Willie F. George of Monticello, a retired truck driver and warehouse manager for Lo Distributor in Edison, N.J., and a longtime area resident, died Tuesday, October 22, 2002, at his home. He was 62 years of age.
The son of the late Benjamin and Sallie Mae George, he was born November 15, 1939, in Ocilla, Ga.
Mr. George was a member of the New Salem Baptist Church in Monticello since 1986 and served as Chairman of Deacons and Chairman of Trustees. He also taught Sunday School.
He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Icilda "Joyce" George, at home; two sons, Bernard George of New York City and Steven George of Cornwall; four daughters, Donna of Monticello, Alicia of Cornwall, Melodie of Liberty and Shellanda of Monticello; two brothers, Roosevelt George and his wife, Mag, and Jimmy George, all of Ocilla, Ga.; two sisters, Roxie Davis of Ocilla, Ga., and Ida Johnson and her husband, Matthew, of the state of Florida; five grandchildren, Tamika, Elijah, Roshard, Monet and Olivia; an uncle, Ruben George, and his wife, Eloise; an aunt, Susan Marie Smith; his pastor David O'Neill; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.
Services were held Monday at the New Salem Baptist Church in Monticello with Harry Watson, Pastor emeritus, officiating.
Burial was made in the Rock Ridge Cemetery in Monticello.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Building Fund of the New Salem Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1263, Monticello, N.Y. 12701.
Funeral arrangements were made by the VanInwegen-Kenny Funeral Home in Monticello.

James F. Smith of Swan Lake, a retired chef for the New York City School System in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and a 20-year area resident, died Sunday, October 20, 2002, at the Seelig Division of the Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. He was 86 years of age.
The son of the late Eugene and Henrietta DeBerry Smith, he was born March 19, 1914, in Southern Pines, N.C . He was the widower of Mazeline Smith who died in 1992.
Mr. Smith was a member of Friendship Baptist Church in Ferndale.
He is survived by a brother, Napoleon Smith of the state of Florida; five sisters, Nellie Worley and Christine Melton, both of Brooklyn, Mamie Smith and Henrietta Smith, both of Southern Pines, N.C., and Betty Jean Blair of Atlanta, Ga. He was predeceased by a daughter, four brothers, Jasper, Jerome, Bernis and Vernon Smith, and three sisters, Inez McRae, Vilene Moore and Ola Gay; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Friendship Baptist Church, Old Route 17, Ferndale.
Services will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the church with the Rev. Willie Smith officiating.
Burial will be made in the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery in Liberty.
Funeral arrangements were made by the Ramsay's Funeral Home in Liberty.

A memorial service for Iva A. Miller of Damascus, Pa., will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 2, 2002, at the Abrahamsville United Methodist Church in Abrahamsville, Pa. The Rev. George Gallandorn, pastor of the church, will officiate.
Miss Miller died Tuesday, October 15, 2002, at Wayne Woodlands Manor in Waymart, Pa. She was 82 years of age.
Interment of the cremains will be made in the Hillcrest Cemetery in Galilee, Pa.
Arrangements were made by the Rasmussen Sons Funeral Home in Narrowsburg.

Doris R. Howard of West Liberty, W. Va., a homemaker and a landlord, died Friday, October 25, 2002, at her home. She was 77 years of age.
The daughter of the late John and Emma Westfall, she was born August 22, 1925, in Shandelee. She was the widow of Herbert R. Howard.
Mrs. Howard is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Alan and Gail Howard of Fredericksburg, Va.; two daughters and a son-in-law, Lorie and Paul Stock and Diane Robinson all of Roscoe; eight grandchildren, Dawn Pomeroy, Ashley and Paul Stock Jr. and Gregg Robinson, all of Roscoe, Vanessa Byrd of Fredericksburg, Va., Lauren Howard of Washington, D.C. and Elizabeth Howard of Honolulu, Hawaii; two great-grandchildren, Raymond and Emily Pomeroy of Roscoe and two more on the way; an aunt, Marie Gleason of Shandelee; two brothers, John Westfall of Ohio and Phil Westfall of Marana, Ariz; a sister, Joan Westfall of St. Petersburg, Fla. She was predeceased by a brother, Edwin Westfall and a sister, Alice Westfall.
Services and burial were made in West Liberty, W. Va.
Cards of condolence may be sent to the family, c/o Dawn Pomeroy, 1467 Old Route 17, Livingston Manor, N.Y. 12758.

