Delaware Obituary Collection
(Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in Delaware [with many Maryland obits that are associated with Delaware]).
Many obituaries from Dover and Rehoboth Beach.
Graveside services for Norman Earl Searls, 81, of Dover, were held Saturday, Dec. 1, in Asbury Cemetery, Georgetown, with the Rev. Rod Dufour officiating.
Mr. Searls, formerly of Laurel, died of heart failure on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001 in Westminster Village Health Center, Dover.
Mr. Searls was born in Macksville, Kan., the son of the late Barney Earl and Mary Elizabeth Harness Searls.
He was a machinist for the DuPont Company in Seaford for 30 years, retiring in 1975.
Mr. Searls was a member of the First Baptist Church in Seaford and the Order of Odd Fellows in Laurel.
He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, James R. and Venus Searls of Lincoln; and four grandchildren, Magen Searls, Beau Searls, Robin Barr and Jerry Barr.
Jerry ‘T.C.’ Davis
Jerry “T.C.” Davis, 53, of Dover, died Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2001.
Mr. Davis was a devoted father to his only child, Lashawna Monique Davis, and a loving brother, uncle, nephew and cousin.
During his stay in Delaware, he served as a linesman for the city of Milford and was employed by Wyoming Concrete Company in Wyoming.
Burial was in his hometown of Andalusia, Alabama.
Mary Elizabeth Wells
A Mass of Christian Burial for Mary Elizabeth Wells, 82, of Marydel, Md., was held Monday, Dec. 3, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Marydel. Mrs. Wells died of natural causes Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001 in her home.
Mrs. Wells was born in 1919 in Buffalo, N.Y., the daughter of the late Anthony and Bertha Karwel Wawrzynisk.
She worked for Bethlehem Steel for 15 years. Later, she owned and operated a grocery store in Aberdeen for 20 years. She moved to Marydel from Bel Air in 1971.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Wells, in 1979.
Mrs. Wells is survived by two sons, Arthur A. Wells of Ellicott City and Robert L. Wells of Swansea, S.C.; a daughter, Virginia Sluder of Marydel; two sisters, Dorothy Brown of Port Royal, S.C., and Wanda Moore of Edgewood; two brothers, Bernard Wawrzynisk of New Jersey and Stanley Wise of Baltimore; and six grandchildren.
Arrangements were by Fleegle & Helfenbein Funeral Home, P.A., Greensboro, Md.
Burial was in Meadowridge Memorial Park, Elkridge, Md.
Elwood R. Epler
Graveside services for Elwood R. Epler, 89, of Camden-Wyoming, were held Tuesday, Dec. 4, in Forest Hills Memorial Park, West Neversink Road, Reiffton, Reading, Pa.
Mr. Epler, formerly of Reading, Pa., died Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2001 in Capitol Health Care Services in Dover.
Mr. Epler was born in 1912 in Mohnton, Pa., the son of Raymond and Lula Burkhart Epler.
He is survived by his wife, Miriam Epler of Camden-Wyoming; a son and daughter-in-law, Forrest and Barbara Epler of Wyoming; and two granddaughters, Elizabeth Bossard of Lansdale, Pa., and Jennifer Schaeffer of Wilmington.
Arrangements were by Trader Funeral Home, Dover.
Rexford Lon Benefield Jr.
A funeral service for Rexford Benefield Jr., 76, of Wildwood, Fla., was held at Banks-Page and Theus Funeral Home in Wildwood, Fla., Monday, Nov. 26. Mr. Benefield, formerly of Townsend, died Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001 in Florida.
Mr. Benefield was born in Dunnell, Fla., and moved to Wildwood, Fla., in 1974.
He was a retired roofer, a Baptist, and a veteran of World War II.
Mr. Benefield is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Dorothy Jean and John “Jack” Severson of Wildwood, Fla., formerly of Townsend; two sisters, Doris Jean Braun of Bellview, Fla., and Roxie Price of Ocklawaha, Fla.; five grandchildren, James Hall and Albert Gordy III, both of Clayton, John Hall of Marydel, Md., Judy Hall of Smyrna, and Crystal Dixon of Kenton; and 13 great- grandchildren.
Alice B. Morris McNeal
A funeral service for Alice B. Morris McNeal, 82, Dover, was held Saturday, Dec. 1, at Bennie Smith Funeral Home Chapel in Dover. Ms. McNeal died Thursday, Nov. 22, 2001 in Kent General Hospital, Dover.
Ms. McNeal was born in 1919 in Cheswold, daughter of the late Walter and Anna Morris.
She received her education at Fort Branch Elementary School in Dover and attended Delaware State College High School, now Delaware State University.
Ms. McNeal is survived by a daughter, Clementine Dixon; three grandsons, Harry Jr., Harold and Darryl Dixon, all of Dover; a granddaughter, Michele L. Dixon of Dover; three great-granddaughters, April L. Dixon of Dover, Pam Holmes of Wilmington and Cherie Dixon of Maryland; a great-grandson, Maurice Dixon of Decatur, Ga.; a brother, Nelson Morris of Philadelphia; and a host of cousins, nephews, nieces and friends.
A funeral service for M. Foskey Boyd, 75, of Camden, was held Sunday, Dec. 2, at Torbert Funeral Chapel South, Dover. Mr. Boyd died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001 in Capitol Health Care Services, Dover.
Mr. Boyd was born in 1926 in Camden, the son of the late William and Katie Boyd.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II in the 6th Ranger Battalion and served in Japan as a guard on a mail train that visited Hiroshima on a daily basis.
Mr. Boyd retired in 1988 after more than 30 years of owning and operating his own business, Boyd’s Garage in Camden.
