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BRANSON Marie Branson, 99, March 7, 2009, West Elkton Friends, Ohio. Marie was born near Seven Mile, Ohio. She was a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a master’s degree in education and from Kent State with a master’s in library science. She was a teacher and librarian in Kentucky and Ohio. Marie served West Elkton Friends Meeting many years as recording clerk and member of Ministry and Oversight. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Clarence Wells and Myron Branson. Survivors include her daughter, Judith Ann Branson White; niece, Joann Jones; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and great-nieces and nephews. A memorial service was held at Friends Fellowship Community on April 7. Memorials may be made to the American Friends Service Committee or to the West Elkton Friends Meeting.

CONN Dr. Earl L. Conn, 82, September 20, 2009, Friends Memorial, Muncie, Indiana. Earl was born August 12, 1927, in Marion, Indiana, the son of Wayne and Mildred Conn. He graduated from Marion High School in 1945 and received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kentucky in 1950. He earned a Master of Arts degree from Ball State University in 1957 and a Doctor of Education degree from Indiana University in 1970. Earl became a sportswriter for The Chronicle in Marion, Indiana, in 1943 while still in high school. In 1945, he joined the U.S. Navy and was a military staff writer from 1945-46. After his service ended, he worked for United Press wire service in its Louisville bureau from 1950-51. In 1951, his U.S. Air Force Reserve Unit was called to active duty and he served once again as a military staff writer from 1951-52. After completing this term of duty, Earl returned to Indiana to work at the Leader-Tribune in Marion as wire editor. In 1954, he began a high school teaching career at Somerset High School followed by Richmond High School. He joined the faculty at Ball State University in 1958, teaching journalism and English as well as advising the Orient yearbook. He resigned in 1962 to become full-time editor of Quaker Life magazine, a publication he helped found in 1960. In 1963, Earl returned to Ball State as assistant director of its Public Information Services before rejoining the faculty in 1965. During these years, he was also faculty adviser to the Daily News. He was named chair of the Department of Journalism in 1984, a position he held for 12 years. In 1996, he became the first Dean of the newly created College of Communication, Information and Media and was inducted into the Journalism Hall of Fame in 1997. In 1998, Earl retired from Ball State as Dean Emeritus and returned to his writing career. He began an Indiana travel column, “Traveling Indiana,” which has appeared in five Indiana newspapers. He has written six books, including his most recent, My Indiana: 101 More Places to See. He wrote for a number of periodicals, including the Saturday Evening Post. As a reporter, one of the highlights of his career was attending and reporting on the March on Washington in August 1963 when Martin Luther King gave his “I Have A Dream” speech. Earl was one of the founders of the Midwest Writers Workshop and continued to play an integral role in it until his death. Earl was an active long-time member of Friends Memorial Church and was currently serving as clerk of the meeting. His survivors include his five children and their families, Linda (Bud) Shore and daughter, Sarah; Kathy (Joe) Schmaltz and sons, Matthew and David; Phyllis (Mauricio Borrero) Conn and children, Rebecca and Joey; Steve (Kimberly) Conn and son, Riley; and Rebecca (Mark) Watters and sons, Ben and Jacob. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 53 years, Christina Conn, and their daughter, Elizabeth Lee Conn, as well as his brother, Robert Conn. A memorial service celebrating Earl’s life was held September 26 at Friends Memorial Church, with Pastor William Wagoner presiding. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to the Earl L. Conn Journalism Secondary Education Scholarship, c/o Ball State University; the Christina Conn Pre-School Scholarship, c/o Friends Memorial Church; or Friends Memorial Church.

