USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Chase S. Baxter
Chase S. Baxter, infant son of Steven Baxter and Lee Ann Zimmerman of Ravenna, died Aug. 14.
Additional survivors include his grandparents, Fred (Louise) Garrett of Shalersville and Carol Baxter of Brimfield. His grandfather, David Baxter, died previously.
Graveside services were held at Restland Cemetery in Brimfield, with the Rev. Ed Peterson officiating.
Arrangements were made by Wood-Kortright Funeral Home in Ravenna.
Louise E. Coy
Louise E. Coy, 89, of Kent, died Friday at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna.
Arrangements will be announced by Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel.
Daniel Herrington
HIRAM TOWNSHIP - Services for Daniel Herrington will be held at the Mallory-DeHaven-Carlson Funeral Home in Garrettsville at 11 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Hiram.
Fred Cooper Sr.
Fred H. Cooper Sr. of Ravenna died Monday.
Arrangements will be announced by Stewart and Calhoun Funeral Home in Akron.
Lena Beebe
RANDOLPH - Lena R. Beebe, 95, died Monday.
Born in Randolph, she was a life resident of the township.
She was a member of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Randolph and a life member of the Altar and Rosary Society.
Survivors include her daughters, Mrs. Roger (Agnes M.) Begue of North Canton and Mrs. Robert (Marjorie A.) Cline of Randolph; 18 grandchildren; and 35 great-grandchildren. Her husband, Joseph W., died in 1956. Her grandsons, David and Daniel Cline died in 1963, her sister, Mary Guthier, died in 1993, and her sister, Anna Riedinger, died in 1994.
Calling hours will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home in Mogadore, where wake services will be conducted at 8:30 p.m. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Randolph, with the Rev. Edward Wieczorek officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Randolph.
George Desmett
Former Rootstown resident George Desmett, 46, of Peoria, Ariz. died unexpectedly at his home.
Born June 2, 1951 in Clearfield, Pa., he was the son of George L. and Mildred (Yountz) Desmett. He lived in Rootstown from 1960 to 1970 and graduated from Rootstown High School.
Mr. Desmett served for 22 years in the U.S. Air Force; during two of those years, he served with the Thunderbirds, of which he was a lifetime member. He was also a life member of Ravenna Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1055.
Survivors include his parents, George and Mildred of Rootstown; brother, Gary B. Yountz of Colorado; and sisters, Joan Brewster of Ravenna, Cathryn Wirick of Rootstown and Janice Garrett of Texas. A sister, Lee Ann Quintrell died in 1994.
Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. until the 3 p.m. memorial service today at the Grandview Memorial Park Chapel in Ravenna, with the Rev. H. Les Harmon officiating. Inurnment will follow. Local arrangements were made by Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel.
Waldon A. Berg
Waldon A. Berg, 85, of Ravenna, who owned Reliable Printing and Office Supply in Ravenna for 35 years, died Saturday at his home after three years of failing health.
Born Feb. 9, 1912 in Cleveland, he was the son of Charles and Margaret (Crumloft) Berg. He had lived in Ravenna most of his life.
Mr. Berg won the Middle Weight Golden Gloves Boxing Championship for Ohio in 1934.
He was a member of the Cathedral of Tomorrow for more than 40 years where he had been a trustee and a lay minister, working with the Rev. Rex Humbard. Most recently, he was a member of Portage Community Baptist Church of Ravenna.
Survivors include his wife Mary K. (McKay), to whom he had been married for 59 years; sons, James (Cathy) of Georgia, Gary J. of Ravenna and Roger L. (Meredith) of Kent; daughters, Mrs. Gary (Betty Lou) Marshall of Cuyahoga Falls and Mrs. Craig (Jan) Thornton of Georgia; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and sister Margaret Seifert of Florida. His daughter, Judie,died in 1982. His brothers, Gordon and Wilford, also died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 7 to 9 tonight at Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday with the Rev. Barry Shahan and the Rev. John Seskes officiating. Burial will be in Grandview Memorial Park in Ravenna.
Memorials may be made to Portage Community Baptist Church of Ravenna or Robinson Memorial Hospital Visiting Nurse and Hospice.
Elizabeth E. Schmiel
HIRAM TOWNSHIP - Elizabeth Ellen Schmiel, 70, died Sunday at her home after a brief illness.
Born Dec. 9, 1926 in Rittman, she was the daughter of Atlee and Susie (Cameron) Hostetler. She had been a Hiram resident for more than 30 years.
Mrs. Schmiel was a home health care employee for Loving Care in Deerfield.
She was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Liberty, Ohio.
