Published: 11/10/04

Peru and NorthField Falls, VT — Grace Florence Wright Tallman, 88, died Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004, at her son's home in Northfield Falls. She was born Feb. 27, 1916, in Saranac, N.Y., the daughter of Ernest Augustus and Mable Jane (Salls) Wright. She was a graduate of Cadyville High School, Class of 1933. She continued her education at Plattsburgh Normal School, now Plattsburgh Stale University, graduating in 1937.

She married Frederick Tallman in Saranac, N.Y., on July 12, 1942.

Mrs. Tallman was a school teacher at Saranac Central School from 1937 to 1942, the last three years as principal. She later joined Marriott Food Service, working at Plattsburgh State University. She received awards at the university for her dedicated service. Grace knew virtually all of the students by name. A special time of year was Christmas; Grace made extensive Christmas as well as many other holiday — decorations for the dining hall by hand.

She was a member of the Plattsburgh United Methodist Church.

Survivors include four sons, Dr. Frederick Ernest Tallman and his wife Charlotte of Northfield Falls, David James Tallman and his wife Margaret of Plattsburgh, N.Y., Alan Wright Tallman of Ft. Montgomery, N.Y., Richard Charles Tallman and his wife Louise of St. Albans, Vt.; one brother, James Cecil Wright of Cadyville, N.Y.; one sister, Genevieve Catherine Wright Bull of Saranac, N.Y.; eight grandchildren, Grace Marion Tallman Gooding of Huntington, W.Va., Charlene Ann Tallman McMannis of Williston, Vt., Leonard Fronhofer V of Hartford, N.Y., Mark Fronhofer of Franklin, Vt., Charles David Tallman of Plattsburgh, N.Y., Robert Edward Tallman of Plattsburgh, N.Y., Alison Tallman of West Nyack, N.Y., and Meredith Tallman of New City, N.Y.; four great-grandchildren, Evan Frederick Gooding, Christopher Nils Gooding, Cayla Amoreena Fiske-Fronhofer and Bethany Tate Fiske-Fronhofer; and several nieces and nephews.

She is predeceased by her husband, Frederick Tallman; three sisters, Bertha Gladys Wright, Mary Elizabeth Wright Cody and Edith Marguerite Wright Bull; three brothers, William Henry Wright, Charles Augustus Wright and Francis Ernest Wright; one grandson, Bruce Wright Tallman; and a grandnephew, Brock Ryan Wright.

There are no calling hours. A funeral service will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at the United Church of Northfield. Burial will take place Friday at 11 a.m. at Saranac Independence Cemetery in Saranac, N.Y., followed by a reception at the United Methodist Church in Plattsburgh at noon.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the United Church of Northfield Restoration Project, PO Box 188, Northfield, VT 05663 or the United Methodist Church, 127 Beekman St., Plattsburgh, NY 12901.

Kingston Funeral Home in Northfield, Vt., is in charge of the arrangements.

Plattsburgh — Rita Phillips Skarsten, 83, of West Court Street, Plattsburgh, died on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004, at her home, surrounded by her family. She was born in Union, N.J., on Dec. 27, 1920, daughter of Edward and Jennifer (Burns) Phillips.

Rita was a registered nurse at Tucson Medical Center, Plattsburgh Air Force Base Hospital, Champlain Valley Hospital and CVPH Medical Center.

Rita is survived by Albert B. Skarsten, her loving and devoted husband of 57 years; four children, Kathryn S. Meyer and her husband Robert of Plattsburgh, Susan S. Quenville and her husband Thomas of Poquoson, Va., Douglas Skarsten of Gilbert, Ariz., and Steven Skarsten of Plattsburgh; nine grandchildren, Jennifer, Joshua, Justin and Jeffrey Meyer, Alison, Matthew and David Quenville, Douglas Jr. and Albert Skarsten.

Funeral services will be private.

The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation for all the kind thoughts and deeds Rita received during her final months.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of the North Country.

Arrangements with Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh.

Wilmington — Richard M. Ano, 27, of Bonnie View Road, Wilmington, passed into the arms of the Lord on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004, at the Fletcher-Allen Hospital, Burlington, Vt.

He was born July 7, 1977, in Homestead, Fla., the son of Richard N. and Janet (Winch) Ano.

He was employed at Whiteface Mountain, Wilmington, for Service America and he was also employed at Desperatos in Lake Placid. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed landscaping, skiing, four-wheeling and camping. He enjoyed going to the car races and spending time with his nephews.

