MARY B. MCHUGH COLL
JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — Mary B. McHugh Coll, a resident of Jeffersonville, entered into rest peacefully on April 22, 2006 at home. She was 82.
The daughter of Thomas and Anna McNiff McHugh, she was born August 19, 1923 in Brooklyn.
Coll was a retired secretary at Sullivan County Office for the Aging. She was a member of St. George’s Church in Jeffersonville, The Rosary Society of the church and the American Legion #276 of Jeffersonville.
She is survived by four sons, John and his wife Barbara of Kerhonkson, Brian and his wife Pat of Monticello, Thomas of Brooklyn and James of Jeffersonville; one daughter, Jane Olsen and her companion Chris Jardine of Callicoon; one daughter-in-law, Norma Coll of Youngsville; 13 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband, John J. and her son Kevin.
Services were held on April 24 at St. Georges Church with Father Ingatius Vu officiating.
Interment is in Calvary Cemetery in Youngsville.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jeffersonville Fire Department, Box 610, Jeffersonville, NY 12748.
RALPH O. ‘KNAPPY’ KNAPP
YOUNGSVILLE, NY — Ralph O. “Knappy” Knapp, a lifelong area resident, died Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at his home. He was 81.
The son of the late Fred and Mabel V. O’Dell Knapp, he was born January 22, 1925 in Peakville.
Knapp was a retired tunnel worker and a veteran of the US Navy, having served during WW II. He was a member of the Liberty Free Methodist Church.
Knapp is survived by his wife, Katharine “Katie” Wells Knapp at home; four daughters, Cathy Norwood and her husband Tom of Cochecton Center, Penny Heinle and her husband Doug of Cochecton Center and Lori Knapp of Middletown; one step-son, Michael Schultz of Youngsville; three half-sisters, Caroline Hinkledire of Liberty, Virginia Montag of Liberty and Donna Knapp of New Jersey; three half-brothers, Thurston Knapp of Monticello, Vincent Knapp of Forestburgh and John D. White and his wife Patricia of Sparks, NV; 14 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by a daughter, Patty McAbier and two sisters, Sharon VonKampen and Joan Huggler.
Services were held April 24 at the Harris Funeral Home with the Rev. David McCarthy officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Liberty Free Methodist Church, Route 52, Liberty, NY 12754 or the Jeffersonville Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Jeffersonville, NY 12748.
STEPHEN J. MILISAUSKAS
BARRYVILLE, NY — Stephen J. Milisauskas, a resident of Barryville and a longtime resident of the area, died Friday, April 21, 2006 at home. He was 54.
The son of the late John Milisaukas and Patricia Levy Castagna, he was born February 8, 1952 in Brooklyn.
Milisauskas was a retired Deputy Sherriff of Sullivan County. He was married to Gail Wilson Milisauskas for 12 years.
A family statement said: “He was a loving husband and father. He took great pride in his children. He was an outdoorsman and enjoyed fishing and hunting.”
He is survived by his wife, Gail Wilson Milisauskas at home; his mother, Patricia Levy Castagna; five sons, Keith and his wife Pat of Grahamsville, Tim and his wife Amy of Brooklyn, Kevin of Brooklyn, Stephen and Eric, both of Grahamsville; two stepdaughters, Christen Doyle of New York City and Andrea Goddard and her husband James of California; one sister, Denise Papandrea and her husband Tony of Brooklyn; and several nieces and nephews.
Services were held on April 25 at the Gray-Rasmussen Funeral Home with the Pastor Linda Bohs officiating.
Interment is in Montoza Cemetery in Eldred.
Memorial contributions may be made to an organization of the donor’s choice in memory of Stephen Milisauskas.
DR. JOHN ANTHONY PETKUS
SHOHOLA, PA — Dr. John Anthony Petkus, a resident of Shohola, passed graciously into eternal rest on April 18, 2006. He was 91.
The son of Adam and Ursula Mazeika Petkus, he was born in Brockton, MA on March 30, 1915.
“Doc,” as he was known by his friends, received his B.A. from Boston College and his doctorate from Hahnemann Medical School in Philadelphia, PA. He interned at the Good Samaritan Hospital before opening a family practice in Shohola.
His medical practice was diverse and challenging, a model reminiscent of simpler times. In his family practice, he provided obstetrics, delivering over 600 children; he was renowned as an excellent “stitch” and “bone” man, as many local residents who still carry his handiwork can verify; and he was an anesthesiologist at Callicoon Hospital in Callicoon, NY, Sunnyside Hospital in Port Jervis, NY, and Mercy/Saint Frances (Bon Secours) Hospital in Port Jervis, NY.