Survivors include her husband, Robert, whom she married Oct. 30, 1954; sons, David (Juli) of Egg Harbor, Wis., Paul (Katherine) of Queensbury, N.Y., James (Valerie) of Euclid, and Karl (Beth) of Garrettsville; daughters, Mrs. William (Karen) Criblez of Mantua, Mrs. Ron (Nancy) Lemire of Waterford, Mich., Mrs. Earl (Annaliese) Delmarter of Florida and Bethany Schmiel of Garrettsville; and 12 grandchildren. Her brother, Marion, and sister, Charlene, died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Mallory-DeHaven-Carlson Funeral Home in Garrettsville, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, with the Rev. Larry Wiederich officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Hiram.
David Byron Longcoy
David Byron Longcoy, a lifelong area resident who was active in Kent and Streetsboro community affairs, died Sunday at Stow-Glen Retirement Center in Stow. He was 96.
Born Feb. 17, 1901, he was the son of David M. and Mary (Dahl) Longcoy. He was a descendant of an early Kent family.
A 1919 graduate of Kent High School, he worked as a telegrapher on the Erie Railroad in Kent. He also worked for many years at the Longcoy Grocery Store in downtown Kent, which he owned from 1946 until 1951. He was a guard at the Ravenna Arsenal during World War II.
Mr. Longcoy moved to Streetsboro after his marriage to Gladys Ferguson Eldridge and lived there until her death in 1983. He worked for the Ohio Highway Department during the initial phases of the construction of the Ohio Turnpike. In 1995, he moved to Stow-Glen.
In Kent, he was a member of the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce and active in civic affairs. He later was active in the Kent Historical Society, the Pioneer Cemetery and the Kelso House in Brimfield.
While living In Streetsboro, he was a member of City Council, served for a short time as acting mayor, was a member of the Streetsboro Planning Commission and was active in the Streetsboro Area Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Longcoy enjoyed the outdoors and participated in wildlife education projects for the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Many of the evergreens in the Kent area were grown in a nursery in his back yard on East Main Street.
On Sept. 30, 1911, Mr. Longcoy was witness to the original landing in Kent of the airplane Vin Fizz from the rooftop of his house on Hudson Road. On Sept. 24, 1986, a replica of the plan landed on the old Boettler farm north of Kent, and Mr. Longcoy met the pilot and signed his name to the airplane wing.
Survivors include his daughter, Mrs. John (Jean) Jacobs of Suffield and Mrs. John (Mary Lou) Martin of Kent; six grandchildren; five great- grandchildren; sisters, Mrs. M.C. (Beatrice) LaDu of Tavares, Fla.,and Jeanette Good Mack of Kent. His first wife, Zula (Zeppernick), whom he married in 1926, died in 1946. His brother, Edward, died in 1993.
Visitation will take place on hour before services at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the United Methodist Church of Streetsboro. The Rev. Clark Stein will officiate. Burial will be in Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent. Arrangements were made by Bissler & Sons Funeral Home in Kent.
Memorials may be made to the Streetsboro or Kent historical societies or the American Cancer Society.
Isaac Ray Black
Isaac Ray Black, 98, a longtime dairy farmer who lived in Shalersville nearly his entire life, died Sunday at his home.
Born Sept. 24, 1899 in New Martinsville, W.Va., he was the son of Isaac and mary (Haudenschield) Black. His parents moved their family to Shalersville in 1901, when he was 2 years old.
Mr. Black retired from dairying in 1973, but continued to grow crops for another decade before completely retiring.
He served two terms on the Shalersville Board of Education and was active in leadership roles, including singing in the choir and various quartets, at Shalersville Methodist Church, which is now a part of Portage Faith United Methodist Church.
He was a member of Portage Faith United Methodist Church, and a former member of the Portage County Farm Bureau.
Mr. Black and his wife, Verda (Pierce), whom he married in 1920, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1970. She died in 1975.
Survivors include his sons, Robert N. (Sue) of Paris, Tenn. and Gordon (Peg) of Wellington; daughters, Virginia (Frank) Goodell of Mantua, Jeanne Cherry of North Fairfield, and Ruth (Don) Haney of Rootstown; 25 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and Dorothy Black. His son, Paul, died in 1976 and and his son, James, died in 1990.
Calling hours will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel, and from 10 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Portage Faith United Methodist Church, 9922 S.R. 44 in Mantua, with the Rev. Tom Snyder and the Rev. Donald W. Shilling officiating. Burial will be in Hillside Cemetery in Shalersville.
Memorials may be made to Portage Faith United Methodist Church.
Pauline M. Moore
Pauline M. Moore, 76, died Friday at Barberton Citizen's Hospital following a 7-week illness.
