Published 2/10/02

Plattsburgh — Mrs. Barbara Lapham, 69, of Margaret Street, died Friday, Feb. 8, 2002, at the CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh.

She was born in Plattsburgh on May 11, 1932, the daughter of the late Richard and Irene (Bruce) Jacobs.

Barbara is survived by five daughters and three sons-in-law, Helen and Edward Bushey of Chazy, Norma and Ronald Whittington Sr., Patricia and Donald St. Louis of Plattsburgh, Beverly Lapham of Potsdam and Cheryl Lapham of Plattsburgh; three sons and two daughters-in-law, Benjamin and Toni Lapham of Plattsburgh, Gerald and Valerie Lapham of Morrisonville and Leo Lapham of Plattsburgh; one brother, James and Hazel Jacobs of Plattsburgh; 12 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

She is predeceased by her husband, Leon Lapham; one son, Leroy Lapham; and one brother, Kenneth Jacobs.

Calling hours will be Monday, Feb. 11, 2002, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. from the Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2002, at 11 a.m. at St. Peter's Church in Plattsburgh. Burial will be later in the year in the St. Peter's Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Hospice of the North Country.

Elizabethtown, N.Y. —Richard W. Lawrence Jr., 93, died on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2002, at the Elizabethtown Community Hospital.

He was born Jan. 16, 1909, in the Bronx, son of Richard W. Lawrence and Ruth Earle.

He was a graduate of the Riverdale School, Princeton University and Columbia Law School.

In 1933, he married Marjorie Fitch. She predeceased him in 1945.

He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945 and retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve as Lt. Col. in 1969.

He practiced law in New York and was the former chairman of Printers Ink Publishing and Bankers Commercial Corp.

In 1947, he moved with his second wife, Elizabeth Hand Wadhams, to the Adirondacks. His interest in education led him to serve on the Elizabethtown - Lewis School Board, as chairman of the College Council of Plattsburgh State, as founder of the Council of Councils of NY State Universities and as past chairman of North Country Community College. He served as president of the Crary Foundation in Elizabethtown from 1973 until his retirement in 2000. This organization, which he helped found, provides scholarships for Adirondack students to pursue higher education. He served as a trustee of the Elizabethtown library and was founder of the state’s first multi-county library association, the Clinton - Essex - Franklin system.

He was founder of the Essex County Historical Society and served for many years as a trustee of the New York State Historical Association. His interest in the environment and conservation led to his appointment by Governor Rockefeller, in 1971, as first chairman of the Adirondack Park Agency. He stepped down from that position in 1975, but continued for many years to serve on the boards of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, the Adirondack Council, the New York Parks and Conservation Association and the Adirondack Nature Conservancy.

He received an award from the NY - Vermont Interstate Commission on Lake Champlain, The Velma Moore Award from the NY State Library Assoc., a North Country citation from St. Lawrence University, a conservation award from the Garden Club of America, a distinguished service award from Potsdam College and the Founder’s Award from the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake.

In addition to his wife Marjorie, he was predeceased by his sister, Ruth L. Wittmer in 1965; his wife, Elizabeth Hand Wadhams in 1987; and his daughter, Ruth L. Wilson in 1991.

He is survived by his daughters, Alida L. Currey of Grand Junction, Colo., and Elizabeth W. Lawrence of Elizabethtown, N.Y.; granddaughters, Lynn Chernushin and her children, Cole and Marina of Arvada, Colo., and Anne L. Wilson and her husband, Peter Q. Lawson and their son, Bates of Moab, Utah.

He was a man of humor and intellect who had a visionary and stubborn dedication to the creation of educational opportunities and the protection of the environment.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, Feb., 15, 2002, at 10:30 a.m. at the United Church of Christ in Elizabethtown.

His family requests that memorial donations be made to the Essex County Historical Society, Elizabethtown; the Residents Committee to Protect the Adirondacks, North Creek, or the Boquet River Association Elizabethtown.

W.M. Marvins Sons Funeral Home in Elizabethtown is in charge of arrangements.

PLATTSBURGH — Derrick Venne, 79, passed away on Feb. 7, 2002, at his home after a brief illness.

Derrick was born in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on. April 11, 1922, the son of Derrick J. Venne and Lillian (Fountain) Venne.

Following the untimely death of his parents, he and his siblings were raised by their maternal grandparents, Joseph and Jenny (Bourassa) Fountain.

He graduated from Mount Assumption Institute in 1942 and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, serving as a crew chief for B-17 bombers stationed in England.

He is survived by his children, Ricky, John, and Cindy; and two grandchildren. Other surviving family members include three sisters, Honey (Venne) Light and her husband, Andre of Plattsburgh, Albina (Venne) Lysaght of Florida, Ramona (Venne) Heruska and her husband, Edward of Texas, and Theresa Venne of Champlain, N.Y.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Derrick is also survived by his longtime business partner and friend of 30 years, Mr. Norman McCracken. Mr. Venne and Mr. McCracken were well known antique dealers, with French’s Antique Shops located in Arizona, Maryland, Florida and Mississippi. Although retired, Derrick continued to attend antique shows until his recent illness. Prior to becoming an antique dealer, he was the proprietor of the "Highway Restaurant" on Route 9 South in Plattsburgh and "French’s Restaurant" in Phoenix, Ariz.

