Page 16
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, June 3, 2016
Obituaries
Alton “Merton” Porter, Jr.
ALTON “MERTON”
PORTER, JR.
COLEBROOK–Alton ‘Merton’
Porter, Jr., 89, of Colebrook, left
this life on Saturday evening,
May 28, 2016, at his home in
Colebrook, in the presence of his
family and after a long period of
declining health.
He was born in Errol on
March 20, 1927, the eldest child
of the late Alton and Arvilla
(Sweatt) Porter. At the age of 14,
Merton was the janitor at the
Errol School. He arrived early to
light the fires, attended school
there, and then drove loads of
pulp wood to Berlin in the evening, two years before he could
legally have a driver’s license. In
1944, at the age of 17, he enlisted
in the U.S. Navy and served with
honor with the American occupation force in Japan at the end of
World War II, and in the Navy
Reserve until the Korean conflict.
Following his military service,
Merton completed training in
auto mechanics at Robert’s Technical School in Boston in 1952,
and then worked with his dad at
Porter and Sons Garage along
the Mohawk River. It was there
that he caught the attention of a
persistent young woman, Pearl
Beauchemin, who would come by
frequently to “top off” the gas
tank of her dad’s taxi. They discovered their home during a
Sunday afternoon walk in the
woods. Merton and Pearl were
married at the Trinity United
Methodist Church on May 9,
1953, and celebrated their 63rd
wedding anniversary just two
weeks ago. They had six devoted
children and filled their home
with happy memories and laughter.
Merton held many jobs over
the years to support his growing
family, two of the most notable
were WeLog, Inc. and the State
of NH Department of Transportation, where he wrapped up his
career retiring in 1989. Merton
understood how mechanical
things worked, could fix anything, and spent many years in
4-H sharing his knowledge with
children in Colebrook. He loved
games, telling stories, being with
people and making them laugh.
He loved his family and he loved
to sing.
Merton is survived by his
wife, Pearl (Beauchemin) Porter
of Colebrook; and their six chil-
dren, Ruth and husband Alain
Bouchard of Epping, Lloyd Porter and wife Nancy of Gorham,
Maine, Nathan Porter and his
wife Margaret of Newmarket,
Cindy Hicks and husband David
of Colebrook, Mark Porter and
wife Audra of Colebrook, and
Faith Angevine and husband
Michael of Stewartstown; six
grandchildren,
Renee
and
Thomas Bouchard, Kevin and
Eric Porter, and David and
Christopher Hicks; two greatgrandchildren, Carson and Jackson Hicks; and five sisters, Alda
Barnett and husband Malcolm of
Errol, Lois Smith of Newport,
Vt., Eva Byard and husband
Terry of Clarksville, Tenn., Mildred Pelletier of Swanzey, and
Sheila Beauchemin and husband
Keith of Colebrook; as well as
numerous nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by two
brothers, Norman and Wendell
Porter, and two sisters, Arvilla
‘Evelyn’ Grenier and Gloria Sweatt.
Calling hours will be on Saturday, June 4, 2016, from 1 to 3
p.m. at the Jenkins and Newman
Funeral Home in Colebrook, with
a graveside committal and military honors to immediately follow in the Colebrook Village
Cemetery at 3 p.m. He will be
carried by family and close
friends to his final resting place.
Following the service a celebration of his life will be held.
Condolences may be offered to
the family online by going to
www.jenkinsnewman.com.
Funeral arrangements are
under the direction of Jenkins
and Newman Funeral Home in
Colebrook.
and her husband Victor, and
their children, Spencer, Chyanne
and Lilly. She spent many winter months in Winter Haven,
Fla., and summers camping in
New Hampton.
Rita was extremely outgoing
and loved to try any activity. She
enjoyed camping, horseback riding, swimming, biking, hiking,
going to the movies, and people
watching. She was always up for
a road trip or plane ride, and had
the opportunity to travel to many
different places. Rita was well
known and loved by many in all
the communities in which she
frequented.
In addition to her extended
family, Rita leaves behind her
mother, Wanda (Stone) Gilman
and her companion, Tom Walker
of Stratford Hollow; her sister
Wendy Farrow and husband
Timothy and their children Jonathan and Georgie, as well as
five step-daughters, all in Stratford Hollow; her brother Sammy
Stone of Stratford Hollow; and
her grandmother Florabelle
Stone and husband Jack
Cavanaugh of Stratford Hollow.
She is predeceased by her
father, Thomas Gilman, her
grandfather, Frank Stone, and a
nephew, Frank Stone.
There are no public calling
hours. A celebration of Rita’s life
will be held at the home of Victor
and Aimee Poulin on July 30
from 1 to 4 p.m.
Expressions of sympathy in
memory of Rita may be made to
the Two Rivers Ride for Cancer,
c/o R. Mulliken, 53 Spring St.,
Colebrook, NH 03576.
Condolences may be offered to
the family online by going to
www.jenkinsnewman.com.
Funeral arrangements are
under the direction of Jenkins
and Newman Funeral Home in
Colebrook.
Rita A. Gilman
RITA A. GILMAN
COLEBROOK–Rita A. Gilman, 45, of Colebrook, passed
away early on Sunday morning,
May 29, 2016, at her home and
with her extended family by her
side after a period of declining
health.
Rita was born on Aug. 8, 1970,
in West Stewartstown, a daughter to Thomas and Wanda
(Stone) Gilman. She attended
schools in Groveton and North
Stratford and was always surrounded by her numerous aunts,
uncles and cousins.
Rita spent her adult life in
Colebrook with her extended
family, in the home of Paula and
Wayne Chapple and their children, Aimee (Chapple) Poulin
Thaddeaus T. Smith
THADDEAUS T. SMITH
WEST
STEWARTSTON–
Thaddeaus T. Smith, 43, of West
Stewartstown, and formally of
Littleton, passed away suddenly
at home on Saturday May 28,
2016. He was born October 21,
1972 in Littleton to Sandi (Pihl)
Sylvestre and Butch Smith.
Thaddeaus grew up in Littleton
with his three sisters where he
played hockey, skied, hunted,
and fished before graduating
from Littleton High School.
Thad served in the US Army
in the military police right out of
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