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Muriel B. DiGiro
DAYVILLE — Muriel Blesso DiGiro died March 20, 2020. She left an obituary for us to publish but we are adding the words that she didn’t say: Our mother lived a hero’s life, filled with hardship, adversity and crushing loss, but through it all she always managed to rise stronger. She had love to give — a tea ring or cookies, knitted hats for the homeless, hand-made quilts, gifts she crafted — that said “I love you, I’m thinking of you, you matter to me.” She had boundless energy and was a great cook, seamstress, quilter, craftswoman, ballroom dancer, a voracious reader. It was not possible to beat her at Scrabble. She was born in 1931. Her first job was for American Machines keypunching data into the new-fangled computers in 1949. Despite 8 years of challenging medical problems she danced at her granddaughter Kelly’s wedding in June 2019. Mama ended her portion of the obituary saying: “I leave you with all the love that I have.” She leaves three children, Ann Bartholomay and her children Jamie and Nate, Mary Byrne, her husband Jack and their two children Kelly Byrne-Martin and her husband, Jake Martin and Tracy Byrne, and Edward Blesso Jr., his wife Teri, and their children Michelle Blesso and her husband Ian Steadman, Danielle Hotchkiss and her husband, Nick Hotchkiss, Stefanie Cerasoli, and Matt Cerasoli, and her great grandson, Damien Cushman; her three step-daughters; two step granddaughters; a step great-granddaughter, Hannah; sister-in-law, Mary Lou Grossbard. She was predeceased by her husband; Edward Blesso; daughter Teresa Blesso; three infant children; her husband Pat DiGiro; son-in-law Jim Bartholomay. A Celebration of Muriel’s Life will be planned in the future. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes & Crematory. Condolences can be sent to Edward Blesso, 36 Riverton Road, Colebrook, CT. 06021. Donations: St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101.
Barbara (Pletsch) Kratz
PLAINFIELD — Barbara Kratz of Plainfield died March 17, 2020, from complications associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder and Congestive Heart Failure. She was born on March 10, 1950, in Quincy, Mass., eldest twin daughter of the late Alfred Pletsch and Ruth (Scammell) Pletsch. Barbara was a graduate of North Quincy High School, Class of 1968 and attended Westfield State College studying elementary education. She married John Kratz of Stillwater, Minn., on July 14, 1972, in Wollaston. She was involved with 4-H equestrians and was a member of Saddle Sores Riding Club and Tri-State Horsemen’s Association. She always took time to coach young riders. She had a lot of tenacity and was a survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma as a young adult, breast cancer and thyroid cancer. She leaves her husband; two sons Jamie (Karrie) of Campton Hills, Ill., and Derek (Renee) of Jacksonville, Fla.; brother Ronald (Marie) Pletsch of Sarasota; twin sister Carol Locke of Barnstead, N.H.; 4 grandchildren, Sophia Ruth, Lily Louise, Caleb Anthony and Willow Grace. Donations: Your favorite equine charity or cancer association. Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory.
Constance Knapp
PUTNAM — Constance Scott (Ryan) Knapp, 82, of Putnam, died March 19, 2020. She was born Sept. 14, 1937, in Monson, Mass., to Patrick and Marion (Mosher) Ryan.
She moved to Putnam in 1965. She worked as a machine operator at Belding and worked at Killingly Parks and Rec. She was a former resident of Matulaitis Nursing Home and the St. Onge Apartments. She was part of the Putnam Grange. She leaves 2 children, Dorcas S. Durand (Michael) of Danielson and William R. Knapp (Kathleen) of Chaplin; granddaughter Brittany Ritter (William) and two great-grandchildren Jackson and Sadie Ritter. Constance was predeceased by her husband, Theodore R. Knapp in 2002; her siblings, Ruth Denning and James Ryan. Services were private. Beers and Story Funeral Home, Massachusetts.
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