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.
HARRINGTON - Samuel J. Bradley of Harrington died Sunday, Dec. 27, 1998, in Bayhealth Medical Center-Milford Memorial Hospital. He was 62.
Mr. Bradley was born in Andrewsville, the son of the late Arley and Sara Bradley.
He worked for 30 years for the Delaware Department of Transportation, Division of Highways, as an equipment operator and laborer.
Mr. Bradley was a former member of the Fox Hunters Club of Vernon. He enjoyed watching baseball and football games.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth Ann McCafferty Bradley of Harrington; two sons, Thomas Arley Bradley of Greensboro, Md., and Bruce Bradley of Harrington; two daughters, Beverly Dyott and Lori Ann Bradley, both of Greensboro; a stepson, George Richards of Harrington; a stepdaughter, Aimee McCafferty of Harrington; and three grandchildren.
Service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Melvin Funeral Home, 15522 S. DuPont Highway, Harrington, where friends may call one hour prior to the service.
Burial will be in Hollywood Cemetery, Harrington.
Irving E. Culver, 78
CLAYTON - Irving E. Culver of Clayton died Monday, Dec. 28, 1998, in Kent General Hospital, Dover. He was 78.
Mr. Culver was born Nov. 6, 1920, in Laurel, son of the late Claude and Florence Culver.
He was a U.S. Army Veteran of World War II.
He worked as a delivery person from 1950-1971 for Frear Dairy. He worked in the parts department for Willis Chevrolet in Smyrna from 1971-1991, retiring in 1991.
Mr. Culver was a member of the Ewell's St. Paul Methodist Church in Clayton and a member of the AARP.
He is survived by his wife of over 56 years, Marian Culver of Clayton; a son, Irving L. Culver of Hartly; two daughters, Katherine Louise Gillen and Shirley Ann Arthur, both of Dover; a brother, Marshall William Culver of Dover; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Service will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Torbert Funeral Chapel, 61 S. Bradford St., Dover, where friends may call 7-9 p.m. today.
Burial will be in Sharon Hills Memorial Park, Dover.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Ewell's St. Paul Methodist Church, P.O. Box 266, Clayton, DE 19938.
Mary 'Maggie' Curtis, 71
SALISBURY, Md. - Mary 'Maggie' Curtis of Salisbury died Saturday, Dec. 26, 1998, in Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Salisbury. She was 71.
Mrs. Curtis was born Feb. 18, 1927, in Salisbury, the daughter of the late Noah and Vessie Ellis.
She was educated in the public schools of Wicomico County.
She worked in Wicomico County.
Mrs. Curtis will be remembered for all the love and shelter she gave to many children and for having a strong, but loving, voice that brought comfort to many.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Norwood Curtis Sr.
She is survived by her loyal companion of many years, Marcellus Roxbury; three sons, Norwood Curtis Jr., Marion Curtis and Gerald Curtis, all of Salisbury; two daughters, Mary Jean Everett and Carolyn Curtis, both of Salisbury, and Regina Curtis of Washington, D.C.; a sister-in-law, Evelyn Collins of Salisbury; two brothers, Marion Collins of Salisbury and Jake Collins of Philadelphia; a sister, Flora Mae Savage of Salisbury; 10 grandchildren, including Sheila Gattis and Nora Curtis, whom she raised as her own; six great-grandchildren; several nieces; and a host of cousins and friends.
Service will be 11 a.m. today at the Family Worship Center in Salisbury, where friends may call two hours prior to the service.
Burial will be in Green Acres Memorial Park, Salisbury.
Arrangements by Bennie Smith Funeral Home, Salisbury.
Sally L. Dixon-Devito, 54
WILMINGTON - Sally L. Dixon-Devito of Wilmington died Saturday, Dec. 26, 1998, in St. Francis Hospital, Wilmington. She was 54.
Ms. Dixon was born Aug. 24, 1944, the daughter of the late Lydia Lily Tharpe.
She was a homemaker.
She is survived by a son, Robert West Jr. of Newark; a daughter, Sally Boulanger of Newark; two grandchildren; and her aunt, Mazie Durham of Mount Pleasant.
Service will be 1 p.m. Thursday at the Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home, 212 N. Broad St., Middletown, where friends may call one hour prior to the service.
Burial will be in Hickory Grove Cemetery, Port Penn Road, St. Georges.
Daniels & Hutchinson Funeral Home is accepting memorial contributions on behalf of the family.
Eleanor Ann Dunham, 78
DOVER - Eleanor Ann Dunham of Dover died Tuesday, Dec. 29, 1998, in her home. She was 78.
