Milestones

Births

• In Keene, N.H., (Cheshire Medical Center), March 15, 2013, a son, Odhran Wyatt, to Min­hwa Luetschwager and Shane Whittaker of Bondville.

College news

• Ignazio Macaluso of Brattleboro is one of 43 senior Graphic Design students at Keene State College who will be presenting their design portfolios at a student show on Friday, April 19, from 3-7 p.m., at the Lloyd P. Young Student Center. The show provides an opportunity for area employers to connect with students who will be entering the workforce this summer, and also offers the public a chance to view designs and talk with students.

Awards

• Kathleen M. McGraw, M.D. of Montague, Mass., has been honored by her physician peers of the Franklin District Medical Society as the district society's 2013 Community Clinician of the Year, an honor recognizing her professionalism and contributions as a physician. Board certified in internal medicine, Dr. McGraw is the Chief Medical Officer at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Prior to joining Brattleboro Memorial, she was Medical Director of the Hospitalist Program at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Mass. Dr. McGraw will receive the award at the District Society's annual meeting Thursday, April 25, at the Hotel Northampton in Northampton, Mass.

• Windham County Sheriff's Department Deputy First Class Melissa Martin recently presented a check for $428.80 to Putney Family Services. The money was raised at an all-you-can-eat Southern-style country breakfast that Martin hosted on March 24 at the Putney Diner. The money will help support scholarships for the OASIS After School Program at the Putney Central School.

Obituaries

• Pearl Doucette Bingham, 86, of Rockingham. Died April 5 at her home. Wife of the late Leonard Bingham. Mother of Richard Bingham of Troy, N.H., Edward Bingham of Enfield, N.H., and Pamela Adams of Sutton, Mass. Sister of Joseph Doucette of Hinsdale, N.H., Olga Gauthier of Henniker, N.H., and the late John and Edmund Doucette, Nellie Cushman, and Helen O'Neill. Born in Saranac Lake, N.Y., the daughter of the late Joseph and Anna (Minney) Doucette, she attended schools in Arlington, Vt., and Hinsdale, N.H., and worked for American Optical, First National Store, and the Walpole IGA. She was a long standing member of the Christian Community Church of Athens. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 20, at 2 p.m. at the Community Christian Church in Athens. A private burial ceremony will be held at a later date at the Vermont Veterans Cemetery in Randolph. Donations to the Community Christian Church in Athens, or to the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire.

• Ellen (Griswold) Carleton, 75, of Londonderry. Died April 5, following a brief illness. Wife of the late Maynard “Mike” Carleton for nearly 58 years. Mother of Michael Carleton and his wife, Debbie, of Londonderry; Earle Carleton of Asheville, N.C.; Teresa Johnson of Chester; Nancy Goodrich and her husband, Scott, of Springfield; and the late Douglas Carleton. Sister of Lois Alexander of South Londonderry, Doris Forbes of Andover, and the late Richard Griswold and Betty Beattie. Born in Bellows Falls, the daughter of the late Lester and Joan (Winot) Griswold, she received her education in Chester, and worked at Stoddard's Restaurant in Londonderry. She and her husband, the love of her life, were inseparable, whether it was spending time with their children and families or playing golf with their many friends at Tater Hill Country Club. Their deaths occurred just nine days apart. Memorial information: A celebration of the Carleton's life together will be held Saturday, April 27, at 2 p.m. at the Londonderry Congregational Church. Donations to Neighborhood Connection, P.O. Box 207, Londonderry, VT 05148, or Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad, Londonderry, VT 05148.

• Florence Jean Curtis, 70, of Bellows Falls, formerly of Claremont, N.H. Died April 5 at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., following a period of failing health. Daughter of the John H., Sr. and Adeline (Maranville) Curtis. Sister of the late Charles and John Curtis, Alma Lord, and Mabel Hurd. Born in Springfield, she had been employed as a custodian by Hemphill Power & Light in Georges Mills, N.H. She was a member of the First Congregational Church. Memorial information: Funeral services were held April 10 at the Roy Funeral Home in Claremont. Interment will be later in the spring in Maple Grove Cemetery in East Wallingford, Vt. Donations to The Gathering Place, 30 Terrace Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301.

