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The Burlington Free Press
Tuesday, 25 October 2005


         SANFORD STOWELL WITHERELL, SR.
         
         Shoreham - SANFORD S. WITHERELL, SR.,
       passed away peacefully Oct. 22, 2005,
       at his home in Shoreham at the age of
       96.
         He was born in Cornwall, the second
       son of CHARLES LESLIE and ESTELLE (LANE)
       WITHERELL.
         SANFORD grew up on the family orchard
       in Cornwall and later in Shoreham, at-
       tending a one-room grammar school and
       graduating valedictorian of his class
       from Middlebury High School and Phi
       Beta Kappa with an English major from
       Middlebury College. Although he had
       hoped to continue his education in land-
       scape architecture, the Depression dic-
       tated his return to apple farming in
       Shoreham.
         In 1937, he married HELEN M. KENT,
       and they settled at the old WITHERELL
       homestead, the sixth generation of his
       family to live there. SANFORD and HELEN
       raised two children, SANFORD, JR. and
       VIRGINIA, and ran the family orchard
       until his retirement in 1975.
         SANFORD'S accomplishments were multi-
       facted. He successfully grew apples and
       sold his fruit to Champlain Valley stores
       for many years. He was a founding member
       and director of the Shoreham Cooperative
       Apple Producers Association. He was an
       active historian and local genealogist
       of some repute. His lifelong research
       eventually led to the publishing of a
       two volume work, A Genealogical Regis-
       ter of the Early Families of Shoreham,
       Vermont in collaboration with SUSAN
       MacINTIRE, a good friend and fellow
       genealogist. SANFORD was a vice-presi-
       dent of the Genealogical Society of
       Vermont. He was a founding member and
       long-time active participant in the
       Shoreham Historical Society. His his-
       torical bent and an innate artistic
       sense combined to make him an author-
       ity on agricultural history in Addison
       County. As well he had an intense
       interest in early American furnishings,
       which may have been his greatest joy,
       evidenced to the very end of his life.
       SANFORD was a long time supporter and
       trustee of the Henry Sheldon Museum
       of Vermont History. He was an active
       member of numerous historical  and
       genealogical organizations in Vermont
       and throughout New England. Of parti-
       cular note, and where he may have had
       his greatest influence and derived his
       most satisfaction, was his penchant in
       mentoring those who, similarly were
       impassioned in the preservation of
       things old. SANFORD was a Mason for
       more than 75 years.
         He played out his earlier dream to
       be a landscape designer on the gardens
       surrounding their home. Who locally
       hasn't been awed by the spring splen-
       dor of his Persian lilacs.
         SANFORD is survived by a daughter,
       VIRGINIA K. CARPENTER, and grand-
       daughter SUSAN A. CARPENTER of Bethel;
       a son, SANFORD, JR. and his wife,
       MARGARET A. CAMARA, of Shoreham; 
       nieces, NANCY W. HUNT of Essex Junction,
       SUSAN W. JULIAN of Citrus Heights, Calif.,
       SARAH W. HILDEBRAND of Fletcher, N. C.,
       and ARABY WICKS LEARY of Longmont, 
       Colo.; and a nephew, FRANK W. WICKS of
       Orr's Island, Maine; cousins, PATRICIA
       W. MATCHETTE of Cincinnati, Ohio, JANE
       W. ROWELL of Scarborough, Maine, COL.
       JOHN R. WITHERELL, Ret., of Fort Bel-
       voir, Va., and HELEN W. CROSS of Bara-
       boo, Wis.; his beloved "kitts," TODIE
       and his devouted caregivers.
         He was predeceased by his wife of
       60 years, HELEN K. WITHERELL, parents
       CHARLES LESLIE and ESTELLE L. WITHERELL,
       brother STUART T. WITHERELL; and son-
       in-law JOHN CARPENTER.
         Burial will be private. A memorial
       service to celebrate SANFORD'S life
       will be held Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m.
       in the Shoreham Congregational Church
       in Shoreham.
         In lieu of flowers, contributions
       may be made to The Henry Sheldon 
       Museum of Vermont History, Middlebury;
       the Shoreham Historical Society, Shore-
       ham; or The Town of Shoreham - Newton
       Academy Restoration Fund, Town Clerk's
       Office, Shoreham.
       
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