Rosemary Van Allen, 87, secretary, Bingo player

ALBANY—Rosemary Van Allen, 87, of School Street, Chatham, died Monday April 25, 2011 at Albany Memorial Hospital.

Born in Mamaroneck, June 15, 1923, she was the daughter of the late Michael and Ellen Louise (Farrell) O’Connor.

Mrs. Van Allen was a secretary and bookkeeper for Kinderhook
Animal Hospital for many years. She loved to play bingo and cards and was very devoted to her family and friends, always seeing the good in everyone.

She is survived by: four children, Gary Van Allen (Anne Murphy) of Valatie, Mary Ellen Linn (Steve Linn) of Terre Haute, IN, Patricia Light (Howard Light) of Valatie, and Jim Van Allen (Karen Van Allen) of Chatham; 14 grandchildren; 18 great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband, Kenneth I. Van Allen; a sister, Margaret Martensen; and a brother, John O’Connor.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, April 28, 11 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Church, Route 9, Valatie, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by the Rev. Jack Molyn.

Interment will follow in Kinderhook Cemetery. Relatives and friends may call Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home, Inc., Route 9, Valatie. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be sent to the Ecumenical Food Pantry.

Brother Alfred Mitchell, 84, devoted life to the church

VALATIE—Brother Alfred Edward Mitchell, C.S.C. died Monday, April 25, 2011 at Barnwell Nursing Home. He was 84 years old and was a professed brother in the Congregation of Holy Cross for 59 years.

He was born in Rochester, June 11, 1926 the fourth of the five children of Alfred James and Myrtle (Muhl) Mitchell. The Mitchells were communicants of the St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Rochester.

His elementary education was at Rochester’s Public School #42 and at Hilton Junior High School in Hilton. His high school education was pursued at Charlotte High School from 1940 to 1943. Service in the US Navy delayed the completion of his high school studies until after World War II. He enlisted in the Navy, May 12, 1944 and was honorably discharged with the rank of seaman first class June 9, 1946.

After completing his military service, he worked as an internal auditor/teller for the Genesee Valley Union Trust Company and in the payroll/billing
department of Associated Transport, Inc.

He received his high school diploma from Rochester’s Jefferson High School in June 1947.

Brother Alfred graduated from the Rochester Business Institute in 1949. He also served as a member of the student council there during the 1948-49 academic year.

He went on to earn a bachelor of arts degree from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas in 1958 and a master’s degree from Siena College in 1969.

Br. Alfred was accepted into the Congregation of Holy Cross as a candidate for the Brotherhood February 12, 1951 at St. Joseph Juniorate in Valatie. The following August 15 he received the habit of the Brothers of Holy Cross at St. Joseph Novitiate, Rolling Prairie, Ind. and was thereafter known as Brother Alfred. He made his temporary vows August 16, 1952. His profession of perpetual vows were made August 16, 1955 in Sacred Heart Church, Notre Dame, Ind.

Brother Alfred’s active apostolic life took him to the various schools conducted by the Brothers of Holy Cross in New York and Maryland. He served three stints at Albany’s former Vincentian Institute, first from 1953 to 1957, the second from 1958 to 1960 and the third from 1966 to 1970.

He retired from active ministry in 2006 when he moved to the St. Joseph Center in Valatie. It was there that he commenced his losing battle with cancer, which necessitated his move to Barnwell Nursing Home and his anticipated death.

The wake service for Brother Alfred will take place in the Chapel of St.Joseph Center, Valatie, 7 p.m., Thursday, April 28. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated in the same chapel Friday, April 29 at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in the Holy Cross Community Cemetery on the grounds of the St. Joseph Center.

Brothers of Holy Cross extend their thanks to Albany Medical Center Doctors Mark Napier and David Shaffer; to the fifth floor nursing staff of Barnwell Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; and to the Columbia-Greene Hospice personnel for the loving care and attention they gave.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Brother Alfred’s memory to the St. Joseph Center Retirement Fund.

Arrangements were with the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home, Route 9, Valatie.