Past Issues of the Putnam Town Crier
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John S. Ducharme
N. GROSVENORDALE — John S. Ducharme, 69, of Central St., died Dec. 3, 2015, in St. Francis Hospital. He was the husband of Tina (Green) Ducharme.
Born in 1946 in London, England, he was the son of the late Louis and Patricia (Clark) Ducharme.
Mr. Ducharme worked as an auto body mechanic for Toutant Auto Body and previously worked as an excavator for Percy Gioux. He was an EMT and a fire police officer for the Community Fire Department. He loved calling bingo at St. Joseph Church bingo, fishing, collecting Model trains, video games, seal coating, and making model cars. He was known to be a “Jack of all Trades.”
In addition to his wife, he leaves his daughters, Melissa Baumuller (Robert) of Putnam, and Robin Gosselin (Mark) of Thompson; his brother, James Ducharme of Pascoag; his grandchildren, Stephanie, Stacey, Jacquelyn, Nicole, Marky, Danielle, Ryan, Michael-Ann, Kori-Lynn, Joshua, and Tyler; his great-grandchildren, Tianna, Jordan, Jadelyn, Cohen, Ivan, and Brycen: and his former wife Elaine Ducharme of Thompson.
Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Richard L. Mahan Jr.
DANIELSON — Richard L. Mahan Jr., 71, of Danielson, died Nov. 28, 2015, at home. He was born on Jan. 4, 1944, in Worcester, son of the late Richard L. Mahan Sr. and Ruth G. (Sturtevant) Mahan.
Richard drove tractor trailer for many years. He retired from Frito-Lay after 17 years and he was a member of the Million Mile Club. He enjoyed spending time with his family, watching NASCAR Racing and was an honorary Target Team Member. He loved to help people including being a foster parent, donating to the local shelter and the American Heart Association. He also rescued animals.
Richard graduated from Worcester Boys’ Trade High School as an Auto Mechanic and enjoyed working on projects in his garage and spending time with the best dog he never owned, Bear.
He leaves his wife of 31 years, Marcy Mahan; his sisters; Ruth Cole, Lois Pirani (Ronnie); his children; Joseph Mahan, Sandra Mahan-Niford, Scott Mahan (Dorene), Kelly Mahan; grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
There were no services. Donations: He asks those he knew to pay it forward and help someone else out by making a donation to a local shelter. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Timothy Benson
THOMPSON — Timothy Benson, 45, died Dec. 5, 2015, at UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester.
He was born Oct. 7, 1970, in Thompson, son of Frank E. Benson Sr. of Thompson and the late Patricia M. Benson (Rogers). She died in 1992.
Timothy held various employment as machine operators over the years and had a passion for refinishing antique furniture. He loved fishing, cooking and music.
In addition to his father he leaves two sons Patrick Benson of Webster, and Travis Benson of Thompson, and was predeceased by their mother Lisa Russell Berger in 1998. He also leaves a brother Frank E. Benson Jr. of Thompson; two sisters, Brenda Benson of Thompson and Jennifer Piechocki Benson and her fiancé Michael Kiley of Thompson; nine nieces, two nephews and his best friend, Colette Racine of Danielson.
A Graveside Service will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 12 at the East Thompson, Cemetery. Donations may be made to help cover final expenses at gofund.me/Timothy Benson. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Hilda Huth
PUTNAM — Hilda (Picciarelli) Huth, 85, of Woodstock Ave, Putnam, died Nov. 30, 2015, in Day Kimball Hospital. She was the wife of George W. Huth for 63 years. Born in 1930 in New York City, N.Y., she was the daughter of Patrick and Lilly Hilda (Zimmerman) Picciarelli.
Hilda worked for Putnam Bank as a bookkeeper for many years before retiring and also worked for the former Hartford National Bank. She enjoyed going to the movies and theater, eating out and getting together with her family weekly to play poker.
In addition to her husband, she leaves her children, Donna Collelo (Tony) of Moosup, and Mike Huth (Sandra) of Putnam; her sister-in-law Kay Picciarelli Small of Putnam; four grandchildren, Justin Bishop, Matthew Bishop, David Huth (Courtney), Jeffrey Huth and three great-grandchildren, Saige Rayne Bishop Gwynn, Jaxon Oliver Huth and Whitney Lynn Huth. She was predeceased by her son, Robert Huth and her siblings Anna Vincent, Helen Chrzan, Theresa Valade, and Alfred Picciarelli.
Graveside Services were Dec. 5 in St. Mary Cemetery on Providence Street. Donations: Charity of your choice. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes.
Rose V. Pacheco
PUTNAM — Rose V. (Rainey) Pacheco, 96, died Dec. 1, 2015. She was the wife of the late Anthony Pacheco who died in 1978. Rose was born in 1919 in Pascoag, and was the daughter of the late Alfred and Clarice (LeForest) Rainey.
