USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Mildred Weakland
Mildred F. Weakland, 90, died Wednesday in Suffield.
Born in Cambria Co., Pa., she was the daughter of Edward and Julia Weakland. She had lived in the Akron area most of her life.
Ms. Weakland was an executive secretary and purchasing agent for the Akron Spring and Welding Co. for more than 35 years before retiring in 1983.
She was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church, the A.B.W.A. Akron Chapter and Krumroy Senior Citizens.
Her sister, Lucy, died previously.
There will be no calling hours. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 2643 Waterloo Rd., Randolph, with the Rev. Edward R. Wieczorek officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery.
Norma Berg
Norma J. Berg, 77, of Ravenna, died Friday at Longmeadow Care Center following an extended illness.
Born Nov. 22, 1920 in Drakesburg, she was the daughter of James and Blanch (Slagel) McCormick. She was a lifelong resident of Portage County.
Mrs. Berg was a homemaker.
She is survived by her sister, Bertine Bradley of Rootstown. Her husband, Fred, died previously.
There will be no calling hours. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Maple Grove Cemetery in Ravenna with the Rev. Carl Holm officiating. Arrangements are being made by Shorts Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel.
Frank Dantone
Frank Vincent Dantone, 65, of Sneedville, Tenn., died Wednesday at the V.A. Hospital in Johnson City, Tenn.
Mr. Dantone founded the Sparrow's Rest Ministries.
Survivors include his wife, Jacqueline (Cox) Dantone; son, Matthew of Black Mountain, N.C.; daughters, Mrs. Allen (Velvet) Jenkins of Waynesville, N.C., Mrs. Troy (Danette) Hopey of Black Mountain, N.C., and Mrs. Hank (Mary Ann) Lalemond of Sneedville; adopted sons, Marvin Burke, Dave Brockelman, and Patrick Pirkle; adopted daughters, Cheryl Burke, Dixie Brockelman, and Shae Pirkle; 14 grandchildren; mother-in-law Harriet Cox of Sneedville; and brothers, Gasper (Becky) Dantone and Carl (Sherry) Dantone, both of Ravenna.
Calling hours will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Mulberry Covenant Church, where funeral services will follow at 1 p.m., with the Rev. Peter Anderson and Rev. Rick Mehaffey officiating. Burial will be in Jones Cemetery. The McNeil Funeral Home, in Sneedville, Tenn., is handling arrangements.
Susie Rigdon
Susie Rigdon, 97, of Fremont, died Tuesday at Fremont Quality Care Nursing Home after a period of failing health.
Born August 24, 1900 in Lisbon, she lived most of her life there, moving to Fremont 10 years ago.
Ms. Rigdon was a homemaker.
Survivors include her niece, Cathi Schultz of Streetsboro. Her brother, Clayton; and sisters Ada Stratton and Helen Rigdon died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Green's Funeral Home in Mantua. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in Hillside Cemetery in Mantua, with Mr. Robert Galloway officiating.
Laura Louise (Orndorff) Diblik
A Sugar Bush Knolls woman who was struck by a car on March 30 while walking with her son over the West Main Street Bridge in Kent died Tuesday at Akron City Hospital.
Laura Louise (Orndorff) Diblik, 34, died eight days after she was pinned beneath the 1991 Pontiac Bonneville that cast her 3-year-old boy, Dylan, into the Cuyahoga River.Dylan wasreleased from Children's Hospital Medical Center in Akron the day after he was plucked from the river by James Luli, a 19-year-old Rootstown resident whose valiance likely saved the boy's life; Dylan was about 10 feet from the river's falls at the moment he was rescued.
The car was driven by Richard R. Tardif, 46, of Woodard Ave. in Kent, who has been charged with aggravated vehicular assault, a fourth-degree felony for which an arraignment is scheduled Tuesday in Portage County Municipal Court in Kent. The charge may be elevated, however, as a result of Mrs. Diblik's death, Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci said Wednesday.
Under state law, aggravated vehicular assault is defined as "recklessly" inflicting serious physical harm on another person by means of a motor vehicle, according to Vigluicci.
Tardif's attorney, Robert Shaker, of Niles, declined comment this morning.
"It is inappropriate for me to comment while the matter is pending," he said.
Tardif who had been listed in "serious" condition at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna following the accident, was released April 1. Neither drugs nor alcohol were indicated in his blood in preliminary tests.
