Obituary of Joan H. Dufel

Junita H. ?Joan? Dufel, 85, of Parry Blvd. passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 26, 2007 at E.L. Wilkinson RHCF in Amsterdam. She was born in Boort, Victoria, Australia on October 25, 1921 daughter of the late William John and Mary ?Polly? Dunstone Vernon. Joan attended grade school at St. Arnaud?s and later attended school in Ballarat to learn dressmaking and tailoring. During WWII there was a need for nurses in Australia, so Joan attended nurses training at Dunnolly Public Hospital and worked as a Surgical RN at St. Elmo Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. During her second year, she met Raymond F. Dufel who was serving in the US Army during the war. They were married on September 1, 1945 in Brisbane, Queensland. The war soon ended, and in April 1946, Joan boarded the SS David C. Shanks and left her family to be with her husband in the United States, eventually settling in Tribes Hill. Joan taught sewing for the Montgomery County 4-H Club for 19 years. She was also a Public Health Volunteer, a member of the Fort Hunter Canal Society, the Tribes Hill Vol. Fire Dept. Auxiliary and the Tribes Hill Iroquois Senior Citizens. She was an avid YANKEES fan and loved former players like, Lou Pinnella, Bucky Dent and Billy Martin. She always followed the games on the radio or television, and even made it to Yankee Stadium for a few games. She very much enjoyed gardening, often tending to her vegetable and flower gardens during the spring and summer seasons. She enjoyed sewing, tailoring and embroidering. She often made and repaired clothes for her family, friends, and neighbors and will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her. Besides her parents, Joan was predeceased by her husband, Raymond in April of 1997, and her siblings, Howard William, Bride, Kiri, Hena, Lyla, Sydney and Vivian. Her loving family includes her children, Coral Bowe of Ballston Spa, Dawn Robert Geddis of Hagaman, Neal Susan Dufel of Galway, Delphine Bramer of Tribes Hill, Linda Bruce Yelich of Malone, Vernon Terry Dufel of Tribes Hill and Vivian Steve Kellogg of Hagaman, and a sister, Coral Inglis of Altona, Australia. Fourteen grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and several nieces, nephews and cousins also survive. Funeral Services will be at 11:00AM on Thursday, August 30, 2007 at Betz, Rossi & Bellinger Family Funeral Home, 171 Guy Park Avenue, Amsterdam, NY 12010 with Rev. Bonnie Orth, officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends from 4:00 to 7:00PM on Wednesday evening at the funeral home. Interment will follow the services in Pine Grove Cemetery in Tribes Hill. Donations in Joan?s memory may be made to the Tribes Hill Vol. Fire Department, 280 Mohawk Drive, Tribes Hill, NY 12177 or to the Montgomery County S.P.C.A. in care of the funeral home.