Petkus retired in 1993 and enjoyed retirement in Sun City Center, FL with his wife Betty. He was an avid golfer who garnered his first hole-in-one at the age of 86, as well as a seasoned licensed pilot with a passion for his planes and flight.
A family statement said: “He is remembered as a decent, gentle individual who devoted his life to serving his community. He was a devoted and loving husband and a compassionate and considerate father whose entire family is gratefully honored for his continued love as a husband, father and friend.”
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Elizabeth Petkus; a brother, Frank of IL; his children, Michael E. and his wife Hope of Barryville, NY, Donna M. and her husband Kenneth J. of Martha’s Vineyard, MA, Patricia Capobianco and her husband John of Yulan, NY, and Maureen Petkus of Barryville, NY; his grandchildren, Sonia Kidney and her husband Michael of Yulan, Theresa Kunkeli and her husband Yancy of Monroe, MI, Matthew, David, Peter and James Patrick Smith of Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill, CA, Michael J. Petkus of Yulan, Adam, Lauren and Sophie Petkus of Martha’s Vineyard, MA; and his great-grandchildren, Michael F. Kidney of Yulan, and Yancy, Katelyn and Erika Kunkeli of Monroe, MI.
Services were held on Monday, April 24 at Saint Ann’s RC Church in Shohola followed by a service at Saint Ann’s Cemetery.
Contributions to honor his life may be made to Life Path Hospice “Pearl Team,” 3010 W. Azeelee St., Tampa, FL 33609; the American Legion Ambulance Fund, 17 Collins Rd., Highland Lake, NY; or the Pike County Humane Society, P.O. Box 255, Milford, PA 18337.
Click here for a reminiscence of Dr. Petkus.
RUTH W. RENNENBERG
PINEHURST, NC — Ruth W. Renneberg, a resident of Pinehurst and a former resident of Highland Lake, NY, died Wednesday, April 12, 2006 at Carolina House in Pinehurst. She was 88.
The daughter of the late George Werner and Ethel Varian Werner, she was born December 27, 1917 in Garfield, NJ.
Rennenberg was married to J. George Bornkessel in 1942. They divorced. On January 7, 1951, she married Anthony V. Rennenberg of Highland Lake, who died in 1985. She moved to Pinehurst in 2000. She was a retired bank manager for Wachovia (formerly known as First National Bank of Pike County) in Shohola, PA.
She is survived by a daughter, Ruth A. Starck of Whispering Pines, NC; a son, George W. Bornkessel of Boulder, CO; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; a niece and a nephew.
She was predeceased by a daughter, Lousie A. Born of Grosse Ile, MI and a sister, Florence Rowinski of Highland Lake.
Private services will be held.
Memorials may be made to the charity of one’s choice.
LAURA TURNER
CALLICOON, NY — Laura Turner, a resident of Callicoon and a longtime area resident, died April 17, 2006 at Catskill Regional Medical Center in Callicoon. She was 89.
The daughter of the late F.E. and Catherine DeGroat Shook, she was born November 11, 1916 in Hawley, PA.
Turner was a volunteer with the Auxiliary at Grover Hermann Division of the Catskill Regional Medical Center in Callicoon.
She was married to the late Donald W. Turner who died in 1982.
Turner is survived by two daughters, Donna Gries and her companion Harold Wilcox of Damascus, PA, and Betty Wehner and her husband Donald of Callicoon Center; one granddaughter, Cindy Adams of Hortonville; one great granddaughter, Kristina Adams; a special niece, Lola Crown; many other nieces and nephews and special friends; and two sisters-in-law, Eileen Turner and Zaza VanTuyl.
She was predeceased by a sister, Lola Williams and a brother, Donald Schook.
Services were held on Saturday, April 22 at the Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home in Callicoon.
Cremation was at Twin Tiers Crematory in Endicott.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Auxiliary at CRMC Grover Herman Division Callicoon, NY 12723; the Upper Delaware Ambulance Corps or the Callicoon Fire Dept.
LAWRENCE ‘DUTCH’ WEEDEN
MIDDLETOWN, NY — Lawrence “Dutch” Weeden, a resident of Middletown and a longtime area resident, died Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at Orange Regional Medical Center’s Horton Campus in Middletown. He was 52.
The son of William Weeden, Sr. and the late Pearl Mae Decker Weeden, he was born February 3, 1954 in Middletown.
Weeden worked as a laborer.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara at home; his children, Lawrence Jr. of Middletown, Melissa Norman of Sparrowbush, and Jessica Bedford of Bloomingburg; his father, William of TN; his brothers, Thomas, William and Jeffrey, all of TN; sisters, Veronica Bivens of TN and Marion Howe of Middletown; four grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Interment will be private and held at the convenience of the family.
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