John Carpenter

ENOSBURGH - John Hammond Carpenter, age 74, a lifetime resident of Enosburgh died on Friday December 21, 2007 peacefully at home with his family surrounding him after a four year battle with lung cancer. He was born, lived, worked, played and died on the farm where his parents and grandparents before him worked the soil, milked the cows, and tapped the trees.
\tJohn was born in Enosburgh on August 18, 1933 the son of Horace & Persis (Hammond) Carpenter.
\tJohn graduated from Enosburg Falls High School in 1952 and married Betty Belanger on June 28, 1952. He farmed for others in the area and drove a milk truck until he bought his first dairy farm in 1954. In 1965 John and Betty bought the Gervais farm in Enosburg, where he farmed until his retirement in 1979, when his son Jim took over the family farm. John was a dedicated farmer and family man that worked long, hard hours to produce some of the best dairy cattle in the area. While John and Betty worked side by side on the farm they instilled good work ethics and responsibility in their children.
\tJohn loved farming, sugaring, deer hunting, winters in Florida fishing in the ocean, his camp on Lake Carmi, horse pulls, cattle & horse shows and picnics. He especially enjoyed having his family visit in Florida, taking them to all the attractions and showing them and teaching them all about the things he did during his winters there.
\tJohn is survived by his wife of 55 years, Betty Carpenter; his son and his wife, Jim & Suz-Anne Carpenter; 4 daughters and their husbands, Mary & Louie Mason, Dianne & Arthur Tibbits all of Enosburgh, Cindy & Phil Playful of Fairfield, and Carole Ann Carpenter and her longtime companion Oliver Hurtubise of Berkshire; his 12 grandchildren, Judy Pond and her husband Andy, Karen Westcom and her husband Jeff, Dawn Reed and her husband Shane, Wayne Carpenter and his wife Karen, Amy Carpenter, Tessa, Katy & Corey Tibbits, Gregory & Matthew Playful, and Levi & Ben Irish; 13 great grandchildren, Nicholas, Olivia & Mason Pond, Johnathon Mason, Rebecca Westcom, Samantha Dezotelle, Sara & John Carpenter, Faith & Lexi Reed, Caleigh Tibbits, Elliot Irish, and Cassie Westcom who was the light of his life for the past 10 years; 1 brother and his wife, Charles & Pat Carpenter of Montgomery; his cousins, Roy & Carty Carpenter, Marion Wetherbee, George Carpenter, and their families and several other cousins including ones from Philadelphia that visited the farm every year; his brother-in-law, Carroll Belanger of Lake City, FL; several nieces and nephews. John was predeceased by his father, Horace in 1982, his mother Persis in 1990, and a son, Art in 1955.
\tFuneral services will be held Monday December 24, 2007 at 11:00 AM at the West Enosburg United Methodist Church. Interment will follow in the Enosburgh Center Cemetery.
\tVisiting hours will be held Sunday from 6-9 PM at the Spears Funeral Home, 96 Dickinson Ave., Enosburg Falls.
\tFor those who wish, contributions in Johns memory may be made to the Vermont Cancer Center, Given E213, 89 Beaumont Ave., Burlington, VT 05405 or to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Vermont Division, 100 Dorset St. Suite 12, So. Burlington, VT 05403, or consider doing an act of kindness for someone.
\tJohns family will be forever grateful for the excellent care he received from Dr. Christian Thomas & Dr. Lorne Babb and their wonderful staff, and Tammy Smith from Franklin County Home Health Agency.