Remembering Helen Sargut, our High School Secretary

Obituary for Helen Sargut

Helen Macionis Sargut, 91, currently of Stewartstown Rd., Morgantown and a former longtime resident of Gardner, MA, passed away Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at her residence in Morgantown, WV. Born in Gardner, MA on June 15, 1918, she was the only child of Anna Karuza and Simon Macionis, who had immigrated to Gardner from Lithuania. She was married for 53 years to her husband John J. Sargut who preceded her in death in 2000. She is survived by her only child, Susan Sargut of Waynesburg, PA. She was a graduate of Becker College and had volunteered many years on their 1938 reunion committee. In Massachusetts, she had been a member of the Womenâs club and the Lithuanian Outing Association. She worked at Simplex Time Recording Company for approximately ten years before finding her home as the senior secretary at Gardner High School where she remained for 33 years until her retirement in 1973. While in MA, she was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic ChurchDuring World War II, Helen joined the Civil Air Patrol in order to serve her Country while her future husband was overseas.Helen enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. In her younger years, she loved entertaining family and friends at home in her backyard and planned every get together around her fabulous desserts. More recently, she passed the time reading mystery novels and knitting when she was able.Helen spent 82 years in Gardner MA before moving to Morgantown WV to be closer to her daughter after the death of her husband. After moving to Morgantown, she joined St. Maryâs Church of Star City. Her warm smile and pleasant demeanor will truly be missed.Friends may call at the Hastings Funeral Home, 153 Spruce St., Morgantown from 5-7 PM on Thursday, July 9, 2009. Mrs. Sargut will then be transported to the John H. Mack Funeral Home, 91 Vernon St., Gardner, MA, where visitation will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2009 from 10-12:30 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Gardner, MA on Saturday at 1 PM with Father Jesus Martinez as celebrant. Interment will follow in St. Johnâs Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Mrs. Sargutâs memory please be made to either Morgantown Hospice, PO Box 4222, Morgantown, WV 26504 or to the Gardner Visiting Nursing Assocation, 34 Pearly Ln., Gardener, MA 01440.Send condolences online at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com

Remembering Edith Needham Godfrey

Omaha, Neb. — Edie Godfrey was born in Gardner, MA, to Roger Needham and Anne Norcross Needham on July 14, 1942.  She passed away at her home on September 3, 2014, after a 6-1/2 year battle with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer.
Edie graduated from Gardner High School in 1960, Simmons College in 1964, and Northeastern University, both in Boston, in 1966. She married Michael Godfrey in 1964. In Boston, she taught remedial reading, and in Omaha she taught English as a Second Language at UNO until 2001. She and Mike, hosted dozens of foreign students who were taking English-language classes at UNO. She loved art, lecturing to elementary school classes when her children were young, later becoming a docent at the Joslyn Art Museum, and attended a month-long print-making class in Florence, Italy.  She sang in her church choir for many years, in the Omaha Symphonic Chorus, and with the Prairie Plaide Scottish Band.  She served on the Board of Nebraska Advocacy Services (Omaha) for several years.
She is survived by her husband, Mike; her sons and daughters-in-law, Benjamin and Michelle, Bruce and Kate, and Jared; five grandchildren; her sister, Elizabeth; and her brother, Arthur.
Her remains were donated to the Nebraska Anatomical Board at the University of NE Medical Center to benefit medical education.
A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 20, at First Central Congregational Church, 421 S. 36th St., Omaha. Memorials may be sent to First Central Congregational Church.


GHS Classmates are welcome to post comments sharing memories of Edith on this blog.

Gardner High School Teachers 1956-1960

The names of the teachers listed below may not “ring a bell” with everyone in our class, but may bring back special memories to those who knew individual teachers through their college, commercial, or general courses and extra-curricular activities. Some teachers or their subjects influence your life in ways that you do not recognize or fully appreciate until much later. Which teachers do remember, and why?

 

Miss Virginia A. Aldrich – World History, U.S. History

Mr. Martin L. Anderson – World History, Arithmetic

Miss Mary G. Bailey – Art, English

Mr. James W.H. Baker – Physics

Mrs. Marcia L. Baker – English*

Miss K. Doris Berry – Stenography, Typewriting, Office Machines

Mr. George J. Black – English, Art, Latin*

Mr. Hervey F. Bowden – U.S. History, Modern European History

Mr. Kenneth E. Bowen – English, Psychology

Miss Helen Chafee – French, Spanish

Miss Sarah E. Clark – Business Law, Problems of Democracy

Mrs. Edla S.  Denney – English

Mr. L. Edward Dolhenty, Jr.**Basic Business, Problems of Democracy

Mr. Walter Dubzinski, Sr. – Civics, Health, General Math, Guidance

Mr. Robert T. Duncan – Basic Business, General Science

Miss Geraldine Foskett, English

Mr. John S. Gearan, Principal/English* (5/9/56)

Miss Mary A. Glasheen – English

Mrs. Vera L. Glendenning – Health, Homemaking

Mr. Edward W. Hilbourne – Chemistry, General Science

Mr. Edward V. Hill* – English, Geography

Mrs. Dorothy K. Hopkins – Bookeeping, Typewriting, Office Practice

Mrs. Mary L. Horrigan – Bookeeping, Typewriting

Mr. Dean E. Johnson – Industrial Arts

Mr. Joseph T. Kivlin – Printing

Mr. Martin O. Lahtinen – U.S. History, World History

Miss Louise Kraskouskas ** – English

Mr. Roland C. Lambert – Boys Physical Education

Mrs. Hope H. Lavalee** - Art

Miss Helen Lepkowski – Stenography, Typewriting, Bookkeeping, Office Machines

Mr. Robert Littlefield – Assistant Principal/Geometry

Mr. William M. Lloyd, Jr.* – Band Director, Music

Miss Kathleen M. McCarthy – Basic Business, Typewriting

Miss Dorothy R. O’Neill – English, Speech

Mr. Chester J. Poliks – General Science, Biology, World History

Ms. Priscilla Power –Girls Physical Education, Sports

Miss Elizabeth B. Saben – Director of Guidance

Mrs. Helen F. St. George - Latin, French

Mr. William P. Small*** – German, English

Miss Muriel M. Sutherland, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus.