Born May 12, 1921 in Mantua, she was the daughter of Fred O. and Ruth E. (Plum) Reed. She was a lifetime Portage County resident.
Mrs. Moore was the secretary for her husband's trucking business in Charlestown for many years.
She was a member of Charlestown United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Herbert; daughter, Tonya (Charles) Dearth-Brucklemyer of Ravenna; six grandchildren; brothers, Richard Reed of Florida, Donald Reed of Ravenna and Ted Reed of Kent; and sister, Marilyn Hardesty of Kent. A sister, Carolyn Mobley, died previously.
There will be no calling hours. Graveside funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Charlestown Cemetery, with the Rev. Clyde Taylor and the Rev. Norma Bates officiating. A memorial service will be held at a later date to be announced. Green's Funeral Home in Mantua is handling arrangements.
Waldon A. Berg
Waldon A. Berg, 85, of Ravenna, died Saturday.
Services will be announced by Wood-Kortright Funeral Home in Ravenna.
Ethelyn Glitter Balducci
Ethelyn Glitter Balducci, 87, of Newton Falls, died Saturday in the St. Joseph Hospital Eastland in Warren.
Born Aug. 2, 1910 in Campbell, Neb., she was the daughter of William and Mary E. (Johnson) Musser. She had lived in Newton Falls area for 58 years
A resident of Newton Falls for 58 years, Mrs. Musser was a homemaker who enjoyed sewing and gardening. She was a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Newton Falls.
Survivors include her husband, Wilbert H. of Newton Falls; sons, Densil McKay of Leavittsburg, Howard McKay of Jane Lee, W.Va; Robert McKay of Newton Falls and Leroy McKay of Warren; daughter, Mary L. Sullivan of Newton Falls; 23 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; and sister, Mrs. Alberta Swaiger of Newton Falls. Her son, Homer McKay, three grandchildren and brothers, Doris Musser, Lenell Musser, Bernard Musser, Carolden Musser and Ancel Johnson, died previously.
Calling hours will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Borowski Funeral Home in Newton Falls where services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Burial will be in Lutheran Cemetery in Newton Falls.
Thelma Watson
Thelma V. Watson, 73, of Middlefield, died Friday at her home of progressive supra nuclear palsy.
Born Oct. 4, 1923 in Maximo, she was the daughter of Clifford Seebaugh and Martha (Oyster) Seebaugh Bryan.
Formerly of Hartville, Mrs. Watson's family owned Watson's Furniture in Middlefield. She and her husband, Jack, also owned J&L Country Store in Middlefield. She enjoyed fishing, sewing and gardening.
Survivors include her husband, Jack, whom she married Oct. 5, 1946; sons, David and Dean, both of Middlefield; daughter, Darlene Kaczmarek of Ravenna; six grandchildren; brother, James Bryan of Alliance; and sisters, Wilda Schuch of Alliance and Kathleen Fierstos of North Canton.
Calling hours will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Russell Funeral Service in Middlefield, where services will be held at 8 p.m. with the Rev. Jack Schierloh officiating. Memorials may be made to the Society for PSP, Suite 5065, John Hopkins Outpatient Center, 601 N. Caroline St., Baltimore, MD.
Clifton Lanham
STREETSBORO - Clifton F. Lanham, 59, died Friday at his home after a long illness.
Born May 3, 1938 in Mammoth, W.Va., he was the son of Clifton F. and Sylvia (Pauley) Lanham.
A former resident of Newton Falls, Elkview, W.Va. and Aurora, Mr. Lanham worked as a truck driver and was retired from Lester Coggins in Streetsboro. He was a former member of the Aurora Veterans of Foreign Wars and was a U.S. Navy veteran.
Survivors include his sons, Clifton, Gregory and Anthony of Streetsboro; daughter, Michelle Nemes of Newton Falls; seven grandchildren; mother, Sylvia of Mortgomery, W.Va.; brother, Harry of Libson, Iowa; sisters, Sue Barnett of Elkview, W.Va., Dorothy Richmond of Boomer, W.Va., Jean Bess of Cedar Grove, W.Va., Janet Conley of Conneaut, Jetty Clay of Winston-Salem, N.C. and Bonnie Baker of Clendenin, W.Va.
Calling hours will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday at Shorts Funeral Home, Streetsboro chapel, where services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday with the Rev. Jesse Angle officiating. Burial will be in Aurora City Cemetery in Aurora.
Linda Kowacz
STREETSBORO - Linda D. Kowacz, 42, died Wednesday at her home. Police are still investigating her death.
Born Sept. 6, 1954 in Mohawk County, N.Y. , she was the daughter of Donald and Edith (Williams) Hotaling.