Tardif's westbound vehicle traveled left of center and jumped the sidewalk. It then hit a light pole, which fell and knocked over a second light pole. The car then struck Mrs. Diblik and her son; Mrs. Diblik's parents were walking some distance behind and were not hit, according to Kent police.
Members of Mrs. Diblik's family did not wish to comment but expressed appreciation for the community support they have witnessed.
Born Nov. 17, 1963 in Ravenna, Mrs. Diblik was the daughter of Roy Lee "Pete" and Ruth Ann (Johnson) Orndorff Jr. of Sugar Bush Knolls.
Mrs. Diblik was a graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School in Kent and Ohio State University. She worked for many years in Chicago for various social agencies, including Maryville Academy, Cuneo Hospital and the Counseling Center of Lakeview, where she was a residential/outpatient supervisor.
Aside from her son and parents, survivors include her husband, Michael; brothers, Robert (Mary Chang) Orndorff of Seattle, Wash. and Richard (Sharen) Orndorff of Las Vegas, Nev. and Randall Orndorff of Kent; sister, Elizabeth (Mark) Gundlach of Kent; and grandparents, Roy L. and Dorothy Orndorff of Maryland. Her grandparents, Marvin and Florence Johnson, died previously.
The family will receive friends immediately after the 11 a.m. service Friday at the United Methodist Church of Streetsboro. The Rev. James Cox will officiate the service. A private burial will be in Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent.
Memorials may be made to the caring organizations of the donor's choice, including the United Methodist Church of Streetsboro, Open-M of Akron, Habitat for Humanity or the Juvenile Diabetes Association.
Arrangements are being handled by Bissler and Sons Funeral Home in Kent.
Sister Helen Lalinsky
Sister Helen Lalinsky, 89, died March 26 in Aston, Pa.
She was the daughter of John and Mary Lalinsky.
She was a Medical Mission Sister for 70 years - the first nun to be educated as a medical doctor in the Catholic Church. She worked 40 years as a doctor in Pakistan and India and 13 years as her community's archivist in Philadelphia.
She treated thousands of sick and poor people and trained hundreds of doctors and nurses who followed in her footsteps.
Survivors include brothers, Raymond (Cornelia) of Ravenna and Donald (Mary Rose) of Carrollton; and a sister, Barbara Donant of North Canton. A brother, John; and sisters, Mary, Mrs. Sherman (Julia) Wallace, Mrs. Joseph (Kitty) Baker and Mrs. John (Stef) Galida died previously.
Services have been held.
Memorials can be made to the Medical Mission Sisters, 8400 Pine Road, Philadelphia, Pa. 19111.
Ruth Pearce
Former Cleveland resident Ruth L. Pearce, 87, died suddenly of natural causes on Sunday at Elkhart General Hospital in Elkhart, Ind.
Born Sept. 12, 1910 in Salamanca, N.Y., she was the daughter of Henry and Beulah (Huntley) Loveless. She had resided in Cleveland before moving to Indiana a year ago.
Mrs. Pearce was a homemaker.
Survivors include her son, Jack of Chagrin Falls; daughter Mrs. Sandra (Russell) Gaile-Snyder of Elkhart; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Her husband, Robert, whom she married July 2, 1932; a brother, Stanley; and two sisters, Doris Kohl and Bertha Escott, all died previously.
The funeral service was held at noon Monday at the Hiram Christian Church, with the Rev. Robert Bowen officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Hiram. Arrangements are being handled by Mallory-DeHaven-Carlson Golden Rule Funeral Home.
Arze King
Arze W. King, 86, died April 2 at Windsor Woods Convalescent Center in Bayonet Point, Fla.
Born July 3, 1911 in Ravenna, he was a Ravenna resident until he moved to Florida in 1975.
Mr. King retired from A&P Tea Company in Ravenna after 44 years of employment as a meat cutter.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Hudson. He was also a member of the Beacon Wood Golf Club.
Survivors include his son, Randy King of Van Wert; his daughter, Barbara Johnson of Fairport, N.Y.; his brother, Lawrence of Rootstown; his sister, Lillian Benson of Anderson, Ind.; six grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. His wife, Audrey (Leonard), died in June 1990.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. April 19 at the First Church of God, New Milford Road, Ravenna, with the Rev. Carl Holm and Rev. Phillip Miller officiating. Refreshments will be served following the service. Burial took place Wednesday in Maple Grove Cemetery in Ravenna.
Memorials may be made to the First Church of God, 237 New Milford Road, Ravenna 44266.