Gertrude M. Dole of Monticello, a retired personnel director for the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake and a longtime area resident, died Thursday, October 24, 2002, at the Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. She was 80 years of age.
The daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Palmateer, she was born October 6, 1922, in Johnstown. She was the widow of Robert "Bob" Dole, who died January 3, 2002.
Mrs. Dole was a member of St. Peter's R.C. Church in Monticello.
She is survived by three sons, James Dole and his companion, Julia Dolgas, of Woodbourne, Lawrence Dole and his wife, Shirley, and Timothy Lee Dole, all of Bradley; four grandchildren, Liza Dole, Julia Dole, Jason Dole and James Dole; and three great-grandchildren, Stephanie Dole, Robert Dole and Kyle Krier. She was predeceased by a son, David M. Dole.
Cremation was made at the Cedar Hill Crematory in Middle Hope.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 6725 Lyons St., P.O. Box 7E, East Syracuse, N.Y. 13057, or to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 628, Monticello, N.Y. 12701.
Arrangements were made by the Ramsay's Funeral Home in Monticello.

Joan Linder McDonald of Glenmont, a retired teacher, died Saturday, October 26, 2002, at the Hospice Inn of St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, after a courageous battle with cancer.
The daughter of the late Joseph and Gladys Buddenhagen Linder, she was born in Callicoon.
A graduate of Delaware Valley Central School, Mrs. McDonald attended the NYS Teachers College in Albany.
She is survived by her husband of 45 years, James J. McDonald, at home; a daughter and son-in-law, Lynn and Jack Delaney of Selkirk; three grandchildren, Erin, Matthew and Shannon Delaney, all of Selkirk; three sisters, Paula Leitzell of Mokelumne Hill, Calif., Audrey Thompson of Saratoga Springs and Carol Keck of Eugene, Oreg.; an aunt, Gloria Buddenhagen of Callicoon; dear friends, David and Marilyn Browne of Albany; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call at the Daniel Keenan Funeral Home, 490 Delaware Ave., Albany, on Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Delmar.
Interment will be made in St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Center for the Disabled, 314 So. Manning Blvd., Albany, N.Y. 12208.

Melvin DeGroat of Schenectady and a former Middletown resident, died Friday, October 25, 2002, at his home. He was 51 years of age.
The son of Rose Mapes DeGroat and the late George DeGroat, he was born September 30, 1951, in Goshen.
He is survived by his mother of Cuddebackville; four sons, Melvin Hope DeGroat of Schenectady, and George DeGroat, Harold DeGroat and Frank DeGroat, all of Sullivan County; a brother, George Williams of Cuddebackville; five sisters, Jean DeGroat of Cuddebackville, and Madline Lewis, Mary Mason, Joan Walker and Barbara DeGroat, all of Schenectady; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call at the Ralston-Lippincott-Hasbrouck-Ingrassia Funeral Home, 72 West Main St., Middletown, on Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m.
Services will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
Burial will be made in Hillside Cemetery in Middletown.

Ruth E. Allen of Walden, an antiques dealer in Gardiner and a longtime area resident, died Wednesday, October 23, 2002, at the Orange Regional Medical Center, Horton Campus, in Middletown. She was 66 years of age.
The daughter of the late Carl and Julia Yerks Layton, she was born June 16, 1936, in Ellenville.
Mrs. Allen was a volunteer for the Meals on Wheels program and the Walden Humane Society.
She is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Craig and Sheila Carr of Walden and Daryl and Patricia Carr of Gardiner; two sisters, Beatrice Curry of Napanoch and Doris Allan of South Fallsburg; a friend, Mary Williams of Walden; and several grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a son, Michael Carr, and a brother, Robert Layton.
Friends may call at the Gridley-Horan Funeral Home, 39 Orchard St., Walden, on Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m.
Services will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Cremation will be made at the Cedar Hill Crematory in Middle Hope.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Walden Humane Society, Walden, N.Y. 12586.

Norma Marie Bienskie of Wurtsboro, a retired bookkeeper and a longtime area resident, died Thursday, October 24, 2002, at her home. She was 75 years of age.
The daughter of the late Norman I. and Charlotte M. Gerke Kelley, she was born October 4, 1927, in Nyack. She was the widow of Eugene A. Bienskie Sr.
Mrs. Bienskie was a member of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Wurtsboro, the Mamakating Senior Citizens and a volunteer who played the piano for the kindergarten at the Emma Chase School in Wurtsboro.
She is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Eugene A. Jr. and Janine Bienskie and and John T. and Kathleen Bienskie, all of Chester; a sister, Mae Charlotte Kaywood of Wurtsboro; seven grandchildren, Joanne, Lawrence, John, Matthew, Paul, Michael and Christopher; and several nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial was offered Monday at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Wurtsboro with the Rev. Peter Madori officiating.
Burial was made in the Frederick Loescher Veterans Memorial Cemetery in New Hempstead.
Funeral arrangements were made by the VanInwegen-Kenny Funeral Home in Wurtsboro.

