LANSDOWNE -- Jeannine Miller, 70, of Lansdowne, died of cancer May 2, 2003 in Lansdowne after an 18-month illness.
She was born Marie Isabel Jeannine Moore on January 19, 1933, in Quebec to Alan Moore and the former Joanne Prioux. As a young child, she moved to Ottawa, where she lived until 1962.
After completing her education, she worked for the federal government as a payroll clerk. During this time she was a devout Roman Catholic and seriously considered leaving the government to join a convent.
However, the "boy next door, " Harold Miller, swept her off her feet and at the age of 29 she married him in Ottawa on August 11, 1962. Her first child was born in May the next year and within seven years she had three more children.
After the birth of the last child, her husband Harold accepted a position with CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency), as a teacher in St. Lucia, West Indies, and the family moved to a tropical paradise for three years. While in St. Lucia, Mrs. Miller taught French part time at the private school her children attended.
After St. Lucia, the family moved back to Metcalfe and she and her husband opened a thriving family variety store, but a long stay was not meant to be, and the family moved again when Mr. Miller took a number of teaching positions in Cochrane, Ajax and Pickering, consecutively.
In the summer of 1978, the family settled in Bewdley, south of Peterborough, building a home while tenting on the property. For an entire summer, Mrs. Miller managed to run a household out of a tent, while caring for her children, then ranging in age from 15 to eight. She and her husband opened a bulk food store in Cobourg, which Mrs. Miller managed while her husband went back to school for upgrading.
Summer roadwork in front of the store hurt business and the family moved again, this time to Kingston, where Mrs. Miller started waitressing while her husband trained at Queen's University. She enjoyed the contact with people and the energy of the position.
In 1984 the family moved one final time, to Lansdowne, where Mrs. Miller became an active member of St. John's Anglican Church. She worked as a waitress at Rapid Valley Esso while her husband operated a carpentry business.
Then, moved again by their commitment to service and helping people overseas, they accepted a short-term position with CUSO (Canadian University Services Overseas). They went to Nigeria, where he worked with the school and she helped in the leprosy hospital. The stay was cut short, however, after Mr. Miller contracted malaria and they returned to Lansdowne after nine months.
Mrs. Miller worked at the Rapid Valley Restaurant until her retirement two years ago. She was president of the St. John's Anglican Church Women group, gardened and spent time with her children and grandchildren.
Diagnosed with myelodysplasia a year and a half ago, and told she would live six months, she survived 12 months beyond that.
She is survived by her husband Harold Miller, daughter Carolyn Knight and husband Jeff of Gananoque, and three sons, Steven and wife Pam of Lansdowne, Bob and wife Marie of Brewers Mills and Gary and wife Renae of Lansdowne, as well as eight grandchildren.
Also surviving are her brother Hector Moore and wife Madeleine of Quebec and 10 nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by both her parents.
Friends called at the Barclay Funeral Home, Lansdowne, on May 5. The funeral was held May 6 at St. John's Anglican Church, Lansdowne, with Rev. Gordon Mintz officiating. Burial followed at Union Cemetery, Lansdowne.
The pallbearers were Steven, Bob and Gary Miller and Jeff Knight.
Memorial donations were directed to the Canadian Cancer Society and World Vision.
Thelma Bell, 81
ATHENS -- Thelma Bell, 81, who lived for many years on Wiltsetown Road, died May 12, 2003 at Maple View Lodge, Athens, where she had lived since April 1996.
She was born August 6, 1921 in Brockville to Burton Johnston and the former Nellie Young. She was raised in Tincap and the Brockville area.
On June 25, 1937, she married Samuel Ernest Bell. They lived all the rest of their lives in the Athens area, 40 years of that time on Wiltsetown Road (RR 3, Athens).
Mrs. Bell worked in the cafeteria at Athens High School from 1974 to 1984. Most of her life she spent caring for her family. She loved to garden, crochet, dance, sing, play cards, quilt and be with her family.
She was predeceased by her husband Sam in April 1985, sister Rhena Earl and brothers Jack and Cecil Johnston, as well as two granddaughters, Tania and Meghan Bell.
She is survived by her 13 children: Bev Smith and husband Jim of Elgin, Nancy Campbell and husband Steve of Athens, Audrey Botsford and husband John, Gerald Bell and wife Judy, and Lawrence Bell and wife Leona, all of Athens, Jim and wife Linda of Portland, Sharon Halliday and husband John of Brockville, Alma Vanderlinden and husband Sam and David Bell and wife Virginia, all of Athens, John Bell and wife Jill of Elgin, Marylin Leeder and husband Larry of Glenburnie, Ron Bell and wife Mary Lynn of Athens, and Dan Bell and wife JoAnne of Brockville.
