August 1, 2000

Leonard I. Gertner, 74
Ret. Miller Automatic VP

Leonard I. Gertner of Rock Hill and Boynton Beach, Fla., a retired vice president of Miller Automatic in Monticello and a 32-year area resident, died Thursday, July 27, 2000, at the Seelig Division of Community General Hospital in Harris. He was 74 years of age.
The son of the late Harry and Elizabeth Gertner, he was born September 20, 1925, in Brooklyn. He was the widower of Norma Rosen Gertner.
Mr. Gertner was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.
He is survived by his longtime companion, Dottie Samuelson, at home; a daughter and son-in-law, Alane and Les Brown of Millrose, Mass.; a son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Wendy Gertner of Agoura Hills, Calif.; a sister, Deanna Golkin of Florida; three grandchildren, Breanna, Rebecca and Gabrielle Gertner; and several nieces and nephews.
Shiva will be observed at the family home in Rock Hill until Wednesday.
Services were held Sunday at the Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home in Monticello.
Burial was made in the New Montefiore Cemetery in Pinelawn, N.J.

Andrew A. Wormuth
18-Day-Old Infant

Andrew Austin Wormuth, the infant son of William Bradley and Lula Cecelia Beach Wormuth of Woodbourne, died Friday, July 28, 2000, at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa. He was 18 days old.
Andrew was born July 10, 2000, in Philadelphia.
He is survived also by a brother, Bradley Thomas Wormuth, and a sister, Stephanie Lynn Wormuth, both at home; his paternal grandparents, Bradley Wormuth and Helen Brown, both of Liberty; his maternal grandmother, Sylvia Beach of Liberty; his maternal grandfather and step-grandmother, Andrew and Tammy Graham of Liberty; and several aunts, uncles and cousins. He was predeceased by a brother, William Bradley Wormuth.
Graveside services and burial will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Laurel Hill Cemetery in White Sulphur Springs with the Rev. Robert C. Nadelen officiating.
Funeral arrangements were made by the Ramsay's Funeral Home in Liberty.

Benjamin Rymanowski
Retired Baker, 79

Benjamin Rymanowski of White Lake, a retired baker with Tastyee Cakes of Queens and a 13-year area resident, died Friday, July 28, 2000, at the Walnut Mountain Care Center in Liberty. He was 79 years of age.
The son of the late Joseph and Pauline Romanowski, he was born July 28, 1921, in Jersey City, N.J.
Mr. Rymanowski was a U.S. Merchant Marine veteran of World War II.
He is survived by his wife, Blanche Goldenberg Rymanowski, at home; a daughter, Laurie Pallan of Loch Sheldrake; a son, Mitchell Rymanowski of Burlington, Conn.; and two grandchildren, Rachel and David Pallan.
Services were held Monday at the Harris Funeral Home in Liberty with Monsignor Edward Straub officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to Orange-Sullivan Hospice, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, N.Y. 12550.

Heike Berger
Homemaker, 34

Heike Berger of Kenoza Lake, a homemaker and a 13-year area resident, died Tuesday, July 25, 2000, at Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson City following a long illness. She was 34 years of age.
The daughter of the late Gisela Müller, she was born October 9, 1965, in Baumholder, Germany.
She is survived by her husband, William Berger, and two step-children, William and Christopher Berger, all at home; a sister, Phyllis Stajner of Denton, Neb.; two brothers, Richard and David Müller, both in Germany; and several nieces and nephews, including a special niece, Michelle Rajaniemi.
Cremation was made at the Twin Tiers Crematory in Endicott.
Arrangements were made by the Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home in Jeffersonville.

Thomas Popoli
Assembler, 49

Thomas Popoli of Liberty, an assembler at the sheltered workshop at Sullivan County ARC and a long time area resident, died Saturday, July 29, 2000, at the Seelig Division of Community General Hospital in Harris. He was 49 years of age.
The son of the late Albert S. and Lillian A. Patterson Popoli, he was born December 30, 1950, in the Bronx.
Mr. Popoli was a former participant in the Special Olympics and won dozens of medals over the many years.
He is survived by his step-parents, Michael and Sally Popoli Esolen, at home; three step-brothers, Kenneth Esolen of Hancock, Lance Schneider of Glen Spey and Karl Esolen of Liberty; two step-sisters, Kerry Ann Holt of Zephyrhills, Fla., and Karen Esolen-Baldwin of Starlight, Pa.; and ten nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Harris Funeral Home, West Street at Buckley, Liberty, with Mr. David Kiely officiating.
Burial will be made in the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery in Liberty.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Thomas Popoli - ARC Recreation Dept. - Scholarship Fund, 934 East Broadway, Monticello, N.Y. 12701.

Peter C. Kutschera II
SUNY Student, 26

Peter C. Kutschera II of Colonie died Thursday, July 27, 2000, at the Albany Memorial Hospital in Albany. He was 26 years of age.
The son of Peter C. Kutschera and the late Denise Danko Kutschera, he was born in Goshen.
Mr. Kutschera was raised in Johnson and moved to Colonie in 1986. He graduated from South Colonie High School and Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. He currently was attending SUNY at Albany studying journalism.
He was a communicant of St. Francis deSales Church in Loudonville and enjoyed baseball, tennis and was an avid reader. He was a former member of the New York Army National Guard
Mr. Kutschera is survived by his father of Colonie; two brothers, Philip Michael Kutschera of West Albany and Kenneth Roy Kutschera of Cebu, Philippines; his maternal grandmother, Marie Danko of Jersey City, N.J.; his paternal grandmother, Helen Kutschera of Jeffersonville; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial was offered Monday at St. Francis deSales Church in Loudonville with the Rev. Anthony Barratt officiating.
Interment was private.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, 260 Washington Ave., Albany, N.Y. 12210.

Kaete Heerdegen
Ret. Restaurateur, 87

Kaete Heerdegen of Narrowsburg, a retired owner of Schafer Restaurant in Manhattan and a 28-year area resident, died Sunday, July 30, 2000, at the Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pa. She was 87 years of age.
The widow of Willi Heerdegen, she was born November 30, 1912, in Brunsbuttelkoog, Germany.
Services will be held at the Rasmussen Sons Funeral Home in Narrowsburg on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. Phyllis Haynes officiating.
Interment will be made in St. Francis Cemetery in Narrowsburg.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Eldred American Legion Ambulance, Eldred, N.Y. 12732.

Joseph Coopersmith
Ret. Electrician, 75

Joseph Coopersmith of West Palm Beach, Fla., a retired union electrician and a longtime area resident, died Thursday, July 27, 2000, in West Palm Beach. He was 75 years of age.
The son of Herman and Anna Davis Coopersmith, he was born October 31, 1924, in New York City.
Mr. Coopersmith was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, a member of the South Fallsburg Hebrew Association, and a past chief of the Fallsburg Fire Department.
He is survived by his wife, Anita Youngfrau Coopersmith, at home; three sons and two daughters-in-law, Arthur and Michelle Coopersmith of South Fallsburg, Hal Coopersmith of Liberty and Bart and Diane Coopersmith of New City; a daughter, Mira Anderson of South Fallsburg; and five grandchildren, Scott, Brooke, Brian, Corey and Alana; and a great-grandchild, Arianna.
Services were held Sunday at the Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home in Monticello with Rabbi Isaac Gottlieb officiating.
Interment was made in the South Fallsburg Hebrew Association Cemetery in Glen Wild.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Ave., West Palm Beach, Fla. 33407.