Colebrook News & Sentinel Obituaries, Colebrook, New Hampshire, from Wednesday, February 4, 2004 Copyright retained by the newspaper. Permission recieved to include in the USGenWeb Archives. CATHERINE BRAGG Mrs. Catherine M. (Cameron) Bragg, 91, of Magalloway Plantation, Maine, died on Friday, January 30, 2004 at the Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital. Mrs. Bragg was born on March 6, 1912 in Wentworth Location, the daughter of the late Donald and Mabel (Flint) Cameron. Mrs. Bragg was primarily a homemaker, but also cooked for the logging camps in her earlier years. She loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter, fisherman, bird-watcher and gardener. She was a member of the Big Buck Club of Maine, and was known for her abilities as a deer hunter. She taught both of her sons how to hunt and fish and will be remembered for her love of family. Mrs. Bragg is survived by her two sons, Lauriston Bragg and his wife Anne of Magalloway Plantation, and Wendell E. Bragg and is wife Nancy of Libby, Mont.; nine grandchildren; and eighteen great-grandchildren. Mrs. Bragg is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Gordon L .Bragg, who died on October 21, 2002; three brothers, Donald Cameron, Ewen Cameron and Lauriston Cameron; and two sisters, Gladys Bennett and Bessie Harvey. There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 8 at the Errol Congregational Church, with Pastor Larry Clough officiating. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Jenkins Funeral Home of Colebrook. Condolences may be offered to the family on-line by going to www.jenkinsfuneralhome.net. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WILMA BUNNELL Wilma Pearl Bunnell, 78, of Colebrook, died on Sunday, February 1, 2004 at the Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook. She was born on December 14, 1925 in West Stewartstown, the daughter of Walter and Gladys (McKeage) Haynes. Mrs. Bunnell was the valedictorian of Canaan High Schoolıs Class of 1944. She was married to Kenneth Bunnell on June 27, 1948. Mrs. Bunnell was a longtime resident of Clarksville, having recently moved to Colby Commons in Colebrook. While in Clarksville, she served for many years as Town Clerk, Town Treasurer and as a member of the school board. Mrs. Bunnell worked for many years as a cook for the Pittsburg school system; she was later employed as a retail clerk at Scottıs Store and as a seamstress for Manchester Manufac-turing in Colebrook. Mrs. Bunnell retired in the early 1990s and started spending her winters in Florida. She was politically active, continually following the local, state and a national political scene. Her biggest enjoyment. however, was spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mrs. Bunnell is survived by a son, Stanley Bunnell of Clarksville; three daughters, Dencie Donovan and Linda Reynolds of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Jean Lugi of West Hartford, Conn.; two sisters, Leatrice Bacon of Stewartstown and Leona Gray of Laconia; eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and her special niece, Sandy Hall of Colebrook. She was predeceased by her husband, Kenneth in 1959; by four brothers, Joseph, Donald, Hollis and Walter Haynes Jr.; and by two sisters, Marilyn Gadwah and Viola Haynes. There are no calling hours. Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 5 at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Colebrook. Burial will be in the spring at the Colebrook Village Cemetery. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Home Health, care of Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, Corliss Lane, Colebrook, NH 03576. Newman Funeral Home of Colebrook is entrusted with arrangements. