USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Laurys L. Thurman
GARRETTSVILLE - Laurys L. Thurman, 52, died Sunday, April 16, 2000, at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna after a short illness.
Born July 19, 1947 in Gustavus Township, she was the daughter of Wilmer L. and Naomi (Sattzmann) Gibbs. Formerly of Middlefield, she had lived in Garrettsville for 23 years.
Mrs. Thurman worked at Ohio Savings Bank in Cleveland as a teller for three years and recently worked in the loan department.
She graduated from Kent State University in 1996, with a degree in business administration.
She enjoyed sewing, needlework, crocheting, crafts and her cats.
Survivors include her daughter, Tamara (Robert) Boring of Chardon. Her mother died previously and her father died in July, 1999.
Calling hours will be held from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Russell Funeral Service, 15670 W. High St., Middlefield, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, with Carl D. Gibbs officiating. Cremation will take place and burial will be at a later date.
Alex Gelles
Alex Gelles, 79, of Southington, died Sunday, April 16, 2000, at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren after a long illness.
Born July 27, 1920 in Newtown, Pa., he was the son of Michael and Mary (Popovnak) Gelles.
Mr. Gelles was a coal miner in Pennsylvania for 25 years and worked for the city of Solon in the maintenance department for 17 years, until retiring in 1984.
He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy in the Atlantic and the Pacific.
He enjoyed camping, fishing, the outdoors, woodworking and building things for his grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife, Helen (Regula), whom he married Nov. 27, 1945; son, Alan of Litchfield Township; daughter, Kathy Baxter of Hiram Township; four grandchildren; brothers, Edward and Paul of Pennsylvania; and sisters, Elizabeth Syplivy and Irene Hagerich of Pennsylvania. His brothers, George, Mike, Adam, Steve and John, died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 7 to 9 tonight at Mallory-DeHaven-Carlson Funeral Home, Garrettsville. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Edward Catholic Church in Parkman, with the Rev. Harry Winca officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Solon.
Lawrence A. Dixon
Lawrence A. Dixon, 58, of Lordstown, died of complications from diabetes Sunday, April 16, 2000 at his residence.
Born Aug. 31, 1941, in Custer, Mich., he was the son of Frank L. and Mildred (Smith) Dixon. He had previously resided in Long Beach, Ca.
Mr. Dixon was a manager at McDonald's Corp. in Long Beach.
He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include his father, of Lordstown; a brother, Frank L. Dixon, of Ferrysburg, Mich.; sisters, Mrs. Barbara (Carl) Johnston of Warren and Mrs. Diane (Darrell) Rose of Sparta, Mich.; and several nieces and nephews.
Calling hours will be held one hour prior to services at 2 p.m. Thursday at VanZantwick, Bartels and Kammeraad Funeral Home in Spring Lakes, Mich. Burial will be in Nunica Cemetery in Nunica, Mich.
Local arrangements are being handled by Bernard P. Borowski Memorial Home in Newton Falls.
Samuel Milner
Samuel B. Milner, 81, of Kent, died Wednesday, April 12, 2000, at Kent Quality Care.
Born May 11, 1918, in Birmingham, England, he was the son of Samuel and Fannie (Jones) Milner.
Mr. Milner was a millright at Chrysler until he retired.
He was a World War II veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Survivors include his wife, Anne "Ivy" (Stewart); son, Colin (Sharon); daughters, Sandra (Richard) Adams and Gael (Howard) Silverblatt; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Cremation has taken place. Private services were held for the family.
Memorials may be made to the Portage County Animal Protective League.
Arrangements were made by the Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Kent Chapel.
Frank Dale Jr.
ATWATER - Frank A. Dale Jr., 73, died Wednesday, April 12, 2000, at Aultman Hospital in Canton.
Born July 1, 1926, in Flushing, he was the son of Frank A. and Minnie (Ward) Dale. He had lived in Atwater for 42 years.
Mr. Dale had retired from Alliance Community Hospital, where he worked in the maintenance department for 17 years.
He was a member of the Union Avenue Church of Christ.
Survivors include his wife, Wilma (Steine), whom he married Dec. 20, 1947; sons, Albert A. of Springfield, Tenn., and Thomas G. of Alliance; daughter, Wilma Carpenter of Alliance; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; sisters, Helen Allen of Alliance and Ramona Price of Marlboro; and several nieces and nephews.
Calling hours will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Sharer-Stirling-Skivolocke Funeral Home, 1000 S. Union Ave., Alliance 44601, where services will follow at 5 p.m. Saturday, with the Rev. James A. Mauldin officiating.