He had the latest technology with his computer; he loved taking pictures with his digital camera and his special friend was his dog, King.

Ricky was survived by his parents, Richard N. Ano and Janet Booth of Wilmington; two sisters, Amy Ano of Lake Placid and Jessica Ano of Wilmington; a brother, Trevor Ano of Fort Stewart, Ga.; two nephews, Carter and Cooper Grady of Wilmington; his grandmother, Flora May Winch of Wilmington; great-grandmother, Agnes Santor of Keeseville; and several aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Rick was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Sandra and Nelson Ano; and his maternal grandfather, Robert Winch Sr.

There were no calling hours. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Margaret’s Church, Wilmington, on Friday at 10 a.m.

Memorials to Ricky may be made to the Wilmington Fire and Rescue Service, Wilmington, NY 12997.

Zaumetzer-Sprague Funeral Home are in charge of arrangements.

Plattsburgh — Rita U. Hahn, 82, of Plattsburgh, died Monday, Nov. 8, 2004, at the Meadowbrook Heathcare Facility in Plattsburgh.

She was born in Redford on Aug. 4, 1922, the daughter of Louis and Ursula (Supernant) Racette.

She enjoyed embroidery, reading, watching westerns on television and being with her family.

She is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Gary and Tamara Hahn of Gorham, Maine, Tanley and Carolyn Hahn of Keeseville and Larry and Susan Hahn of Plattsburgh; two daughters and sons-in-law, Jeanne and John Bennink of Plattsburgh and Gail and Harris Kagan of Foxboro, Mass.; a brother, Jerry Racette of Redford; three sisters and a brother-in-law, Sister Agnes Racette of Our Lady of Victory Convent, Plattsburgh, Olive and Reginald Burdo of Beekmantown and Genevieve Strong of Virginia; five grandchildren, Gary Hahn Jr., Lee Anna Hahn, Gerald Kagan, Tara Nelson and Jeffrey Cross; and a great-grandson, Alexander Nelson.

Three brothers, Bernard, Armond and Roland Racette; and a sister, Bernadette Hughes, died before her.

Calling hours and funeral services will be held at the convenience of the family.

Interment will be in St. Peter's Cemetery in Plattsburgh.

Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of the North Country.

The O’Neill-Redden-Drown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh is in charge of arrangements.

Hobe Sound, Fla./Willsboro — Peter S. Paine, aged 95, of 240 South Beach Rd., Hobe Sound, Fla., born July 5, 1909, at Flat Rock Camp, Willsboro, N.Y., died Oct. 26, 2004, at his Willsboro seasonal home, Boquette Farm. During his active business career, he also maintained a town house in Manhattan. Physically and mentally vigorous to the very end, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, dying under the "woodcock moon" surrounded by his wife of 71 years, Ellen Lea Paine, his immediate family and his beloved Norwich terrier, Rosie. Services and interment were private. His ashes were buried adjacent to the family dog cemetery between his home and Lake Champlain.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son, Peter S. Paine Jr. of Willsboro; three grandchildren, Peter S. Paine III of Princeton, N.J., Lea Paine Highet of Manhattan and Alexander Gibson Paine of Willsboro and San Francisco; five great-grandchildren; his sister, Francisca Paine Irwin of Essex; plus numerous collateral relatives across the country.

A graduate of Kent School and Princeton, class of 1932, he served in Army Air Force Intelligence in the Pacific, joining the staff of the Air Force Commander, General "Hap" Arnold, in Washington in 1944. Following the war, he took over as President of the New York and Pennsylvania Paper Company, founded in Willsboro by his grandfather, "Col." Augustus G. Paine and father, Augustus G. Paine Jr. In 1961, after the sale of NYPEN, he became CEO of Great Northern Nekoosa Corporation (of which his grandfather was a founding shareholder and director), serving in that capacity until his retirement in 1975. During his tenure, GNN was transformed from a small, Maine-based newsprint company to a Fortune 500 enterprise with major mills throughout the south and in central Wisconsin.

A director of: the Irving Trust Company, (for over 40 years), Consolidated Edison, Continental Insurance Company, the Delaware and Hudson Railroad and the Curtis Publishing Company, he was also a Trustee of the Astor Foundation, the Bodmin Foundation and President of the Museum of the City of New York.

Upon his retirement from GNN, he became Chairman of the Juilliard School of Music for 10 years, which later awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.