Ms. Dunham was born Aug. 9, 1920, in Whitney Point, N.Y.
She was retired from the Rosecroft Raceway, where she worked as a receptionist/secretary.
She was a member of the Cheswold United Methodist Church.
She is survived by a son, Arby Dunham of Fayetteville, N.Y.; a daughter-in-law, Marguerite Dunham of Fayetteville; a sister, Harriett Peterson of Cortland, N.Y.; a granddaughter, Allison Dunham of Fayetteville; and a dear friend, Earl Ulrich of Dover.
A private memorial service will be held at the convenience of the family.
Arrangements by Torbert Funeral Chapel, Dover.
John R. Eddingfield, 41
HOUSTON - John R. Eddingfield of Houston died Friday, Dec. 25, 1998, in his home. He was 41.
Mr. Eddingfield was born in Wilmington, the son of the late Catherine Cortese and Roy R. Eddingfield.
He worked in the mailroom of the Dover Post.
Mr. Eddingfiled enjoyed camping and NASCAR racing.
He is survived by a brother, George Eddingfield of Wilmington; three sisters, Mary Ellen White of North Carolina, Patricia Iorii of Wilmington and Alice K. Mills of Dover; and three special friends, whom he lived with, Mike Edwards, Bobbie Jean Wright and Margaret Wright, all of Houston.
Service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Trader Funeral Home, 12 Lotus St., Dover, where friends may call one hour prior to the service.
Burial will be in Odd Fellows Cemetery, Camden.
Memorial contributions may be made to: Delaware Hospice, 911 S. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
Jacob H. Geisinger, 83
LONG NECK - Jacob H. Geisinger of Long Neck died Monday in Bayhealth Medical Center-Milford Memorial Hospital, Milford. He was 83.
Mr. Geisinger was born in Limerick Township, Pa., a son of the late Horace Geisinger and Jane (Ziegler) Geisinger.
He had resided in the Long Neck area for the past 15 years.
Mr. Geisinger was a member of the Community Church of Oak Orchard and of the Promise Keepers' Association.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Mary (Turner) Geisginer.
He is survived by a daughter, Judy Rick of Pottstown, Pa.; a stepson, William D. Turner, and Mr. Turner's wife, Lucille Turner, both of Long Neck; a stepdaughter, Charlotte Benjamin of Long Neck; two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and several stepgrandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.
Service will be 12:30 p.m. Monday at the Campbell-Ennis-Klotzbach Funeral Home Inc., 610 Main St., Phoenixville, Pa., where friends may call one hour prior to the service.
Burial will be in the Valley Forge Memorial Gardens, King of Prussia, Pa.
Ret. Lt. Col. Charles Wallace 'Bill' Woodard, 90
LEWES - Retired Lt. Col. Charles Wallace 'Bill' Woodard, U.S. Army Reserve, died Monday, Dec. 28, 1998, in Harbor Health Care and Rehabilitation Center. He was 90.
Col. Woodard was born Nov. 5, 1908, in Salt Lake City, the son of the late James Elijah and Fannie Mae Taylor Woodard. His grandparents were 'Mormon' pioneers during the period 1847-1849.
He attended Wasatch Elemetary School East and L.D.S. High School, and graduated from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, in 1932 with a B.S. in business administration. In college, he played basketball and tennis, and was captain of the tennis team in 1932.
Col. Woodard went to Washington, D.C., in 1935 to work for the federal government's chief of accounts in the Treasury Department. Next, he worked for the Department of the Interior as a field auditor with the Grazing Service, traveling over the western United States.
In November 1941, he was called to military active duty, already holding a reserve commission as an Army second lieutenant. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, he was sent to Camp Lee (now Fort Lee), Petersburg, Va., with troops to guard the city's utilities and bridges. Within a few weeks, he was relieved of duty by a colonel and sent back to Washington. From there, he was sent to Duke University, Durham, N.C., for finance school. Out of a class of 75, only 14 graduated; he was one of them.
Col. Woodard was made the paymaster at Boling Field; at that time, he paid the troops in cash. From there, he was sent to Texas as the field finance officer; while there, he received orders to report to the Pentagon. He worked at the Pentagon through 1946, after which, he kept his officer's commission and remained in the Army Reserve through Dec. 30, 1966.
He went back to civilian work for the federal government at Public Health, in the National Institutes of Health. He retired from the Department of Labor Dec. 31, 1966. For a short time thereafter, he had some part-time jobs.
