B. “Frank” Moeschen

From the July 16, 2001 issue of The Country Chronicle

Enfield, NH–Frances B. “Frank” Moeschen, 97, founder of the Moeschen Club for Boys in New York City and Camp Mascoma – a private boys camp on Crystal Lake in Enfield, passed away Tuesday evening July 10, 2001 at the Integrated Health Services nursing facility in Derry, NH. He was the beloved husband of the late Helen (Carney) Moeschen, and the father of Peter Moeschen of Enfield, NH and Long Beach, NY. He is also survived by five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was pre-deceased by a son, Timothy Moeschen, two brothers-George and Ray Moeschen, and a sister-Helen Cockburn.

Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Arrangements were under the direction of the Ricker Funeral Home in Lebanon, NH

Robert D. “Bob” Grant

From the July 2, 2001 issue of The Country Chronicle

W. Canaan, NH–Robert D. “Bob” Grant, 63, died Tuesday, June 26, 2001 at his home in West Canaan following a long illness. He was born in Hanover, NH, November 18, 1937. He grew up in Bridgewater, VT and graduated from Woodstock (VT) High School in 1957. He had been a resident of W. Canaan for the last 34 years. Bob had been a truck driver for Twin State Fruit for many years and had also served as a bus driver for the Mascoma School District for 10 years. He was a member of the Lebanon Lodge of Elks for 34 years; was a member of the VT National Grange; had been a State of NH Deputy Forest Fire Warden for several years; was the representative from the Canaan Fire Dept. to the Upper Valley Mutual Aid Association for several years; and had been a member of the Canaan Volunteer Fire Dept. for 22 years, retiring as a First Lieutenant in February 2001. He was an avid deer hunter and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren.

He leaves his wife of 36 years, Pauline (Bellavance) Grant of West Canaan, NH, whom he married June 5, 1965; his mother: Ramona Welch of Wilder, VT; his foster-mother: Pearl Townsend of Bridgewater Corners, VT; a son: Douglas P. Grant of Lebanon, NH; a daughter: Rebecca C. Jones of Canaan, NH; a foster-son: Fred Cummings of Canaan, NH; several brothers and sisters; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was pre-deceased by his foster-father: Paul Townsend.

Friends called at the Ricker Funeral Home in Lebanon on Friday evening from 6-9. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Saturday morning at 10 am at the Sacred Heart Church of Lebanon. Burial followed in the Sacred Heart Cemetery with a reception in the church hall following the services.

The family requested that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to: The Visiting Nurse Alliance of VT and NH (VNA/VNH), 20 S. Main St., White River Jct., VT 05001 or to: Hospice of the Upper Valley, 325 Mt. Support Rd., Lebanon, NH 03766.

Deneal Albert Amos

From the June 18, 2001 issue of The Country Chronicle

Roxbury, MA–Deneal Albert Amos, 73, died Tuesday, June 14, 2001 at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in West Roxbury, MA.

He was born January 22, 1928, in San Francisco, CA, the son of Albert and Audrey Amos.

Deneal Amos was originally from San Francisco, CA. He worked his way through school; graduating from Lowell High School in 1945. He spent a year at Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR, a semester at the all-male University of San Francisco, a Jesuit school, and then graduated from the University of California at Berekely in 1949, majoring at Marketing and Analysis. He dropped out of Hastings Law School during the post-war depression and spent a couple of years scrambling to stay alive before finally going into the Army. (His draft letter came in the same mail with three serious job offers.)

He got his commission as a training officer on the day the Korean War ended, taking an early discharge on condition that he return to school. This he did, determined to continue the attempt to realize his father’s ideal of the Renaissance man.

Scholar, Athlete, Philosopher, Warrior, Poet, Musician and Artist. He had enough GI benefits for five years of study in the Social Sciences and the Humanities. In the end, he opted out of going for an advanced degree on the grounds that he was going to school for wisdom – not a better job opportunity.

Along the way Deneal worked as a teacher, administrator, clerk, farmhand, warehouseman, playground director, painter, house and fine cook, waiter, janitor and postal clerk, driver and carrier. When he returned to graduate school he majored in Education, the Social Sciences and Eastern thought. A life-changing spiritual experience confirmed him in his belief that the key to realizing the democratic ideal lay in an educated and informed citizenry, and the determination of everyone in any community to work for the benefit of others. He took the vow of Boddhisattva in 1956 – “I shall not rest until all sentient beings are liberated” – before he knew anything of meditation or Boddhisattvas. Mr. Amos’ educational ventures included:

Starting SameCon – the School of the Art of Moral and Ethical Conduct – a school for the art of living in 1957.

