Two BFA-Fairfax Alumni Class Of 1926 Best Friends Still Alive

[Henry]

The oldest BFA Alumni celebrated her 100th birthday on January 8, 2008.  The article and photo below appeared in last weekend's St. Albans Messenger.  Two members of that class are still alive and Doris Ladd, who was Alieta's best friend lives here in St. Albans.  I actually received a call today from Peter Mallett who has a photo of these to youngsters and plan to scan the photo and put it up here on my forum before I mail it down to Alieta's daughter.

In an e-mail I received today, Alieta's daughter, she said the following:

"Hi Henry,
We did just get your phone call and E-mail. Thanks for contacting us. It's wonderful that Aleita just turned 100 in January but it's unfortunate that we had to put her in a nursing home five years ago. She had been living with us for the five years proir to this and before this in her own home.  She is doing well however and does recognize the family, reads the daily newspaper and watches T.V.

That would be great if you could forward to us the picture that you have of her and Doris. My brother Bob visited Doris this past fall in St. Albans."

For those of you who may not be aware of the Foss Farm, it is the place across the road from The Plains Cemetery on the McNall Road.

Alieta Foss Chapman is shown above with her congratulatory citation from the governor of Connecticut

Chapman 100th Birthday

PLAINVILLE. Conn. - About 40 relatives and friends recently gathered at a local restaurant to celebrate the 100th birthday of Aleita Foss Chapman. She was born in Weybridge, Vt. on Jan. 8,1908, the daughter of George and Fern Foss. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Fairfax to assist in the operation of the existing Foss farm on Fairfax Plains.

Aleita graduated from BFA-Fairfax with the Class of 1926. Her best friend and classmate, Doris Ladd Shepard, is currently living in St. Albans, and will celebrate her 100tn birthday next year. Aleita and Doris are the oldest surviving alumni of BFA-Fairfax - and from the same class.

Aleita marriod Donald Chapman of Williston in 1928, and they lived in the Burlington area until World War II, when Donald found a more lucrative, and patriotic, employment with Pratt @ Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, Conn. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Plainville, Conn. Later, Donald became a well-known plumbing and heating contractor in the Plainville area. He passed away in 1976.

Aleita has three children: Robert of Bourne, Mass., Donald Jr. of Belleville, Penn., and Carol Wazorko of Bristol, Conn. She also has seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.