• Mary Gordon Dunham, 87, of Brattleboro. Died April 5 in Shelburne, Vt., at The Arbors residential care home to which she had moved recently due to a decline in her health and to be close to her immediate Vermont family. Prior to her move to Shelburne, she had lived at Holton Home in Brattleboro for the year following the death in November 2011 of her husband of 63 years, Dr. Philip Dunham. Mother of Jeffrey Gordon Dunham and his wife, Betsy Emmel, of Starksboro; Steven Philip Dunham and wife, Cindy Friel, of Fairfax; Craig Thomas Dunham of Ithaca, N.Y.; and Scott Thayer Dunham and his wife, Mari Ostendorf of Seattle. Born in Trenton, N.J., the daughter of the late Clarence Gordon and Fannie Prince, her mother died when she was 8. Her father remarried three years later to Edith Sigler and they moved to Montclair, N.J. She spent her summers at Camp Wilson, a boys' YMCA camp on an island in the Delaware River where her father was director. The focus of her father's program was learning about natural things and making things with them. This instilled a lifelong love of creating art from natural things. She completed high school in Montclair, graduated from Hood College in Frederick, Md., and did graduate work at Penn State College. While working in Virginia Beach after her graduation from Hood College, she met her future husband, who was stationed there as a naval dentist. After starting their family, the Dunhams began homesteading in what were then the natural woods on New England Drive. When their first house grew too small for their expanding family, they built a larger home further into the woods on Timber Lane. When they needed more room, they moved to a farm on Upper Dummerston Road, which remained their home for the rest of their lives. The Dunhams shared their love of the outdoors and sports, including skiing, tennis, swimming, boating, and camping, with their sons and with the community. She was a Girl Scout and Mariner leader for six years and ran a Brownie day camp for three summers. She was a Cub Scout Den Mother for all her boys. She was the Fresh Air Fund Chairman for five years. She was active in the Garden Club and Flower show for over 10 years. The Dunhams were very active in the Brattleboro Outing Club. Together, they served as BOC tennis chairs for 15 years. They ran the BOC cross country program for 10 years and later ran a downhill ski lesson program for Brattleboro school children at Living Memorial Park. Many Brattleboro youth were supplied with their first pair of skis by the Dunhams. After all of her own children were in school, she took courses in remedial reading and learning disabilities at Keene State and became a Chapter 1 special education teacher. For 22 years, she helped Brattleboro area children with special needs learn to read. She loved working with the children and often took them on outings or to the family home. She continued to do private tutoring for six years after retiring from the school system. She helped many area youth get off to a good start through her creative and energetic efforts. She loved nature, the out-of-doors, flowers, going for a walk in the woods. Many area friends will remember her for beautiful wreathes and decorations she made from green or dried flowers, wood, pine cones, shells and other natural materials. As an active life-long member of All Souls Unitarian Universalist church in West Brattleboro, she was for many years responsible for greens and decorations for the annual Church Fair and cared for the church gardens and plants. For 50 years, she regularly provided floral decorations year round for Sunday services. Memorial information: A celebration of her life will take place on Saturday, April 20, at 3 p.m., at All Soul's Church in West Brattleboro. Donations to Brattleboro Outing Club Educational Foundation/Phil and Mary Dunham Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1383, Brattleboro, VT 05302, or the All Souls Church Remembrance Fund, P.O. Box 2297, West Brattleboro, VT 05303. Arrangements are under the direction of the Atamaniuk Funeral Home.

• Pauline R. Gouger, 88, a native of Brattleboro and former resident of Hartford, Conn. Died April 5 at Vernon Hall, where she had been a resident since November 2006. Daughter of the late Al­phonse and Eva (LaForest) Gouger. Sister of Charles P. Gouger of Me­chanicsburg, Pa., and the late Hen­ry Gouger, Jeannette Gouger, Ann Margaret, Irene Jarvis, Veron­ica Herrick, and Mary Louise Gembarowski. Born in Brat­tleboro, she graduated from St. Michael's High School, Class of 1942. Prior to moving to Hartford in 1948, she worked in Washington, D.C., during World War II, from 1942 to August 1946 in the federal government's wartime agencies. She worked at the for­mer Cummer Company in Brattle­boro from September 1946 to September 1948. A resident of Hartford for 58 years, she entered service with the state of Connecticut in April 1954 as secretary in the office of Auditors of Public Account­s. In 1961, she was named Executive Assistant to the Fi­nance Commissioner, George J. Conkling, in the administration of Gov. John Dempsey. In Octo­ber 1969, she transferred to the newly created Department of Transportation, again as Execu­tive Assistant to Commissioner Conkling, until a change in admin­istration in 1971. She worked briefly as personal secretary to Gov. Ella T. Grasso in 1975 and sub­sequently returned to the office of Finance and Control. In 1978, she accepted part-time employ­ment as secretary and coordina­tor to the Senior Appointments and Promotions Committee, School of Medicine at UConn Health Care Center in Farming­ton, Conn. She retired in 1996 after 42 years serving the state. She was a communi­cant of Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford for over 50 years. She happily served two terms on the Parish Council, six years as a par­ish trustee and 18 years as a lec­tor. She was a member of the So­cial Action Committee, and was involved early on in the soup kitchen min­­istry. She was a member and treas­urer of the St. Vincent De Paul Society, a past member of the of­ficer of Serra International, and a friend to the Guild of St. Agnes and the St. Francis Women's Auxiliary. She was also a commu­nicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro. She loved to read, do crossword puzzles and travel. Some of her favorite destinations were Rus­sia, China, South Africa and the Holy Land. She traveled to more than 20 different countries as well as throughout the United States. Ms. Gouger loved to learn about different cultures as well as what they may have had in common. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held April 12 at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church. Following cremation, her ashes will be buried with her pa­rents in St. Michael's Parish Cemetery in Brattleboro. Donations to the St. Vincent De Paul Society, Cathedral of St. Joseph, 140 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105, or to St. Michael's Catholic School, 48 Walnut St,, Brattleboro, VT 05301, or a charity of one's choice. Arrangements are under the di­rection of the Atamaniuk Funeral Home.

