Sullivan County Democrat
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  OBITUARY ARCHIVES Established 1891 Callicoon, New York  
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March 3, 2000

Victoria A. Heindel
Homemaker, 49

Victoria A. Heindel of Loch Sheldrake, a homemaker and a 22-year area resident, died Thursday, March 2, 2000, at her home, following a long illness. She was 49 years of age.
The daughter of the late Ernest and Mildred Kennedy Walz, she was born July 15, 1950, in Peekskill. She was the widow of Alan Heindel.
Mrs. Heindel is survived by four daughters, Traci Heindel and Kellie of Liberty, Jennifer Heindel of Middletown and Kristen Heindel of Loch Sheldrake; a brother, Joseph Walz of Hopewell Junction; three sisters, Eileen Jacobsen of Raleigh, N.C., Kathleen Sharkey of Coral Springs, Fla., and Patricia DiPeterio of Peekskill; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a daughter, Christina Heindel.
Services were held Saturday at the Ramsay's Funeral Home in Kauneonga Lake.
Cremation was made at the Cedar Hill Crematory in Middle Hope.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 6725 Lyons St., P.O. Box 7E, East Syracuse, N.Y. 13057.

Agnes P. Johnston
Ret. Librarian, 75

Agnes P. Johnston of Roscoe, a homemaker, a retired librarian of the Roscoe Central School and Roscoe Free Library, and a 56-year area resident, died Friday, March 3, 2000, at the Westchester County Medical Center in Valhalla. She was 75 years of age.
The daughter of the late John and Anna Suhar Hresko, she was born July 9, 1924, in Cornwall, Pa.
Mrs. Johnston was a member of the Gate of Heaven Roman Catholic Church in Roscoe.
She is survived by her husband of 51 years, C. Nelson Johnston, at home; a son and daughter-in-law, Charles N. and Cynthia L. Johnston; and a grandson, James Robert Johnston, all of Shandelee; a sister, Susan Ogurcak of Cornwall, Pa.; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a son, James P. Johnston.
A Mass of Christian Burial was offered Monday at Gate of Heaven Church with the Rev. Alfred Croke officiating.
Burial was made in St. Aloysius Cemetery in Livingston Manor.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Roscoe-Rockland Volunteer Ambulance Corps, or the Roscoe Free Library, both at Roscoe, N.Y. 12776.
Funeral arrangements were made by the Harris Funeral Home in Roscoe.

Frances Sobolewski,
Ret. Dental Asst., 84

Frances Sobolewski of Narrowsburg, a retired dental assistant and a longtime area resident, died Thursday, March 2, 2000, at the Seelig Division of Community General Hospital in Harris. She was 84 years of age.
She was born March 5, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pa.
She is survived by a son, Theodore Sobolewski of Narrowsburg; a daughter, Carol Kelly of Narrowsburg; two brothers, Harry Gedicke and George Gedicke, both of Pleasantville, N.J.; a sister, Naomi Walzcak of the state of Florida; 12 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a son, Louis C. Sobolewski Sr.
Services were private with the Rev. Michael Quinnan officiating.
Burial was made in St. Anthony's Cemetery in Eldred.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Disease Research, 15825 Shady Grove Rd., Rockville, Md. 20850 or to the American Heart Association, 30 Matthews St., Goshen, N.Y. 10924.
Funeral arrangements were made by the Gray-Rasmussen Funeral Home in Barryville.

Walter E. Fischer
Ret. Clerk/Mason, 93

Walter E. Fischer of Cochecton, a retired clerk and mason and a lifetime area resident, died Friday, March 3, 2000, at his home. He was 93 years of age.
The son of the late Casper and Emma Stewart Fischer, he was born September 21, 1906, in Bethel.
Mr. Fischer was a member of the Town of Cochecton Senior Citizens and was a former volunteer driver for the Sullivan County Office for the Aging.
He is survived by his wife, Lillian Pintler Fischer, at home; a brother, John Fischer, a resident at the Sullivan County Adult Care Center in Liberty; a sister, Mary Green of Charlotte, N.C.; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a son, Edward Walter Fischer.
Funeral services were held Monday at the Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home in Jeffersonville with the Rev. Richard Hewitt officiating.
Cremation was made at the Twin Tiers Crematory in Endicott.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Orange and Sullivan, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, N.Y. 12550 or to The Church on the Rock, P.O. Box 820, Jeffersonville, N.Y. 12748.

Ruth Appel
Ret. Cashier, 74

Ruth Appel of Monticello, a retired head cashier for the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake and a 50-year area resident, died Wednesday, March 1, 2000, at the Seelig Division of Community General Hospital in Harris. She was 74 years of age.
The daughter of the late Charles and Minnie Minowitz, she was born July 31, 1925, in the Bronx.
Mrs. Appel was a member of Temple Shalom and the Jewish Women's International.
She is survived by her husband, Sy Appel, at home; a daughter, Mindy Appel of New Orleans, La.; a brother, Herbert Minowitz of Florida; a sister, Sylvia Schwartz of the Bronx; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a son, James.
Services were held Sunday at the Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home in Monticello with Rabbi Irwin Tanenbaum officiating.
Burial was made in Temple Shalom Cemetery in Monticello.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 6725 Lyons St., P.O. Box 7E, East Syracuse, N.Y. 13057.

