BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — Jeanne Farr Semonite, 89, of 409 Great Smokey Mountain Drive, Mebane, North Carolina, and formerly of 7 North Ridge Road, Bellows Falls, Vermont, passed away Nov. 20, 2018. Mrs. Semonite was born March 24, 1929 in Verona, New Jersey, the daughter of John and Marion (Hyer) Farr. When she was 3 years old her parents moved to Vermont where she lived most of her life. Mrs. Semonite was a graduate of Bellows Falls High School, Class of 1947. She received her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Vermont in 1951. She taught school in West Hartford, Connecticut and Middletown, New Jersey before she was married.
She met William (Bill) Semonite of Cranford, New Jersey in college and was married in Westminster, Vermont on July 11, 1953. They lived in Middletown, New Jersey until 1955 when they moved to Bellows Falls, built their own home over the years on North Ridge Road, and raised their family. Bill entered his father-in-law’s Studebaker automobile dealership, Farr’s Garage. John Farr retired in 1962 and Bill and Jeanne took over the dealership, eventually adding Dodge and then a whole Chrysler line. He and Jeanne sold the business and retired in 1988.
When her children were in school, she returned to teaching and worked for the Rockingham School Department for 14 years teaching reading and at for Kurn Hattin Homes for five years. She also worked at Farr’s Garage for several years as the secretary and treasurer of the business. Mrs. Semonite was one of the founders of the Bellows Falls Playschool, a member of the Bellows Falls Woman’s Club, and a long-time member of the Women’s Fellowship of the United Church of Bellows Falls. She had been on the planning and fundraising committees of the new church and later served on various boards. Her passions in life, besides her family, included her hobbies of gardening, as she loved flowers, knitting, pressed flower arrangements, traveling, reading, and working around her house.
Family gatherings with her children and grandchildren were very special to her. Over the years, Bill and Jeanne took many trips to Germany and different parts of the United States to visit their son and four grandchildren on various U.S. Army posts. They frequently spend winters in Hilton Head Island, SC and every summer traveled to their cottage and went sailing on Long Island, ME. Many friends and family members enjoyed lobster dinners on their deck. She especially enjoyed her retirement home in Mebane and spending time with Susan and Connor. She loved attending school and community events and was an active member of the Burlington Alamance Newcomers group.
Jeanne is survived by a son Todd (wife Connie), lieutenant general and chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of Washington, D.C.; daughter Susan, Duke University Undergraduate Admissions of Mebane, North Carolina; grandchildren, Stephanie Bogatyr (husband Michael), Alexander Semonite (wife Jessie), William Semonite (wife Jenna), Charlee Conder (husband Jason), Connor Waters; and seven great-grandchildren: Emma, Theodore, Frederick, Weston, Penelope, Nathaniel, and Lucia. Jeanne was predeceased by another son Scott, who passed away in a bicycle accident in 1965.
Funeral services will be at United Church of Bellows Falls at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. Prior to the service, a sanctuary viewing will be held from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Semonite family home at 7 North Ridge Road. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions should be made to United Church of Bellows Falls.
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