• Veronica C. Kren, 99, of Vernon. Died April 6 at Vernon Green Nursing Home, where she had been a patient for the past five years. Wife of the late Alfred Kren for 67 years. Mother of Robert A. Kren and his wife Pam of Blairstown, N.J.; Charles R. Kren and his wife, Beverly, of Cedar Grove, N.J.; Richard J. Kren and his wife, Karen, of Vernon; and Patricia N. Cox and her husband, George, of Verona, N.J. Sister of Bernadette Keihm of Woodridge, N.J. Born in Jersey City, N.J., the daughter of the late Thomas and Mary (Dickersen) Campbell, she was raised and educated in Jersey City and Lyndhurst, N.J. She attended local school, including two years of commercial school where she was enrolled in a secretarial program. While a resident of New Jersey, she had been employed by J.J. Newbury, managing the infants' wear department. After moving to Vernon with her husband and son Richard in 1970, she became auditor for the town of Vernon, retiring from her position in the mid-1980s. A devout Catholic and steadfast in her walk of faith, she was a firm believer in prayer and recited the rosary on a daily basis. She was a communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro and a former parishioner of St. Catherine of Sienna Church in Cedar Grove, N.J. She was a member of the Vernon Seniors and the Vernon Ladies Circle. She was a dedicated homemaker and enjoyed gardening, canning, and time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held April 13 at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, with committal rites and burial in the Kren family lot in Tyler Cemetery in Vernon. Donations to Vernon Green Nursing Home, 61 Greenway Drive, Vernon, VT 05354. Arrangements are under the direction of the Atamaniuk Funeral Home.

• Dorothy Hansson Manley, 92, formerly of Brattleboro. Died March 28 in Wimberley, Texas, where she lived with her son, Peter Manley and his wife, Terri, for the past nine years. Daughter of the late Nils and Maria Hansson, she was born in Keene, N.H., where she lived until she married James G. Manley on July 1, 1947. They raised their two sons, Peter and Terry R. Manley, in Brattleboro, where both the Manleys were very active in their community. They retired to Englewood, Fla. in the 1980s, where they both lived until her husband's death. She subsequently moved to Texas. Memorial information: By her request, no formal service will be held, but a memorial celebration will be held in Brattleboro sometime in June. To be notified of the final date for this event, send an email to dotslife@txmanley.com.

• Hugh R. Perkins Sr., 77, of Westminster. Died April 10 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. Husband of the late Evelyn Mellen Perkins. Father of Rod, Michael, and Scott Perkins, and Sandy McGuirk. Brother of Jimmy and Bob Perkins, Jean Ann Bedi, and the late Pauline Chartier and Carl Perkins. Born in Bellows Falls, the son of the late Anton and Mildred (Dubay) Perkins, he attended schools in Bellows Falls and ultimately earned a Master's degree in education. He worked as a guidance counselor for more than 30 years and also coached football. He served in the National Guard for 24 years and was a member of the Moose club, the Elks, the Masonic Temple, and American Legion Post 37, all in Bellows Falls. Memorial information: A funeral service was held April 13 at the United Church in Bellows Falls, with burial in the Oak Hill Cemetery.