Jerome R. White
Sheet Metal Worker, 52

Jerome Richard "Dicky" White of Monticello, a sheet metal worker and a longtime area resident, died Tuesday, February 29, 2000, at his home. He was 52 years of age.
The son of the late Beauford D. and Frances M. Strother White, he was born September 19, 1947, in Rochester.
Mr. White was a Vietnam War veteran, serving in the U.S. Air Force.
He is survived by two daughters, Keisha Sphinx and Tracy Pearson, and two brothers, Robert White and his wife, Jacqueline, and Donald White, all of Rochester; three sisters, Sharon and her husband, Rev. Mervin Armstead of Monticello, Marilyn and her husband, Rev. John Oliver of New Kensington, Pa., and Sandra and her husband, R. Tracy Williams of Rochester; four grandchildren; several nieces, including a special niece, Michelle White, nephews, aunts and cousins.
Services were held Monday at the Bethlehem Temple Church in Monticello.
Burial was made in the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery in Liberty.
Funeral arrangements were made by the VanInwegen-Kenny Funeral Home in Monticello.

Lillian Wall
Ret. Upholsterer, 89

Lillian Wall of Damascus, Pa., a 70-year area resident and a retired upholsterer, died Sunday, March 5, 2000, at her home. She was 89 years of age.
The daughter of the late Nicholas and Marie Tresta Goetz, she was born May 26, 1910, in New York City. She was the widow of George Wall.
Mrs. Wall is survived by two daughters, Marilyn Eden of Damascus, Pa., and Carol Kamens of Newton Falls, Ohio; a son, Richard Wall of Hortonville; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and two nephews.
Graveside services and burial will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Callicoon Cemetery in Callicoon with the Rev. Martha Bonwitt officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice.
Funeral arrangements were made by the Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home in Callicoon.

Timothy J. Reid
Landscaper, 48

Timothy J. Reid of Kiamesha Lake, a landscaper for Catskill Landscaping in Loch Sheldrake, died Friday, March 3, 2000, in Loch Sheldrake. He was 48 years of age.
The son of the late Troy and Lelia Howard Reid, he was born August 6, 1951, in Arkansas.
Mr. Reid was a member of the Monticello United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Lillian Kaufman Reid, at home; three sons, Cpl. Andreas Deverikous, serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa, Shawn Reid and Shane Reid, both at home; four brothers, Kenneth Reid and Tony Reid, both of Oklahoma, Dennis Reid of Arkansas and Alan Reid of Texas; three sisters, Ruth O'Neal and Gwen Church, both of Arkansas and Dorlis Haas of California; and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Hurleyville United Methodist Church, Main St., Hurleyville, with the Rev. Doris Teitjen and Rev. James Fitzpatrick officiating.
Burial will be made in Evergreen Cemetery in Bethel.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hurleyville United Methodist Church, c/o Jim Kaufman, P.O. Box 392, Hurleyville, N.Y. 12747.

Eleanor M. Sauer
Homemaker, 85

Eleanor M. Sauer of Bloomingburg, a homemaker and a longtime area resident, died Sunday, March 5, 2000, at the Horton Medical Center in Middletown. She was 85 years of age.
The daughter of the late Gustave and Ida Merkner Mentz, she was born March 1, 1915, in Brooklyn.
Mrs. Sauer was a member of the Seventh day Adventist Church in Middletown.
She is survived by her husband, Walter Sauer, at home; a son, Ronald N. Sauer and his wife, Nancy of Circleville; a daughter, Arlene June Fee and her husband, William, of Pine Bush; two sisters, Helene Bessau of Delaware and Gladys Chandler of Oregon; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by three brothers, George, Fred and Edward, and a sister, Lillian.
Friends may call at the William M. Gagan Funeral Home, 1525 Burlingham Rd., Pine Bush, on Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday at the funeral home with Pastor Daniel Zabalata officiating.
Burial will be made in the Bloomingburg Cemetery in Bloomingburg.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Middletown Christian School, c/o Seventh Day Adventist Church, 70 Highland Ave., Middletown, N.Y. 10940.