DAMON Mary Janet Winter Damon, 86, February 2, 2009, Pima Monthly Meeting, Arizona. Mary Janet (“Jinx”) was born on July 29, 1922, to Mabel Kriebel Winter and Angus McCullough Winter. Her father died when she was a young girl, leaving her mother and her great-aunt to raise her and her two sisters during the Great Depression. She graduated from high school with the class of 1940 and later earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Pennsylvania State College. After graduation she worked as a newspaper reporter and editor during WWII. After the war, she met her husband, Paul Edward Damon, newly home from the war. They were married in New Jersey in 1948. The first years of their marriage were spent in Rolla, Missouri, where her husband was pursuing a degree in geology. They also lived for a time in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where she gave birth to two sons, John Edward and Timothy Winter. After Paul earned a Ph.D. they moved to Tucson, Arizona, where they came to Quakerism by convincement in 1971. Mary Janet served Pima Meeting as co-clerk with Paul and also taught First-day School. A lifetime antiwar activist, she participated in the Witness for Peace program, camping out in the fields of Nicaragua while bullets flew overhead. Her guest house was constantly open to friends, traveling Quakers and peace activists. Her passion for justice inspired her to become the head of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and she demonstrated and worked to abolish nuclear weapons. When her husband Paul died in 2005, she continued to live in Tucson until 2008 when illness brought her to Nebraska. Mary Janet is survived by her son, Dr. John Edward (Mariana) Damon, and two grandsons, Edward Angus and William George. Memorial contributions may be made to the Paul Damon Memorial Fund.

EDWARDS Colin Randolph Edwards, 77, July 28, 2009, Centre Friends, North Carolina. Colin was born January 15, 1932, to Grady Willis and Vermell Marshall Edwards, and was the eldest of six children. He graduated with high honors and a bachelor’s degree from Guilford College in 1954. He received a Teacher’s Fellowship to Duke University. He served in the Army as a radio operator in Okinawa and Korea, during the Korean conflict. After the service he was employed by New Home Garden Supply while doing graduate work at East Tennessee University. His insurance career began with New York Life. He soon joined Home Life Insurance Co. He retired as an independent broker specializing in life insurance and annuities. He was a member of Centre Friends Meeting where he attended church as a youth and helped in the construction of the present meetinghouse. In l957 he played a role in the pageant, “The Silver Thread,” in observance of the 100th anniversary of Centre Meeting. Colin was predeceased by his parents; brother, Boyd Edwards; and niece, Julie Dillon. He is survived by his wife, Jean Marlowe Edwards; daughters, Sarah (David) Hanson and Karen (Greg) Allred; four grandchildren; and siblings, Doris Dillon, Grady (Evelyn) Edwards, Sue (Dr. Bill) Stafford and Laura Jane (Charlie) Winter. Colin requested that his body be sent to the Bowman Gray School of Medicine for Research. A memorial service was held August 2, 2009, at Centre Friends Meeting.

FAUX Richard William Faux, 87, June 4, 2009, Dover Friends, Ohio. Richard was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 25, 1921, to John and Muriel Faux. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in chemistry. During WWII he was a conscientious objector who served his country as a forest firefighter in the West and in the Army Medical Corp. Richard served on hospital ships in the Pacific as a lab and surgical technician. After the war he changed his career path to work on peace issues. He earned a degree in theology from Hartford Seminary in Connecticut where he met his wife, Kathleen Leiper. After graduation he traveled to Germany in 1950 with the American Friends Service Committee helping with post-war reconstruction. Richard was a Quaker minister for over 22 years. He served as Young Friends Secretary for Friends United Meeting and as a pastor in Noblesville, Indiana; Farmington, New York; and Cincinnati, Ohio. He participated in the 1963 civil rights march on the Mall in Washington, D.C., and witnessed Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Have a Dream.” In later years he worked for the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services. After retirement he volunteered with lobby and education efforts for handgun control and was an officer in the Rocks and Minerals Club. He and his wife were charter members of Eastern Hills, an unprogrammed Friends meeting. Richard is survived by his wife of 58 years, Kathleen; a son, Caleb; daughters, Cynthia (Robert) Bevan, Patricia (Christopher) Goettge and Priscilla Faux; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

GREEN Philip Green, 86, April 6, 2009, Dover Friends, Ohio. Phil was a son of Percy and Anna Green and a birthright member of Dover Friends Meeting. He was always active in Friends affairs. He graduated from Westtown Friends School, attended the University of Cincinnati and Wilmington College. He was a dairy farmer for many years and raised registered Jersey cattle. He was a mentor to many young men and future farmers. He was an avid photographer who enjoyed growing roses, beekeeping, woodworking, making apple cider and homemade ice cream. He worked for Gulley Brothers building homes, including his own. Phil is survived by his wife of 64 years, Eleanor Storts Green; a sister, Rachel Miriam McDonough; a son, Robert (Caroline Klemperer) Green; two daughters, Rebecca (Michael) Miller and Beth (Anthony) Swallow; seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; one niece and one nephew. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by four siblings, Warren Green, Ruth Wood, Robert Green and Faith McNiff. Memorial service and celebration of his life were held June 28 at Dover Friends Meeting, Wilmington, Ohio, with an ice cream social and fellowship following. Memorial contributions can be made to Dover Friends Meeting or Hospice of Dayton.

