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Obituaries 6-21-11

Doris Sawyer Whittaker

BRANDON - Doris Sawyer Whittaker, age 94, died peacefully at her home on June 12, 2011. She was born Doris Ruth Sawyer in Sudbury, VT on Jan 30, 1917, the daughter of Arthur and Zula (Bissette) Sawyer.
She graduated from Brandon High School, class of 1934 and from Hartford Secretarial School in 1935. She married Tom P. Whittaker in 1937.

   A dedicated daughter, wife and mother she was always close to her parents ultimately returning to the farm where she grew up when it became Greenrange Farm in the late forties. She devoted herself to her husband’s business ventures through the years, with much secretarial and bookkeeping assistance, countless errands and messages, many travels to farms, agricultural events and auctions, often cashiering sales. Ultimately she became a Realtor and along with her husband were charter members of the Rutland County Board of Realtors.

   She was active in the Sudbury Community Church during the farm years and later belonged to the Brandon Congregational Church. She enjoyed several years of active membership in the Brandon Monday Club and Garden Club. Her trademark beautiful smile was admired by all she met to her very last days.
The funeral service was  held at the Brandon Congregational Church on Thursday, 16 June. The graveside committal service and burial followed, in the family lot, at Pine Hill Cemetery.
Doris is survived by her daughter Brenda Whittaker and her son Tom S. Whittaker and his wife Carolyn of Brandon. Also three grandchildren, Charles A. Whittaker and his wife Kathleen of Winthrop, MA, Laurie Leclair and her husband Tim of Jericho, VT, and Gordon R. Whittaker and his wife Rachel of Columbia, SC. and five great grandchildren:  great grandson, Raymond, and great granddaughters; Colleen, Katie Lyn, Sullivan Rae and Zoe. She is also survived by her devoted caregivers in addition to her daughter, Pat Casavant, Beverly Denis, Jayne Fjeld, Julie Lonergan, Alyson Lundy, Sandra Naylor, Diane Schmidt and Apachie Trudeau, six of whom enriched her life for four to seven years.

   Doris was predeceased early in life by her sisters Maxine and Meryl and in 2004 by her husband of 67 years.  

   Memorial gifts may be made to The Sudbury Community Club, Meeting House Fund, c/o Larry Rowe, 715 Fiddle Hill Road, Sudbury, VT 05733 or a charity of choice.    Arrangements are under the direction of the Miller & Ketcham Funeral Home.

Marjorie Ellen Barber Russell

SUDBURY - Marjorie Ellen Barber Russell, age 83 of Sudbury, Vermont passed away with her family at her side on June 14, 2011 after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Mrs. Russell was born January 15, 1928 to Chauncey Rumsey Barber and Olive Sarah St. John Barber. She is survived by her four children: Ted Russell of Sudbury, Deborah R. Sanborn of Maidstone, Sherry R. Williams of Bay City, Texas and Mark Russell of Orwell. She is also survived by seven grandchildren and one great grandson.
Marjorie lived most of her life on her family’s farm in Sudbury which she passed on to a fifth generation. She attended the Hill School in Sudbury and graduated from Brandon High School in 1945 where she was Salutatorian of her class. She worked as an administrative assistant at the Brandon Training School for 24 years. She read the Rutland Herald from front to back every day.

   A card was in Mom’s file of "final wishes" that says, “The days fly by so quickly that sometimes we don’t take the time to say what’s really important… like how special you are, how glad I am we’re family, and especially, how much I love you.”

   Marjorie often said her proudest accomplishment was her four children. Her love was generous with others as well. There is an extended family who thought of Marge as a mother, and the house in Sudbury as “home”.
There will be a memorial gathering at Marjorie’s home on Route 30 in Sudbury on Monday, July 18th from 4 to 8 p.m. Donations in her name can be made to a charity that she cared very much for: the American Parkinson Disease Association Vermont Chapter (ADPA); 1 South Prospect Street; Burlington VT 05401.
Marjorie put these words in a file to be read when she died, (advice from Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets), -: “Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody. It’s a good life, enjoy it.”

    Marjorie, always thinking of others, donated her body to the University of Vermont School of Medicine in the hopes that she may continue to help others thru research.

     Arrangements are under the direction of the Mallory Funeral Home in Fair Haven.

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