Erin Lewis Miller of Bloomingburg, a lifelong area resident, died Friday, October 25, 2002, at her home. She was 28 years of age.
The daughter of Ronald R. and Gail A. Lonergan Lewis, she was born March 9, 1974, in Middletown.
A 1992 graduate of Pine Bush High School, she was a member of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Bloomingburg.
In a family statement, it was said, "Erin: a shining spirit, warm and loving, caring and compassionate, touching many lives, leaving behind a legacy of love."
Mrs. Miller was very artistic and applied her creative flair to many venues throughout her lifetime. She enjoyed drawing, decorating, flower arranging and was especially gifted at quilting. She had a generous quality and shared herself and her artwork with many.
She is survived by her husband of 8 years, Ben Miller, and a daughter, Megan Reilly Miller, both at home; her parents of Bloomingburg; her maternal grandmother, Dolores Lonergan; her mother- and father-in-law, Ben J. Jr. and Nancy Miller; four aunts and two uncles, Dawn and Stuart of Maryland, Donna of New Jersey, and Karen, Audrey and Michael, all of the state of Florida; and four cousins, Yvette, Jeff, Megan and Tara.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Bloomingburg with Father Raymond Bagdonis, O. Carm. officiating.
Cremation will be private.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Orange and Sullivan, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, N.Y. 12550.

Patricia A.B. Wallace of Goshen, an art teacher at the Goshen School, died Thursday, October 24, 2002. She was 68 years of age.
The daughter of Barney S. Jr. and Edith Ferri Brown, she was born November 15, 1933, in Cobleskill.
The first art major to graduate from New Paltz, after which she joined the Goshen School Faculty, her artistic accomplishments included painting, sculpture and home decorating, with a focus on antiques appreciation. Her culinary and writing interests included columns in the Independent Republican, entitled "Our Daily Bread," and in the Chronicle, "Rosemary, It's Thyme." She collaborated with fellow gourmet Susan Cayea in authoring two cookbooks for the Merriewold Club in Forestburgh. Mrs. Wallace was active in the amateur stage, performing in faculty plays, acting as stage manager for a dozen or so Paul Wright musicals at Goshen High School. She wrote and produced plays for the folks at the Arden Hill Life Care Center and the Merriewold Club Youth Group. She was a staunch member of the Goshen Republican Committee and also a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rock Tavern.
In a family statement, it was said, "Patricia was a very exceptional lady, a loving wife, mother and grandmother."
She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Richard V. D. Wallace, at home; a daughter, Elisabeth Wallace of Middletown; two sons and daughters-in-law, Jonathan and Christine Wallace of West Rutland, Vt., and David and Lois Wallace of Glen Spey; four grandchildren, Joshua, Matthew, Emily and Benjamin; two brothers, George Brown of Melbourne Beach, Fla., and Robert Brown of Bridgewater, Mass; an aunt, an uncle, and several nephews and cousins.
A memorial service was held Sunday at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rock Tavern with Pastor John Vance officiating.
Burial was private.
Memorial contributions may be made to Westminster Church; Hospice of Orange County at 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, N.Y. 12550; The Arden Hill Foundation or the Friends of Hill Hold-Brick House.

Zita M. Bivins of Liberty, an assistant cook for the Liberty Central School system in Liberty and a lifelong area resident, died Sunday, October 27, 2002, at the Seelig Division of the Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. She was 70 years of age.
The daughter of the late John H. and Bertha May Cobb Edwards, she was born July 14, 1932, in Liberty. She was the widow of Stanton A. Bivins who died September 24, 1991.
Mrs. Bivins was a member of the Liberty United Methodist Church and a former member of the choir.
She is survived by two sons, Keith A. Bivins of Lydonville and Brian S. Bivins and his fiancée, Sandy Perdue, of Liberty; two daughters and sons-in-law, Kim Z. and Jeffrey W. Davis of Liberty and Tracy L. and Richard W. Donovan of Parksville; two sisters, Evelyn Froelich of White Sulphur Springs and Flora Bivins of Liberty; a brother-in-law, Darwin Bivins of Liberty; 10 grandchildren, Amanda J. Bivins, Lance A. Bivins, Michelle L. Bivins, Joshua Davis, Danielle Davis, Trevor Olsen, Thomas Olsen, Dale Olsen, Branden Olsen and Bruce Felton; and several nieces and nephews, including William J. Costello of Kingston. She was predeceased by two sisters, Geraldine Costello and Mabel Edwards.
Friends may call at the Ramsay's Funeral Home, 275 South Main St., Liberty, on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.
Services will be held at the funeral home at 11 a.m. on Wednesday with the Rev. Francis Waite officiating.
Burial will be made in the Liberty Cemetery in Liberty.