Helping start one of the first of the organized Experimental College at San Francisco State College in 1957.

“Grandfather” of Emerson College in Pacific Grove, CA in 1960.

Started New Canaan Academy in Putney, VT in 1975.

Teaching at Windham College in Putney, VT; Mark Hopkins College in Brattleboro, VT; Plymouth State College in Plymouth, NH; and acting as Meditation teacher/advisor at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. He was active at Kendal at Hanover, Dartmouth College and Plymouth State College, teaching tai chi chuan and meditation. He was a member of Dartmouth College Campus Ministry. He will be remembered by the people whose lives he touched, the noontime basketball group and the breakfast crew at Lou’s Restaurant.

Survivors include his partner, Anita Beloin; a sister, Betty; his children, Bodhi, Hui Neng, Aishya, and Kaivallya; and grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Calling hours were Friday from 6-8 pm and Saturday from 4-6 pm at Rand Wilson Funeral Home in Hanover, NH. A memorial service will be held Sunday at 3 pm at Rollins Chapel in Hanover.

Robert P. Coutermarsh

From the May 8, 2000 issue of The Country Chronicle

Enfield, NH–Robert P. Coutermarsh, 84, died Saturday morning, May 6, 2000, at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. He was born in Lebanon, NH, on July 11, 1915, one of 11 children born to Peter & Etta (Brooke) Coutermarsh. He attended Sacred Heart School in Lebanon and was a graduate of Lebanon High School, Class of 1934. He was married November 25, 1927 to his wife of 62 years, Valma (Basset).Lifelong area residents, they also wintered in Florida for 20 years. Mr. Coutermarsh had been employed by G.W. Carter for 27 years until 1960. He later worked for Trumbull-Nelson, retiring in 1972 as a shop foreman. He was a communicant of Sacred Heart Parish in Lebanon and enjoyed working outdoors.

He is survived by: Valma Coutermarsh, wife, of Enfield, NH; Betty Daigle and Donna Roberts, daughters, of West Lebanon, NH; 5 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and many nephews, nieces, and cousins.

He is preceded in death by: Peter Coutermarsh, father; Etta Coutermarsh, mother; Edward Coutermarsh, brother; Lester Coutermarsh, brother; Ralph Coutermarsh, brother; Herman Coutermarsh, brother; Blanche Coutermarsh, sister; Yvonne Coutermarsh, sister; Hattie Hickory, sister; Edith Babcock, sister; Mildred Reynolds, sister; and Edna Monroe, sister and twin to Edward Coutermarsh.

Friends may call at the Ricker Funeral Home, 56 School St. in Lebanon, NH, on Monday evening from 7-9 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday morning at 11 am in the Sacred Heart Church in Lebanon. Burial will follow in the Sacred Heart Cemetery.

Eva M. Paquette

From the May 8, 2000 issue of The Country Chronicle

Enfield, NH–Graveside Committal Services will be held for Eva M. Paquette, who died March 16, 2000 at the age of 85, will be held Friday, May 12 at 2 pm in the Lakeview Cemetery in Enfield, NH. The Rev. Paul Rainville, M.S. will officiate.

The Ricker Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Elwyn Baxter Chamberlin

From the May 8, 2000 issue of The Country Chronicle

West Swanzey, NH–Graveside Committal Services will be held for Elwyn Baxter Chamberlin, who died February 5, 2000, at the age of 82, will be held Wednesday, May 10 at 10 am in the Oak Hill Cemetery in West Swanzey, NH. The Rev. Dale Edwards will officiate.

The Ricker Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Frank M. Quimby

From the May 1, 2000 issue of The Country Chronicle

Enfield, NH–Graveside Committal Services for Frank Marshall Quimby, who died March 3, 2000 at the age of 75, will be held Friday May 5 at 2 pm in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Enfield, NH. The Rev. William Wittik will officiate. The Ricker Funeral Home in Lebanon is in charge of arrangements.