Walter L. Broome, a 73-year resident of Smallwood, died Monday, July 3, 2006 at Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris. He was 81.
He was born in Brooklyn on December 16, 1924 to the late Walter Livingston and Sarah Earley Broome. He was the widower of Margaret M. Cook.
Mr. Broome was a retired life insurance salesman for Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. He served in the Navy Sea Bees during WWII, and was a life member of the Sgt. Andrew Brucher Post #5499 VFW in White Lake, the Bethel Senior Citizens, AARP of Bethel, and the Smallwood-Mongaup Valley Volunteer Fire Dept.
He is survived by a sister, Violet B. Geiss of Skaneateles; three nieces, Patricia E. Wagner, Pamela J. Murray and Priscilla R. Geiss; and one nephew, William D. Geiss.
He was predeceased by a brother, William J. Broome; a sister, Elizabeth Fallon; and a nephew, Kevin Walter Geiss.
Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, July 7 at Evergreen Cemetery, Route 17B, Bethel.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Bethel Volunteer Ambulance Corps, P.O. Box 31, White Lake, NY 12786.
Arrangements were made by Ramsay’s Funeral Homes, Inc., Kauneonga Lake.

Marie L. Kapp of White Sulphur Springs, a homemaker and longtime area resident, died Sunday, July 2, 2006 at her home. She was 88 years of age.
The daughter of the late Louis and Giovanna DeLucia Grasso, she was born October 21, 1917 in Bridgeport, Conn.
Marie was a communicant of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, Liberty, and a member of the White Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens. She had resided in Croton-on-Hudson before moving to the area.
In a family statement, it was said, “Marie lived life to the fullest. She will be missed.”
Survivors include her daughter, Patti Edwards and her husband, Thomas, of White Sulphur Springs; a sister, Amelia Grasso of Croton-on-Hudson; five granddaughters, Toni Canonico and her husband, Domenic, of Tennessee; Teri Beimler and her husband, Gregg, of Liberty; Tami Festa and her husband, Thomas, of Blauvelt; Tina Johnstone and her husband, Matthew, of Liberty; and Tara Edwards of Buffalo; eight great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Wednesday, July 5, at St. Peter’s Church, Liberty. Monsignor Edward Straub officiated.
Burial was made in the Laurel Hill Cemetery, White Sulphur Springs.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Orange-Sullivan Hospice, 800 Stony Brook Ct., Newburgh, NY 12550 or to St. Peter’s Church Building Fund, North Main Street, Liberty, NY 12754.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Harris Funeral Home, West St. at Buckley, Liberty.

Donald A. Fries, a carpenter of Livingston Manor, died Monday, July 3, 2006 after a 2 1/2-year battle with lung cancer. He was 57.
The son of Ralph and Myra Lange Fries, he was born July 18, 1948 in Queens. He married Lois A. Baker on April 22, 1989.
Donald was an avid Yankee fan and loved to split and cut wood. He loved cutting wood all day and watching the Yankees at night. He was a member of the Shandelee Hunting Club and the NRA.
He is survived by his wife, at home; two sons, Douglas Jefferey Fries and his wife, Christina, of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Brian Keath Fries of Livingston Manor; one granddaughter, Mia Victoria Fries of Calif.; one brother, Ronald Fries of Lemont, Ill.; and his best friend Frank Lisberg of Glen Cove.
A memorial service for Donald will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oncology Fund, The CGH Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 280, Bushville Rd., Harris, NY 12742-9986 or please donate blood, “The Gift of Life.”
Arrangements were under the direction of Herbert C. Bryant Funeral Home, Livingston Manor.

Mildred C. Lavelle of Liberty, a homemaker and longtime area resident, died Sunday, July 2, 2006 at her home. She was 90 years of age.
The daughter of the late John and Lillian Mauger Bailey, she was born April 10, 1916 in Hale, Mich.
Mildred was a communicant of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, Liberty. She had worked for the County of Sullivan in the Division of Social Services. She was an artist and enjoyed painting; she was an avid bowler and, in her 80s, bowled over 200; and she had a keen interest in geology and rock collecting.
Survivors include a son, Robert Lavelle and his wife, Judy of Liberty; three daughters, Joanne Kohut and her husband, John J., MD, of California, Catherine Lavelle of Liberty, and Patricia Scheidel of Castleton; her grandchildren, James Kohut, MD; Kathryn Callanan, Jeanne Cheney, Michael Lavelle, Stephen Lavelle, Susan Lavelle, Deborah Scheidel, and Mary Scheidel; her great-grandchildren, James Callanan, Kelly Callanan, Alexandra Callanan, Xavier Pearsall, Landon Pearsall, Oscar Kohut, and Sydney Kohut.
She was predeceased by her husband, John J. Lavelle, in 1994; three brothers, Gordon, Frederick and Jack; and a grandson, Timothy Lavelle.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, July 7 at 11:45 a.m. at St. Peter’s Church, 264 North Main Street, Liberty. Monsignor Edward Straub will officiate.
Burial will be in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Liberty.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Town of Liberty Vol. Ambulance Corps, P.O. Box 105, Liberty, NY 12754 or St. Peter’s Church Building Fund, 264 North Main St., Liberty, NY 12754.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Harris Funeral Home, Liberty.

Imogene “Jean” W. Ruebman died Friday, June 30, 2006 in Richardson, Texas. 
The daughter of the late Charles and Mae Williams, she was born in Rives, Tenn. A resident of Hortonville since 1972, she moved to Converse, Texas in 2002.
She was the former co-owner of the Band Box in Callicoon, and was instrumental in organizing the Callicoon Business Association. She was also a member of the Callicoon Kiwanis. She was a veteran of the U.S. Women’s Army Corps during WWII, receiving the Purple Heart medal while serving in Europe. Jean also served in the U.S. Air Force.
She was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Allan Milk Memorial Post 7276, Long Eddy. An avid bowler, she enjoyed traveling to tournaments throughout New York and the country.
A family statement reads, “She was a loving wife and beloved mother, and grandmother.”
She is survived by her husband, William, at home; daughters, Barbara Sterchak of Richardson, Tex.; and Karen Murphy of Riverview, Fla.; three grandchildren, Gwendolyn Sterchak of Wylie, Tex.; William Sterchak of Richardson, Tex.; and Shawn Murphy of Tampa, Fla.; sister in-laws, Jeanne Williams of Waco, Tex.; Norma Wightman and her husband, Peter of Morrow Bay, Calif.; brother in-law, Robert Ruebman and his wife, Wendy of Berkeley, Calif.; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements were made by the Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home of Richardson, Tex. and the Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home of Callicoon. 
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 22 at the Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home, Callicoon. Interment will be made at the U.S. Army Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Tex.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Delaware Youth Center, PO Box 354, Callicoon, NY 12723.

Sarah Schwartz, formerly of Monticello, died July 5, 2006 at St. Peter’s Hospice Inn.
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday at the Levine Memorial Chapel, 649 Washington Ave., Albany. Burial will follow at the Landfield Avenue Synagogue Cemetery, Monticello at 12:30 p.m.
Shiva will be observed July 9 & 10 at the Voorheesville home of Barbara and Marvin Loewy; and July 11 & 12 at the Ballston Lake home of Susan and Joseph Greenbaum.
A complete obituary will appear in Tuesday’s Democrat.