Formerly of High Springs, Fla., Mrs. Kowaczz had lived in Streetsboro since 1997. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Daniel D. Sr. of Streetsboro; sons, Daniel D. Jr. and Dwayne A., both of High Springs, Fla.; daughter, Christina Holland of Alachua, Fla.; three grandchildren; father, Donald of North Carolina; mother, Edith of Florida; three brothers and three sisters.
There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be announced later. Green's Funeral Home in Mantua is handling the arrangements.
Angelo Spelman
Angelo Greco Spelman, 86, died Friday at the Portage County Nursing Home.
Born July 12, 1911 in Marseilles, France, he was the son of John "Sam" and Erminie (Mateoli) Greco.
A former resident of Rootstown, Mr. Spelman had lived in Kent since 1991. He retired in 1973 from Goodyear where he had worked as a chemical operator for 30 years. He attended the Grace Baptist Church in Kent.
Survivors include his wife, Ella (Lache), whom he married June 7, 1941; daughters, Mrs. Richard (Sylvia) Fischer of Rootstown, Mrs. Sam (Jeanette) Abell of Kent and Mrs. James (Ruth) LaFollette of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; half-brothers, Tony and Joe Greco of California and half-sister Anne Fox of California. Two brothers and three sisters died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the Wood-Kortright Funeral Home in Ravenna, and at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Grace Baptist Church in Kent. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Grace Baptist Church with the Rev. Bruce Chouinard officiating. Burial will take place at Homeland Cemetery in Rootstown.
E. Aaron Szambecki
E. Aaron Szambecki, 24, of Vermilion, died Thursday.
Born July 1, 1973 in Ravenna, he was the son of A.E. and Diana K. Szambecki of Vermilion.
A former resident of Twin Lakes, Mr. Szambecki was a resident of Vermilion for the past three years.
He was a graduate of Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls and Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., He was the captain of the varsity sailing team at Old Dominion and fulfilled a life-long dream as a U.S. Collegiate all-American College Sailor in 1996. He was a member of the Vermilion Boat Club and had raced with the Junior Sailing Team. He also enjoyed fly fishing, boating and mountain biking.
Survivors include his parents; brother, Lee; sister, Shea; grandfather, E.A. Szambecki of Wichita, Kan.; and grandmother, Teresa Houk of Las Vegas. His paternal grandfather, F. Vivian Szambecki, died in October 1966. His maternal grandfather, Clifford Barton, died previously.
Calling hours will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Riddle Funeral Home, 5345 South St., Vermilion. Prayers will be offered in the funeral home at 9:30 a.m. Monday followed by 10 a.m. services at St. Mary Catholic Church, 731 Exchange St., Vermilion, with the Revs. Steve Blum and Jim King co-officiating. Burial will be in Brownhelm Cemetery in Vermilion. Memorials may be made to the Inter-Lake Yachtsmen's Fund, c/o Harold H. Christenson, 20391 Westover Ave., Rocky River, 44116, or Walsh Jesuit High School, 4550 Wyoga Lake Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 44264 or Varsity Sailing, c/o Intercollegiate Foundation, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va., 23529.
Paul Beebe Jr.
Paul Beebe Jr., 78, of Cuyahoga Falls, died July 28.
He was born in Akron and was a graduate of Albion College and a member of the Sigma Phi Fraternity.
Mr. Beebe retired from the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. as a plant manager with 43 years of service. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Cuyahoga Falls.
He is survived by his wife, Ann: sons, James (Joanne) Beebe of Brimfield and Douglas Beebe of Los Angeles; daughter, Mrs. Ron Hosenfield (Betsy Beebe) of Sunbury; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Services were held Aug. 2 at First United Methodist Church of Cuyahoga Falls, with the Rev. Paul Beal officiating. Burial was at Northampton Cemetery. Billows Funeral Home, Cuyahoga Falls chapel, made arrangements.
Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church Gifts and Memorials Fund, 245 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls, 44221 or the American Heart Association, 1236 Weathervane Lane, 300C, Akron 44302.
Takako Bernardine
Takako (Jeanie) Bernardine, a former Ravenna resident, died Aug. 11.
Mrs. Bernardine moved from Ravenna to California in 1975.
She and her husband and his parents owned and operated F & J Coffee Shop and F & J Cab Company in Ravenna.
Survivors include her sister, Kay Kiellor of Dayton and two brothers and sisters who live in Japan. Her husband, Larry, died previously.
Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 21 in Bloomington, Calif.
George L. Desmett
George L. Desmett, 46, of Peoria, Ariz. died unexpectedly at his home. Local services will be announced by the Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel.