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KATHLEEN BURKE Miss Kathleen Mary Burke, 42, of Barre, Vt., died suddenly on Friday, January 30, 2004 at Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin. Miss Burke was born on June 5, 1961 in West Stewartstown, the daughter of Stephen Burke and Norma (Noyes) Richardson. She will be remembered for her love of classical music and taking car rides with family and friends. Miss Burke is survived by her mother, Norma Richardson and husband Gary of West Stewart-stown; her father, Stephen Burke of Semmes, Ala.; two brothers, Stephen Lavigne and his wife Jennifer of Palmer Township, Pa., and Matthew Lavigne of San Diego, Calif.; two sisters, Deborah Kirk and her husband William of Milton, Vt., and Janet Santos of Syracuse, N.Y.; five nieces and nephews; and her loving caretakers, Alfred and Georgia Brock of Barre, Vt. There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be conducted in the spring, with the date and time to be announced. Expressions of sympathy in Miss Burke's memory may be made to the Vermont Special Olympics, 368 Avenue D., Suite 30, Williston, VT 05495. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Jenkins Funeral Home of Colebrook. Condolences may be offered to the family on-line by going to www.jenkinsfuneralhome.net. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRANCIS COFFIN Mr. Francis "Fran" A. Coffin, 54, of Errol, died tragically on Friday, January 30, 2004, due to a motor vehicle accident on Route 16 in Errol. Mr. Coffin was born on March 14, 1949, in Portland, Maine, son of the late Philip and Marion (Stanhope) Coffin. Mr. Coffin was a veteran of the Army, having served during the Vietnam War era. He was employed in construction as a boilermaker for 20 years, then owned and operated Errol Enterprises with his wife, Gloria Coffin, for 20 years until its sale this past summer, while maintaining ownership of Errol Oil. He was a volunteer and member of various committees and town organizations. He was a two-term selectman for the Town of Errol, founder and member of the Umbagog Chamber of Commerce, volunteer fireman for the Errol Volunteer Fire Department, and member of the Umbagog Wildlife Refuge Committee. He was an avid outdoorsman, and loved to take his grandson, Austin, hunting. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, and will be dearly missed. Mr. Coffin is survived by his wife of 14 years, Gloria (Lamphere) Coffin of Errol; two daughters, Michele Bartlett and her husband Brewster of Loudon, Leeann Wright and her husband Dayle of South Burlington, Vt.; two sons, Wesley Coffin and Thomas Coffin, both of Berlin; four brothers, Philip Coffin, Frank Coffin and Raymond Coffin, all of Yarmouth, Maine, and Gary Coffin of Mexico, Maine; a sister, Kathy Eaton of Yarmouth, Maine; six grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Mr. Coffin is preceded in death by his parents and a granddaughter, Hallie Coffin. Calling hours were private. A memorial service was conducted on Tuesday afternoon at the Errol Congregational Church, with Pastor Larry Clough officiating. A reception followed at Log Haven in Millsfield, where friends and family are invited even if unable to attend the service. Because of Mr. Coffin's strong belief in higher education, the "Fran Coffin Memorial Education Fund," c/o Mr. Don Stohl, CPA, Main Street, Colebrook, NH 03576, has been established in his memory to benefit Errol area students. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Jenkins Funeral Home of Colebrook. Condolences may be offered to the family on-line by going to www.jenkinsfuneralhome.net. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARLES EARLE JR. Charles Gordon Earle Jr., 71, of Maidstone, died on January 28, 2004 at Weeks Medical Center in Lancaster after a lengthy illness. Born in North Attleboro, Mass., on September 21, 1932, he was the son of Charles G. and Winifred (Hare) Earle Sr. He was raised in North Attleboro and attended Keene State College. For many years, he worked as a printer and was employed by newspaper publishers, including The Manchester Union Leader and the Lawrence Eagle Tribune. He also taught others the printing trade. He was married to Janice L. Miller in Manchester on November 28, 1968. In 1980, they purchased the Trading Post in Pittsburg, which they operated for several years. They also lived in Littleton, Maine, for nine years, where they owned and operated the Village Store in Monticello, Maine. Mr. Earle was well liked and will be remembered for his great sense of humor. The family includes a son, Mark Earle of Guilford, Conn.; three daughters, Linda Hafford of Northfield, N.H., Laurie Stockbridge of Franklin, N.H. and Joy Hebert of Pittsburg; 13 grandchildren; a great-grandson; three sisters, Audrey Diamond of Florida, Inez Lightfoot of West Chelmsford, Mass. and Gwendolyn Broder of Bedford, N.H.; and several nieces and nephews. A son, Charles Graham Earle Sr., predeceased him. A memorial visiting hour was held on Sunday afternoon at Bailey Funeral Home in Lancaster. The funeral was held immediately afterward, with the Rev. David Pendleton, pastor of Lancaster Congregational Unit-ed Church of Christ, officiating. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ELSIE FARLEY Elsie E. Farley, 88, died after a long illness early on Monday, February 2, 2004 at her residence in Pittsburg. She was born on September 21, 1915 in Elizabeth, N.J., the daughter of Albert and Blanche (Drake) Erxleben, and attended school in Elizabeth. She was employed by Prudential Life Insurance Company prior to her marriage to Paul V. Farley on February 27, 1937. She then worked as a retail clerk for Georke Stores. She also served many years as a Red Cross Volunteer. Prior to moving to Pittsburg in 2001, Mrs. Farley lived in Leisure Village in Lakewood, N.J. Mrs. Farley is survived by a daughter, Jane Romanow of Brick, N.J., and Pittsburg; and two sons, Paul V. Farley Jr. of Toms Rivers, N.J., and Kevin Farley of Brick; eight grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren. There are no calling hours. Funeral services will be held in Brick, N.J., at a later date. Newman Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JEAN GRANT Jean (John) E. Grant, 74, of Pepperell, Mass., died at his home after a long illness. He was born in Stewartstown on July 21, 1929, the son of the late Leon A. and Alice (Grover) Grant. After high school, Mr. Grant enlisted in the Army and served with the 82nd Airborne Division during the Korean War. A resident of Pepperell since 1963, Mr. Grant owned and operated Grant's Dry Cleaners and later also owned and operated Grantıs Car Wash. Involved in the Boy Scouts of America, he was a Scout leader of Troop 13 in Pepperell for more than 20 years. Mr. Grant was the recipient of a Silver Beaver Award in May 1985 for his devotion and dedication to Scouting by the Nashua Valley Council, B.S.A. He was Sunday School superintendent of the Centraville Methodist Church in Lowell; he also taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, and served on various boards at the Helen L. Lawrence United Methodist Church of Pepperell. He was a Visitation Volunteer for F.I.S.H., a local group that provided transportation to doctor and hospital visits. Mr. Grant was a member of Frank West Post 213 American Legion, the Beacon Lodge 175 of the Odd Fellows, the Pepperell Jaycees and the BMW Motorcycle Owners Club. He was an avid motorcyclist, hunter and ice fisherman. Due to his tireless commitment to his family and community, Mr. Grant was named Citizen of the Year by the Pepperell Lions Club. He is survived by his devoted wife of 53 years, Harriette (Sharpe) Grant; his beloved children, Lois and her husband Robert Pentland, Charles and his wife Denise Grant, Jason and his wife Cathy Grant, Jonathon and is wife Cindy Grant, and Jeffrey and his wife Julie Grant, all of Pepperell; 12 grandchildren; three sisters, Josephine Harding and Rachel Morehouse, both of Stratford and Hazel Richards of Watertown, Conn.; and one brother, Theodore Grant of Wallingford, Conn. He was also the father of the late Matthew Grant and the brother of the late Scott Grant. Funeral services were held on Saturday, January 31 at the Community Church of Pepperell. Visiting hours were at the Hamilton Funeral Home in Pepperell on Friday. Memorial donations may be made to the Pepperell Boy Scouts, or the Pepperell police or fire departments. