Clifton C. Cilley
Personal
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: April 18, 1922
Date of Death: May 13, 2004
Birth Place: Columbia, NH
Death Place: Lancaster, NH
Clifton C. Cilley Sr., helped bring electricity to North Country
COLEBROOK — Clifton C. “Kip” Cilley Sr. 82, died May 13, 2004, at Country Village Health Care, Lancaster.
He was born April 18, 1922, in Columbia, the son of Leon and Effie (Neary) Cilley.
He attended local schools, leaving early to support his ailing father, two sisters and a handicapped brother. He was an accomplished carpenter at 16. In 1942, he was drafted and assigned to the 50th Combat Engineer Battalion Fort Ord, Calif., fought in the South Pacific and left the U.S. Army as a sergeant.
In 1945, he became construction foreman at Groveton Paper Company.
From 1952 to 1969, Mr. Cilley was a self-employed building contractor. He converted the Col. Stevens home to electricity. It was the first home to be converted to electricity in the area and was advertised by Public Service Company to promote electric power.
In 1969, he developed a workshop to teach the handicapped trade skills. It later became Vershire and he became the shop’s full-time foreman.
He was also a “master tinkerer” and repaired lawn mowers from his shop on Fish Pond Road.
He was a member of the American Legion, the geneological society and took an interest in old graveyards.
Family members include his son, Clifton C. Cilley Jr. of Pittsburg; two daughters, Marlene Cilley of Lancaster and Mrs. John (Mary Anne) Sledzinski of North Conway; one sister, Hazel Lund of Massachusetts; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
SERVICES: Calling hours will be Sunday, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Newman Funeral Home 136 Main St., Colebrook.
The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, at Monadnock Congregation Church, followed by a military burial at Colebrook Village Cemetery.
Donations in his memory may be made to Vershire, c/o Michelle Gorman 39 Colby St., Colebrook 03576.
Published in the New Hampshire Union Leader (Manchester, NH) – May 15, 2004
