Obituaries in the newspaper primarily announce a death. But they also offer a glimpse of a life, and quite often a remarkable life.

On Jan. 1, the Butler Eagle reviewed highlights from some of the more notable obituaries to appear in the newspaper in 2007. And the people whose deaths were announced in the Eagle last year lived some remarkable lives.

Not surprisingly, some of the people who died had served their country in the armed services. One man from Freeport served in three wars: World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Another World War II veteran was part of the group that prepared for the historic return of Gen. Douglas MacArthur to the Far East and witnessed the surrender ceremony aboard the battleship USS Missouri.

Others had less conventional connections to the military. An 82-year-old woman from Butler was among the final group of people airlifted out of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. And an 84-year-old Slippery Rock resident, who was born in France, had been part of the French Resistance during World War II.

A Renfrew man, an 87-year-old native of Saskatchewan, Canada, was a medical doctor and served with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Other obituaries from 2007 also featured people who had unusual or otherwise notable careers.

One man had been a blacksmith for 30 years, and a 95-year-old man from Mars had worked as a dowser.

A Butler native who died at age 57 in New Jersey had worked on the lunar landing project. An 84-year-old Butler native who had worked for General Electric was part of the crew that installed radio transmitters on top of the Empire State Building in New York and Chicago's Sears Tower.

A Parker native built a career repairing violins and antique furniture. And a man from Fombell had worked as a captain of a cruise ship in the Caribbean.

A 54-year-old Zelienople man had been a tow boat pilot for river barges. And a 62-year-old Butler man who died last year was one of the first black Pennsylvania state troopers.

Founders of local businesses were among those appearing in the obituaries last year, including the 84-year-old owner and operator of Renick's Tree Farm. A 90-year-old woman from Butler was the co-owner and operator of Castle Roller Rink for 45 years.

Government service was a part of the lives of several people, including an 89-year-old woman from Butler who worked in Washington, D.C., during World War II for the Office of Strategic Services, which later became the Central Intelligence Agency. World travel was a part of the life of another woman, who died at 91, and had worked as a special assistant to U.S. ambassadors in Iceland, Greenland, New Zealand, Greece and Turkey.

A 78-year-old native of India who lived in Butler had taught English and geography in India, England and Australia.

As remarkable as the experiences these people had in their careers or in service to their country, they also were fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters. And though their role in their family might not have been explored in their obituary, some might well have seen their families as their greatest accomplishment, despite an impressive career or courageous war record.

As one of the best-read sections of the newspaper, the obituary page can seem to be dominated by sad news, but it also is a place where lives are celebrated. Every death — and the life that preceded it — featured in the obituaries has a story to tell. And each life chronicled in the obituaries lives on in some fashion through the surviving family members and friends.

The obituary pages of 2007 revealed some extraordinary lives. Some people left Butler to make their marks, while others moved here from other parts of the country — or the world. They all played a role, some larger and more public than others, in making our world, and our community, what it is today.

Reviewing the obituaries from last year, it is natural to reflect on and celebrate the lives of those who died in 2007.Reading the obituaries also can lead to reflections on how our own lives are being lived and what our contributions will be — our own accomplishments, how we met life's challenges and what our legacy might be.