PRESCOTT -- Doreen Bernice Miller, 78, died November 6, 2002 at Brockville General Hospital.
She was born on New Year's Day, 1924, in Kemptville to George Utman and the former Marguerite Janack. She married Charles Miller on September 19, 1944 in Prescott.
She was a housewife whose interests included her family, bingo, sports and cooking.
Mrs. Miller was predeceased by her husband less then two weeks earlier, on October 25.
She is survived by four sons, Harlow and wife Mary, George and wife Gail, Carl and wife Dolly and Ray; two daughters, Donna and Cindy; grandchildren Robert and wife Lori, Mitch and wife Emily, Nicole and husband Shaun Iacurci, Mike and wife Karen, Michelle and friend Tim Nichols, and Barbara, Richard, Jason and Ian Miller; and great-grandchildren Cole, Faith, Devan, Braedon and Katie.
She was predeceased by her brother Stanley Utman and six sisters, Lillian Sangster, Pearl Utman, Lila Utman, Iva Armstrong, Rose Pitman and Isabel Galbraith.
Friends called at the Chris Slater Funeral Home, Prescott, where on November 9 the funeral was held, with Rev. Michael Pollesel officiating. Burial followed at Sandy Hill Cemetery, Prescott.
The pallbearers were her sons Harlow, George, Carl and Ray and grandsons Rob and Mike Miller.
Memorial donations were directed to the Canadian Cancer Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Doris Hill, 85
WILLIAMSBURG -- Doris Hill, 85, died November 2, 2002 at Winchester District Memorial Hospital after a brief illness.
She was born June 23, 1917, in Matilda Township to Wilbert Strader and the former Pearl Robinson.
She worked as a postal clerk at the Williamsburg post office for several years.
Mrs. Hill was a member of the Williamsburg Women's Institute and Williamsburg United Church, where she served as Sunday school superintendent and member of the choir for many years. She also belonged to the Williamsburg United Church Women.
She loved to play cards, go to euchre parties, dine out and bake, especially chocolate chip cookies for her grandchildren. She enjoyed cottage life and going on bus trips, and always looked forward to family gatherings.
She is survived by her children Lynn Gilmour and husband Roger of Dixons Corners, Shaler and wife Cindy of RR 1, Morrisburg, and Jack of Williamsburg, and grandchildren.
Also surviving are her brother Mahlon Strader and wife Norma and her sister Audrey Casselman and husband Bill, all of RR 3, Williamsburg, and sister-in-law Gertrude Strader of Morrisburg.
She was predeceased by her first husband, Gordon Christie, and her second husband, Jack Hill, grandson Jason Hill, sister Ruth Hogaboam and brother Lyell "Sib" Strader.
Friends called at the Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home, Williamsburg, on November 4. The funeral was held November 5 in Williamsburg United Church, with Rev. Sandy Macpherson officiating. Burial followed at Maple Ridge Cemetery, Chesterville.
The pallbearers were Gordon Garlough, David Carkner, Ray Casselman, Dwain Hess, Graham Garlough and Clair Empey.
Memorial donations were directed to Williamsburg United Church, the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Verna Beckstead, 92
WILLIAMSBURG -- Verna Beckstead, 92, of RR 1, Williamsburg, died October 18, 2002 at Dundas Manor Nursing Home in Winchester after a brief illness.
She was born October 24, 1909 in Williamsburg Township to James Hanson and the former Carrie Whitteker and lived on the family homestead, which her father had built at RR 1, Williamsburg when she was born.
On February 2, 1929, she married Fred Beckstead in Winchester Springs. While her husband worked mainly on construction projects over the years, she managed the dairy farm on the family homestead where she'd grown up. The herd was sold a number of years ago and she remained on the homestead until this past summer.
She was a member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Williamsburg and belonged to the Matilda Rebekah Lodge No. 342 for 34 years.
She enjoyed spending time with family and friends at her cottage on Newboro Lake, where she went fishing and boating. In earlier years she enjoyed traveling to Florida and the east and west coasts of Canada. She also enjoyed cooking and playing cards.
Mrs. Beckstead is survived by three of her children, Doris Scobie and husband Don of Brockville, Keith and wife Shirley of RR 1, Williamsburg, and Paul and wife Sandra of RR 1, Iroquois, and by her son-in-law Lee Hummel of RR 1, Williamsburg.
Also surviving are seven grandchildren, Bonnie Szabo and husband Barry of Brockville, Barbara Tetzlaff and friend Jacques Major of Orleans, Crystal Helmer and husband Scott of Williamsburg, Dean Beckstead and wife Nikki of Iroquois, Rhonda Beckstead of Iroquois and Christopher Beckstead and Shannon Beckstead, both of Williamsburg, as well as five great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband Fred, daughter Lois Hummel, grandson Barry Beckstead, sister Phyllis Helmer and brother Aden Hanson.
Friends called at Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home, Williamsburg, where on October 20 a Rebekah Lodge service was held. The funeral was held in the funeral home chapel on October 21, with Rev. Peter Hincke officiating. Burial followed at New Union Cemetery, Williamsburg.