Col. Woodard came to the Rehoboth Beach-Lewes area in his Airstream travel trailer and said, 'This is where I want to live - go fishing when I want to, have a garden and travel.' He enjoyed all, especially his garden, with the neighborhood children, and later, with his grandson, playing ball with them and having popcorn parties. He was affectionately referred to as 'the Colonel' and 'Oh! My achin' back!'
He traveled all over the United States, and went on trips to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Mexico, Antigua, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and spent winters in Florida.
Col. Woodard was a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, Chapter 1690; the American Association of Retired Persons, Chapter 3543; the Lewes Senior Center; the Cape Henlopen Senior Center; the Delaware Mobile Surf Fisherman Association; the Retired Officers Association; and the Elks Lodge in Lewes.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by four sisters, Isabelle Walcott, Margaret Golding, Hattie Peterson and Eva Morgan.
He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Ilean S. Meibaum Woodard; a son, Charles W. Woodard Jr. of Riverdale, Md.; two daughters, Sandra Campbell of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., and Susan Compton-Maddox of Darnestown, Md.; a stepdaughter, Priscilla 'Pam' Meibaum of Seaford; a grandson, Michael Meibaum of Seaford; and a granddaughter, Sandra Schmuhl of Darnestown.
Service will be 2 p.m. Thursday in Atkins-Lodge Chapel of Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, 1449 Kings Highway, Lewes, with the Rev. Charles Moyer, pastor of Bethel United Methodist Church, officiating.
Friends may call at the chapel one hour before the service.
Burial will be 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, 1999, in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., with full military honors.
The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Bethel United Methodist Church, 129 W. Fourth St., Lewes, DE 19958; or to Delaware Hospice, Southern Division, 600 N. DuPont Highway, Georgetown, DE 19947.
Ella S. Butcher, 86
DOVER - Ella S. Butcher of Smyrna died Monday, Dec. 28, 1998, in Silver Lake Center of Genesis ElderCare, Dover. She awas 86.
Ms. Butcher was born July 20, 1912, the daughter of the late William and Irene Sullivan.
She worked as a factory worker.
Ms. Butcher was a member of the Bethel A.M.E. Church, Smyrna. She was Mother of the Church and a member of the church usher board.
She is survived by a son, Norman Watson Jr. of Clayton; a daughter, Elaine Tate Garry of Gary, Ind.; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Service will be 12 noon Saturday at the Bethel A.M.E. Church, Smyrna, where friends may call two hours prior to the service. The Rev. Walter Dixon will officiate.
Burial will be in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, Smyrna.
Arrangements by Minus Funeral Home, Dover.
Peggy Juanita Wilson Blake, 60
WORTON, Md. - Peggy Juanita Wilson Blake of Worton died Sunday, Dec. 27, 1998, in Kent & Queen Ann's Hospital, Chestertown. She was 60.
Mrs. Blake was born Dec. 23, 1938, in Butlertown,the daughter of the late James and Mable Wilson.
After her mother's untimely death, she was raised by an aunt, the late Harriett L. Hynson of Worton Point.
She was a graduate of the Henry Highland Garnett High School and the Chesapeake College, School of Nursing Assistant.
She was a licensed lay speaker by the Peninsula Delaware Conference at St. George's United Methodist Church, where she served faithfully in almost every capacity. She was a member of the New Gospelites, the United Methodist Women, the Kent County Arts Council and the Mass Choir of Still Pond Coleman Charge.
Mrs. Blake was preceded in death by her son, Gary L. Hynson.
She is survived by her husband, Horace Blake; a daughter, Carla Louise Hynson of Baltimore; a stepson, Leon C. Hynson of New Castle, Del.; a stepdaughter-in-law, Janette Hynson of New Castle; two sisters, Evelyn Seth of Butlertown and Irene Moore of Georgetown; three brothers, William Wilson of East Orange, N.J., Oscar Wilson of Boston, Mass., and Philip Wilson of Las Vegas, Nev.; two brothers-in-law, Hammond Seth and Robert Moore of Maryland; two grandchildren, Tony and Janai Hynson of New Castle; a newly adopted special son, Minister Ryan Brown; and a host of nephews, nieces, great-nephews and great-nieces, other family and friends.
Service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at St. George's U.M. Church, Worton, where friends may call two hours prior to the service. The Rev. Barbara Loper-Johnson will officiate.
Burial will be in St. George's Church Cemetery, Worton.
Arrangements by Bennie Smith Funeral Home, Butlerstown.
