Obituaries: 12/05/05

Beatrice Nelson Rathbun

TICONDEROGA -- Beatrice "Bea" Nelson Rathbun, 99, of Ticonderoga, died Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005, at the Moses-Ludington Hospital in Ticonderoga.

She was born Nov. 30, 1906, in West Pawlet, Vt., the daughter of Bert and Bertha (Barden) Nelson.

She graduated from West Pawlet High School, received a degree from the Chicago School of Nursing, and worked as a private duty nurse in the Granville-Salem area prior to her marriage to Howard W. Rathbun Sr. of Granville, N.Y., on Nov. 5, 1931.

Before moving to Ticonderoga in 1940 to help her husband establish Rathbun Jewelers, Bea was employed at H.E. Hemenway Jewelers, Westfield, N.Y., on Lake Erie, where her husband was manager.

Bea was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Ticonderoga where she taught Sunday School and weekday religious-education classes for many years. She was a member of the Moses-Ludington Hospital Auxiliary and volunteered as a Cub Scout leader. Her main priorities were always her family and her home. She will lovingly be remembered as a very cheerful, kind and gracious lady who was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, friend and neighbor.

In her later years, she spent endless hours crocheting afghans to give as gifts or to donate to charity fundraisers.

She was pre-deceased by her newborn baby daughter, Helen Marie, in 1941; her husband of 62 years in 1993; her parents; one sister, Marion Hughes; and two brothers, Barden Nelson and Glenn Nelson, of West Pawlet, Vt.

Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Howard Jr. and Susan Rathbun of Ticonderoga; two grandsons and their spouses, David and Gillian Rathbun of Killington, Vt., and Darin and Kristin Rathbun of Chandler, Ariz.; four great-granddaughters, Blake, Paget, Madison, and Remington Rathbun; and several nieces and cousins.

At Bea's request, there will be no calling hours.

A service to celebrate Bea's life will be conducted at the First United Methodist Church, Wicker St., Ticonderoga at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7, with the Rev. Prudence Bertolino, officiating. A reception and buffet lunch will immediately follow the memorial service in the church hall.

Interment will take place at the Rathbun family plot at the Mettowe Valley Cemetery in Granville.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the First United Methodist Church, Wicker St., Ticonderoga, NY 12883 or to High Peaks Hospice, P.O. Box 195, Mineville, NY 12956.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Wilcox & Regan Funeral Home of Ticonderoga.

Ramona M. Secore

CROMWELL, Conn. -- Ramona M. Secore, 66, of South St., Cromwell, and formerly of Hopevalley, R.I., beloved wife of Donald E. Secore, died on Saturday at the Middlesex Hospital.

Born on Feb. 13, 1939, in Lyon Mountain, daughter of the late Pedro and Beaula (Laflelsh) Corral. Besides her husband, she is survived by her loving family: four sons and daughters-in-law, Donald J. Imelda Secore of Cromwell, Kevin and Linda Secore of Middletown, Kenny and Terrie Secore of Cromwell, Danny and Janice Secore of Glastonbury; two brothers, Pedro Corral of Peru and Joseph Corral of Dannemora; eight grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home at 491 High St., Middletown. Burial will be in West Cemetery, Cromwell. Friends may call at the funeral home from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to Middlesex Hospice Unit c/o Development Office, 55 Crescent St., Middletown, CT 06457.

Brother Roland A. Gaudette

PLATTSBURGH -- Brother Roland A. Gaudette, 71, a Brother of Christian Instruction for 53 years, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005, at CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh.

He was born in Lowell, Mass., on May 15, 1934, son of the late Armand and Emelia (Richard) Gaudette.

Brother Roland was a teacher at St. Peter's in Plattsburgh in 1954; a teacher at Mount Assumption Institute in Plattsburgh in 1956; a teacher at Denis Hall in Alfred, Maine, in 1957; superior and principal at Denis Hall in 1959; a teacher at MAI in 1966; principal at Denis Hall in 1970; novice in Rome, Italy, in 1973; teacher at MAI in 1978; vocation director at the Provincialate in Alfred in 1978; superior and principal at Denis Hall in 1979; dean of resident students at MAI in 1980; director general at Notre Dame in Alfred in 1981; assistant principal at MAI in 1982; principal at St. Peter's in 1983; novice in Rome in 1987; teacher and campus minister at MAI/Seton Catholic in 1987; pastoral associate in Farmington, Maine, in 1991; teacher at Seton Catholic in 1991; pastoral associate at St. Joseph's in Treadwells Mill in 1993; principal and superior at St. Alexander's in Morrisonville in 1997; and pastoral associate in Plattsburgh in 1999.

Brother Roland is survived by a sister, Fernande Gaudette of Plattsburgh, and several cousins.

Calling hours will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 tonight at St. Joseph's Church in Treadwells Mill. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 9 a.m. Tuesday from St. Alexander's Church in Morrisonville. Evening prayer services will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Notre Dame Chapel in Alfred, Maine. A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Wednesday at Notre Dame Chapel in Alfred with burial to follow in Brother's Cemetery.

Donations in Brother Roland's memory may be made to St. Joseph's Church in Treadwells Mill.

Deaths: 

RICHARD (MONTE) ISSETT, 82, of AuSable Forks, died Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005, at the Elizabethtown Community Hospital in Elizabethtown.

He was born April 30, 1923, in AuSable Forks, the son of Imen and Nan (Thomas) Issett. Funeral arrangements are incomplete. A complete obituary will follow.

Zaumetzer-Sprague Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

JOSEPH A. ISABELLA, 66, of Lake Clear, died Saturday, Dec. 3, 2005, at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington.

He was born March 28, 1939, in Rotterdam Junction, N.Y.

Private family services will be held.

The Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake is in charge of arrangements.