The pallbearers were Don Wells, John De Vries, Don Garlough, Ralph Barkley, Randy McIntosh and Gord Spearman.
Memorial donations to Winchester District Memorial Hospital or the Canadian Cancer Society will be gratefully acknowledged by the family.
Orville Christie, 76
PRESCOTT -- Orville Howard Christie, 76, retired CASCO employee, died August 24, 2002 at Kingston General Hospital, after being injured when struck by a car two weeks earlier.
He was born July 19, 1926 at South Mountain to Stewart Christie and the former Myrtle Beggs. He married Eileen Gilmour on August 23, 1947 in the Shanly manse, in Edwardsburgh township.
He started working for CASCO (Cardinal Starch Company) in the oil refinery there but within a year moved to the shop and worked as a millwright until his retirement in 1991.
Mr. Christie belonged to St. Paul's United Church in Prescott and served on its board of session for a number of years. He also joined Amity Lodge No. 80 of the Odd Fellows in the early 1960s and remained an active member.
Though he lived in town, he rented a barn in the country so he could keep horses. He had French-Canadian horses mostly but recently had a Belgian. Mr. Christie would drive a horse-drawn wagon in local parades. He liked children, although they had none of their own, and would let them ride in the parade wagons. He spent a lot of time with the horses and with other people who liked horses.
He and his wife lived next door to the Prescott Fire Department station, and its members became like family. If the Christies needed anything, the firefighters were "Johnny-on-the-spot, " said his wife, and vice versa. During his hospitalization after the accident, the firefighters looked after his horses for him.
"He was always thinking of others. He was everybody's friend, " recalled his wife.
Mr. Christie is survived by his wife Eileen, sisters Lillian Henderson of Brockville and Florence Riddell of Prescott, brothers Arthur Christie of Spencerville and David Christie and wife Jean of Roebuck, and several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents, sisters Ruby Larabee and Edith Anderson, and brothers Arnold, Gordon, Basil, Donald and Lyle Christie.
Friends called at the Chris Slater Funeral Home, Prescott, where on August 27 the lodge members held a memorial service in the evening.
The funeral was held August 28 at St. Paul's United Church, with Rev. John Reynolds officiating. The Prescott Fire Department formed an honour guard. Burial followed at Spruce Haven Cemetery, Brinston.
The pallbearers were Mac Peterson, Robert Nixon, Gary Boulton, Gerry Carey, Carl Gilmer, Ralph Alkerton, Gerard O'Brien and Bill Seeley.
Memorial donations were directed to Kingston General Hospital Auxiliary and the Prescott Fire Department.
Dorothy Ferry, 89
Dorothy Lillian Ferry, 89, retired manager of the Red Cross Homemaker Services, died September 7, 2002 at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital. She had been hospitalized in Kingston since May.
She was born July 20, 1913, in London, England to Thomas Gudgin and the former Bessie Cooper. She trained in London to be a milliner and while still a young woman made hats for Queen Mary, grandmother of the present queen, and Princess Marina, one of her proudest memories.
She met Len Ferry when she was just 15 and on September 26, 1936, they were married in Bristol, England.
While her husband was in Europe serving with Montgomery's 21 Army Intelligence Group, she remained in Bristol helping in the war effort by serving as an air raid warden and giving emotional support to friends and family who were under attack. Always capable of dealing well with crises, she still found time to work and ran a small restaurant before working for British Airways as a telephone operator.
Following the war she became the mother of three daughters and with the help of her husband still had time to provide room and board for university students from around the world.
Hoping for a better life for their children, she and her husband sold their home and all their belongings and immigrated to Canada in 1957. She took a variety of jobs in the following years, working at the lunch counter at the United Cigar Store in Brockville; as admitting clerk and telephone operator at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital; and as receptionist first at Black and Decker and then for various doctors.
She returned to St. Vincent as food services manager and finally became the manager for the Red Cross Homemaking Services. She retired in the 1970s, due to ill health.
She loved good conversation and laughter, and her life experiences made her interesting and fun to talk to. She was an inspiration and taught many of her family and friends the importance of remaining independent despite the obstacles in life.
She enjoyed traveling when her health allowed and in her seventies realized a new talent, painting with oils.
In recent years she enjoyed time at home with her family and friends, reminiscing about a life well lived.
Mrs. Ferry is survived by her three daughters, Jackie Machin and husband John of Kingston, Gillian Hodge and husband Barry of Brockville and Susan Malanka and husband Dave of Brockville, and by four grandchildren, Scott and Christine Machin of Kingston and Andrew Malanka of Windsor and Yvonne Malanka of Brockville.
Also surviving are her brother Jock Gudgin and sister Joan Bishop, both in England, and 12 nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband Len in May 1994, brothers Sid, Charlie and John Gudgin and sister Ellen Jarman.
Friends called at the Irvine Funeral Home, Brockville, just before the funeral, which was held the afternoon of September 11. Rev. Myra Garvin of St. John's United Church, to which Mrs. Ferry belonged, officiated at the service. Burial followed at Oakland Cemetery, just west of Brockville.
Memorial donations to Hospice of Providence Palliative Care were gratefully acknowledged by the family.