Memorials may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 2 Park Avenue, Room 908, New York, N.Y. 10016, or to the American Diabetes Association, Northeast Ohio Service Center, 225 W. Exchange St., Akron 44302 or to the donor's choice.
Velma Ross
Velma R. Ross, 96, formerly of Scottsbluff, Neb., died Monday, April 10, 2000, at Akron General Medical Center in Akron.
Born May 15, 1903, in Phillipsburg, Kansas, she was the daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Nichols) Hull.
Mrs. Ross worked as a bookkeeper for L.B. Murphy Company for 18 years. She lived in Scottsbluff until June 1999 when she came to Stow.
Survivors include her son, William (Rebecca) of Stow; two grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and special friends, Allen and Ruth Vance of Scottsbluff, Neb. Her husband, Bernard L., whom she married July 6, 1925, died in 1991. Four brothers and five sisters also died previously.
Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Scottsbluff, Neb. at the convenience of the family. Arrangements are being handled by Bissler & Sons Funeral Home in Kent.
George Halstead
MANTUA TOWNSHIP - George Richard Halstead, 45, died Tuesday, April 11, 2000, at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna.
Born May 18, 1954, in Ravenna, he was the son of George E. and Alice (Morton) Halstead. He had been a resident of Mantua Township since 1991.
Mr. Halstead retired from the U.S. Army after 16 years of service.
Survivors include sons, Nathan, of Yuma, Ariz., and Jeremy, of Dayton; daughters, Amanda, of Enterprise, Ala. and Meghan, of Dayton; and a grandson, Garrett L. Halstead Kelley.
There will be no calling hours. Private graveside services will be held at Maple Grove Cemetery in Ravenna. Arrangements are being handled by Shorts Funeral Home, Ravenna chapel.
Wilda Pratt
Survivors of Wilda J. Pratt, 48, of Brooksville, Fla., who died Sunday, April 9, 2000, also include her brother, Harold Carpenter of Newton Falls.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Grandview Memorial Park Chapel in Ravenna, with the Rev. Carl Holm officiating. Entombment will be in Grandview Memorial Park. Arrangements are being handled by the Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel.
Lorin Hibbard, 90
STOW - Lorin F. Hibbard, 90, who was a member of Stow's first City Council, died Tuesday, March 28, 1990 in Boulder City, Nevada.
Born in Stow, he was a descendant of one of the first settlers of the community.
Mr. Hibbard worked for many years at B.F. Goodrich in Akron, becoming regional director of the Foreman's Association. He retired from Eclat Rubber Co.
In addition to serving as a councilman, he later served as city service driector.
He was a member of the Stow Players and the Akron Homebuilders Association.
Survivors include his sons, Edwin S. (Janice) of Mesquite, Nevada, and Donald (Geri) of Bath; daughters, Kathleen (Jerry) Apel of Lake Milton and Lorene of Boulder City, Nevada; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His wife, Clara, died in 1997.
Calling hours will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Redmon Funeral Home in Stow, where the Rev. James Colledge will conduct services at 10 a.m. Monday. Burial will be in Northlawn Memorial Gardens.
Wayne Balthis
Wayne E. Balthis, 64, of Prange Street, Cuyahoga Falls, died Thursday, March 30, 2000 at Akron General Medical Center.
Born Jan. 25, 1936 in Akron, he was the son of Russell and Murlie (Price) Balthis.
Mr. Balthis was a 35-year member of the Ironworkers Local Union 17 and a current member of the Ironworkers Pensioners Club.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II.
He enjoyed bowling, gardening and travel.
Survivors include his wife, Margery (Wolcott) of Kent; sons, Gerald W. and Carrie J., both of Kent; three grandchildren; brothers, Bill of Oregon and Henry of Akron; sisters, Virginia Bennhoff, June Place and Ruth Thomas, all of Akron; and stepbrothers, Richard Williams of Florida and Harley Williams of Akron. His brother, Russell; sisters, Mary Ann Hartney and Clara Thorne; and stepfather, Harley Williams, died previously.
Visitation will take place from 10 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. Saturday at Bissler & Sons Funeral Home in Kent, with the Rev. Paul Schenke officiating. Burial will be in Hillside Cemetery in Randolph.
Priscilla Smith
STOW - Priscilla J. Smith, 77, of Mannington Boulevard, died Wednesday, March 28, 2000 at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna.