Also surviving are 39 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter, and a sister-in-law Doris Johnston and an uncle, Hilt Young, both of Kingston.
Friends called at the Judson Funeral Home, Athens, on May 14. The funeral was held at Christ Anglican Church, Athens, with Rev. Michael Bury officiating, assisted by grandson Pastor John Halliday and granddaughter Sandra Smith. Eulogies were given by daughter Audrey, daughter-in-law Linda Bell and granddaughters Carole MacMillan and Sandra Smith. Her six daughters sang "In the Garden" and her seven sons were the pallbearers.
Memorial donations to Christ Church, Athens, and Maple View Lodge were gratefully acknowledged by the family.
Kay Taylor, 72
Kathleen "Kay" Edith Taylor, 72, died with her family at her side May 3, 2003 at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital.
She was born November 17, 1930, in Brockville, the fourth daughter of Alfred Forrester and the former Mabel Beilstein. She attended public schools in Brockville and was a graduate of Brockville Collegiate Institute and Vocational School.
She was employed by GTE Automatic Electric (Microtel/Brock Telecom) for 38 years.
Her main interests were her family and her summer home on Graham Lake, where she spent enjoyable times with family, friends and neighbours. She was an avid reader and enjoyed knitting and fishing.
She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Roland Gionet of Brockville (though married, they kept their separate last names), stepmother Gladys Forrester of Brockville, son Richard Taylor of Toronto and daughters Carolyn Taylor-Knapp and husband John of Brockville and Susan Perrin and husband Stanley of Prescott and granddaughter Valerie Perrin of Port Coquitlam, B.C.
Also surviving are two brothers, Lawrence Forrester of Gananoque and George Forrester and wife Pat of Calgary; four sisters, Miriam Patel and husband Gandabhai of Brockville, Elizabeth "Betty" Morin and husband Bert of Kingston, Verna Mortensen of Kingston and Ruth Ramsey and husband John of Toronto; and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her parents, brothers Richard and Jack, sister Alice and granddaughter Lisa Perrin.
Friends called at the Barclay Funeral Home, Brockville, where on May 6 the funeral was held, with Pastor David Downing of Highway Pentecostal Church officiating.
Memorial donations were directed to the Hospice of Providence Palliative Care-St. Vincent de Paul Hospital and to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Donald Peters, 77
Donald Peters, 77, of RR 2, North Augusta, died May 16, 2003 at Brockville General Hospital with his family at his side.
He was born Donald Edward Peters on June 29, 1925, in Watrous, Saskatchewan, to Charles Peters and the former Minnie Hughes. When he was a young boy, his family moved to the Cardinal area.
Mr. Peters worked as an operator/labourer at Canada Starch (Casco) for 43 years, He had been retired since 1990.
On June 22, 1946, he married Gwen Cooper at St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Garretton. They purchased a farm in Garretton where they raised their family and later built their retirement home.
Mr. Peters' priority in life was his wife and family. He enjoyed all outdoor activities, including farming, hunting, trapping, maple syrup making and playing horseshoes. Games of euchre with family and friends or an evening of dancing were among his favourite pastimes. He was very active in the Roebuck Senior Citizens Club and participated in the Ontario Senior Games.
He is survived by his wife, Gwen Peters; two sons, Dale Peters and wife Tammy of Niagara Falls and Tim Peters and wife Sherry of Garretton; two daughters, Wendy Gottfried and husband Carmen of Brockville and Nancy Peters of Spencerville.
Also surviving are his 11 grandchildren, Vicki and husband Rob, Andy and wife Bev, Tara and fiance Rob, Liam, Kenneth, Noel, Stephanie, Jennifer, Brendan, Nathan and Shannon, and four great-grandchildren, Zachary, Nicholas, Jacob and Emily.
He is also survived by four brothers, Gordon and wife Addie of Prescott, Ronald and wife Verna of Cardinal, and Gerry and wife Margaret of Lindsay; five sisters, Margaret Seeley of Ogdensburg, N.Y., Joyce Henry and husband Jim of Ridgeview, Shirley Ellis of Brockville, Carol McLaughlin of Cardinal, and Barb Bailey and husband Rob of British Columbia; and sisters-in-law Shirley Robinson and husband Carl, and Pearl Cooper, as well as several nieces and nephews.
His parents, Charles and Minnie Peters, his stepmother, Pauline Peters, and a brother, Walter Peters, predeceased him.
At his request there was no visitation. Cremation took place at Cataraqui Crematorium and on May 25 a graveside service was held at St. Andrew's Anglican Church Cemetery, presided over by Rev. Allan Gault and assisted by Rev. Ted Guthrie.
Memorial donations to St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Garretton, and to the Alzheimer Society were gratefully acknowledged by the family.
Arrangements were made by the Chris Slater Funeral Home, Prescott.