Mr. Philip J. Tarpey – General Math, Economics

Miss. Carolyn A. Thatcher – Stenography, Typewriting,

Mr. John R. Tinker, Mechanical Drawing, Mathematics, Drivers Ed.

Mrs. Mildred E. Tinker*** – English

Miss Marion Viets – Algebra, Geometry

Miss Helen Whittier – Biology

Miss Dorothy K. Young – Bookeeping, Typewriting

 

Note: In February of 1955, Mrs. Dorothy J. Littlefield substituted for Miss K. Doris Berry who was placed on indefinite leave because of an illness in her family.

 

The Asterisk (*) denotes teachers or administrators who were appointed in 1956.

The Double Asterisk (**) denotes appointment in 1957

The Triple Asterisk (***) denotes appointment in 1959

Remembering Jean Williams Albert Mattson

Jean A. (Williams) Albert Mattson, 71, a longtime resident of Fitchburg and Westminster, died Friday, July 4, at her daughter's residence, after a brief illness. She leaves three daughters, Julie A. Orlando of Leominster, Renee J. Smith, and her husband John of Bolton, MA and Christine M. Leger, and her fiancée Glenn Ares of Gardner, MA; two brothers, David J. Williams and his life partner, Joyce Z. Cariglia of Worcester and Keith A. Williams, and his wife Annette of Carey, NC; 10 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren and one niece and two nephews. She previously was the wife of 34 years of Rene J. Albert, who died in 2003. Jean was employed at the Tyco Company in Westminster in the Accounts Payable Dept. for many years. She was a 1960 graduate of Gardner High School and was a member of the former Good Shepherd Church in West Fitchburg.

Blood Mountain Conspiracy

Joni's Third Novel

Joanne (Bogdanski) Taylor Moore is currently working on her third book, Blood Mountain Conspiracy, and plans to have it on book shelves by the fall.  It will the third in a series of mysteries centered around an abandoned hotel in the Arizona desert that has been vacant for years.  When a Los Angeles man inherits the property and decides to reopen the hotel, characters are systematically terrorized by someone who clearly wants them out.

 

Commenting in a Gardner News article published on February 3, 2014, Joni said her childhood in Gardner helped her pursue her career as an author. She says playing by herself much of the time helped her expand her imagination.  Blood Mountain and Blood Mountain Prophecy are the titles of her first two novels.

 

It Ain't Easy!

The GHS Class of 1960 has (another) new author.  We congratulate Jan Ricord (Jeanette Morin to many former classmates) on her accomplishment.  Jeanette is listed as author, with Sarah L.Sheridan as cover designer.  You can also search for electronic versions of her book at amazon.com.

"It Ain't Easy" is a collection of light humorous stories poking fun at our human nature. The anecdotes are true but exaggerated incidents from her life, family and friends. She says, "Please don't accuse me of looking in your windows for material to write. These funny stories are things that have happened to all of us. Enjoy reading, smiling, and even laughing out loud."

Way to go, Jeanette!

 

 We recently sent emails to classmates to confirm contact information for our class database, including street address, telephone, and e-mail, and invited classmates to share some things (life events, moves, hobbies, interests).  Here are a few responses.

 

"Aloha, Doug - it is possible we will be moving back to the mainland (California) in 2014.  Will be in touch.  Judy Goodwin Cross, Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii

 

"Paul and I are moving to Indiana to be closer to our daughter and grandchildren.  We  bought a house and are renovating it. " Nancy Ball Griffin, Columbus, OH

 

"Linda and I built a new house in Port Townsend, Washington and are living in a sailing community.  We enjoy sailing, kayaking, and fishing." Robert Frenette, Port Townsend, WA

 

"I have sold my home in Stoneham, MA and purchased another in Center Conway, NH."

Linda Giles Merikanto

 

"Thanks for keeping in touch.
 Marilyn Michaelson, Wasilla, AK

 

"We have moved from Virginia to North Carolina to await the arrival of a new grandson, who now happily lights up our lives."

Phyllis and Russell Hoag

Cornelius, NC

 

"My husband and recently I returned from a trip to France.  We saw the D-Day beaches up north, then headed south to visit with friends.  The best part was having my daughter join us in Provence, where she studied in her junior year in college."

Pamela LeBlanc Soberg, Menlo Park, CA

 

 

In order to reach classmates without e-mail, we will have to pick up the phone and call - but that too can lead to some interesting conversations and news we can report in future posts.

 

Our age cohort seems ready to give up the bigger house, mowing the lawn, and shoveling snow in exchange for more time to spend on new hobbies and interests.

 

Douglas S. Fleming, Sr.
P.O. Box 597, Lunenburg, MA 01462
(978) 582 6705