, 96, of Rowan Court, Barre, formerly of Sunset Drive, passed away there Aug. 30, 2004, with her family beside her. She was born in Lawrence, Mass., June 21, 1908, and grew up in Dover, N.H. She attended the University of New Hampshire, where she met Foster "Steve" Slayton. They were married in Kittery, Maine, upon her graduation in 1930. She was active in sports in college, named captain of the university women's basketball team and was the catcher on the women's softball team, graduating cum laude in 1930. Upon graduation, she married Steve Slayton while she was a basketball coach at Traip Academy in Kittery, Maine, and he was with the Boston Red Sox. She continued coaching until she and her husband moved to Tilton School in Tilton, N.H., where he was a coach and she became a librarian. Later they moved to Littleton, N.H., where she became a teacher in Bethlehem, N.H. In 1957, she initiated the Conversational French Program in the Barre City School System, visiting the third and fourth grades of all Barre elementary schools daily for many years, and is still known to many students of that time as "Madame Slayton." Her interests included sports of all kinds, especially the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Celtics (K.C. Jones), and children. She was predeceased by her husband, Steve Slayton, who died in 1984. Survivors include her son, David of East Barre; a granddaughter, Amy of Barre; a grandson, Steve of Haverhill, Mass.; and a great-granddaughter, Kate of Barre. A graveside remembrance service will be held at Hope Cemetery, Friday, Sept. 3, at 2 p.m.

, 65, of Bradford, died peacefully Aug. 27, 2004, at the home of cousins Bruce and Margaret Davis, of Enfield, N.H., where he received TLC. He was born April 22, 1939, in West Bradford, the son of Arthur and Katherene (Davis) Kincaid. He was a member of the Bradford Methodist Church and was active in the Methodist Youth Fellowship as a teenager. He attended schools in Bradford and was a member of the drama club as well as many other functions in high school, and also participated in Green Mountain Boys State. After graduation in 1957, he worked in the Bradford National Bank and was a member of the National Guard. Russell joined the Navy in 1963, sailing the Mediterranean Sea on the USS Wasp. The ship and crew participated in the Gemini Series recovery program. He returned to Bradford from the Navy in 1968. He worked a short time in a factory in Barre and the Bradford Veneer & Panel Co. He also worked at RSD Transportation in West Lebanon as a bookkeeper and then at Pratt's Propane in Bradford for many years in the office and then on to Agway Petroleum in Norwich until his death. Russell had many interest and participated in several plays on stage and behind the scenes at the Old Church Theater in Bradford. He enjoyed playing golf, reading, cooking and had a sense of humor. He had a natural flare for words. His letters home were entertaining to read during his Navy years or even when he wrote a letter of displeasure to the phone company when they were raising rates. Russell was predeceased by his brother, Donald, in 1954; his father in 1991; his brother, Rodney, in 2001; his mother in January 2004; and his brother, Dennis, in July 2004. He is survived by his sister, Helen Kincaid of Groton; his brother, Shawn Kincaid of Lyndon Center; and several nieces and nephews. A graveside funeral service will be held Saturday, Sept. 4, at 1 p.m., in the Sawyer Cemetery in Bradford, Vt. There are no calling hours. There will be a gathering at the Grace United Methodist Church in Bradford after the service. Donations in his memory may be made to VNA/VNH Hospice, 46 South Main St., White River Junction, VT 05001.