Mr. Venne was preceded in death by three sisters, Genevieve (Venne) Laundrie, Geraldine (Venne) Bedard and Lillian (Venne) Rabideau; and by one brother, Robert Venne.

Visiting hours will be Sunday, Feb. 10, 2002, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh. A private funeral service for the family will follow. Burial will be in the spring in St. Peter’s Cemetery.

Cadyville — Florence D. Pettis, 70, of Cadyville, died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2002, at her residence.

She was born in Cadyville on May 13, 1931, the daughter of Herbert Joseph and Delia (Rondeau) Rock.

She was a member of St. James Minor Church in Cadyville and was a religion teacher for several years.

She enjoyed crafts, cooking and spending time with her family.

She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Terry Waldron of Redford; four brothers and three sisters-in-law, Floyd Rock of Plattsburgh, Leonard and Eleanor Rock of Cadyville, Chester and Virginia Rock of Cadyville and Clifton and Beverly Rock of Cadyville; three sisters and a brother-in-law, Goldie and Orville Reid of Wallace Hill, Noma Rock of Texas, and Katherine Rock of Plattsburgh; a sister-in-law, Dorothy Rock of Morrisonville; three grandchildren, Ambrose Waldron, Ashley Waldron and April Waldron; a great-granddaughter, Alivia Waldron; 42 godchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Her husband, Gregg R. "Buster" Pettis, died March 15, 1996; two brothers, Gilbert and Clarence Rock, also died earlier.

Calling hours will be held on Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the O’Neill-Redden-Drown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday from St. James Minor Church in Cadyville. Interment will be in the parish cemetery in the spring.

Memorial donations may be made to the Cadyville Fire Department.

For directions and guest book) please visit www.legacy.com

Cape Canaveral, Fla. —

Helen O. Ellsbury, 80, a homemaker, died Saturday, Feb. 9, 2002.

Mrs. Ellsbury was born in Schuyler Falls, N.Y. She came to Brevard County in 1997 from Keeseville, N.Y.

She is survived by her husband, Roger Ellsbury of Cape Canaveral; a son, Roger Ellsbury Jr., of Bristol, Conn.; a sister, Virginia Sullivan of Keeseville, N.Y.; and several nieces and nephews.

Following cremation, she will be buried in Keeseville, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation, 4676 No. Wichkam Road, Melbourne, FL 32935.

Brevard Memorial Funeral Home in Frontenac, Fla., is in charge of arrangements.

PLATTSBURGH — Myrtle L. Peck, 95, formerly of Beekman Towers, died Saturday morning, Feb. 9, 2002, at the CVPH Medical Center.

She was born in Brasher Falls, of St. Lawrence County, N.Y., on July 26, 1906, the daughter of Henry and Charlotte (Hoxie) Flint.

In 1930, she married Kenneth H. Peck, who was a barber, living in Plattsburgh. He died in 1978.

Mrs. Peck was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Clio Club and the Towers Club.

She was a 1926 graduate of the Brushton Teachers Training Class. Mrs. Peck taught in several one room schools in that area, retiring from Moira Rural School in 1931.

Survivors include her son, Roger Peck and his wife Carol of New Orleans, La.; two nieces, Mrs. Gerald (Linda) Miller of Plattsburgh and Mrs. Charles (Donna) Gagliostro of Wrightstown, N.J.

Calling hours will be held on Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the R.W. Walker Funeral Home. A funeral service will follow the calling hours at 3 p.m. at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be at the Moira Cemetery in Moira, N.Y., in the spring.

Donations in her memory may be given to Hospice of the North Country.

Jean E. Byram-Higgins, 63, of Grass Valley, Calif., formerly of Saranac, died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2002, at the Sierra Nevada Hospital in Grass Valley.

She was born in Batavia, N.Y., on Dec. 18, 1938, the daughter of Ruth (Matot) Byram and the late Addison Byram.

Memorial services will be in Grass Valley at the convenience of the family. A graveside service will take place in the spring at the family plot in the Redford Hillside Cemetery.

Alfred Andrew Hart, 70, of Crystal River, Fla., and Country Gardens, Keeseville, N.Y., died Friday, Feb. 8, 2002, at Ocala Hospital in Ocala, Fla.

He was born in Keeseville, N.Y., on Sept. 11, 1931.

Burial will be at St. Johns Cemetery in Keeseville, N.Y. A memorial service will be held at the burial in the spring.

Funeral arrangements are with Hoopers Funeral Home in Inverness, Fla., and are incomplete at this time.

Helen R. Reyome, 79, of State Route 37 in Westville, passed away Saturday morning, Feb. 9, 2002, at the home of her daughter in Westville, while under the care of her family and Hospice of the North Country.

She was born in Ft. Covington on June 6, 1922, the daughter of the Iate George and Lillian (Brunelle) Gratton.

Calling hours will be Monday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. in the Cappiello-McKenzie and Cosgrove Funeral Home in Ft. Covington. Funeral services will be Tuesday, Feb. 12th. at 10 a.m. in the funeral home chapel, with the Rev. Kris Lauzon, pastor of St. Mary’s Church, officiating. Burial will be in the parish cemetery in the spring.