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROLAND LALANDE Roland A. Lalande, 88, of Columbia, died on Sunday, February 1, 2004 at the Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook after a sudden illness. He was born on June 1, 1915 in Berlin, the son of Wilfred and Phoebe (Marchand) Lalande. Mr. Lalande attended school in Berlin, and was married to Lucille G. Riendeau. Mr. Lalande worked as a retail clerk in Bethlehem before joining the Army in 1942. During World War II Mr. Lalande fought in seven major battles with the 1st Infantry Division, including the North African Campaign and the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France. His awards include the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. After the war he returned to the North Country, where he worked as a meat cutter for several stores including LaPerle's IGA in Colebrook and the Colebrook Freezer Locker. He worked for Ethan Allen in Beecher Falls from 1972 until his retirement in 1987. He was a member of the Disabled American Veteran's Association. He enjoyed home life and working around his house. Mr. Lalande is survived by his wife Lucille Lalande of Colum-bia; a sister, Germaine Saucier of Berlin; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by four brothers, Alcide, Edmond, Arthur and Edgar Lalande. Calling hours will be held on Saturday, February 7 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Newman Funeral Home in Colebrook. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday at St. Brendan's Church in Colebrook, officiated by the Reverend Albert Bellefeuille. Burial will be in the spring at St. Brendan's Cemetery in Colebrook. Those who wish to make donations in memory of Roland A. Lalande may give to St. Brendanıs Church, Pleasant Street, Colebrook, NH 03576. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LELAND MCRAE Leland J. "Lee" McRae, 84, of Laconia and Fredrikstad, Norway, died on January 26, 2004 at Lakes Region General Hospital, following a period of failing health. He was born in Wentworth Location on February 6, 1919, the son of Norman and Ina (Ripley) McRae. He attended military school in Syracuse, N.Y., and served with the Army Air Force during World War II. Mr. McRae lived in Berlin for many years before moving to Laconia in 1956. An employee of New England Telephone Company in Berlin and Laconia, he retired in 1980 as a contract work inspector following 35 years of employment. He was a life member of the Telephone Pioneers. Mr. McRae enjoyed skiing, golf and refinishing furniture. He was also an avid woodworker and enjoyed traveling with his family to their home in Norway. Family members include his wife of 50 years, Lulli M. (Gundersen) McRae of Laconia; one son, Alan L. McRae of Belmont; two grandsons; a brother, Wendell McRae of South Carolina; nieces and nephews. There were no calling hours. A private service was held at William F. Smart Sr. Memorial Home in Tilton. Burial will be in the spring. Donations in his memory may be made to New Hampshire Humane Society, PO Box 572, Laconia, NH 03247-0572. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARLOTTE ROY Charlotte M. Kieley Roy, 89, of Brunswick, Maine, and formerly of Pittsburg, died on Thursday, January 29, 2004 at the Freeport Nursing Home in Freeport, Maine. She was born in Kingsclear, New Brunswick, on January 31, 1914, the daughter of William and Nellie Burgoyne Kieley. She attended Kingsclear schools. She then worked at the old Brunswick Hospital in Brunswick, Maine, where she received her training as a nurse. On April 19, 1947 she was married to Wilbrod Roy. He died in 1994. Mrs. Roy continued working as a private duty nurse in Damariscotta and Bar Harbor, Maine. She then worked for Dr. Charles Gates in Cambridge, Mass., until retiring. For many years she wintered in the St. Cloud-Kissimmee, Fla., area. She was a member of the Pittsburg Historical Society and St. Albert's Church in Beecher Falls. Mrs. Roy enjoyed gardening, camping, fishing and being in the outdoors. She also enjoyed crafts and reading. Surviving her are three sisters, Florence Bernard of Calgary, Canada, Fredericka Fortin of Brunswick, Maine, and Ann Lavoie and her husband Gerry of the Province of Quebec; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by four sisters and a brother: Bernice Booker, Georgina Stewart, Dorothy McNulty, Jean McCaughy and William Kieley. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday afternoon at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Brunswick, with the Rev. Stephen Concannon officiating. Spring interment will be in St. Johns Cemetery in Brunswick. Memorial donations may be made to the National Industries for the Blind, 1901 North Beauregard Street, Suite 200, Alexandria VA 22311-1727. Arrangements are by Stetson's Funeral Home of Brunswick, Maine.