Published: 02/12/05

MOOERS — Helen J. Garrison, 78, of Cedar Hedge Nursing Home and formerly of Mooers, died Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005, at the CVPH Medical Center.

She was born in Jersey City, N.J., on June 5, 1926, the daughter of Paul and Grace (Simon) Smith.

Helen married Richard M. Garrison in Jersey City in 1948. Mr. Garrison died Feb. 7, 1984.

She was a Formal Warden Vestry Member of Christ and St. John's Episcopal Church in Champlain and active in the Episcopal Diocese in Albany.

She was president of the Hazlet, N.J., Education Association; a member of the Order of the Eastern Star in New Jersey; Old Village, N.J. Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary; Literacy Volunteers; Friends of the Library in Mooers; the Mooers Land Use Committee and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Mrs. Garrison graduated from New York University and Monmouth College with a masters degree in education. She retired from teaching in the Hazlet, N.J., school system in 1984 after teaching middle school for many years. She then moved to Mooers to retire and was a substitute teacher at Northeastern Clinton Central School District.

Survivors include one daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Fewster and her husband Allan of Mooers; one grandchild, Mark Fewster of Mooers; one sister-in-law, Joan Higgins of Monroe Township, N.J.; one niece, Elizabeth Coffin and her husband Bill and their children; and one nephew, Dr. Lindley Higgins of Washington, D.C.

Calling hours will be held on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the R.W. Walker Funeral Home in Plattsburgh.

A funeral service will be held on Monday at 10 a.m. at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Plattsburgh.

Burial will be at a later date in the Fairview Cemetery in Middletown, N.J.

Memorial donations may be made to the Mooers Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad or the Mooers Free Library.

Merrill — Adrian "Din" Baker, 87, of Blanche Road, Merrill, died Feb. 10, 2005, at CVPH Medical Center, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Born in Sciota, N.Y., on Aug. 25, 1917, he was the son of Walter and Anna (Sorrell) Baker.

He was married to Gladys Nelson Baker on April 26, 2002, in Brainardsville United Methodist Church by Rev. Eleanor Bellows.

Mr. Baker is survived by his wife of Merrill; three stepchildren, Russell and Charlotte Nelson of Malone, N.Y., Timothy and Nancy Nelson of Orlando, Fla., and Jean and LeRoy Hoff of Eagle River, Alaska; a brother, Paul Baker of Lyon Mountain, N.Y.; four sisters, Bernice and Thomas Trottier of Merrill, N.Y., Theresa and Richard Fitzgerald of Massena, N.Y., Marion and Wilbur Burdo of Cadyville, N.Y., and Vivian and Rowland Fournier of Ellenburg Depot, N.Y.; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Beatrice Gonyea and Rayaw Pepin; and a brother, Lawrence Baker.

Mr. Baker served in the U.S. Army from July 15, 1941 to Oct. 27, 1945, when he was honorably discharged. He was employed by Republic Steel in Lyon Mountain, then Mineville.

Calling hours will be held at Lyon Mountain Funeral Home (St. Bernard's Convent) on Sunday, Feb. 13th, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Feb. 14th, in Lyon Mountain Funeral Home with Rev. Ken Davis of the Lyon Mountain United Methodist Church officiating.

Spring burial will take place at Lyon Mountain Protestant Cemetery, Lyon Mountain.

Donations in his memory may be made to Lyon Mountain Fire and Rescue.

Arrangements are with the Chateaugay Funeral Home.

Ogdensburg — Rev. Monsignor William James Argy, 90, died on Thursday evening, Feb. 10, 2005, at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg, N.Y. He had been admitted to the hospital earlier that day after falling at the Cathedral Rectory, where he lived for the past 14 years.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary's Cathedral in Ogdensburg on Tuesday, Feb. 15th, at 11 a.m. Most Rev. Robert J. Cunningham, Bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, will preside at the funeral Liturgy with the priests of the Diocese concelebrating. Rev. Monsignor John K. Murphy, Moderator of the Curia and Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Services, will be the homilist.

Calling hours will be held at Fox-McLellan Funeral Home, 528 Franklin St., Ogdensburg, on Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m. and on Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. The body will then be transferred to St. Mary's Cathedral at 6:45 p.m., where evening prayer will be offered at 7 p.m. Rev. Monsignor Harry K. Snow, Dean of St. Lawrence Deanery and Rev. Terry R. LaVallly, Rector of the Cathedral, will preside. Calling hours will continue at the Cathedral until 9 p.m. Spring burial will take place at Campbell Cemetery in Lisbon.