Seth R. Thomas II
Former Portage County resident Seth R. Thomas II, 56, of Brecksville, who died Monday at the Cleveland Clinic following a three-year battle with prostate cancer, will be remembered as an impressive man who worked hard for the things in which he believed.
While he lived in Hiram, Mr. Thomas was active in local government, accepting positions with the Hiram Township Zoning Commission, of which he was a member until 1995 as well as the Portage County Board of Health, of which he wa a member from 1994 until 1996.
Health Commissioner Kenneth Rupp remembers Mr. Thomas as an "impressive fellow" who actively supported the county's health efforts.
"He had some substance about him. He was very active and interested in public health, and constantly spoke and supported public health," he said. "He felt public health was one of the most important things in Portage County."
Mr. Thomas also worked hard for conservation, and was instrumental in developing Hiram Township's zoning codes to protect green space.
"Seth was very instrumental in getting our zoning developed properly for open space conservation. A lot of communities are using it as a model now," said Hiram Township Trustee Terry Kulka. "He was the driving force behind that. What can I say, he was the man.
"He felt very strongly (about open space) and he felt strongly about zoning within the township," he added. "He did a great job and when he decided to move out of the area, it was a great loss to us."
Mr. Thomas also served as Township Clerk from January through March 1996 until he moved out of the area.
In addition to his dedication to his work on various boards, Mr. Thomas also is remembered as a self-confident man who put people at ease.
"He was one of the most excellent (Portage County Combined Health District) board members we ever had," said Connie Leedom, Mantua Township Trustee and employee at the health district. "He was just a wonderful man. He always shook your hand when he walked in. He was very devoted and gave a lot of his energy and knowledge to the health department."
Not only was Mr. Thomas self-confident, but he also had a lot of confidence in the people he worked with, Rupp added.
"He was a people person. He always spoke to you, even if you were a stranger. He was a great person all around," he said. "He had a lot of confidence in man."
A sixth-generation descendent from the Connecticut clockmaker Seth Thomas, Mr. Thomas was very interested in clocks and was instrumental in having the clock from the old Hinsdale Hall at Hiram College moved to the college's new library when it was completed. He also served as keeper of the Seth Thomas Tower Clock for the Portage County Historical Society in Ravenna.
Although his family sold their clock company in 1931, Mr. Thomas actively celebrated his heritage by collecting and repairing Seth Thomas clocks and watches. He was a member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors.
Mr. Thomas graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in metallurgical engineering and worked for Texas Instruments and Rodney Metals in Massachusetts. He most recently serviced as the vice president of technology at Thomas Steel Strip Corp. in Warren, where he worked for 27 years.
He was a Fellow of the American Society for Metals and enjoyed flying, deer hunting, hiking, nature walks, golf and tennis.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Beth, to whom he was married for 35 years; sons, Seth of Ijamsville, Md. and Michael of Brecksville; daughters, Rebecca of Akron and Sara Pappa of Cincinnati; two grandchildren; parents, Seth and Mary Jane of Oak Bluffs, Mass.; and sisters, Penelope of Gobles, Mich. and Katherine Dryfoos of Oak Bluffs, Mass.
Calling hours will be held from 6 to 9 tonight at Nosek Funeral Home, 8150 Brecksville Road, Brecksville. Services will be held later this week in Thomaston, Conn.
Memorials may be made to the Seth Thomas Display Clock, c/o Board of Selectmen, Town Hall, Main Street, Thomaston, Conn. 06787.
Arrangements are being handled jointly by the A. Nosek & Sons, Gerber-McCreary Funeral Home in Brecksville and the Lyons Funeral Home in Thomaston, Conn.
L. Ivan Tennant
L. Ivan Tennant, 80, of Ravenna, died Sunday.
Born April 24, 1917 in Tyler County, W.Va., he returned to Ravenna this year after moving to Florida in 1972. He had previously lived in Ravenna for 32 years.
Mr. Tennant retired from the U.S. Postal Office in Ravenna, where he worked as a postal clerk.
He was a member of the First Christian Church of Ravenna, where he had been active many years as an elder.
Survivors include his sons, Larry of Ravenna and Jerry of Winter Haven, Fla.; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his brother, Irvin of Pittsburg; and his sister, Adeline Pierson of Joseph Mills, W.Va.
His wife, Evelyn Mae, died Dec. 10, 1994.
