Obituaries Archives — The Altamont Enterprise, May 28, 2009
Marietta Croote
WESTERLO — Marietta Croote was a homemaker and a devoted and loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She died on Sunday, May 17, 2009, at The Good Samaritan Lutheran Healthcare Center in Delmar where she had lived for the last several years. She was 97.
She was born in Schenectady, on May 19, 1911, the daughter of the late James B. and Anna M. (Champlin) Lambert.
She lived in Westerlo and was a member in the past of the Hiawatha Grange, the Hilltown Seniors and the First Baptist Church of Westerlo.
Her husband, Lawton Croote, died before her as did a step-daughter, Nellie Van Patten, and a brother , James Austin Lambert.
She is survived by her children, James T. Croote and his wife, Faye, Alan Croote and his wife, Susan, Marietta Brush and her husband, Chester, and Isabella Rennick and her husband, Gordon; her step-children, Lawton Croote Jr. and Anna Berger; 18 grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; 38 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held today, May 21, at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Westerlo. Interment will follow in the Westerlo Rural Cemetery. Arrangements are by the Cunningham Funeral Home of Greenville.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church in Westerlo or the Good Samaritan Lutheran Healthcare Center.
Dolores H. Weaver Langer
ALTAMONT — Dolores H. Weaver, a nurse and mother, died on May 19, 2009. She was 87.
She was born in Somerville, Mass., to the late Arthur and Lucy Cooper.
Mrs. Langer served in the United States Navy as a nurse during World War II. She worked as a registered nurse at the Guilderland Center nursing home.
She was a member of the Altamont Senior Citizens, a lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Lucy’s church, and a member of the Boyd Hilton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post Ladies Auxiliary.
She is survived by her children, Carol Walsh and her husband, Robert, Mary Eibe and her husband, Eugene, Patricia Cody, and her husband, Kevin, and George Weaver; grandchildren Sarah and her husband, Joseph, Victoria and her husband, Christopher, Brendan and his wife, Parrish, Michele, Erin, Danielle, and Michael; and, great-granddaughter Madeleine;
She is also survived by her stepchildren Richard Langer and his wife, Becky, Robert Langer and his wife, Carol, and Mary White and her husband, Eddie; step-grandchildren Molly, Kurt, Todd, Jason, Heidi, Jennifer, and Elizabeth; brothers Arthur, Paul, Frances, and Richard Cooper; sister Sydney Lee; and dear friends Kim, Nicole, and Collin Edick, and Lee Capauano.
A Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., on Friday, May 22, at St. Lucy’s Roman Catholic church. Friends may call from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont, N.Y., today, May 21. Interment will be in Fairview Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
L. Jane Ronan
ALTAMONT — L. Jane Ronan, a life-long Guilderland resident, was a teaching assistant and a loving wife and mother. She died on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, of heart failure.
She was born May 6, 1922 in Albany to the late Harmon and Anna Louise Vedder.
She was employed by the New York Telephone Company early in her career and later was employed by the Guilderland School District as a teaching assistant in a special education classroom.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 58 years, Newton Ronan.
She is also survived by her children, Gail Kidder and her husband, Stewart; Deborah McKee and her husband, Kevin; and Martha Davis and her husband, Bud; her grandchildren Michael, Jason, and Adam Wroblewski; Anna and Maggie McKee; Alison Davis, Rebecca (Davis) Flynn, Megan (Davis) Scott, and Karrie Davis and her husband, Brett; her great-grandchildren Maeve and Liam Wroblewski; Alexis and Jacklyn Flynn, Aiden Rossman and Gavin Davis.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Neil Mitnick for his many years of caring and personal attention to the family, and to thank the staff of St. Peter’s Hospital for its care and compassion during her stay there.
A memorial service was conducted at 3 p.m. at the Altamont Reformed Church on Sunday, May 17. Arrangements were by the Fredendall Funeral Home of Altamont.
Margaret “Peg” L. Shultes
BERNE — While Margaret Shultes was best known as the face of Berne-Knox-Westerlo Elementary School, she was also a great camper and a housewife who liked to knit and read, her husband said.
On May 18, 2009, she died at her home in Berne after a long illness, with her family around her. She was 74.
Mrs. Shultes was the secretary at BKW Elementary School, where she was employed for 30 years. She was also a life member of the Berne Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, a member of the First Reformed Church of Schenectady, and a member of the First Reformed Church of Berne.
“She absolutely loved being Berne-Knox-Westerlo’s elementary secretary,” said her husband, Arthur Shultes. “She really enjoyed it very immensely.”
Mrs. Shultes and her husband met as juniors in high school at Berne-Knox.
“We went together through senior year,” her husband said. “As soon as we came back from the New York City trip after graduation, we were married in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Berne.”
The wedding took place on July 5, 1953. They were married for 55 years.
A lifelong resident of Berne, Mrs. Shultes had a long-lasting friendship with Helen Lounsbury, with whom she attended the Berne-Knox School.
“I think she was known for her kindness,” said Mrs. Lounsbury, now president of the BKW School Board.
“She was this cute, peppy little cheerleader, and her husband-to-be was on the basketball team,” Lounsbury said, recalling their days in high school. “They’ve always been very community-minded,” she added.
As secretary for BKW’s elementary school, Mrs. Shultes helped to make the office a very warm and welcoming place, Mrs. Lounsbury said.
“She had an amazing memory that was perfect for her job,” said Mrs. Lounsbury. “She never had to look up a phone number; she would always know everyone’s numbers. She knew the names of every family, every child. If you ever had a question about anyone or anything that happened in Berne-Knox-Westerlo, you’d go to Peg. She was just so dedicated to the school.”
****
Mrs. Shultes is survived by her husband, Arthur I. Shultes; her daughter, Cathy Allen and her husband, Robert; her sons, Kevin Shultes and his wife, Christine, of Rotterdam; and Kyle Shultes, and his wife, Paula, of Williamson, N.Y.; her grandchildren, Timothy and his wife, Amanda; Jessica Allen; Shaun Allen; Stacey Shultes; Shannon Shultes; Kendall Shultes; Allison Shultes; and Meredith Shultes; her sister, Elizabeth Emory of Albany; and many nieces and nephews.
Her five brothers and her sister died before her: James Swint, William Swint, Franklin Swint, Giles Swint, Paul Swint, and Agatha Swint Porter.
A funeral service will be conducted at 10 a.m. today, May 21, 2009, at the First Reformed Church of Berne, followed by interment in Woodlawn Cemetery. Arrangements are by the Fredendall Funeral Home of Altamont.
The Berne Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary service was held at 7:30 p.m. last night.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School District, care of Ellen Grasek, at 1738 Helderberg Trail, Berne, N.Y. 12023.
— Zach Simeone
Graveside Service — John R. Breckenridge
WEST BERNE — John R. Breckenridge, died on Dec. 23, 2008. His body will be interred on Saturday, May 23, 2009 at noon at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Berne. Arrangements are being handled by Fredendall Funeral Home of Altamont.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Altamont Reformed Church, Good Samaritan Fund, Post Office Box 671, Altamont, NY 12009 or a charity of their choice.