Romona Wade

BARRE—Romona "Rosalie" Wade, 69, died at the Woodridge Nursing Home in Berlin Thursday, Aug. 2, 2007, after a long battle with esophageal cancer.

Born on July 24, 1938 in Randolph, she was the daughter of W. Howard and Bernice (Fielders) Holden.

She graduated from Randolph High School with the class of 1956, and was nicknamed "Happy" by her classmates. She cherished her many friendships that were made prior to her graduation.

After graduation, she moved to San Jose, Calif. to work as a department head for Macy’s. She later returned to Vermont to work at Holden’s Pharmacy for her brother, Scott, in St. Johnsbury. While in St. Johnsbury, she met her husband, Larry, whom she married June 21, 1958. She became a homemaker in 1959, caring for her husband and children. She later worked for Dr. Anthony Cassani as an optometric assistant for many years and then for Dr. David Ripley.

Her greatest joys were her husband, children, grandchildren, and her Yorkshire terrier, "Tia." She enjoyed cooking, baking, and preparing for family celebrations, and was known for remaining by a family member’s side through times of crisis. She loved camping with her family, decorating and caring for her home, knitting and crocheting, bingo, and playing cards with her friends. She had done volunteer work at Berlin Convalescent Center and fundraising work. She greatly appreciated her caregivers while she was ill, especially her most recent, the staff at Woodridge Nursing Home in Berlin.

She was a member of both the East Barre Congregational Church and the Barre Congregational Church, along with belonging to the American Legion Auxiliary, the Canadian Club, and the Women of the Moose, all of Barre.

Survivors include her husband, Larry Wade of Westwood Parkway; a daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Jeff Bergeron of Barre, and their children, Justin and Jordan; a son and daughter-in-law, Lonny and Cindy Wade of Northfield, and their children, Chris and Matt; a son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Jan Wade of Lyndonville, and their children, Jaedyn and Holden; a sister, Cynthia Ferdinandsen and her husband, Ed, of Albuquerque, N.M.; sisters-in-law, Maude Holden of Manchester, Marie Holden of Fort Johnson, N.Y., and Sheila Holden of Carson, Wash.; along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

She was predeceased by her parents; four brothers, W. Howard Holden Jr., Scott Holden, Henry Holden, and Richard Holden; and a sister-in-law, Cathy Holden.

A service of remembrance will be held Saturday, Aug. 11, at 11 a.m. at the Barre Congregational Church, with Rev. David Vanderlinde-Abernathy officiating. At her request, there are no calling hours.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Barre Congregational Church, 35 Church Street, Barre, Vt. 05641; to the East Barre Congregational Church, 2 Church Street, East Barre, Vt. 05649; to the Woodridge Nursing Home, PO Box 550, Barre, Vt. 05641, with a notation for the "LNA Scholarship Fund;" or to the Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, Vt. 05641.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home at 7 Academy Street in Barre.

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