Obituaries-Dec. 21, 2006

Robert Bland

   WEST AMWELL — Robert L. Bland, 62, of West Amwell Township died Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Penn Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia.
   Mr. Bland was born in Norwich, N.Y.
   He was director of state government information services at the New Jersey State Library from 1992 until his retirement in the fall of 1999.
   He began his career at the State Law Library in 1974 when he was appointed coordinator of the Law Library and legislative reference services. He was responsible for administering programs of the library to meet the information needs of state government, libraries, lawyers, judges and citizens of New Jersey. He managed a law collection of 120,000 volumes.
   In 1987, he served as head of the Bureau of Law and Reference for the New Jersey State Library until his appointment as director.
   From 1975 to 1993, Mr. Bland taught legal bibliography and research to graduate students and practicing librarians as adjunct faculty for Rutgers School of Communication, Information and Library Studies.
   He was an assistant law librarian for the College of Law at Syracuse University from 1971 to 1974 and a practicing lawyer for the firm, Bond, Schoeneck and King, in Syracuse, N.Y., from 1969 to 1971.
   He was an editor of the "NJLLA Brief," a publication of the New Jersey State Law Library. He was a founding member of the New Jersey Law Librarians Association.
   Mr. Bland was a graduate of St. Lawrence University with a bachelor’s of arts degree, the School of Law at Washington and Lee University with a law degree and the School of Library Science at Syracuse University with a master’s degree in library science.
   He served in the Army National Guard in New York and New Jersey.
   Surviving are his wife of 39 years, Pamela; two daughters, Rebecca McCarrick of LaGrange, Ky., and Deborah Roberts of Denver; two grandchildren, Hunter McCarrick and Natalie Roberts; a brother Alan, of Laramie, Wyo.; a sister, Sally, of Binghamton, N.Y.; and nieces and nephews.
   He was the son of the late Irene and Robert Bland of Smyrna, N.Y.
   Memorial donations may be made to the Hunterdon County Library, 314 Route 12, Building 3, Flemington, 08822, or the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, Fun with Books Program, 635 S. Clinton Ave., Trenton, 08611.
   A celebration to honor his life is planned for the spring.
   Arrangements are under the direction of the Garefino Funeral Home in Lambertville.
Nora Welsh

   EMPORIA, Va. — Nola Welsh, 93, died Wednesday, Dec. 13, at Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center.
   Mrs. Welsh lived in Frenchtown until her marriage when she moved to Lambertville.
   She and her husband, Oliver, retired to Lake Worth, Fla., then returned to Lambertville 13 years ago.
   She was the daughter of the late Frank and Estelle Opdyke, widow of Oliver Welsh and sister of the late Howard Opdyke, Beatrice Burd and Dorthea Pidcock.
   Surviving are two daughters, Beatrice Fresco of Valentines, Va., and Wanda Mims of Lake Worth, Fla.; one son, Frank J. Welsh of Pittsburgh, N.H.; one sister, Bernice Reigle of Frenchtown; 10 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and several nieces and nephews.
   Funeral services were held Monday at the Garefino Funeral Home, Lambertville. Burial was private.
   Memorial donations may be made to the Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance and Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 237, Lambertville, 08530, or the Sergeantsville Fire Company, P.O. Box 87, Sergeantsville, 08557.