JOHNSON Philip R. Johnson, 87, November 14, 2008, West Elkton Friends, Ohio. Phil was born on October 8, 1921, the son of the late John Grant and Golda Retta Roberts Johnson. He was a graduate of Earlham College and earned his master’s degree in history from Miami University. He was a WWII veteran, having served in the Navy. He taught in the West Elkton, Camden and Eaton school systems. Phil was pastor of West Elkton Friends Meeting from 1952-60 and remained a valued member of the meeting until his death. He was preceded in death by his wife, Loy Johnson, and a brother, J.W. Johnson. Survivors include a son, Paul Grant Johnson, and daughters, Karen Wehrley and Kathy Johnson, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held at Friends Fellowship Community on November 21. Memorials may be made to the West Elkton Friends Meeting.

PENROSE Charles Penrose, 94, June 6, 2009, St. Lawrence Valley Friends, New York. Born April 18, 1915, in Marietta, Ohio, Charles was descended from the earliest European settlers of Ohio. He was educated at Marietta College and earned a law degree at William and Mary and his library science degree at the University of Michigan. He was for many years head librarian at Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York. He was an activist with the Carnegie Institute of Peace, but also volunteered for the Army in WWII, serving in logistics in Iran. Charles aided the Canadian Quaker Book Service during their early struggles. Raised in the Episcopalian faith, Charlie was a longtime member of St. Lawrence Valley Friends Meeting, an allowed meeting under the care of Ottawa Monthly Meeting (Canadian Yearly Meeting). Charles and his wife, Ruth, and their four children (Robert, Bruce, Alice and Douglas) were among the earliest members of St. Lawrence Valley Friends. The family was also active in the West Potsdam Community Church. After Ruth passed away in 1981, Charles remained as a faithful “elder” presence, delighting the meeting with his stories of the past and his creative contributions to its regular after-meeting potlucks, until he was obligated to move into an assisted-care facility, where the meeting occasionally “carried in” Meeting for Worship in his final years. A memorial service was held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Potsdam, New York, on August 8, 2009.

POWELL Ruth Eleanor Powell, March 20, 2009, West Newton Friends, Indiana. Ruth, recently of Cookeville, Tennessee, was a life-long Quaker. She had been a member of three Friends Meetings in Indiana – Union Street (Kokomo), Noblesville and West Newton (Indianapolis). Despite a prolonged struggle with multiple sclerosis, Ruth remained cheerful and optimistic, with a quick smile and a good word for everyone. Ruth is survived by many children and grandchildren. Her husband, John, also passed away in 2009.

SHUTTS Clarence Francis Shutts, 85, January 26, 2009, Pima Monthly Meeting, Arizona. Frank was born July 15, 1923. He discovered Friends while living in southern California, attending and becoming a member of Claremont Meeting. He transferred his membership to Pima Meeting, Tucson, Arizona, in 1993. A bilingual Spanish-English speaker, he was a founder and active member of El Centro de Paz, a Friend’s organization that drew together Quakers from California, Arizona, New Mexico and Sonora, Mexico, to support border projects in Mexico and the United States. He helped to found and taught in one of the first graduate programs in Mexico in ecology. He was a WWII Navy veteran, serving as an instructor of the newly developed radar technology in San Diego from 1943-45. He earned his undergraduate degree at Arizona State University, his master’s at Claremont and a doctorate in biology from the University of Indiana. He taught at Wabash College, Beloit College and the University of California at San Bernardino. He was two times a Fulbright scholar, living in New Delhi, India, with his family from 1961-63. In 1967, on a grant from the National Science Foundation, he taught biological sciences in Kashmir.

