In Memory: Eugene N Beisman

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Eugene N. Beisman, 75, passed away on August 7, 2022, at his home in Batchtown, IL.

He was born February 3, 1947, in Batchtown, IL, to the late John and Dorothy (Peters) Beisman.

He married Barbara Maag on June 14, 1969, and they recently shared their 53rd anniversary.

He served in the United States Army for two years during the Vietnam War. Gene went to work for Calhoun Drilling Company and worked as an operator and then went to work for Calhoun Lumber until he retired, he also loved to farm. He served as a volunteer firefighter for the Richwood fire department and was a member of the Batchtown American Legion.

In Memory: Richard P Barish

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Richard “Dick” Barish passed away on 10-10-2020 and is survived by his wife of 30 years, Barbara, Norwood; his children Benjamin Davis and Terry Fefee, Parishville; Sarah and Charles Graham, Carthage; Richard Barish Jr., Kentucky; Debra and Tony Parisi, Connecticut and Steve and Annette Green, Colton and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Dick was pre-deceased by his parents and a brother, Henry Barish. Born in Rochester, NY on May 25, 1943 to the late Henry and Bernetta Ayers Barish, Dick attended school and entered the U.S. Army and served until his honorable discharge in 1965. He worked as a truck driver for several local businesses over the years which include Potsdam Paper, Bicknell Brothers, Anchor Motor Freight and most recently, Agway Petro in Heuvelton from where Dick retired.

Dick was a member of the Potsdam Elks Lodge #2074 where he was a 44-year member and he was also a member of the Norfolk American Legion and the Legion riders. He enjoyed puttering around his garage on old cars and motorcycles in his spare time and enjoyed the quality time spent with Dakota and Rayna. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Dick’s memory can be made to the Potsdam Humane Society, 17 Madrid Ave., Potsdam, NY 13676 and memories and condolences may be shared online at www.buckfuneralhome.com. Dick’s family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Dodd’s and the entire staff at the Gouverneur Hospital for the care they provided during Dick’s stay. The Buck Funeral Home in Norwood is serving the family of Richard P. “Dick” Barish.

In Memory: Robert E Ashby

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Robert “Bob” E. Ashby, age 87 of Linn, passed away Wednesday, November 7, 2018, at Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City.

Bob was born December 11, 1930, in McHenry, Kentucky, a son to the late Vernie and Frances (James) Ashby.

On April 8, 1967, he was united in marriage to Nancy Miller in Chicago, Illinois.  She survives his passing.

Bob proudly served his country for 21 years in the United States Army retiring as a Master Sergeant in 1968. He served during the Korean Conflict, Vietnam War and tours in Panama, Japan, and Germany. Served as the Chief of Police of Linn during the 1970’s and later worked as an instructor as Linn State Technical College.

Bob was a member of the First Baptist Church in Linn.  He enjoyed playing his guitar and singing bluegrass and country songs.  Bob was a Mr. Fix It and a Jack of all Trades repairing watches, restoring his jeep, and working on projects around the house.  He had a strong interest in his family history and enjoyed watching old westerns.

In Memory: Berry J Arnette Jr

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Berry Arnett Jr., known to some family and friends as “Jody,” passed away on January 8, 2019, at the age of 74 years. A graveside burial service will be held on Friday, January 18, at 2:00 p.m. at Crown Hill Cemetary Field of Valor.

He is survived by his daughters Simone (Arnett) Spearman and Erika Arnett; son Kevin B. Arnett; ex-wife Marilyn (Maxwell) Arnett; brothers Joseph L. Arnett Sr. and Reginald L. Arnett; sisters Dorothy J. Hill, Kathleen Lee, Brenda L. Newman, Joyce A. Moss, Karen D. Arnett, Linda B. Hudson, Beverly F. Lewis; grandchildren Faith Spearman, Alexis Shelton, Erie Smith, Erika Smith, Allie Rossman and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

In Memory: Eural D Armstrong

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Eural Dean Armstrong Jr., of Little Rock, Arkansas, went to be with his Lord and Savior on January 4th, 2023. Dean was born on March 11th, 1943 to Eural Dean Armstrong Sr. And Virginia Voncille Armstrong in Kensett, Arkansas. He spent his childhood in Merced, California in the San Joaquin Valley. He moved back to Arkansas at age 16, when he bought his first Model-A. On April 25th, 1968 he married Rose Williams Armstrong, the love of his life. They were married for 54 happy years. They were blessed with three children, David, Kelley, and Steven. Dean worked as a boilermaker and blacksmith for the Union Pacific Railroad for 30 years. He was also proud of his jobs at Kennedy Space Center and on pipelines, missile bases and high-rise construction. He served his country in the army as a Specialist 5 during the Vietnam war. Dean had numerous hobbies that he loved to share with others, including gardening, crappie fishing, woodworking, welding, cooking delicious meals for his family, working on his Model-A and other antique cars, camping, boating, snorkeling, and scuba diving. He loved caring for animals and provided a loving home for dogs, cats, rabbits, bees, geese, owls, raccoons, and horses. He was loved by everyone who knew him and never met a stranger. He entertained his family with colorful stories of his many adventures.

