Lauretta Harris was a very friendly lady who loved genealogy and helping people. I met her at the Family History Center in Loudonville (Albany Co.) when I was first starting out. I was asking a volunteer questions, but the person couldn't answer some of them. For those, an answer would come from the table behind me. Eventually, I turned around and spoke with Lauretta directly. She had written a couple of surname articles that she said would help me. I received them in the mail. Lauretta apparently enjoyed visiting cemeteries, because she transcribed many of them in Columbia and Rensselaer Counties. Her typed transcriptions can be seen at the Columbia Co. Historical Society. They were done in the days when you could only make a couple of carbon copies, so there aren't many copies of her work available for research. She also published a book called "Vital Records of the Town of Schodack, Rensselaer County, New York Prior to 1880." She told me that some of the records mentioned were collected by a genealogist whose materials were discarded when he died. Lauretta told me that she couldn't find many of the records anywhere else. Few people have contributed as much to genealogy as Lauretta Harris. Cliff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lauretta J. Harris Harris, Lauretta J. ALBANY On March 17, 2009, Lauretta Julia Harris, daughter of the late Andrew and Sarah Stackman Petro, passed away quietly at Albany Memorial Hospital after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Born in 1920 in Stuyvesant, N.Y., Lauretta graduated from Martin Van Buren High School in Kinderhook and the Austin Beauty School. Lauretta was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Donald B. Harris. Lauretta was a hair dresser in Hudson for a brief period of time, and then worked at General Aniline, Fort Orange Paper Company and the state of New York Veterans Bonus Bureau, finally joining the family-owned business, Bramhall Acres Apple Farm in Schodack Landing. Lauretta was a member of the Reformed Church of Schodack at Muitzeskill, Castleton Chapter 668 (now Van Rensselaer Star) Order of the Eastern Star, serving as worthy matron twice. She was a past district deputy grand matron of the Albany-Rensselaer-Schenectady District, the 1958 Grand Officers Association and Eda Chapter OES, Kinderhook. Lauretta was active in the Columbia County Historical Society and Esquatah Historical Society. She published a book on the Vital Records of Schodack prior to 1880. Lauretta enjoyed researching genealogy on the early families of Schodack. One of her major accomplishments was to get New York State to retain the name of Schodack Island Park instead of Castleton Island Park. She loved to knit and crochet afghans for the Veterans Hospital in Albany as well as hats for underprivileged children at Christmas. She is survived by her son, David (Adele) Harris of Castleton; grandchildren, Anthony (Nikki) Harris of Montpelier, Vt., David (Sarah) Harris Jr. of Castleton, and Angelina Harris (Justin Kennedy) of Centerville, Va.; great-grandchildren, Patryk and Caitlyn Harris of Montpelier. Interment will be in the Chatham Center Cemetery on March 21, 2009 at 12 noon and a memorial service at the Muitzeskill Reformed Church to follow at 1:30. Arrangements are with the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home, Valatie. Members of the Eastern Star will gather at 1:30 p.m. at the church for services. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested contributions be made to the OES Educational Assistance Fund, 71 W. 23rd St., New York, NY 10010, Capital District Masonic Charities, 8 Holly Lane, Castleton, NY 12033 or the Reformed Church of Schodack at Muitzeskill, Schodack Landing, NY 12156. http://www.legacy.com/TimesUnion-Albany/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=125259875 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------