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Tuesday November 24, 2009 Edition
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Obituaries 11-24-09

Katherine Horsford Kocsis

August 27, 1922 - November 10, 2009

Katherine was the daughter of Cyrus Pringle Horsford of Charlotte, Vermont and Margaret Gordon Crosby of Vergennes, Vermont. She was the niece of Vermont Governor William Wills, and niece of Chittenden County State Senator, Earl Horsford. Katherine’s great grandfather was Frederick Hinsdale Horsford, botanist and founder of the Horsford Nursery in Charlotte, Vermont. Family legend has it that great grandfather Fred was responsible for introducing the “Devil’s Paintbrush” plant to America.

    Katherine grew up in Charlotte where she enjoyed all that living near Lake Champlain had to offer; swimming, boating, fishing, skating and dances aboard the Ticonderoga. She enjoyed participating in athletics, especially swimming and basketball. She graduated from Vergennes High School in 1939.  She was awarded a full scholarship to Middlebury College which she declined to attend The University of Vermont.

    Katherine led a full and multi-faceted life, both personally and professionally.
She dreamed of travel, meeting interesting people and facing new challenges. She loved sports, history, politics and fashion. She always considered herself fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience so much.  She began her career as an AT&T telephone operator. She then married and started her family. In those early years she started a day camp for Charlotte youngsters and taught American Red Cross swimming and life saving.  Those who completed the full program will remember the long cold swim across Lake Champlain from Thompsons Point in Charlotte to Split Rock in New York State. Later on, with the kids grown, she split her years between her home state of Vermont and sunnier climates. While living in Vermont she was a Partner in K/2 Charter Airline Service, she worked and skied at Mad River Glen, Sugarbush and Stowe ski resorts. She was Administrative Assistant to three Vermont Governors; Deane Davis, Thomas Salmon and Richard Snelling.  She also worked for the Beach family resorts in Middlebury and Basin Harbor.  She worked for WR Grace Corporation in South Carolina and spent some time in Arizona and New Mexico.  Many years in Florida provided her with the opportunities to meet and interact with the NASA astronauts when she worked for Time and Tide Corporation based in Boca Raton. While in Vero Beach, she became a diamond broker and an Administrative Assistant at Dodgertown, the training facility for the LA Dodgers and the New Orleans Saints.  While working there, it would not be unusual to find her lunching with Tommy Lasorda or Bubba Phillips. In Miami, she taught seminars at the Doral Country Club to Medical Doctors on the subject of medical mal-practice prevention.  And if all that was not enough, at the age of 65 she accepted a position with Days Inn as their west coast sales represenitive and off she went to California, Utah and Nevada.  

    Upon Retirement, Katherine settled in Bradenton, Florida and had time to devote to her love of history and became a charter member of the General John Strong Chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution in Addison, Vermont. She was also able to fully realize her dreams of travel as she and her husband Stephen traveled around the world.

    Katherine is survived by her husband of 17 years, Stephen Kocsis of Bradenton, Florida, and by four generations from her marriage to her late husband John William O’Neill of Burlington, Vermont.  Her descendents include; her four daughters, Nancy Ryan of Addison, Vermont, Carol O’Neill of Waterbury, Vermont,  Lynn Williams of Orwell, Vermont and Katherine Randolph of Sarasota, Florida, 12 grandchildren, 17 great grand children and 1 great, great grandchild.

    There will be no Funeral service and Memorial gatherings will be held at the convenience of the family.

Madeline (Hurlburt) Wendel

Bristol, VT - Madeline Wendel, 83, of Bristol, passed away at Helen Porter Health Care and Rehabilitation Center Thursday, November 19 with her family by her side after a brief illness. She was born in Bristol on December 26, 1925, daughter of William & Emma (Kinney) Hurlburt.

    After graduating from Bristol High School she went on to hairdressing school in Boston with her good friend Ann. Upon returning to Vermont she worked at a variety of hair salons. She married Jack Wendel on November 8, 1947. They then traveled the country while Jack pursued his career as an artist and they started their family. They returned to Vermont and Madeline chose to be a homemaker and mother. After she saw her children off to school she worked at various jobs within the Bristol community, and gave many a home perm. Madeline was noted for her baking. Upon entering her home, at any given time, you were greeted with "Can I get you something to eat?" She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother who enjoyed spending time playing games with her grandchildren. She was a member of the Eastern Stars for many years.

    She was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Jack E. Wendel in 1997. She is survived by her daughters and sons in law Lynn & Patrick Bull and their daughters Amanda Bull and Jeanne & Fred Dufresne, Great Grandson Colby Trudeau, Karen & Jeff Bushey and their sons Noah Bushey & Wyeth Bushey, son Jack K. Wendel and his children Kristopher Wendel, Matthew Wendel, Jonathan Wendel and Jessica Perkins, Brother-in-law Harland Wendel, sister-in-law Edla Wendel, and many nieces and nephews. She is also predeceased by her sisters Eva Rockwood, Irma Marsceill, Gladys Clark, brothers Lawrence Hurlburt, E. Kenneth Hurlburt, and Clayton Hurlburt, and grandson Brian Mayer.

    Calling hours were held at the Brown-McClay funeral home in Bristol on Sunday, November 22. There was an Eastern Stars service during calling hours. The funeral service will be on Monday, November 23 at 11am. Internment will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to American Lung Association, or Helen Porter Health Care & Rehab Center. The family wishes to extend their gratitude for the wonderful care Madeline received both at Porter Hospital & Helen Porter Health Care & Rehab Center.

 


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