, 80, of Newport died April 10, 2009, in Newport, following a brief illness. Mrs. Messier was born December 15, 1928, in Newton, Massachusetts, a daughter of James Madison Grover and Eleanor (Perry) Grover Vanier. She grew up in Lyndonville and graduated from Lyndon Institute in 1946. After high school she worked at Vermont Tap and Die and then moved to Newport where she worked at Montgomery Ward and H.P. Hood. She was a very sweet and sociable person, enjoying her time with family and friends. She had a lifelong love of the ocean and spent many childhood summers on Martha's Vineyard. She loved to dance, especially to big band music. She met her husband, Renald J. Messier, at the Red Wing Dance Hall. They were married on June 28, 1952, and shared a happy life together raising two daughters. She dearly loved her mother- and father-in-law, and she loved spending Sundays at the farmhouse in Newport Center. Her husband's famous garden was a big part of her life, as was playing cards on Saturday nights. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She is survived by her husband, Renald, of Newport; by her daughters Jane E. Tomlinson and her husband, Robert, of Montverde, Florida, and Ann Marie Lanoue and her husband, James, of Barton; by grandchildren: Andrew and Laura Lanoue; by her sister Barbara Bell and her husband, James; by sisters-in-law: Henriette Armstrong and her husband, Robert, Andrea Smith, Marguerite Burrell, and Claire Burlton and her husband, Pete; by brother-in-law Roger Messier and his wife, Bettie; and by several nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by her parents; by her sister Marion Parker and her husband, Tom; and by her brother James Grover. Funeral services were held April 14 at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church in Newport with the Reverend Yvon Royer celebrating a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will follow in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Newport. Should friends desire, contributions in Mrs. Messier's memory may be made to St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, in care of the centennial fund, 191 Clermont Terrace, Newport, Vermont 05855.

, 99, of Newport died April 7, 2009, at her home in Newport. Mrs. Mitchell was born April 14, 1909, in Newport Center, a daughter of Lucius and Florence (Ouimet) Allen. In 1938 she married Warren S. Mitchell, who predeceased her on November 12, 1988. She enjoyed knitting and crocheting. She held membership with the United Church of Newport. She is survived by her sister Shirley Turner of Newport; by her nephew Duncan McKay and his wife, Judy, of Orange; by her niece Louise Young and her husband, Neil, of East Corinth; and by great-nieces Nan Mann, her husband, John, and their son Michael Bottiggi, Joan Whiting, her husband, Larry, and their son Benjamin, and Kathryn Lamson, her husband, Albert, and their children Matthew and Allison. She was predeceased by sister-in-law Marjorie McKay and great-nephew Duncan McKay Jr. Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. Spring interment will be in Pine Grove Cemetery in Newport. Should friends desire, contributions in Mrs. Mitchell's memory may be made to Indoor Recreation of Orleans County, P.O. Box 558, Derby, Vermont 05829.

, 103, of Barton died April 8, 2009, in Barton. Mrs. Pollander was born in L'Ange Gardier, Quebec, on November 10, 1905, a daughter of Felix and Lea (Roberts) Hamel. On May 15, 1923, she married Stanley Pollander, who predeceased her on April 20, 1977. She enjoyed sewing, crocheting, knitting, spending time with family, and working in her vegetable and flower gardens. She is survived by her children: Nancy Cresswell and her husband, Greg, of Newport Center, Pauline Ryan of Barton, Genevieve Lafleur and her husband, Richard, of Orleans, Joan Souliere of Newport, and Philip Pollander and his wife, Barbara, of West Palm Beach, Florida; by 26 grandchildren; by 35 great-grandchildren; by ten great-great-grandchildren; by sister-in-law Theresa Pollander of Norwalk, Connecticut; and by numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by sons Francis and Aldei Pollander; by siblings: Aldei, Claudiemere, Arestide, Gerard, Joseph, and George Hamel, Cecile Bouchard, Elizabeth Danielson, and Theresa Carroll; by stepbrother Arsyne; and by niece Joanie Blay, with whom she spent her early childhood with her aunt Irene and uncle Stanley. Funeral services were held April 14 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Barton with the Reverend Sixmund Nyabenda celebrating a Mass of Christian Burial. Spring interment will be held at St. Paul's Catholic Cemetery in Barton on May 18 at 11 a.m. Should friends desire, contributions in Mrs. Pollander's memory may be made to Maple Lane Nursing Home, 60 Maple Hill Road, Barton, Vermont 05822.

