Kent County, Delaware Obituary Collection (Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in Kent County, Delaware.
Many obituaries from Camden, Dover, Smyrna, and surrounding area.
FAIRTON, N.J. - T. Irene Ridgeway of Fairton died, after a lengthy illness, Thursday, Jan. 14, 1998, in South Jersey Hospital System-Bridgeton. She was 65.
Mrs. Ridgeway was born in Smyrna, Del., the daughter of the late Preston Lee Crow Clark Sammons and Nellie Carney Sammons.
She had lived in Fairfield Township for 49 years.
Mrs. Ridgeway was a licensed practical nurse and, prior to retiring seven years ago, she had been employed at Bridgeton Hospital for more than 30 years. She also had practiced private-duty nursing in the Bridgeton area for several families.
She was a member of Colonial Riders Motorcycle and Camping Club and of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Indians. She attended Fairfield Presbyterian Church and, several years ago, had sung on WSNJ Radio on Sundays. She was an avid traveler.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Preston Sammons, and a sister, Betty White.
She is survived by her husband, Norman F. Ridgeway Sr.; a son, Norman F. Ridgeway Jr. of Smithville; three daughters, Irene E. MacMahan of Stow Creek Township, Norma L. Seeney of Hartly, Del., and Dawn M. Hughes of Rosenhayn; three brothers, William Sammons of New York, Benjamin Morgan of Houston and Jerold Morgan of Baltimore; three sisters, Della Lockman of Hopewell Township, Mary Jane Harris of Greenwich and Joanne Boulay of Worcester, Mass.; six grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; and a host of nephews and nieces.
Service will be 1 p.m. Monday at Fairfield Presbyterian Church, Main Street, Fairton, with the Rev. Michael Schuelke officiating.
Friends may call from 7-9 p.m. Sunday at the Padgett Funeral Home, Carll's Corner, Bridgeton; and at the church one hour prior to the service.
Burial will be in the family mausoleum in Fernwood Memorial Park, Hopewell Township.
Russell R. Rushton, 73
CHESTERTOWN, Md. - Russell R. Rushton of Chestertown died Thursday, Jan. 14, 1999, in Perry Point Veterans Hospital. He was 73.
Mr. Rushton was born Jan. 5, 1926, in El Paso, Texas, the son of the late Russell R. and Iva Keener Rushton.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943-1946, including time on board the USS Kwajalein in the South Pacific, and was honorably discharged as an ensign.
Following his naval service, Mr. Rushton enrolled in the University of Delaware and graduated with the Class of 1950 with a B.S. in accounting. He then attended Pennsylvania State University, and graduated in 1952 with a master's degree in accounting.
In 1955, he married Jean Russell.
Mr. Rushton went to work with DuPont in Wilmington, Del., and worked there for 15 years as an accountant. He then worked for Memorial Hospital at Easton as comptroller for a year, before beginning his career as director of auditing for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. He retired in 1983.
In 1981, he remarried to Patricia Anne McComb.
Mr. Rushton was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
He enjoyed coaching Little League baseball, operating on amateur radio, flying and playing chess. He also was an avid gardener.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a stepson, Mark Sterling.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by three sons, Russell H. Rushton of Gaithersburg, Brett M. Rushton of Silver Spring and Thomas E. Rushton of Derry, N.H.; a stepson, Jeffery T. Sterling of Towson; three stepdaughters, Barbara A. Jobin of Nunica, Mich., Catherine S. Brown of Ashburn, Va., and Patricia J. Erbse of Richmond, Ind.; a stepsister, Margaret Masters of Southington, Ohio; five grandchildren; and six stepgrandchildren.
Funeral liturgy will be 11 a.m. Monday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Chestertown.
Family and friends may call from 7-9 p.m. Sunday at Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, 130 Speer Road, Chestertown.
Burial will be private in Arlington National Cemetery.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Huntington's Society of America, 158 W. 29th St., New York, NY 10001.
Hertha L. Whitney, 92
DOVER - Hertha L. Whitney of Dover, and formerly of Wisconsin, died Friday, Jan. 15, 1999, in her home. She was 92.
