Charles Bentley

Charles D. "Junior" Bentley Jr. , 92, the eldest resident in the Town of Sandgate passed away Friday April 8, 2016 at the Albany (NY) Medical Center following a brief illness.Junior was born in Arlington on July 1, 1923, he was the son of Charles D. and Florence (Woodard) Bentley Sr. A lifelong resident of Sandgate he graduated from the one room schoolhouse and went on to graduate from Burr & Burton Seminary in Manchester. Junior had been a farmer all of his life, first as a dairy farmer and then he became a beef farmer, up until the late 60's he used his teams of horses to maintain and operate his farms. A few years ago he used his team on the television show "Building Wild" , hauling supplies deep in to the woods for the project. His horses and hitch were a regular appearance in the annual Sandgate 4th of July parade, in earlier years he enjoyed entering his team in horse pulling events. Junior served the Town of Sandgate as a member of the Selectboard for many years, spent time as a Lister and was the Town Representative to the Vermont House of Representatives from 1961-1969. The Town Hall meeting room bears his name in his honor for all he has done for Sandgate and it's residents. Throughout the years he drove many Sandgate children to schools in Arlington and Manchester. He was a former member of the Arlington Rescue Squad and Red Mountain Chapter F&AM, he was a longtime member of the Sandgate Methodist Church. He is the last of the generation of his family, he was predeceased by siblings Louise King, Martha Montgomery and Donald Bentley. He leaves many nieces, nephews, cousins and his family of Sandgate residents. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday April 13 at 11am at the Sandgate Methodist Church, a luncheon will follow in the church hall. Burial will take place in the family lot in Woodlands Cemetery in Cambridge , NY at 2pm. Friends may call at the Arlington Chapel of the Hanson Walbridge & Shea Funeral Home on Tuesday from 6-8pm. Memorial gifts may be made to the Sandgate Methodist Church in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 528, Arlington, VT 05250. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday April 13 at 11am at the Sandgate Methodist Church, a luncheon will follow in the church hall. Burial will take place in the family lot in Woodlands Cemetery in Cambridge , NY at 2pm. Friends may call at the Arlington Chapel of the Hanson Walbridge & Shea Funeral Home on Tuesday from 6-8pm.