Obituary of Wilma L. Sagurton

Wilma Lewis Sagurton of Mendham Township died suddenly on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at Morristown Memorial Hospital after suffering a heart attack. She was 94. She was an educator, a singer and musician, an historian and a photographer. Wilma was born at home on February 2, 1916 at her parent's dairy farm on Combs Hollow Road in Randolph, NJ. Her Father's ancestors had lived there since the early 1730's and established mills, farms and other early industries. Wilma fondly remembered her life on the farm and riding in a horse drawn sled to attend the local two room school house. The family moved two miles to Mountainside Road in Mendham Township after being forced off the farm because of a planned reservoir that was never built. She married James R. Sagurton on September 24, 1937. They lived in Bloomfield NJ before returning to her family home in Mendham 54 years ago. Mrs. Sagurton was a public school teacher. She taught for 25 years in Mendham until her retirement in 1987. She first taught at Hilltop School and later at Mountain View where she became the town's first Special Education teacher. She also taught at the Stirling School in Passaic from 1962 to 1965. Wilma was a high school science teacher in Bloomfield from 1937 to 1962 where she specialized in working with troubled students. She was an Assistant biology teacher at Montclair State College in 1936 and 1937. She was also a volunteer tutor in the SCEEP Program for students from Newark, NJ. Wilma was also a musician, a singer, and a piano teacher from her childhood until the end of her life. She sang with the NJ Oratorio Society, studied at Carnegie Hall and later in life sang with the Masterworks Choir. As a young woman she studied piano under Alex Chapenelli, a leader of the NJ Music Education Council. She gave private piano lessons from 1940 to 2005. She was the organist and choir director at St. Joseph's Church in Mendham from 1950-1963 and later a choir member at St Mark's Church in Mendham. In her later life she was an enthusiastic and long time member of the Brookside Belles, a woman's chorus of the Brookside Women's Club. She sang in their 2010 Spring Concert Series. Mrs. Sagurton received a Master of Arts in Special Education from Montclair State College in 1971. She received a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Biology and Chemistry and minors in Music and Geology in 1937. In 1937 Wilma studied under Louis Hadley at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. She was the Valedictorian of the Morristown High School class of 1933. Mrs. Sagurton co-authored, "And Then There was Lighting," and wrote, "The Lewises of Combs Hollow". She is featured on the DVD, "Girl on the Farm," and a DVD in which she describes the exhibits on the display at the Ralston General Store Museum. She delivered a series of lectures with slide show and artifact displays on various historical topics to audiences throughout the area, most notably, "Early Lightening". She has loaned or donated countless historic artifacts to many local museums including the Ralston General Store in Mendham, NJ; the Museum of Early Crafts and Trade in Madison, NJ; The Museum of Old Randolph in Randolph NJ; the Morris County Historical Society's Acorn Hall, and the Schuyler Hamilton House both in Morristown. Wilma also had a part and donated artifacts for PBS television productions. In 1991 Wilma and her husband Jim received the Outstanding Voluntary Community Service Award at the Volunteer Action Center of Morris County's annual dinner. Wilma received the Local Historian Award of Distinction from the NJ Historical Commission in 1991. She served as Secretary of the Morris County Historical Society and for the John Ralston Historical Society for many years. While a member of the Randolph Landmarks Committee she obtained a listing on the National Historic Register for the Combs Hollow section of Randolph, NJ. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Friends Meeting House in Randolph, NJ. She was the Mendham Township Historian for many years. She served as docent and in costume reenact or at numerous historical venues and events. Wilma held many memberships only some of which follow. She was a decade's long and still active member of the Ladies Auxiliary of Brookside Engine Company No. 1. She was a member of the rifle club at Morristown High School and founded the Fencing Team at Montclair State College. She belonged to the music Educators Council. Her history related memberships included The NJ Historic Society, Morris County Historical Society, The John Ralston Historical Society, the Randolph Historic Societies and the Randolph Landmarks Committee, the Friends Meeting house Trustees, the Chester Historic Society the CRAFTS (NJ Tool Collectors Organization), the Industrial Archeology Society and many more. She was a long time member of the Mendham Garden Club. She was also a Kappa Delta Pi. Wilma was an avid photographer and photographed many local events, historic places and people. She won a state wide competition with a photo of her granddaughter Jennifer Seigle. Mrs. Sagurton is survived by her four Children Dr. Joan Sagurton of Hopewell Junction, NY; Frances Seigle of Gilford, NH, Dr. James Sagurton Jr of Mendham Township and David Sagurton of Long Pond, PA, nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren and her dear sister Anna Mae Atkins 92, of Mountainside Road, Mendham Township. She was predeceased by her husband James Sagurton Sr. and her daughter Nancy Sagurton. A mass of Resurrection will be offered at 10:30 am on Monday, August 30th at St. Joseph Church, Main Street, Mendham. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery. Friends are encouraged to call at Bailey Funeral Home, 8 Hilltop Road, Mendham, NJ on Sunday, August 29th from 1:00pm to 5:00 pm. Memorial gifts may be made to the Autism Society of America, Nassau/Suffolk Chapter, PO Box 1405, Melville, NY 11747 for more information visit their website at www.nsasa.org. www.baileyfuneralhomes.com