, 74, of Newport, known as "Grammy Angel," died April 12, 2009, in Barton. Mrs. Thyselius was born April 29, 1934, in Long Island, New York, to William and Matilda (Brouffil) Bovers. She graduated as an art major from Skidmore College in Saratoga Spring, New York. She held careers in advertising design, art therapy, and nursing home activities. She was the widow of Peter John Thyselius. She is survived by her daughter Annie Rose Brown of Derby; by her son John Peter Thyselius of Manville, New Jersey; three grandchildren: Jason Philhower of Derby and Autumn Thyselius and Justice Thyselius of New Jersey; and by two great-grandchildren, Jonas Philhower of Newport and Dakota Truett of Arizona. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 16, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church with the Reverend Yvon Royer celebrating a Mass of Christian Burial. Friends may call on Wednesday, April 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Curtis-Britch Converse-Rushford Memorial Chapel on Lake Road in Newport. Interment will be held at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Bernardsville, New Jersey. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions to St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, 191 Clermont Terrace, Newport, Vermont 05855.

, 70, of Coventry died April 1, 2009, in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Mr. Beaumont was born September 29, 1938, in Willimantic, Connecticut, a son of Louis Gilbert Sr. and Thelma (Charland) Beaumont. He served in the Army and the Air Force. On February 8, 1958, he married Sylvia Scott, who survives him. He was a longtime bus driver for the Orleans Elementary School and did construction work. He loved family holidays with his children. He enjoyed participating in outdoor sports, coon hunting, attending horse shows, demos and car races, and dog field trials, listening to country music, and watching Western movies. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia Beaumont, of Coventry; by his children: Dolores Corsano and her friend, Greg, of New York, Pam Durocher and her husband, Alfred, of Coventry, Darryl Beaumont and his wife, April, of Brownington, and Todd Beaumont of Coventry; two brothers, Kenneth Beaumont of Coventry and Paul Beaumont and his wife, Cindy, of Ohio; by his sister Gloria Sokolis of Tennessee; by grandchildren: Deanna, Christina, John, Pauline and her friend, Chad, Kristen and her husband, Andrew, Anthony, Danny, Keith, Mike, Katelyn, and Morgan; and by six great-grandchildren: Logan, Dylan, Haley, Riley, Kailee, and Juliette. He was predeceased by his parents, Louis "John" Sr. and Thelma (Charland) Beaumont. Funeral services will be held at the convenience of the family. Should friends desire, contributions in Mr. Beaumont's memory may be made to the American Heart Association, Vermont Affiliate, 434 Hurricane Lane, Williston, Vermont 05495.

, 70, of East Albany, a former resident of Granville, Massachusetts, died Sunday, March 29, 2009, in Newport. Born February 27, 1939, to Dennis F. and Leona (Aldrich) Clifford, Mr. Clifford grew up in Granville and for a short time in Westfield, Massachusetts. Denny, as he was known to his friends and family, attended the West Granville School, the Granville Village School, and Westfield High School. He joined the U.S. Navy at age 17 and traveled the world for the next four years. He learned to play the fiddle at age nine, and while in the Navy became a talented banjo player as well. He also played guitar. In 1970 he married Donna Blakesley, and together they were known locally as a popular musical duo and were involved in various bands. Together they ran the Granville Banjo and Fiddle Contest for the benefit of the Granville Fire Department. He held jobs at many local businesses, including Jensen's Apple Orchard, The Drum Shop, Wackerbarth's Box Shop, Sussmann's Farm, and Agway. He worked as a machinist for a time as well. He had a logging career on and off throughout his lifetime, including using draft horses to skid the logs. His favorite job was farming. He often grew large vegetable crops and always had a barn full of animals. He was successful at training oxen, a lost art these days. He moved to northern Vermont in 1986. There he made many friends and continued to make merry with his musical talent, most recently with the Bobbin Mill folks. He leaves behind his daughters Darcy Cooley and her husband, Jay, of Tolland, Massachusetts, and Julie Clifford of Granville; his grandchildren: Michael, Craig, and Morgan Cooley, all of Tolland; his sister Kathleen Clifford Ivory of Lompoc, California, and her children John Ivory of Arlington, Virginia, and Bridget Ivory of San Francisco, California, in addition to several other nieces and nephews and cousins. He had so many friends who will feel his loss, including his longtime friend and caregiver John Hillyard of East Albany; and his much-loved friend, Jeeni Duquette, and their dog BoBo. There will be no formal services. A celebration of his life was held April 4 in East Albany; another will be held Saturday, April 25, at his daughter Darcy Cooley's home in Tolland. All are welcome to attend.