VANDERPOEL Ruth Vyvian Roberts Vanderpoel, 89, May 25, 2009, Noblesville Friends, Indiana. Ruth was born December 12, 1919, to Roger Sylvanus and Vyvian Heaven Roberts. After graduating from Noblesville High School, she worked in Mr. Cottingham’s abstract office. She then left for business college in Lafayette and returned to Noblesville to work in the law offices of Roberts & Roberts with her father, grandfather and uncle. She then met and married John Vanderpoel of Chicago. The two moved from Milwaukee to Noblesville to Colorado, back to Noblesville, before finally settling in Boulder, Colorado. John preceded her in death in 1987. Survivors include her children, Lance Vanderpoel, Linda Meek, Marie (Don) Brookhart, Vyvian Vanderpoel and Greta Harper; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; three nephews; one niece; cousin, Joseph; and lifelong friends, Carmel and Betty Gerrard. Memorial contributions may be made to Noblesville Friends Church or Blatchley Nature Study Club.

WATERMAN Elizabeth Ann Lyzenga Waterman, 34, March 10, 2009, Monadnock Meeting, New Hampshire. Elizabeth was born August 7, 1974, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Ann and David Lyzenga. While at Bryn Mawr College she began attending Friends meetings and became a convinced member of Haverford Monthly Meeting in 1996. She graduated with a bachelor’s in English and went on to the Earlham School of Religion where she earned a Master of Divinity in 2000. For three summers she worked at Camp Woodbrooke in Wisconsin, finishing as assistant director. In 2000 she moved to New Hampshire to become a faculty member at the Meeting School. She taught writing, literature and geometry. She was a wonderful cook and was the first kitchen coordinator for the Meeting School. She loved choral singing and taught the harmony of voices. She was a discerning and vital recording clerk of the faculty meeting and a consistent curriculum coordinator and registrar. In 2003 she transferred her membership to Monadnock Monthly Meeting, New England Yearly Meeting. She had a gift for explaining Bible stories to unprogrammed teens and spoke about Jesus in a way that made him accessible to them. On August 1, 2004, she married Craig Waterman, fellow faculty member at the Meeting School. In 2007, Craig and Elizabeth adopted a son, Elijah. Being a mother to him brought her great joy. Surviving family members include her husband; son; parents; a brother, Andrew; and a sister, Megan. A memorial service was held March 14 under the care of Monadnock Monthly Meeting. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Elijah Waterman Education Fund, c/o Citizens Bank, 17 Pope Street, Hudson, MA 01749; or the Meeting School, Elizabeth Waterman Fund, 120 Thomas Road, Rindge, NH 03461.

WEATHERLY Mary Frances Weatherly, May 15, 2009, West Newton Friends, Indiana. Mary was a secretary for many years. Her pleasant smile and quiet manner are missed by her friends at West Newton as well as by her family. She is survived by her son, Steve (Dena), and her grandson, James (Heidi).

WRIGHT Goldie Mae Harrell Wright, 97, July 20, 2009, Somerton Friends, North Carolina. Goldie was born August 21, 1911, the third child of 10 born to the late Walter Clement and Eva V. Carr Harrell. She was a graduate of Holland High School. Goldie was preceded in death by her husband, Wm. Frank Wright; son, Wm. Frank Wright, Jr.; daughter, Eva Sue Gilmore; brothers, Walter, Emmett, Stanley, Sidney, Hayes and Earl; and sisters, Katherine H. Crocker and Marie H. Blythe. Goldie was a loyal and faithful, life-long member of Somerton Friends Meeting where she was a member of the USFW, North Carolina Yearly Meeting and served as clerk of the meeting for many years. Goldie also loved to travel and visited many places in the world including Australia and Europe. Left to cherish her memory are two grandsons; two granddaughters; daughter-in-law, Barbara O. Wright; brother, Clinton Harrell; three great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Trixie, Mildred, Florence and Marie; brother-in-law, Buck Blythe; and many loving nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors. A graveside service was held July 23 at Somerton Friends Meeting. Donations may be made to Somerton Friends Meeting.