He enjoyed fishing in the Delaware Bay.
Mr. Boyd was a former member of the Harrington Moose; a member of the Camden/Wyoming Moose 203; the Veterans of Foreign Wars Mason Dixon Post 7234, Ocean View; the Disabled American Veterans; and the Modern Maturity Center in Dover. He was a life member of the Camden-Wyoming Fire Co.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret, in 1992.
Mr. Boyd is survived by two sons; Kenneth Boyd and wife, Janet, and Glenn Boyd, all of Camden; a brother, William Boyd of Dover; a sister, M. Kathryn Willey of Camden; his devoted companion and best friend, Bootsie Elliott; two grandsons; a great-grandson; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service for Donald F. Moulton, 69, of Hartly, was held Tuesday, Dec. 4, at Pippin Funeral Home, Wyoming, with the Rev. Judy Zingaro officiating. Mr. Moulton died of a heart attack Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2001 in Kent General Hospital, Dover.
Mr. Moulton was born in 1932 in Wilmington and graduated from Conrad High School.
Mr. Moulton served in the U.S. Air Force and was a veteran of the Korean War.
He was retired from the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, where he had worked as a shipping clerk. He owned and operated Moulton Tree Farm for 28 years. He had also worked as an auditor for Delaware Park.
In recent years, he had begun researching his Native American ancestry and loved to collect art and literature pertaining to the culture.
Mr. Moulton was a past member of the Wilmington and Hartly Lions clubs and a member of the Delaware Christmas Tree Growers Association.
He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Constance V. Moulton; a daughter and son-in-law, Dorothy “Mona” Kinnel and Michael Kinnel of Hartly; a granddaughter, Christina Marie “Tina” Ward, and her husband, John Ward of Newark; a grandson, Philip “P.J.” Kinnel of Hartly; a close aunt, Margarete Wilson of Newark; four cousins, George and Johanna Masten of Hartly, and Richard and Patti Masten of Newark; and his trusting sheltie companion, Christy.
Burial services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, in Sharon Hills Memorial Park, Dover.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests contributions to: the Diabetes Association, 110 S. French Ave., Wilmington, DE 19801; or to the American Heart Association of Kent County, P.O. Box 1977, Dover, DE 19903-1977.
Col. Harry Melvin Odren
A funeral service for retired U.S. Air Force Col. Harry Melvin Odren, 84, of Dover, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at Torbert Funeral Chapel, 61 S. Bradford St., Dover, where friends may call at 10 a.m.
Col. Odren died of heart failure Sunday, Dec. 2, 2001 in Kent General Hospital, Dover.
Col. Odren was born in Oct. 7, 1917 at Dunn Center, N.D.
He was a graduate of the University of Philippines and studied in forestry school in North Dakota for two years.
Col. Odren enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941. As a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot during World War II, he flew more than 165 combat missions as a member of the 58th Fighter Group in the Pacific Theater.
During the war, he became squadron commander of the 311th Fighter Squadron.
On the night of Dec. 26, 1944, in Mindoro, Philippines, he led his squadron of P-47s against an attacking naval task force. His courageous leadership that night earned him a Silver Star.
During the Korean War, he served as a staff officer to the United Nations Command Armistice Delegation.
During his 30 years in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, Col. Odren served in Vietnam, Australia, Korea, Japan, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Illinois and a variety of South Pacific Islands.
His last assignment was as the base commander, 436 Air Base Group, at Dover Air Force Base from March 24, 1967 until his retirement on May 31, 1971.
Upon Col. Odren’s retirement from the Air Force, he and his family settled in Smyrna, where he served as the town manager for 13 years, retiring in 1984.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Lorene C. Odren; and by his brother, Grover Odren.
Col. Odren is survived by his wife, Bernice Messner Odren of Dover; two sons, Mark H. Odren of Landenberg, Pa., and Alex S. Odren of Wilmington; two daughters, Harriet L. Knott of Fallbrook, Calif., and Lynn L. Odren of Newark; two brothers, Roy Odren and Vernon Odren, both of Washington state; five sisters, Edith Remsing and Mildred Remsing Moore, both of Washington state, Thelma Radoush of Minnesota, Maryann Peterson of Colorado, and Beryl Dinkins of North Dakota; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., on Jan. 10. 2002.
Instead of flowers the family suggests contributions to: The Air Force Aid Society, Suite 202, 1745 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202.
Sean David Savage
A funeral service for Sean David Savage, 18, of Dover, will be held at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 237 W. Lebanon Road, Dover. Mr. Savage died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2001 at home.
Mr. Savage was born in 1983 in Huntington, W.Va., the son of Jeff Mark Savage and Cindy Buck Savage of Dover. He moved to Dover with his family in 1992.
Mr. Savage had recently attended Polytech adult education classes in Woodside and had previously attended Caesar Rodney High School in Camden. While at Caesar Rodney, he was a member of the Future Farmers of America and had played on the freshman football team and the J.V. lacrosse team.
He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He was an avid fisherman and hunter.
Mr. Savage was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, George D. Savage and Janice G. Savage.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by a sister, Janice Marie Savage of Statesboro, Ga.; his maternal grandparents, Bennie and Barbara Buck of New Lexington, Ohio; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Burial will be held at a later date in Nicholas Cemetery in Load, Ky.
Friends and family of Mr. Savage are invited to the reception following the funeral service Wednesday in the church’s Cultural Hall.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests contributions to: the Epilepsy Foundation of Delaware, 61 Corporate Circle, New Castle Corporate Commons, New Castle, DE 19720-2405.