In the North Country, he served for over 50 years as a director and Chairman of Champlain National Bank, Willsboro, founded in the early years of the 20th century by his father and other residents of Willsboro, Westport and Elizabethtown. He was also a Trustee of Fort Ticonderoga, (at the time of his appointment, one of only two non-Pell family members) and of the Paine Memorial Free Library in Willsboro. Under his leadership, his family has provided long term support for several other North Country institutions, chief among them the Smith House Health Care Center in Willsboro and the CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh, as well as the Willsboro Golf Course and the Willsboro School Athletic Fields. In the final days of his life, his resources permitted the acquisition of an important portrait of William Gilliland (the original settler of Willsboro), for the joint benefit of Fort Ticonderoga and the Willsboro Heritage Society.

A vigorous outdoorsman, he was an accomplished horseman, fly fisherman and bird hunter. Deeply committed to the conservation of the farms and forests of his native Champlain Valley, he was equally concerned with the economic and social well being of the residents of the area.

An early supporter of the Adirondack Nature Conservancy/Adirondack Land Trust, he and his family (notably his son, his sister and his nephew, Hugh E. Paine Jr.) donated conservation easements covering some 1,350 acres and almost six miles of shoreline on the Lake and the lower Boquet River. The Paine family was also closely involved in the conservation of: Split Rock Mountain, Coon Mountain, Noblewood Park and Nature Preserve and the Big Woods ANC project on the lower Boquet River. He was also a founding partner of Highland Forests which, in the late 1960s, conserved 5,000 acres at the Highlands as a working forest, much of which remains open for public use and enjoyment, including the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain.

In all he and his family have contributed in varying ways to the conservation of some 10,000 acres of land in the Valley (of which 7,500 acres remain as working fields and forests) and over sixteen miles of shoreline.

A kind gentleman with a sparkling wit, he will be deeply missed by his family, colleagues and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to: The Adirondack Nature Conservancy/Adirondack Land Trust in Keene Valley, Fort Ticonderoga in Ticonderoga, Paine Memorial Free Library and the Smith House Health Care Center in Willsboro or CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh.

"If you seek his monument, look around you."

Rochester, Vt. — It breaks our hearts to lose you, but you didn't go alone, for part of us went with you, the day God called you home. Gone from our presence, but not from our hearts.

Muriel Hutchins Eaton, 90, of Rochester, Vt., passed away in the loving embrace of her family at Hope Hospice in Fort Myers, Fla., on Nov. 5, 2004.

She was born in Granville, Vt., on Sept. 16, 1914, one of ten children born to the late Edith and Edward Hutchins.

On March 20, 1936, she married John Eaton of Hancock, Vt., who preceded her in death, September 1973.

Cooking was her great passion. She loved baking cookies, muffins, donuts, pies and cakes, giving them away to family and friends. She owned and operated the Rochester Inn for many years. People came from miles around to taste her home cooking.

She loved music, it came to her naturally. She sang beautiful harmony, played the electric organ and a rhythm stick that her father had made especially for her.

She was a loving mother and an adoring grandmother. She loved life and lived for her family.

She was a member of the Eastern Star and the Hancock Methodist Church. She supported many charities. She was always there to lend a helping hand to those in need.

She is survived by her daughters, Carol Eaton of Fort Myers and Mary Brothers and son-in-law Richard Brothers of Waitsfield, Vt.

She leaves to cherish her memory grandchildren and great grandchildren, Kim and Baron Cohen, Kelly, Billy and Cody Cannon, Neil Johnson, Lyle, Alison and Max Johnson, John Pollock, Crystal Bedard, Philip and Kerri Bedard, Anne Fontana and sons Carter and Kirk, Sarah, Macall and Robbie Meslin.

She is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Gordon and Martha Hutchins; her sister, Lucille Huntley; and many nieces and nephews.

Contributions may be made in her memory to Hope Hospice and Palliative Care, 9470 Healthpark Circle, Fort Myers, FL 33908.

Services to celebrate her life will be held at the Rochester Federated Church, Rochester, Vt., on Nov. 17, 2004 at 10:30 a.m.

Kevin J. Mandy of Windy Hill Road, Moriah, died Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004, at his home.

He was born in Ticonderoga on April 3, 1949, the son of John and Nina (Witherbee) Mandy.

There will be no calling hours. Funeral services will be held at the convenience of the family.

The Harland Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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