In Memory: Larry E Appleby

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Larry Appleby of Oxford Junction, passed away peacefully Monday, July 25, 2016, at Jones Regional Medical Hospital in Anamosa surrounded by his family. His funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 30, at the Legionnaire in Oxford Junction. His visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Lahey Funeral Home in Oxford Junction. Burial will be at Oakwood Cemetery in Monticello.

Larry Eugene Appleby was born Feb. 26, 1949, in Iowa City, to Freddie and Luella (Boots) Appleby. He married the love of his life, Mary Kay Fedderson, on Aug. 8, 1969, in Anamosa. He served in the U.S. Army for eight years, enlisting in 1966.

Larry worked for Iowa Steel in Cedar Rapids, Wilson Food and IAC in Iowa City. He was a member of Harley Hogs. He enjoyed to fish, hunt, camp and travel. Larry also enjoyed gambling. He loved spending time with his family and friends. The neighborhood kids often enjoyed his company and knew him as Grandpa or Uncle Larry. He enjoyed time with his dogs, they were his boys.

In Memory: Robert G. Ferrari

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Retired Army Col Robert G. Ferrari passed away Aug 8, 2021 at age 84 after a long battle with a variety of health issues, which he battled ferociously to the very end. He was proud of his family, his friends, his notable life accomplishments, and his military commitment to serving his country throughout the world over a 30-year span.

Bob’s military career consisted of numerous challenging deployments in Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Georgia, White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Utah, Heidelberg, Germany, the Panama Canal Zone, and two year-long tours in Vietnam. He excelled in leadership positions throughout his career.

In the military, Bob was awarded two Bronze Medals, an Air Medal for Combat service, two Legion of Merit medals, two Meritorious Service medals, and a peacetime Humanitarian Service medal.

Bob distinguished himself his entire life as a star athlete at Bishop Manogue High School (he’s in the Manogue Hall of Fame) and later earned eight varsity letters in three sports at the University of Nevada. After retirement from the military in 1988, Bob was asked by Gov. Richard Bryan to serve the State of Nevada and clean up the backlog of buildings overseen by the Public Works Boards. In four years, Bob supervised the completion of the new Carson City Supreme Court and State Library, the Ely and Lovelock prisons, DRI faculty in Las Vegas, UNLV Health Science Building, Community College facilities in Las Vegas, Henderson, Elko, Carson City and Reno. He then served Washoe County as an educator for seven years teaching Technology at Sparks Middle School and coaching girl’s basketball. After his second retirement he became a successful developer of family properties.

Over the years, Bob and his family were quiet philanthropists, donating generously to schools and numerous local non-profits. Some of his notable ongoing contributions were to the University of Nevada Foundation, Boys and Girls Clubs of Truckee Meadows and North Lake Tahoe, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, The Catholic Services Appeal, Food Bank of Northern Nevada, and Bishop Manogue High School.

His academic achievements were noteworthy. Bob was Valedictorian at Manogue before graduating from the University of Nevada with a degree in Civil Engineering and a teaching certificate. While serving in the army, Bob received a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University, a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Utah, and completed the Army War College.

Bob met wife Audrey Bernard at the university, and they married in 1959. They were married for 61 years before her passing in 2020. She was an excellent army wife and they raised four children that were adaptable army brats stationed all over the US and abroad. Many of Bob’s deployments to war and natural disasters left Audrey and the children at home, where they were very active in sports and activities. Bob always found time to coach and participate when he was not deployed. In later years, he loved to watch his grandchildren play ball and dance, and he rarely missed a chance to cheer on the Wolf Pack. The older grandchildren affectionately called him Nonno, until his oldest granddaughter coined the name Bobbo and it stuck.

In Memory: Jack A “Doc” Manick

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Jack “Doc” Arnold Manick, 74, of Vero Beach, FL passed away, September 17th, 2022.

Born December 9, 1947 at Rahway, New Jersey, Jack was a son of the late Elmer & Mary Yanso Manick.

Jack was a United States Army Veteran who proudly served his country as a medic during the Vietnam War.

After returning home & receiving an honorable discharge, Jack continued his education and graduated from Stockton State College in 1973. He then worked as a Medical Technologist at the VA Hospital in East Orange, NJ.