Calling hours will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel where a memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, with Russell Goldner officiating. Burial will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery of Ravenna.
Grace Burns
HARTVILLE - Grace T. Burns, 93, died Sunday at Akron City Hospital.
Born June 8, 1904 in Gustavus, she was the daughter of the late Albert F. and Livia L. Toole. She formerly lived in Kent and Ravenna.
Survivors include her husband of 68 years, Leland of Hartville; daughter, Mrs. Thomas (Nancy) Capps of Hartville; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Her son, Robert Leland Burns, died in 1965; and brothers, Sherman and Forrest; and a sister, Chloe, also all died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and one hour prior to the service, which will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Arnold Funeral Home in Hartville, with Dan Spickard officiating. Burial will be in Hillside Memorial Park.
Andrew Dietrick
BRIMFIELD - Andrew Dietrick, 74, died Thursday at home.
Born Dec. 21, 1923 in Boswell, Pa., he was the son of Louis and Mary Dietrick.
Mr. Dietrick retired from Yellow Freight of Richfield after 17 years of employment. Previously, he was self-employed.
He was a veteran of the 534th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.
Survivors include brother John of Detroit; sisters, Mrs. Harvey (Margaret) Mitchell of Boswell, Ann Barnyak, Alice Belcher and Josephine Bulmenski, all of Detroit. His wife, Elizabeth; brothers, Louis, Joe and Ernest; and his sister, Mary, all died previously.
Calling hours were held at the Hauger-Ziegler Funeral Home in Somerset, Pa. Local arrangements were provided by the Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel.
Memorials may be made to the Dietrick Trust Fund, in care of Society Bank, Box 787, Kent 44240.
Ervin Snodgrass
Ervin Snodgrass, 77 of Ravenna, died Monday at Robinson Memorial Hospital.
Arrangements are being made by the Shorts Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel.
Larry Rider
WARREN - Larry E. Rider, 48, died Saturday at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren from cardiovascular disease.
Born Feb. 16, 1950 in Los Angeles, he was the son of John and Jessie (Byrne) Rider. He lived in Warren his entire life.
Mr. Rider was employed at the Commerce Center, formerly known as Recreational Industries, located in Lordstown.
He was a Vietnam War veteran, serving with the U.S. Army.
Besides his mother of New Comerstown, survivors include his wife, Cheryl; sons, Christopher and Charles, both of Warren; daughter Candice of Warren; and brothers, John of Kent and William of New Comerstown.
There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the First Church of God. Cremation has taken place. Arrangements are being handled by the James Funeral Home in Newton Falls.
Edward Haines
WARREN - Edward F. Haines, 69, died Monday at his home after an extended illness.
Born May 4, 1928 in Warren, he was the son of Melvin and Vina (Doll) Haines. Formerly of Andover, he had been a resident of Warren for six months.
Mr. Haines retired from his position as maintenance supervisor for the Western Trails Campground in 1994 after eight years of employment.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He was a member of the Eagles Lodge of Andover and the Moose Lodge of Cortland.
Survivors include brothers, Gerald of Cortland, Dean of Champion, and Don of Bradenton, Fla.; and sisters, Norma Webb, with whom he made his home, Goldie Kerr and Edith Sampson, both of Garrettsville, Thelma Winkle of Canfield, Erma Bayus and Jane Molinatto, both of Champion, Peggy Miller of Bradenton, Fla., and Ruth Wishart of Leavittsburg.
Calling hours will be held from 6 to 9 tonight at the Carl W. Hall Funeral Home in Warren, where the funeral will be helde at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in the Champion Township Cemetery in Warren.
Gerald Risko
NEWTON FALLS - Gerald Ray Risko, 40, died Saturday at Northside Medical Center in Youngstown of liver failure.
Born Sept. 2, 1957 in Warren, he was the son of Nicholas and Mary (Uhrin). He lived in Newton Falls most of his life.
Mr. Risko enjoyed playing the guitar and writing music. He had an original song published. He was also an avid golfer.
Survivors include his mother, Mary, of Newton Falls, with whom he lived; and sisters Mrs. John (Nicole) DeAngelis and Mrs. Edward (Frances) Hoerig, also of Newton Falls. His father died previously.
No calling hours or services will be held.
Cremation will take place.
Arrangements are being handled by James Funeral Home in Newton Falls.
Larry Rider
Larry Eugene Rider, 48, of Warren, died Saturday at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren.
Arrangements will be announced by James Funeral Home in Newton Falls.