, of West Burke, died at her home Wednesday morning, Sept. 1, 2004, at the age of 71. She was born Aug. 24, 1933, in Connor, Maine, daughter of the late Albert and Yvonne (Michaud) Dufour. On Dec. 16, 1950, she married Harold A. Tardif. Martha worked with her husband for many years as the office manager of his business, Tardif Machine Shop, located in Connecticut. In 1967 they moved their family and business to West Burke. Years later, after the business was sold, she worked at Maple Grove in St. Johnsbury. She had been a member of the Women's Bowling League at Gold Crown Lanes in St. Johnsbury for 30 years. Sharing her love for cooking with family and friends brought her great pleasure. She enjoyed bingo, snowmobiling and motorcycling along the Eastern U.S. Spending time at family gatherings with family and friends also brought her much joy. Survivors include her husband of 54 years, Harold Tardif of West Burke; four children and their spouses, Rena and Robert Eastman of Lyndonville, Harold Jr. and Jacqueline Tardif of West Burke, Laurie and Tim Maple of East Charleston, and Lisa and John Berry of West Burke; eight grandchildren, Aaron Carr and his wife Chrissy, Chad Sterling and his wife Stephanie, Maygan Ruggles, Ashley Maple, Kylie Maple, Justin Berry, Michelle Berry and Abigail Berry; five great-grandchildren; 13 brothers and sisters, Edna Dipsiner of Florida, Doris Bryan and her husband Ken of Florida, Jeanette Duryea and her husband Denny of Connecticut, Clarence Dufour and his friend Trish of Connecticut, Roy Dufour and his wife Madeline of Sutton, Albert Dufour Jr. and his wife Sharon of Connecticut, Roger Dufour and his wife Sue of Connecticut, Melvin Dufour and his wife Jane of Pennsylvania, Renette Dufour of Connecticut, Sandra Wright and her husband Sam of Connecticut, Linda Dufour of Connecticut, Steve Dufour of Connecticut, and Debbie Pagano and her husband Neal of Connecticut; five sisters-in-law, Noela Dufour of Connecticut, Judy Fenoff of St. Johnsbury, Martha Tardif of New York, Bea McQuade and her husband Harold of New Brunswick, Canada, and Dorilda Lister of Virginia; and many nieces, nephews and friends. She was predeceased by two brothers, Jerry and Roland Dufour; a sister, Rita Roberts; and a brother-in-law, Ivan Tardif. A Mass of Christian burial will be held Saturday, Sept. 4, at 11 a.m., at St. Elizabeth Church in Lyndonville, with the Rev. Patrick Forman celebrant. Burial in Hillside Cemetery in West Burke will be held at a later date. Visiting hours will be held at the funeral home Friday evening, Sept. 3, from 6-8. In lieu of flowers, donations made in her memory may be directed to Riverside Life Enrichment Center, 2104 East Burke Road, Lyndonville, VT 05851.

, 89, of 651 Hill St., Lyndonville, Vt., passed away Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2004, at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury, Vt. He was born May 3, 1915, in Augusta, Maine, the son of the late Harry E. and Evelyn M. (Dearborn) Gibbs. He graduated from Lawrence High School in Maine. He served in the Navy during World War II. He married Ernestine (Miller) Giguere of St. Johnsbury, Vt. She predeceased him in 1991. He worked for the Maine Central Railroad as a trainman for 32 years before retiring. He had been a life member of the American Legion Post 30 of Lyndon, Vt. Also he was a life member of the VFW Post 6924 in Fairfield, Maine, and he was a member of Sebasticook Lodge 146 F & AM, Clinton, Maine. He enjoyed family, friends, loved golf and feeding the wild birds and animals. He is survived by his stepsons, Bill Giguere and his wife Cheryl of Sutton, Vt., Mike Giguere and his wife Claudia of East Haven, Vt., and David Giguere and his wife Sherry of Montpelier, Vt.; his grandchildren, Debbie Petterson of Waterbury, Vt., Windy Adams and family of Montpelier, Vt., Karen and Steve Badurski of Sheffield, Vt., Robert Giguere and Cathy Gammell of St. Johnsbury, Vt., Shannon and Todd Ruggles and family of Richmond, Va., Shane and Christine Giguere and family of Georgia, and Ryan Giguere of Virginia; his great-grandchildren, Robert and Matt Badurski of Sheffield, Vt. There will be no calling hours. Graveside services will be held at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Civic Center Drive, Augusta, Maine, Monday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m., with the Rev. Stephen Tolander officiating. Military honors will also be conducted at the cemetery.

, 69, passed away at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Monday, Aug. 30, 2004. He was born Dec. 23, 1934, in St. Johnsbury, the son of Ralph Sr. and Vera (Rodgers) Hanks. He graduated from Waterbury High School, Class of 1952. Ralph retired at age 55 from Rockwell Industries, a manufacturer of rocket engines, located in Conaga Park, Calif. He returned to Vermont and lived in the family home at 42 Winooski St., Waterbury. His mother passed away Jan. 5 of this year. For the past few years, he had stayed with his brother Rick in Waterford due to failing health. He is survived by twins John and Joel and youngest son Jeff, all residing in California; five grandsons; his brother, Rick Hanks of Waterford (P.O. Box 53, St. Johnsbury Center, VT 05863); and several nieces and nephews. Services will be held Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 10 a.m., at the Sayles Funeral Home with NVRH chaplain Lynn Burgess officiating. Burial will be at the convenience of the family.