Monsignor Argy was born on Dec. 5, 1914, in Niagara Falls, N.Y., the son of the late William J. and Mary (Brady) Argy. His family moved to the North Country, where his father was employed in the paper mill industries. Monsignor Argy studied at public schools in Black River, Brownville and Lyons Falls. He graduated from Lyons Falls High School in 1931 and spent the next year in graduate studies. Monsignor Argy began his studies for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall Seminary in 1932. He attended the Grand Seminary in Montreal for one year and completed his theological studies at St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto in 1940. Monsignor Argy was ordained to the priesthood on June 9, 1940, by His Eminence James Cardinal McGuigan, Archbishop of Toronto, in the chapel at St. Augustine's Seminary.

Following his ordination, Monsignor Argy served as assistant pastor at St. Bernard's Church in Saranac Lake. In 1945, he was transferred to St. James Church in Gouverneur. From 1947 until 1950, he served at Holy Family Church in Watertown. Monsignor Argy became secretary to Bishop McEntegart and Assistant Chancellor of the Diocese of Ogdensburg on Jan. 10, 1950. On Dec. 18, 1951, he was appointed Chancellor. He was named a Papal Chamberlain on Aug. 7, 1953, and a Domestic Prelate on Jan. 1, 1957.

Monsignor Argy was named Administrator of St. Mary's Cathedral on April 14, 1959. He served as pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Malone from 1961 to 1966, when he was appointed pastor of Holy Family Church in Watertown. Six years later, he became pastor of St. Mary's Church in Potsdam, where he remained until his retirement in 1990.

For a short time, he lived in retirement at St. Martin's Church in Port Leyden. From 1991 to 2003, Monsignor Argy served as pastor of Saints Philip & James Church in Lisbon, working with Sister Marie Therese Bugge, OSU, who served as Pastoral Administrator until 1994, and then with Sister Joan Marie Casey, RSM, who remains in service as Pastoral Delegate. Even in his last retirement, Monsignor Argy served as Special Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral Parish, where he was active in home visitation, the Legion of Mary, hospital and nursing home ministry and regular day-to-day parish life.

Monsignor Argy was honored last December on his 90th birthday with a "90 Cake Salute" held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Ogdensburg. Hundreds of his friends and family were on hand to celebrate with him.

In addition to his parish assignments, Monsignor Argy served the Diocese as a Consultor, as Dean of Jefferson Deanery and as a member of the Continuing Education of the Clergy Committee. A true man of the Church, Monsignor Argy was rightly held in very high regard by each of the bishops he served, as well as by the priests, religious and faithful of the Diocese.

Two sisters survive him, Mrs. Mary Agnes Hogan of Niagara Falls and Sister Mary William Argy, SSJ, of Watertown. He is also survived by nieces and nephews, John Hogan, Margaret Hogan, Cathy Hogan, Teresa Tagliarini and Anna Carstensen.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a brother, Richard Argy; and a sister, Sister Margaret Argy, OSU.

Memorial contributions may be made to Seaway Valley Right to Life, Saint Marguerite d'Youville Academy (Ogdensburg) or the St. Vincent DePaul Society of St. Mary's Cathedral.

Elizabeth A. "Beth" Fee, 48, of Plattsburgh, died Feb. 11, 2005, at the CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh.

She was born in Malone on March 19, 1956, the daughter of the late James and Katherine (South) Fee.

Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by the Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh.

Kathleen "Kathy" Lewkowicz, 44, of 1115 State Rte 122, Constable, N.Y., died Feb. 10, 2005, at the home of Reba McFaul, where she had been a resident since 1977.

She was born Aug. 17, 1960, in Port Chester, N.Y., the daughter of Charles and Mary Ellen (Besso) Lewkowicz.

Calling hours will be Monday from 10 a.m. to noon in St. Francis of Assisi Church, Constable. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Monday at noon in St. Francis of Assisi Church. Spring burial will take place in St. Francis of Assisi Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are through St. Mary-Murphy Funeral Home, Inc.

Katherine Middletown, 91, of Prospect Avenue, Plattsburgh, and formerly of St. Elmore Street, Wallkill, N.Y., died Feb. 11, 2005, at Meadowbrook Nursing Home.

She was born in New York, N.Y., on June 5, 1913, the daughter of Newton and Katherine (Haudwerker) Kraft.

There will be no public calling hours or funeral service. Burial will take place at a later date in The Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The R.W. Walker Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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