Mrs. Whitney was born July 6, 1906, in Birnamwood, Wis., the daughter of the late Herman and Minnie Leider.
She had worked as a machine operator at various factories, the last being the former Tiny Tot Manufacturing of Merrill, Wis.
Mrs. Whitney was a member of St. Stephen's United Church of Christ, Merrill.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Whitney.
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Robert and Marion Koenig of Bull Shoals, Ark.; two daughters and a son-in-law; Nell Weinke of Dover and Audrey Ann and William Parent of Port Charlotte, Fla.; a brother, Herman Leider of Whittenberg, Wis.; nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Service will be in Merrill.
Local arrangements by Torbert Funeral Chapel, Dover.
Eliza 'Lib' Wilson, 80
WYOMING - Eliza 'Lib' Wilson of Wyoming died of natural causes Thursday, Jan. 14, 1999, in her home. She was 80.
Mrs. Wilson was born Jan. 8, 1919, in Baldwin, Ala., the daughter of the late John and Mary Nisley Schrock.
She was employed by Richardson & Robbins (now Underwood), formerly of Dover, and had formerly worked for Cooklin Milk Plant in Goldsboro, Md., until they closed.
She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Earl F. Wilson Jr.; a daughter, Gertrude Virginia Corkell of Canterbury; a stepdaughter, Mari Anne Jones of Magnolia; a sister, Millie Stewart of Alabama; two grandchildren, Nancy Jean Daniels of Clayton and Cathy Sue Rosetta of Dover; six great-grandchildren; onegreat-great-grandchild; a nephew, John Schrock of Pearsons Corner; and several other nephews and nieces.
Service will be 2 p.m. Monday at the Fleegle & Helfenbein Funeral Home P.A., 106 W. Sunset Ave., Greensboro, Md., where friends may call from 7-9 p.m. Sunday.
Burial will be in Greensboro Cemetery, Greensboro.
The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Delaware Hospice Foundation, Kent County Office, Lotus Plaza, 911 S. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 1990.
Jessie Marie Coleman, 51
DOVER - Jessie Marie Coleman of Dover died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, in her home. She was 51.
Mrs. Coleman was born Aug. 27, 1947, in Bedford, Va., the daughter of the late Theodore and Cora Turner.
She had worked in the Dover Air Force Base commissary.
Mrs. Coleman was a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church, Bedford.
Her hobbies included fishing, shopping, gardening and spending joyous free time with her grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband of 32 years, Bernard Coleman of Dover; a son, Bernard Calvin Coleman of San Clemente, Calif.; a daughter, Rhonda Yvette Coleman of Dover; six brothers, Curtis Turner of Evington, Va., Jack Turner of Leesburg, Fla., Onnie Turner of Evington, Robert Turner and Rufus Turner, both of Hampton, Va., and George Turner of Huddleston, Va.; three sisters, Rachye Bobbins of Cherry Hill, N.J., and Laura Alexander and Mamie Lee, both of Huddleston, Va.; and two grandchildren, Djavan Coleman of San Clemente and Malik Coleman-Hayes of Dover.
Memorial service will be 1 p.m. Sunday at Shiloh Baptist Church, Bedford.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to Delaware Hospice, Central Division, 911 S. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
Arrangements by Torbert Funeral Chapel, Dover.
Carolyn Isabel Coursey, 98
SEAFORD - Carolyn Isabel Coursey of Seaford died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1999, in Methodist Manor Nursing Home, Seaford. She was 98.
Ms. Coursey was born on April 6, 1900, in Fords Store (now Grasonville), Md., the daughter of the late Charles O. and Alice Rhodes Coursey.
She graduated from Stevensville High School and began a career teaching in the Queen Anne's County school system. She began teaching at the Grasonville Elementary School, spending her entire career there, and retired as the principal of the school in the late 1950s.
She is survived by many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces, great-great-nephews, great-great-great-nieces and great-great-great-nephews.
