PRESCOTT -- Gunther Tite, 75, of RR 1, Prescott, died November 29, 2003 at Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
He was born February 10, 1928 in Germany to August Tite and the former Lina Simanofski. He trained to be a mechanic in his native Germany, then immigrated to Canada in 1955 to find a better life.
On December 17, 1955, he married Renate Gerstberger in Montreal. They lived there until 1979, when they decided to leave the big city and move to Prescott, near the Thousand Islands. They lived at Riverview Heights.
Mr. Tite worked as a machinist at Hinton Machine and Welding in Brockville and then at Motor Coils Manufacturing in Brockville. He continued working until he was 70.
His interests included boating, camping, swimming and travelling. He had returned to Germany several timesand he and his wife went south to the Caribbean twice a year for several years.
Mr. Tite is survived by his wife Renate, son Ronald and wife Laura of Carleton Place, grandchildren Christopher, Jordan and Erin, and sister Eva Lukat, of Germany.
He was predeceased by his parents, a son Michael and his sister Irmgard Weinzierl (who remained in Germany).
Friends called at the Chris Slater Funeral Home, Prescott, where on December 7 the funeral was held, with Pastor Tim Kuhlmann of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church officiating. Burial followed at Sandy Hill Cemetery, Prescott.
The pallbearers were Hans and Andre Seiffert, Klaus Plaetzchke, Stan Kodrun, Leo Kaschube and Brian Morton.
Memorial donations were directed to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Norlene Casselman-Sloan, 67
WILLIAMSBURG -- Norlene Annette Casselman-Sloan, 67, formerly of Iroquois, Prescott and Ottawa, but recently a resident of Westport, died December 2, 2003 at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital. She had been ill with cancer for three and a half months.
Born February 25, 1936 in Morrisburg, she was the daughter of Ross Prunner and the former Bernice Dillabough. She grew up on the family dairy farm on Pidgeon Island.
After marrying Ray Casselman, she lived for a number of years in Dickinsons Landing. When construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway began, she moved to Iroquois and lived there for many years before moving to Prescott for a short time and then to Ottawa, where she lived several years until she married Terry Sloan of Westport on August 23, 2003 at her daughter's home at RR 4, Prescott.
During her years in Iroquois, she raised her family and helped her husband in the family business, which involved doing industrial laundry for ships and motels. She was Cub Scout leader in Iroquois and a member of the Knox Presbyterian Church Ladies Auxiliary.
A family account of her says: "She was small but mighty, a little spitfire with a big heart, a giver when she had nothing to give. She was a mother to many and will be remembered for many things, including never losing her sense of humour, her polka dot dresses, her red nail polish and red lipstick, her love of wildflowers, her little chuckle and her desire to always look her very best. But most of all she will be remembered for the love she had for her family and friends."
Mrs. Casselman-Sloan is survived by husband Terry Sloan and four children: sons Skip and wife Debbie of RR 1, Iroquois; Darcy of Brockville and Woody and wife Carole of Ottawa; and daughter Lorraine Casselman and husband Paul Casselman of RR 4, Prescott. Also surviving are grandchildren Melinda Mellon and husband David, Kenneth Casselman, David Melbourne and wife Sarah, Dan Melbourne and Richard Casselman, and great-grandchildren Sonia, Keshia and Lukas Mellon.
She is survived as well by three sisters, Arlene Stata of Morrisburg, Marlene Casselman and husband Alton of Morrisburg and Verlene Froats and husband Herb of Ingleside; two brothers, James Prunner of RR 2, Williamsburg, and Jay Prunner of Morrisburg; several nieces and nephews; and her former husband, Ray Casselman.
She was predeceased by her parents and a sister, Kathleen Higham.
Friends called at the Marsden and McLachlan Funeral Home, Williamsburg, where on December 5 the funeral was held, with Pastor Roger White and Pastor David Downing, of Highway Pentecostal Church, Brockville, officiating. Burial followed at St. Lawrence Valley Union Cemetery, Long Sault.
The pallbearers were Alton Casselman, Jay Prunner, Herb Froats, David Melbourne, Randy Prunner and David Mellon. The honorary pallbearer was Dan Melbourne.
Memorial donations were directed to Providence Continuing Care Centre, St. Vincent de Paul Site, and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre.
George Barkley, 87
IROQUOIS -- George Lyle Barkley, 87, died May 18, 2002 at his home, RR 2, Iroquois.
He was born in East Williamsburg April 12, 1915 to Harvey Barkley and the former Evelyn Bouck.
He had been a resident of Iroquois for 59 years and had been married to the former Emma Wells for 64 years.
He was a farmer for a few years and then became an electrician.
He was a talented musician and enjoyed golfing, fishing and woodworking. He especially enjoyed making musical instruments.