Born Jan. 7, 1923 in Jamaica, Long Island, New York, she was the daughter of Hugh Ross and Augusta (Elfreich) Wonderly. She had lived in Weston, Connecticut and Ponte Vedra, Fla.
Mrs. Smith worked as office manager for Spice Import Company in Moonachie, N.J. She enjoyed gardening and travel.
Survivors include her brother, Donald M. (Barbara) Wonderly of Stow; seven nephews and one niece. Her husband, S. Adam Smith, died in 1982. Her brothers, Hugh and Alan Wonderly, died previously.
There will be no calling hours or services. Arrangements are being handled by Bissler & Sons Funeral Home in Kent.
Memorials may be made to the American Lung Association of Northern Ohio, Cleveland, 44115.
Mildred Fry, 84
Mildred A. Fry, 84, died Wednesday, March 29, 2000, at Valley View Nursing Home in Akron.
Born March 9, 1916, in Atwater she was the daughter of Frank and Elsie (Hannan) Fry.
Surviviors include her brother, Harold (Ersilia) Fry. Her brothers, John and Ernest Fry, died previously.
There will be no calling hours. Private graveside services will be held for the family at Atwater Cemetery. Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Atwater Chapel is handling arrangements.
Helen A. Reitz
Ravenna native Helen A. Reitz, 77, of Mesa, Ariz., died Wednesday, March 29, 2000, in Mesa, Ariz.
Mrs. Reitz was a homemaker.
Survivors include her daughter, Nancy; and sister, Joan Sage.
Services will be private. Arrangements were handled by the Chapel of Prayer in Mesa, Ariz.
Memorials may be made to the Bank of America, Account No. 274-54-1228, Mesa, Ariz., 85205.
Alonzo Cross
Services will be held Monday for Alonzo Lawrence Cross Jr., 63, of Ravenna, who died Sunday, March 26, 2000
Services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Maple Grove Cemetery in Ravenna.The Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna, is handling arrangements.
Memorials may be made to the Center of Hope in Ravenna.
Anna George
Anna M. George, 87, of Ravenna, died Friday, March 3, 2000, at the Longmeadow Care Center in Ravenna.
Born May 23, 1912, in Warwood, W.Va., she was the daughter of Adam and Anna (Auth) Stenger. She had lived in Ravenna from 1948 to 1962, and in Edinburg from 1962 until 1979, when she returned to Ravenna.
Mrs. George had been a public health nurse in New Martinsville, W.Va., and worked as a private duty registered nurse in Ohio until she retired in 1977 after 44 years of service.
She was a member of Immaculate Conception Church in Ravenna, The Infant of Prague Guild, Catholic Nurses, Edinburg Senior Citizens, and the Young at Heart Club of Ravenna.
Survivors include her daughters, Mrs. Paul (Virginia) Pantalone of Ravenna and Mrs. Harold (Patricia) Reed of Kent; son, Edward (Billie) George of Rock Hill, S.C.; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and sisters, Mrs. Paul (Matilda) Bott of Elm Grove, W.Va. and Margaret Pfalzgraf of North Canton. Her husband, Earle, died in 1991. Her brothers, Edward, Louis, Adam and Joseph Stenger; and sister, Loretta Denning, also died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Wood-Kortright Funeral Home Ravenna Chapel. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Immaculate Conception Church in Ravenna. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Ravenna.
Memorials may be made to Edinburg Senior Citizens, the Young at Heart Club of Ravenna or to a favorite charity.
Zella Cottrill
Zella Cottrill, 66, of Shock, W.Va., the mother and sister of several area residents, died Thursday, March 2, 2000, in Charlestown Area Medical Center, General Division.
Born in Clay County, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late Cecil and Myrtle (Tanner) Dickey.
Mrs. Cottrill was a homemaker.
She was of the Christian faith for 35 years.
Survivors include her husband, Glenn; sons, Craig of Martinsburg, W.Va., and Ronald of Tacoma, Wash.; daughter, Crystal Adamson of Windham; brothers, Joe Dickey of Newton Falls, Dalton Dickey of Southington, and Gary Dickey of Warren; sisters, Pauline Norman and Garnet Wagner, both of Garrettsville, Helen Tucker of Fairmont, W.Va., and Maureen Davies of Woodbine, Ga.; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Calling hours will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Nebo Baptist Church in Nebo, Clay County, where services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, the Rev. Dewey Tanner officiating. Burial will be in Nebo Baptist Church Cemetery. Arrangements were handled by Stump Funeral Home of Arnoldsburg, W.Va.
