William J. Yerkes of Milanville, Pa., a retired dairy farmer and a lifelong area resident, died Wednesday, October 12, 2005, at his home. He was 82 years of age.
The son of the late Warren N. and Helen Jackson Yerkes, he was born July 13, 1923, in Milanville, Pa.
Mr. Yerkes was a member of the Calkins Union Church and was a PFA member.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years Irene Yerkes, at home; two children and their spouses, William T. and Barbara Yerkes, who still run the family farm in Milanville, Pa., and Janice and Douglas Fischer of Mt. Airy, Md.; two sisters, Doris Hawker and her husband George, and Cheryl Sandercock, all of Honesdale, Pa.; eight grandchildren, Matthew Yerkes and his wife Amanda, Kate Yerkes, Russell Yerkes, Abbie Yerkes-Sayer and her husband Shaun, Micah Fischer and his wife Kim, Hannah Fischer, Zachary Fischer and Benjamin Fischer; two great-grandchildren, Cody Yerkes and Maggie Irene Yerkes; and several nieces and nephews.
Services were held at the Rasmussen Funeral Home in Narrowsburg on Saturday with the Rev. Lane Jones officiating.
Burial was made in the Calkins Union Cemetery in Calkins, Pa.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Damascus Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Damascus, Pa. 18415.

Winifred May Tempel of Roscoe, a retired teacher with over 35 years of service and a lifelong area resident, died Saturday, May 28, 2005, at the Roscoe Community Nursing Home. She was 94 years of age.
The daughter of the late Perry and Florence Travis Tremper, she was born March 5, 1911, in Youngs Gap, Liberty. She was the widow of George Tempel who died in 1995 after more than 60 years of marriage.
Mrs. Tempel taught in one-room schoolhouses in Goulds, Horton Brook and Callicoon Center until the Roscoe Central School became consolidated.
She then taught at the Roscoe Central School, retiring in 1966. She later attended the State University at Oneonta, studying for her bachelor’s degree.
Upon retirement, she and her husband moved to Florida. When he died, she returned to Roscoe to live.
A communicant of the Gate of Heaven Church in Rosoce, she was the church organist for many years. Mrs. Tempel was also a member of the New York State Retired Teachers Association.
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, James P. and Betty Tempel of Roscoe; two daughters-in-law, Alice Banks of Roscoe and Barbara Tempel of Liberty; six grandchildren, Megan Tempel and her fiance Matthew Milner, James Tempel, Toni Navarro and her husbandJamie, Karen Hall and her husband Gregg, Perry Banks and his wife Pamela, and Richard Banks and his wife Judy; 12 great-grandchildren; and a niece and two nephews. She was predeceased by a sister Ferna Mealie, a son George Perry Tempel, and her stepfather Erford Bennett.
A Memorial Mass will be offered at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 22, at the Gate of Heaven Church in Roscoe with the Rev. William Collins officiating.
Burial was made in the Riverview Cemetery in Roscoe.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Roscoe-Rockland Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Roscoe, N.Y. 12776.

Helen Fordham Denny of Columbia, S.C., a former longtime resident of Narrowsburg and the business manager for many years for John Denny Chevrolet in Narrowsburg, died Saturday, October 15, 2005. She was 89 years of age.
The daughter of the late Chester and Julia Cleveland Fordham, she was born August 31, 1916, in Watkins Glen. She was the widow of John Denny.
She was a graduate of Watkins High School. She enjoyed playing bridge and being with her family.
Mrs. Denny is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Morgan and Lyn Denny of Columbia, S.C.; a sister, Elizabeth Smith of Watkins Glen; and three grandsons, David and his wife Michelle Denny, Timothy and his wife Alison Denny, and Christopher Denny. She was predeceased by a son Bruce Denny, three brothers Fred, Elmo and Harry Fordham, and a sister Florence von Reyn.
Friends may call on Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Haughey-Wood Funeral Home, 119-5th St. Watkins Glen.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at St. James Episcopal Church in Watkins Glen with the Rev. Phillip Kuhn officiating.
Burial will be made in Glenwood Cemetery.

Inez George Gridley of Grahamsville, the Town of Neversink historian for 16 years, died at the age of 97.
The daughter of the late Andrew and Juliana Hanford George, she was born February 25,1908, at Red Hill, Ulster County. She was the widow of Vernon H. Gridley Sr., who died after more than 50 years of marriage.
She was a published writer of poetry and history and had co-authored several books on history, including “Brass Buttons & Leather Boots” and “Time & the Valley.” Her books of poetry in print included “Journey from Red Hill” and “Pitfalls & Promises,” which was written when she was 92 years of age. She began writing poetry as a young woman and co-founded the Alchemy Club, which has nurtured poets from the 1930s to the present. Her poetry was published in many national magazines and newspapers throughout the years, including the New York Times, the New York Herald Tribune and the Saturday Evening Post.
Her community involvement included being one of the original group that was instrumental in the fight to bring a high school to Grahamsville. She was the first district clerk of that school which is now called the Tri-Valley Central School. She was also one of the founders of the Townsman, the volunteer community newspaper which still serves the Tri-Valley area. She was a teacher whose first school was a one-room school in Greenville in Ulster County. She last taught elementary school at Tri-Valley Central School.
Mrs. Gridley was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a national honor society for teachers.
She is survived by three children and their spouses, Carol and Daniel Smythe of Grahamsville,Vernon and Lucy Gridley of Liberty and Linda and Brad Lane of Claremont, N.H.; five grandchildren, Jennifer Ballard, Robert Jones, Andrew Jones, Timothy Gridley and Lori Anne Wolkoff; six great-grandchildren, Jean Claude Ballard, Kris Ballard, Jake Gridley, Ryan Gridley, Lauren Jones and Devan Jones; a sister-in-law, Carol Davis; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by four sisters, Esther George, Ruth Murray, Linda Smith and Dorothy Grey; and two grandsons Vernon Haver Gridley III and Charles Haver Gridley.
Graveside services and burial will be held at the Claryville Cemetery on October 18 at 11 a.m.
A memorial service will be held in the spring.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Daniel Pierce Library, P.O. Box 268 or the Time and the Valleys Museum, P..O. Box 307, both at Grahamsville, N.Y. 12740.