While he may have been employed as a Data Base Administrator in finance for several fortune 500 companies over the years, Jack’s true passion was depicting images through words. He was an accomplished author having penned & published several books from his accounts as a war medic to art specialty pieces, for which he received several awards.

When he wasn’t writing or working in data processing, Jack could be found tending to his vegetable garden and working around the house.

He is survived by his loving wife, Barbara Dailey Manick; two brothers, Elmer Manick & Jeff Manick; and many other loving family & friends.

In Memory: Frederick D Adams

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Frederick David Adams was born April 20th, 1947 in Findlay, Ohio to Frederick O. Adams, and Sarah E. (Allen) Adams. Fred died of complications due to Congestive Heart Failure at Blanchard Valley Hospital early Monday morning, February 17, 2020. He was preceded in death by his father, Fred Adams; mother, Sarah Adams; ex-wife, Rita Adams; and granddaughter, Johnae Jones. He is survived by his sister, Vici Adams-Hill; daughter, Tisha M. Adams (Joe Thames); sons: Frederick D. Adams Jr, (Wendy Adams), Scott P. Adams (Teasha Adams), and Barry Adams; lifelong companion, Jan Ickes; 14 Grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, family, and friends. Fred graduated in the second class of the new Findlay High School in 1965, at the age of 18.

He worked for the Ohio State Department of Highways for one year before enlisting in the Army. He completed basic training at Ft. Benning and was assigned to the heavy equipment school at Ft. Belvoir, VA. In 1967, Fred was sent to Ft. Knox and assigned to the US Army Armor and Engineer Board, where the Army tested prototype weapons and equipment before being used on the front line. Fred worked with the Sheridan M551 tank, the Raider, and the new 715 Jeep/truck. He would stay there until October of 1967, when orders were cut for him to go to Vietnam. Fred arrived in Pleiku in December of 1967 with the 62nd Maintenance Battalion, providing direct support to various units stationed at Engineer Hill, Pleiku, Vietnam. (In his little free time, Fred used a Fujica and then a Pennee camera to capture amazing pictures of daily military life in Vietnam.) Upon his return to civilian life, the military life was still in his blood, however, and Fred enlisted in the Ohio National Guard, where he served with the 837th Engineers from 1973 to 1983. He transferred to the Army Reserves in Toledo and served until 1990. He left the Army with the rank of Sergeant First Class. Fred stayed active in his community, working closely with the Junior Achievement program at Marathon and being a Cubmaster for Pack 322 for more than ten years. He has spoken for years at local schools about his Vietnam war experiences. He was a member of the Amvets, DAV, and the VFW. He was head steward, trustee, and lifelong member of Mason Chapel AME church, and was instrumental in getting the church recognized as an Ohio historical edifice. Fred has achieved many awards and accolades, including Hancock County Veteran of the Year.

In Memory: James Ellis Hays

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James Ellis Hays, one of eleven children of James Oliver and Eleanor Mary Spratley Hays of Columbus Ohio, died on September 7, 2022.

He served five years in the Army before entering the US Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1954.  Upon graduation, he entered the Army Corp of Engineers and served 35 years in an Army uniform.  Highlights from his career included participation in the Berlin Airlift after WWII and served in various overseas locations: Germany, South Korea, Vietnam, and Israel.  He ended his career at the rank of Full Colonel.  After retiring from the Army, he was employed by Smith Hinchmen and Grylls, Detroit Michigan as VP of their Civil Engineering Division.  He also held distinguished positions in several military and civilian engineering societies and organizations.

He was married to Pauline Mary Filiberti of Newburgh, NY on June 10, 1954, two days after his West Point graduation, and for 68 years was her loving husband.

His accomplishments included:

  • Bachelors of Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY
  • Masters of Science, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
  • Licensed Professional Engineer, Michigan
  • 1980-2022: Consultant and Member, Board of Directors, Ohio Steel Industries, Columbus, OH
  • 1983-1984: President, West Point Society of Michigan
  • 1963-1986: Member, Vice President and President, Bloomfield Village Assoc, Birminghan, MI
  • 1984-1986: Member, Board of Directors, Detroit Council, Boy Scouts of America
  • 1968-2022: Fellow, Societ of American Military Engineers
    • President, Detroit Post, 1974-75
    • Founder and President, Illinois Post 1977-1978
    • Board of Directors, Detroit Post 1981-1995
  • American Societ of Civil Engineers, Life Member
  • National Society of Professional Engineers, Life Member
  • Fellow, Michigan Society of Professional Engineers
  • Honorary Member of Chi Epsilon