, of Lisbon, N.H., entered the pearly gates of heaven on Sept. 2, 2004, after losing a courageous battle with cancer. Ellie was born Dec. 15, 1931, a daughter to Clarence and Ruth (Greenia) Young in West Enosburg, Vt. As a teen Ellie worked the family farm in Vermont, and later joined the hospitality industry and relocated to New London, Conn., where she later met and married her husband, Charles R. Titus. She retired from the New England Wire Company in 2002 where she was employed for over 10 years. Prior to her husband's death, they raised appaloosa horses. Ellie was a humanitarian at heart, always willing to help anyone out, and an avid lover of animals. She would take in stray dogs and cats and either keep them or make sure they had a good home. Ellie is survived by her daughter, Lynne Smith of Wells River Vt.; two grandchildren, Robbie Hubbard of Jewett City, Conn., and Robin Hubbard of Wells River, Vt.; two sisters, Barbara Basnar and her husband Reginald of Benton, N.H., and Virginia (Gen) Young of Barrington, N.H.; two brothers, Jim Young and his wife Marlene of East Fairfield, Vt., and Wendall Young and his wife Nancy of Bethlehem, N.H.; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Charles in 1989; her mother Ruth in 1994; her father Clarence in 1991; and one brother, Ronald Young of Las Cruces, N.M., in 2002. Calling hours will be held Saturday, Sept. 4, 2004, at the Pillsbury Funeral Home, 77 South Main St., Lisbon, N.H., from 10-11:30 a.m. Funeral services will follow in the funeral home at 11:30 a.m., with the Rev. Fr. Brady as celebrant. Burial will follow in the Landaff Center Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to North Country Home Health and Hospice of Littleton, Cottage Street, Littleton, NH 03561; or River Valley Veterinary Hospital, Newberry, VT 05051.

, 79, of Oregon Road, East Concord, died peacefully Friday morning, Sept. 3, 2004, at St. Johnsbury Health & Rehab. Arrangements are pending and a complete obituary will appear in a later edition.

, 37, of Lyndonville, passed away in St. Johnsbury on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2004. She was born in Glendora, Calif. on Oct. 2, 1966, the daughter of Deacon William and Sabra (Carpenter) Graden. On Dec. 15, 1987, Jenny married Dennis Snyder, who survives her. She enjoyed quilting and reading. Besides her husband, Dennis, Jenny is survived by her mother, Sabra Graden of Island Pond; her children, Sabra and William Snyder of Lyndonville; her siblings Mark Graden of Island Pond, Timothy Graden of Lyndonville and Rebecca Watkins of Lyndonville; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother, Mathew, and by her father, Deacon William Graden. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Sept. 4 at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, Railroad Street, Island Pond at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Carolyn Clark officiating. It is the family's desire that everyone attending Jenny's funeral service be casually dressed. Burial services will be private. Should friends desire, contributions in Jenny's memory may be made to Amnesty International USA, Attn: Member Services Department, 322 8th Ave., 10th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

, of Concord, died unexpectedly at his home, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2004, at the age of 44. He was born in Lancaster, N.H. on Feb. 15, 1960, the oldest of six sons born to Gene and Jane (Dixon) Whitcomb. His father predeceased him in 1976. He is survived by his girlfriend, Donna Sullivan, and her extended family, including her son Jeffrey and granddaughter Andrea; his two daughters, Amanda and Brianna living in Las Vegas, Nev.; his mother, Jane Austin, and her husband Dean of Concord; five brothers and their families: Edward of East Burke, Scott of St. Johnsbury, Earl and Michael of North Haverhill, N.H., Shawn of Barnet; a half-sister, Melissa Vashaw of Colorado; two stepsisters and their families: Susan Austin of Lunenburg and Debbie Kittredge of Passumpsic; one stepbrother and his family: Brian Austin of Concord, N.H.; several nieces and nephews. Graveside services will be held this Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Cushman Cemetery in Dalton, N.H. with the Rev. Glenn Hatch officiating. All are welcome to attend. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Concord FAST Squad, P.O. Box 113, Concord, VT 05824.

, 71, of West Charleston, passed away at his home on Sunday, Sept. 5, 2004. He was born in Newport on April 4, 1933, the son of Reginald and Mary Jane "Maye" (Buck) Holmes. Richard spent his entire life on the family farm in West Charleston, which he took over to operate for many years and lived there all his life. He was recently a driver for RCT, where he was very well liked. Richard was a very generous and compassionate person. He enjoyed learning about the family history and spending time with his family. Richard is survived by his sisters, Esther M. Allen of West Charleston, and Pauline Darby of Charleston; his sister-in-law Thelma Holmes of St. Johnsbury; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and a large extended family. He was predeceased by his brothers, Roscoe A. Holmes, Hazen Holmes and his wife Marie, his brothers-in-law, Sherman Allen Sr. and David Broe Sr.; and by a special friend of several years, Joyce Jenness. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, Darling Hill Road, Newport, with the Rev. Roger Fletcher officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home from 1 until 2 p.m. on Thursday. Interment will follow at the West Charleston cemetery.