William ‘Bill’ Colo
Ret. Truck Driver, 77

William "Bill" Colo of Hudson, a retired truck driver and former resident of Kauneonga Lake, died Thursday, March 2, 2000, in Hudson, Fla., after a short illness. He was 77 years of age.
The son of the late Thomas and Lena Bassney Colo, he was born in Black Lake.
Mr. Colo is survived by his wife, Edna Dexter Colo, at home; a son, Greg Colo, and his wife, Barbara, of Florida; two daughters, Greta Stackhouse and her husband, Alan, of Allentown, Pa., and Patsy Smith and her husband, Edward of Montana; a brother, Ralph Colo and his wife, Nancy, of Hudson, Fla.; five sisters, Lillian Coney of Monticello, Theresa Coney and her husband, Emmett, of Hudson, Fla., Margaret Edelman and her husband, Walter, of Florida, Kay Hector and her husband, Jerry, of Bethel, and Mary Messenger and her husband, Claude, of Florida; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and 23 nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Christine Kiefer, and a brother, Charles Colo.
Services were held in the state of Florida.
Local arrangements were made by Ramsay's Funeral Home in Kauneonga Lake.

Frank Davis, 89
Ret. Elec. Lineman

Frank Davis of Milanville, Pa., a retired lineman for Pennsylvania Power and Light Company and a retired summer worker at Tyler Hill Camp and Camp Rosemont after his retirement, died Sunday, March 5, 2000, at the Ellen Memorial Health Care Center in Honesdale, Pa. He was 89 years of age.
The son of the late John and Julia Rutledge Davis, he was born October 19, 1910, in Boyds Mills, Pa. He was the widower of Daisy Medley who died May 9, 1991.
Mr. Davis attended schools in Boyds Mills, Calkins and Milanville. At the age of fourteen, he was responsible for transporting fellow students to and from school with a horse-drawn wagon, or sleigh in the winter. He would livery the horses and if there was no work in the area that day, he would attend school
He began working for Willis Avery at the age of 17, hauling and shoveling stone for chipping roads. In 1929 he was hired by Western Union Telegraph in Jersey City, N.J., building lines. After that he took on electrical work with Robert E. Foley Contractor in Binghamton.
Upon word of higher pay in the south, Mr. Davis set out for North Carolina where he became foreman for Burgess Construction Company in Ashe County, installing lines and lighting for airbase landing strips in North and South Carolina.
When the polio epidemic ran rampant in the south in the 1940s, he brought his wife and young family back to Milanville and worked with his father, a skilled woodsman, at Tannersville.
In 1948, Mr. Davis began working for PPL and retired as a first class lineman in 1975.
In a family statement it was said, "Frank was an avid vegetable gardener, fisherman and hunter. He and his wife enjoyed square dancing and playing pinochle with family and friends into the wee hours. As a young man he played a variety of musical instruments and called square dances at the Granges. He was a natural comedian and always brought a smile to your face."
He is survived by four sons and three daughters-in-law, Raymnond and Rosemary Davis of Jamesburg, N.J., Leonard and Linda Davis of Lakewood, N.J., Carolus and Shirley Davis of Lanoka Harbor, N.J., and Gerald Davis of Milanville; a daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Bill Feiler of Dover-Foxcroft, Me.; 11 grandchildren, Sandra Harris, Raeann Davis, Leonard Davis, Scott Davis, Carolus Gudzak, Timothy Gudzak, Frank Davis, Danielle Gudzak, Andrea Feiler, William Feiler and Erica Miller; six great grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Lauren, Hope, Paige and Patrick Davis and William Miller; and two sisters, Marian Noble and Alma Mizar; and a brother, Orson Davis. He was predeceased by two sisters, Nora Davis and Florence Smith, and eight brothers, Charles, Russell, Wilson, John, Ezra, Harold, Vernon and Alfred Davis.
Friends may call at the Rasmussen Sons Funeral Home in Narrowsburg on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, March 8, at 10 a.m. at the funeral home with the Rev. George Gallandorm officiating.
Interment will be made in the Milanville.

Gerard C. Deckelman
Trucker, 73

Gerard C. Deckelman of Fremont Center, a self-employed trucker and a lifelong area resident, died Sunday, March 5, 2000, at his home. He was 73 years of age.
The son of the late Charles and Florence Huff Deckelman, he was born August 20, 1926, in New York City.
Mr. Deckelman was a veteran of World War II, serving in the US Army Air Corps.
He is survived by his wife, Kathleen McKervey Deckelman, at home; a daughter, Penny Deckelman of Hankins; twin sons, George Deckelman and his companion, Maureen West, of Fremont Center, and Charles Deckelman and his wife, Zoanne, of Obernburg; three step-daughters, Christina Bowers and her husband, Raymond, of Roscoe, Alice Houston of Fremont Center, and Katherine Doyle and her husband, Terrance, of Stone Ridge; a step-son, Thomas Houston and his wife, Dawn, of Staten Island; two sisters, Teresa Schanil and her husband, William, of Obernburg, and Doris D'Ambra of Greenville, R.I.; 13 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call at the Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home in Callicoon on Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Cremation will be made at the Twin Tiers Crematory in Endicott.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Orange and Sullivan, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, N.Y. 12550.

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