Barbara Breen Victorien

Barbara Breen Victorien

CORNWALL — Barbara, 87, a lifelong resident of Cornwall, passed away peacefully in her home on Jan. 18, surrounded by her family. Barbara was born on her family homestead on Hall Road on Dec. 1, 1937 to Florence Hall and Ralph Breen.

She attended Cornwall Consolidated School and graduated from Housatonic Valley Regional High School. Barbara worked at the Children’s Cottage Specialty Shoppe in Cornwall. She went on to work for Frank Cole’s insurance agency in Cornwall Bridge. She later worked as a secretary for Nicholas Tobin Insurance in Kent where she worked for several years, before retiring to enjoy her hobbies and home.

She married Jacques Victorien in 1960. They enjoyed traveling to France and Europe and briefly lived in Ireland and Nebraska before returning to the Cornwall area.

Barbara took pride in her home and gardens. Her hobbies over the years included entertaining guests, needlework, and researching family genealogy and has done extensive research on her family. She enjoyed cooking, collecting cookbooks and watching cooking shows. She also was a fan of Judge Judy and Jeopardy. Barbara was an avid reader. Among some of her favorites in her library were The Cat Who books, Agatha Christie, books about Ireland and many cookbooks. Her living room window was her favorite spot to watch wildlife, she especially loved the hummingbirds that would visit her feeders.

She cherished her family and friends who will miss her dearly. Barbara was a lifelong parishioner of St Bridget’s Catholic Church in Cornwall Bridge.

Barbara was predeceased by her husband Jacques Victorien. She is survived by her siblings; William Breen Sr. of Southfield, Massachusetts and Patricia Polk of Harwinton; several nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and great, great nieces and nephews.

A Christian Mass and burial will take place in the spring at St Bridget’s Catholic Church in Cornwall Bridge.

Donations in her honor may be made to the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department.

Kindly visit www.thurstonrowefuneralhome.com to send condolences.

Latest News

Millerton Police Dept. rebuilds after fire; new cruisers on the way

The borrowed Pine Plains cruiser parked on Main Street in front of the Millerton Inn during the Millerton Street Fair on Saturday, June 28.

Photo by Aly Morrissy

MILLERTON — After receiving substantial state grant funding in July 2024 and beginning to roll out new equipment that fall, the Millerton Police Department suffered a setback when the February fire at the Village Water and Highway Department building destroyed much of its newly acquired gear — including patrol vehicles outfitted with cutting-edge technology.

Thanks to full-value insurance coverage and swift support from the Town of Pine Plains — which loaned the department a vehicle — Millerton officers were able to remain active in the community. Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik said two custom-built, four-wheel-drive Ford Interceptor cruisers are now in production and are expected to arrive by the end of the summer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Uncertainty looms over Millerton community pool timeline

Groundbreaking of the new pool planned for Eddie Collins Park has been delayed after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation intervened to determine the status of wetlands in the proposed building site.

Archive photo

MILLERTON — The long-awaited groundbreaking for a new community pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park — once expected this past April — now faces significant delays with no definitive timeline in sight, Mayor Jenn Najdek said.

The primary setback stems from a still-pending permitting process, as the village awaits final approvals from the Dutchess County Board of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding septic placement and wetland buffers. A patch of wetlands on the site — roughly five feet by five feet, Najdek said — requires a protective buffer, which could range anywhere from 5 to 100 feet. That determination will dictate whether the current pool design needs to be altered or moved altogether.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.

As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.

Photo by John Coston

Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and Townscape. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.

Festivities officially opened at 10 a.m., and a steady stream of visitors soon followed. Volunteer firefighters hosted a bouncy castle, a duck pool, a “put out the fire” ring toss game, and the “touch a truck” event at the fire department’s garage.

Keep ReadingShow less