Rose worked as a weaver for several local woolen mills and later worked as a machine operator for American Optical Company. She also worked as a foster grandparent for many years at the John Dempsey Center assisting residents in the workshop.
Rose was a longtime member of the St. Mary League of Catholic Women and the Daughters of Isabella as well as the Putnam Seniors Club. She enjoyed going to the casinos, playing bingo, and playing cards.
She leaves her son, Al Pacheco (Wendy Melady) of Woodstock; her daughter, Frances Bousquet (Willie) of Putnam; grandchildren Stephanie and Brittany Bousquet. Rose was predeceased by her brothers Edward, Henry, Tom, and Harold Rainey and by her sisters Lucille Lebeau, Teresa Peyton, and Ruth Cheney.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1 p.m. Dec. 12 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Providence Street, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: Arc of Quinebaug Valley, 687 Cook Hill Road, Danielson, CT 06239. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes.
Minnie E. Stone
PUTNAM — Minnie E. Stone, 97, died Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 26, 2015.
She was one of seven children born to E.B. (Burt) and Maggie (Calhoun) McClurd. She was born Oct. 14, 1918, in Elizabethton, Tenn. Minnie graduated from Milligan College in Milligan, Tenn., in 1940 and married Thomas B. Stone.
She earned a master’s degree from George Peabody College for Teachers (now a part of Vanderbilt) in 1955. Minnie had two sons, Thomas H. Stone and Jere G. Stone. She enjoyed a long, 47-year career as an elementary school teacher teaching all grades, although of fourth was her favorite and reading her favorite subject.
Her teaching career included elementary schools in East Tennessee, Birmingham, Michigan and Wyncote, Penn.
After she and late husband Thomas retired they traveled around the world visiting every continent except Antarctica in a span of a few years.
She leaves one brother, Ralph; her two sons Tom Stone and Jere Stone; two grandsons, Corey and Casey Stone; two granddaughters, Kristen Parks and Patricia George; one nephew, William Caraway, and nine great grandchildren.
A Memorial Service was Dec. 7 at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Interment will be in the family lot in Johnson City, Tenn.
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'Wreaths' ceremonies
Dec. 12 men, women, and children will gather together to honor veterans during the holiday season as part of the annual Wreaths Across America Day.
The Sarah Williams Danielson DAR Chapter has volunteered to conduct the WAA ceremony this year at the Brooklyn, Pomfret, Scotland, Thompson and Woodstock Veterans’ Monuments at noon Dec. 12. Seven ceremonial wreaths will be placed to remember all soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who served, honor their sacrifices, and teach our younger generations about the high cost of our freedoms. (There will be a placement of wreaths at Davis Park in Killingly, but no public ceremony.)
Specially designated wreaths for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, and POW/MIA will be placed on memorials during a ceremony that will be coordinated simultaneously at over 1,000 participating locations all across the country.
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Donation
WATERFORD — Charter Oak Federal Credit Union has donated more than 700 pounds of food and $3,000 in funds to the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center in New London to assist the center with its Thanksgiving holiday food distribution efforts.
Charter Oak donates to the food center at Thanksgiving in memory of the credit union’s former CEO Larry Hertell. The annual “Turkeys for Larry” fundraising efforts began seven years ago, and since then those efforts have grown into a joint effort of the credit union’s Community Giving Program and its nearly 200 employees who collect food to donate to the New London-based food center.
This year, more than 700 pounds of food was collected from Charter Oak employees as part of the credit union’s annual “Fixins’ Food Wars,” which challenges each department to collect non-perishable food items that can be paired with a traditional Thanksgiving meal, such as stuffing, cranberry sauce, canned goods and other holiday food items.
Since the inception of Charter Oak’s Community Giving Program in 2009, the Waterford-based credit union has awarded in excess of $1 million to non-profits, charitable groups, and scholarship recipients in New London and Windham counties.
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New member
PUTNAM — Colleen Deskus of Putnam is a new junior member of the American Angus Association®.
Junior members of the Association are eligible to register cattle in the American Angus Association, participate in programs conducted by the National Junior Angus Association and take part in Association-sponsored shows and other national and regional events.
The American Angus Association is the largest beef breed association in the world, with more than 25,000 active adult and junior members.
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Coats for Kids
Recipients wait outside at Friday’s Knights of Columbus “Northeastern Connecticut ‘Coats for Kids’” program held at the Town of Brooklyn Recreation Department on South Main Street. Hosted by the recreation department and Mystical Rose Council 49, of Wauregan, eight local Knights of Columbus councils conducted the event, where they gave away more than 550 new and used coats and blankets to needy local children and adults. The Supreme Office of the Knights of Columbus donated almost 300 new children’s coats toward the effort, while the local councils spent months collecting used coats and blankets for adults. Photo: John D. Ryan.