Mr. Barkley is survived by children Barbara Mulligan and husband Keith, Jean Ranson and husband Harley and Lyle Barkley and wife Dee; grandchildren Reg Mulligan and wife Lisa, Shelley More and husband Jeff, Tracey Mulligan and friend Jeremy, Trevor Mulligan, Pamela Ranson, Julie Barkley and Darren Barkley; great-grandchildren Megan Mulligan and Carley Mulligan; and siblings Hattie Styles and Lloyd Barkley.
He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and granddaughter-in-law Suzanne Ranson.
He was predeceased by parents Harvey and Evelyn Barkley, sister Ida Snyder, brother Harvey Barkley and grandchild David Ranson.
Friends called at the Marsden McLaughlin Funeral Home, Iroquois, on May 21. The funeral was held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Morrisburg, on May 22 with Rev. Joe Barkley-Probst officiating.
Pallbearers included Donald Barkley, Gary Bouck, Donnie Gibbons, Lee McCaslin, Kevin Hoogwerf and Jack Tousaw.
Donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to a charity of choice were gratefully acknowledged by the family.
Fem Bonen, 86
Fem Bonen, 86, longtime Brockville resident, died May 10, 2002 in Kitchener. Since February 2001 she had been a resident of the Village of Winston Park Retirement Home in Kitchener, to be near her son and family.
She was born June 25, 1915, in the small village of Giethoorn in the Netherlands to Geesje Gorte-Vent and Jan Gorte. She remained in Giethoorn until her marriage to John Bonen on October 6, 1945, several months after the end of the Second World War. They resided in Meppel, Netherlands until July 1957, when they immigrated to Brockville.
She worked for many years at the Fulford Home and for several years at St. Lawrence Lodge.
She enjoyed gardening, and residents of Jessie Street, where she lived from 1980 to 2000, may remember the colourful flowers that adorned the front of her house.
In 2000, she moved to the Bridlewood Manor retirement residence in Brockville and a year later she moved to Kitchener.
She is survived by her son Arend Bonen and his wife Susan Shaw, of Waterloo, grandchildren Anthony Bonen, of Waterloo, Amanda Shaw and friend Paul O'Blenus, of Ottawa, and Ben Shaw and wife Tiffany Stones, of Houston.
Mrs. Bonen was predeceased by husband John Bonen, parents Geesje Gorte-Vent and Jan Gorte, and three brothers in the Netherlands.
A private memorial service was held.
Donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to the Multiple Sclerosis Society will be gratefully acknowledged by the family.
Bob Edwards, 72
Bob Edwards, 72, retired electrician, died of cancer on May 9, 2002 at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital (Providence Continuing Care Centre). He had been ill for two months.
He was born Robert Evan Edwards on October 21, 1929 in Algonquin, the son of Blake Earl Edwards and the former Edna Mary Buelah Mellefont.
He attended Algonquin Public School and Brockville Collegiate Institute, then went to Toronto where he studied at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
In 1950 he joined the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (RCHA), Regular Special Forces, 1st and 2nd Division.
He served in the Korean War and after returning to Canada worked in defence research in Suffield, Alta. for several years.
On his discharge from the army in 1956, he returned to Brockville, where he worked as an electrician in construction and maintenance. Later he started his own business, Double "E" Electric, retiring 20 years ago.
In his younger years he was active in minor hockey and baseball and also coached several minor hockey teams.
He was a member of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 96 in Brockville, and in his early years identified with Algonquin United Church.
He enjoyed playing cribbage and spending time at his summer place at Singleton Lake, at Lyndhurst, where he went boating. He also liked tinkering with small appliances and was "chief commander" of the remote control.
He is survived by his longtime partner, Mary Ellen Douglas Saunders of Brockville; two sons, Bernard Edwards of Thunder Bay and Robert Edwards of Embrun; three daughters, Annmarie Villalobos and husband Diomar of Hallecks Road and Deborah Ianni and husband Paul of Brampton; and nine grandchildren, Ashley and Mara Villalobos, Joseph, Daniel and Matthew Ianni, Jessica and Tyler Edwards and Andrew and Scott Edwards.
Also surviving are his sister, Elizabeth O'Brien and husband Jim, brother-in-law Tom Cullon and sister-in-law Patricia Edwards, as well as several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents, brothers Jack, WIlliam, Walter, George and James Edwards and three sisters, Ruth Millar, Mary Cullon and Eleanor Paulson.
Friends called at the Barclay Funeral Home, Brockville, on May 12, and the Brockville Legion held a memorial service.
The celebration of his life took place on May 13 in the Barclay Chapel, with Rev. Stan Riley officiating.
Burial followed at Roselawn Memorial Gardens, Maitland.
The honorary pallbearers were Diomar Villalobos, Paul Ianni, Robert Edwards, Tom Cullon, Bill Cullon and Rodney Langstaff.
Memorial donations were directed to Hospice of Providence Palliative Care and cancer research.