Service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at the Immanuel United Methodist Church in Grasonville, Md., where friends may call two hours prior to the service.
Burial will be in Chesterfield Cemetery, Centreville.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to Hospice of Queen Anne's Inc., 300 Del Rhodes Ave., Queenstown, MD 21658.
Arrangements by Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, Chester.
Joshua M. 'Skeets' Elliott, 92
TEQUESTA, Fla. - Joshua M. 'Skeets' Elliott of Tequesta, originally of Laurel, Del., died Thursday, Jan. 14, 1999, in Hospice of Palm Beach. He was 92.
Mr. Elliott had lived in Tequesta for three years, moving from Jupiter Inlet Colony, where he lived from 1958 until 1995.
He was a member of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Tequesta.
He is survived by his wife, Marjorie W. Elliott of Tequesta; a son, Kent M. Elliott of Jacksonville Beach; a daughter, Lynne E. Monteith of Rehoboth Beach, Del.; six grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held noon Saturday at Taylor & Modeen Funeral Home in Jupiter.
Burial will be in Riverside Memorial Park, Jupiter.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society, Tequesta branch office, or the Church of the Good Shepherd, 400 Seabrook Road, Tequesta, FL 33469.
Lilly Owings Ferguson, 101
CECILTON, Md. - Lilly Owings Ferguson of Cecilton died of heart failure Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1999, in Union Hospital, Elkton. She was 101.
Miss Ferguson was born in Cecilton, the daughter of the late Thomas Alibone Roberts Ferguson and Emma (Myerly) Ferguson.
She attended Cecil County public schools. She graduated from the University of Delaware, where she received her degree in education. She embarked on a teaching career and worked for the Kent County Board of Education. She taught at Galena High School for many years.
Miss Ferguson loved to travel with her family, and when not traveling abroad, she enjoyed just getting in the car and taking day trips. She also enjoyed reading and particularly reading about history.
She was very active in St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Earleville. She served on many different boards and was also the church historian.
Miss Ferguson was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Retired Teachers Association.
She is survived by several nephews, nieces, and a grandnephew and a grandniece.
Service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Earleville.
Friends may call 6-8 p.m. today at the Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, 226 E. Main Street, Cecilton.
Burial will be private.
Lambert Grant Foulk, 81
SEAFORD - Lambert Grant Foulk of Seaford died of heart failure Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, in Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, Seaford. He was 81.
Mr. Foulk was born in Wilmington, the son of the late Henry Mahaffy and Anna Miriam Grant Foulk.
He taught horticulture at Kent Vocational & Technical School, Dover, for 15 years, retiring in 1982.
Mr. Foulk owned and operated Foulk's Flowers from 1950 to 1970 in Seaford.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Edith Virginia Solomon Foulk, in 1995; and by a grandson in 1988.
He is survived by three daughters, Patricia F. Droney of Millville, Lisa F. Ellis of Alexandria, Va., and Kathleen F. Crouch of Smyrna; a brother, Donald H. Foulk of Melbourne, Fla.; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandsons.
Memorial service will 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Front Street, Seaford. The Rev. Jeanne W. Kirby will officiate.
Burial will be private.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to St. Luke's Episcopal Church Memorial Fund, Front and North streets, Seaford, DE 19973.
Arrangements by Watson-Yates Funeral Home Inc., Seaford.
Robert C. Godwin, 83
MILLSBORO - Robert C. Godwin of Riverdale, near Millsboro, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, in Milford Memorial Hospital, Milford. He was 83.
Mr. Godwin was born in Chester, Pa.
He was a boiler supervisor at Townsends Inc., Millsboro, retiring in 1998 after 28 years.
Mr. Godwin was a member of First Baptist Church, Seaford.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Winifred Godwin, in 1976; and by his daughter, Patricia Cornell, in March 1998.
He is survived by five grandchildren.
Service will be 3 p.m. Sunday at the Watson Funeral Home, 211 Washington St., Millsboro, where friends may call two hours before the service. The Rev. John Hancock, pastor, will officiate.