, 70, of Orleans died March 31, 2009, in Newport. Mrs. Jones was born February 26, 1939, in Greensboro Bend, a daughter of Melvin and Marie (Mackenzie) Warner. She was employed at one time as a nurse's aide at Maple Lane Nursing Home in Barton. She enjoyed reading, knitting, gardening, and craft work. She is survived by her son Ronald Jones of Orleans; by her brother Patrick Warner of Evansville; by her sister Joanne Dawson of Bellows Falls; by nephews: David Jr., Aaron, Robert, and Christopher; and by nieces: Michelle, Penny, and Angel. She was predeceased by grandson Tony Jones. Funeral services were held April 4 at a Curtis-Britch Converse-Rushford Funeral Home in Newport with the Reverend Dallas St. Peter officiating. Spring interment will be in Mountainview Cemetery in Lowell. Should friends desire, contributions in Mrs. Jones' memory may be made to the Vermont Lung Association, 30 Farrell Avenue, Burlington, Vermont 05401.

, 54, of Newport died April 3, 2009, in Newport. Mr. Plotnikov was born May 14, 1954, in Khabarovsk, Russia, a son of Peter and Nina Plotnikov. On July 25, 1998, he married Ella Mokhareva, who survives him. He was a truck driver for McDermotts Trucking Company of Coventry. He is survived by his wife, Ella, of Newport and by four children: Dasha, Alisa, and Nikita of Newport and Andrei of Burlington. A celebration of his life will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 10, at the Curtis-Britch Converse-Rushford Memorial Chapel on Lake Road in Newport.

, 56, of Newport died peacefully April 4, 2009, in Newport. Mrs. Thibault was born August 1, 1952, in Long Island, New York, a daughter of Dominick and Helen (Grossman) Bartolomeo. She is survived by her father, Dominick Bartolomeo, of North Carolina; by her daughter Jessica Dimartino and her husband, Dorindo, of Island Pond; by two stepchildren, Renee Thibault of Derby Line and Crystal Grenier and her husband, Alex, of West Charleston; by six beloved grandchildren; by five brothers; by four sisters; and by several nieces and nephews. Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. Should friends desire, contributions in Mrs. Thibault's memory may be made to Step O.N.E., P.O. Box 1004, Newport, Vermont 05855.

, 60, of Barton died March 24, 2009, at his home, surrounded by his family, following a long battle with cancer. Mr. Cota was born November 9, 1948, in Barton, a son of Russell and Doris (Buskey) Cota. On April 11, 1970, he married Linda Pelkey, who survives him. He was a lineman for Barton Electric; he retired in 1991. He was a member of the Vermont National Guard. He held memberships with American Legion Post 23 of Orleans and the Orleans Country Club. He played softball for many years with a Barton team. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, hunting, and fishing. He is survived by his wife, Linda Cota, of Barton; by two children, Tim Cota and his wife, Crystal, of Brownington and Tisha Hankinson and her husband, Glenn, of Newport; by three grandchildren: Mikayla, Hunter, and Ebony; by his father, Russell Cota, of Barton; by two brothers, John Cota and his wife, Audrey, of Cambridge and Jeff Cota and his wife, Jean, of Barton; by his sister Jeanne Nadeau and her husband, Wayne, of South Burlington; and by several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his mother, Doris, in 1991. Funeral services were held March 27 at a Curtis-Britch Converse-Rushford Funeral Home in Newport with the Reverend Carol Borland officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the James Cota Scholarship Fund, Community National Bank, attention Crystal Boutin, P.O. Box 577, Barton, Vermont 05822, for his grandchildren.

