William L. Willard William L. Willard, 63, of Windham, husband of Barbara (Anspaugh) Willard, died Sunday,
April 8, 2007 at the Windham Hospital. He was born February 17, 1944 in Hartford, the son
of the late Howard and Virginia (Miller) Willard and had lived in Windham for the past 15
years. He was an active historian for and past president of the Willard Family Association.
He was an active member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors and
had been employed by the American Red Cross. In addition to his wife he is survived 5 by
children, Aaron Willard, William Willard Jr., Holly Czarnda, Eric Willard, Shellene Olson, a
brother, Howard A. Willard, 2 sisters, Virginia Bear and Pat DeWinter, 7 grandchildren,
several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a son, Wade Willard and a
daughter, Alicia Willard. A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. at the
Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St., Rte. 195, Willimantic. Burial will be private at the
convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the
American Heart Association, 2550 US Highway 1, North Brunswick, NJ 08902-4301.
Please visit www.potterfh.com for directions and online memorial guestbook.
Emma Rietzel September 11, 1912 – September 30, 2004On September 30 of this year we said goodbye until later, to our beloved Emma Rietzel. Emma served with distinction and fortitude on the Executive Board of the Willard Family
Association of America, Inc. in a variety of positions, the last being President Emeritus,
at the time of her passing. She served as President, Corresponding Secretary, Director,
and Editor of the Newsletter and helped wherever necessary. Emma was always
available for many, many years of service. It has been stated by some in her company at the annual family reunion she had fierce pride
in her family, she always welcomed everyone she met and she displayed wit and
perceptiveness. Emma was a pillar of strength and loyalty to the Willards and we
will miss her among us. Our heartfelt sorrow to her family and friends.Alan Spooner
WILLARD, Ruth Hallenbeck: The Willard Family Association's Board of Directors is much saddened by the death of our immediate Past Historian, Ruth H. Willard on November 28, 2003 after a long illness. Ruth was one of the longest serving Board members in the History of the Association, in excess of 30 years. Ruth was always very excited when she heard from a Willard family member from far away places and did her very best to answer any and all questions regarding Willard Family Genealogy that she possibly could. Ruth also maintained the WFA archives, a job in itself. She volunteered her time willingly and attended every annual reunion that she could. Three years ago Ruth had a bad fall down her cellar stairs and her health had been on the decline ever since. When I last saw Ruth about a week ago her spirits were up and she was looking forward to her daily therapy to work on her walking which had failed her. Ruth was 84 years young. Born in Winsted, Connecticut she lived in Wethersfield for most of her life. A graduate of Hartford Hospital School of Nursing, she retired in 1978 from Hartford Hospital after more than 30 years of service. She was a member of both the American Genealogical Society and The Connecticut Society of Genealogists. She was member for more than 60 years of First Church of Christ, Wethersfield and was a deacon emeritus, and past president of the Women's Fellowship. She was also a member of the Hartford Hospital Nurses Assoc. She is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Stephen F. and Kerry Willard of Vernon and Ted and Donna J. Willard of East Hartford; a daughter and son-in-law, Jane and Paul DiMauro of Middletown; ten grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She was predeceased by daughter, Susan W. Wamester. The funeral was Sunday at 2 p.m. in First Church of Christ, 250 Main St., Wethersfield with the Rev. Dr. J. Jey Deifell, officiating. Burial was in the ancient Village Cemetery behind the church in Wethersfield. The Willard Family Association is planning to make a donation to Ruth's church at her request and if any one wants to join us in this please let one of the Board members know.
Bill Willard,
President
Arlan D. Willard The Willard Family Association's Board of Officers and Directors are much saddened by the death of our immediate Past President, Arlan D. Willard on February 9, 2002 after a brief illness. Arlan, President of the Association from 1997 to 2001, brought zest, humor, and a sense of family togetherness to the WFA. Arlan and his wife Kay organized wonderful reunions in Troy, New York, and in Salem and Grafton, Massachusetts. Active in the WFA as a Director and Auditor for a number of years before he became President, Arlan's friendly manner and skill at conducting meetings and expanding the organization added to the growth and outreach of the WFA. He will be missed. On behalf of all the members of the Willard Family Association, we would like to express our sympathy to Kay and her extended family.
Marjorie Travis
Anita Spooner The Board of Officers and Directors of the Willard Family Association would like to express our particular sense of loss with the death of Anita Spooner. The wife of Past President Alan Spooner (currently 3rd Vice President), Anita was always friendly, smiling and efficient the valued helpmate who made our reunions run smoothly. We will miss her.
Warren Wyeth Willard Warren Wyeth Willard, who died last November aged 94, was President of the Willard Family Association from 1956 to 1967. Members from those years will remember Wyeth as a dedicated, talented and energetic person. A Navy chaplain, a long-time pastor, and the founder of Camp Good News, Wyeth devoted his life to the service of others. Ruth Willard
Lois More On behalf of the Board of Officers and Directors of the Willard Family Association, I would like to express our sense of loss at the death of Lois More of Sonoma, California. Lois was a good and faithful member of WFA for many years. It was Lois who planned and executed the wonderful reunion in Sacramento, California in 1984. Those of us who knew Lois will miss her greatly.
-Ruth WillardIsabella C. Streeter The Willard Family Board of Officers and Directors, on behalf of the members of the WFA, would like to express our sorrow at the death of Isabella C. Streeter on March 18, 1999.
Isabella was a loyal and productive member of the Willard Family Association Board for many years. She worked in her own right as a Director, and was the main support of her spouse, Bernard Streeter, during the time that he was President of the Association. Isabella and Bernard were with us when we toured England in 1973. Our main focus on that trip was on Horsmonden in County Kent. Horsmonden is the birthplace of Major Simon Willard, first Willard immigrant with his brother and sister to America. -Ruth Willard
Russell Wheeler Russell Wheeler died October 31, 1997 in Concord, Massachusetts. Russ was a faithful member of the WFA Board for many years. As a Director, Russ was always available to help and we will miss him and his wonderful sense of humor. The Board of the WFA would like to express our sympathy to his wife, Marion and her family.
-Ruth WillardAllee Margaret Parker Olsen Allee Margaret Parker Olsen died February 6, 1998 in Seattle, Washington. Allee was a WFA member for years and many of us will remember her small sprightly figure at WFA Reunions and at Lewis & Clark Heritage Trail Foundation meetings. She took an avid interest in her Willard forebears, and did the research that finally enabled us to know on what ship Major Simon Willard and his family emigrated from England to North America, and when. She is survived by her three sons, eight grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and legions of Willard 'cousins' who will miss her greatly.
-Karen Willardrevised 3 Nov 2004