, 45, died Saturday evening, March 28, 2009, in East Burke as a result of an automobile accident. Mr. Horner was born in Newport on September 29, 1963, a son of Aaron "Bay" Horner Jr. and Sylvia Boucher Horner of Derby. He attended Albany Community School, and he was a 1981 graduate of Lake Region Union High School. He was an auto mechanic and was employed by Gilmour Ford in St. Johnsbury. He enjoyed hunting, spending time with his pets, and caring for children. He leaves his mother, "Sib," of Derby; his sister Michelle Tetreault and her husband, Dale, of Cabot; two brothers, Rick Horner of Albany and Aaron Horner III and his friend, Maureen, of Derby; his niece Brooke Tetreault; two nephews, Dylan Tetreault and Sean Horner and his wife, Renee; four uncles: Robert and Lawrence Boucher and Phillip and Robert Horner; his aunt Josephine Bowen; many extended family members; and a dear friend, Kevin Wheeler, and his family of Newark. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 4, at the Davis Funeral Home in Craftsbury Common with Pastor Alan Parker officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home on Saturday from 10 a.m. to the hour of service. Spring interment will be held at the convenience of the family in the Albany Village Cemetery. Contributions in Mr. Horner's memory may be made to the Frontier Animal Society, 4473 Barton-Orleans Road, Orleans, Vermont 05860. The Malcolm R. Davis Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

, 80, of Bamberg, Germany, died March 2, 2009, at his home. Mr. Schraudner was born October 16, 1928. He was a lifelong resident of Bamberg in a multigenerational family of master photographers. He carried on the family photo studio first established by his grandfather, then passed to his father. Two of his children continue the family trade and the business name Foto-Schraudner. He was predeceased by his wife, Lieselotte Schraudner. He is survived by his children: Gaby Schraudner and Juergen Schraudner and his family of Bamberg, Hannelore Schuman and her family of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and Andrea Hunt and her family of Coventry. A small service for family and close friends was held March 18 in Bamberg prior to burial. Local donations in Mr. Schraudner's name may be made to Frontier Animal Society, 502 Strawberry Acres, Newport, Vermont 05855.

, 52, of Newport died peacefully on March 21, 2009, in Burlington, with his family by his side. Mr. Smith was born July 28, 1956, in Newport, the only son of Walter and Tessie Smith of North Troy. He was a fun-loving guy, a friend to all, doing for others before himself, a great softball player and pool shark, and talented welder at Ethan Allen in Orleans. Forever by his side were his two cats, Fred and Ethel, companions to the end. For a number of years he was a member of the North Troy and Orleans fire departments. He was an 11-year veteran with the Air and Army National Guard in Burlington. He was a member of Jay Peak Post 28 of the American Legion for 20 years. His parents survive him. He is also survived by his sisters Mary Cota and her husband, Arnold Jr., of Jay and Katherine Mayhew and her husband, Marcel, of Jay; by four nieces and a nephew: Susan (Cota) Galofaro and her husband, Richard, of Los Angeles, California, Dean Cota and his wife, Cindy, of Milton, Karen Cota of Valley Village, California, Angela Mayhew Mead and her husband, James, of Newport Center, and Melinda Mayhew Smith of Waitsfield; by his great-niece and -nephews: Sierra and Tyler Mead and Mathiew Smith; by his aunt Roberta Clark of Chicopee, Massachusetts; and by several cousins. He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Albert and Belle Lahue, of North Troy; by his paternal grandparents, William and Minnie Smith, of North Troy; and by several aunts and uncles. He will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved him. Funeral services were held March 26 in Newport with the Reverend Roger Fletcher officiating. Spring interment will be in North Troy Village Cemetery with full military honors. Should friends desire, contributions in Mr. Smith's memory may be made to Jay Peak Post 28, American Legion, 254 Dominion Avenue, North Troy, Vermont 05859. Arrangements are by Curtis-Britch Converse-Rushford Funeral Homes.

, 57, of Derby died March 22, 2009, in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Mr. Wells was born January 21, 1952, in Newport, a son of Rene Sr. and June (Hart) Wells. He enjoyed fishing and camping. He is survived by his mother, June, of Derby; by six brothers: Roy Wells of Derby Line, Richard Wells and his wife, Vicky, of Derby, Robert Wells of New Port Richie, Florida, David Wells of Troy, Wade Wells and his wife, Susan, of Lyndonville, and Mark Wells and his wife, Cindy, of Newport; by two sisters, Beverly Barow and her husband, Wilbur, of Newport and Diane Benway and her companion, John, of Derby; by stepbrother Jason Wells of Conway, New Hampshire; by stepsister Jessica Wells of Plymouth; and by numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father, Rene Wells Sr.; by his brother Rene Wells Jr.; and by his sister Gloria Paradis. A celebration of his life was held March 30 at the Curtis-Britch Converse-Rushford Memorial Chapel in Newport. Interment will be held at the convenience of the family. Should friends desire, contributions in Mr. Wells' memory may be made to the American Heart Association, Vermont Affiliate, 434 Hurricane Lane, Williston, Vermont 05446.