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.
Ellen W. Gohn, 85, of Westminster Village, Dover died Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2005.
Mrs. Gohn was born March 28, 1919, in Milford, daughter of the late Charles and Bertha Pearson.
She was a graduate of Milford High School.
Mrs. Gohn worked at Steiner & Co., Inc. for 20 years and for the state of Pennsylvania Health Center for 25 years after marrying her late husband, Leroy W. Gohn, and moving to York, Pa.
Mrs. Gohn was a life member of the White Rose Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals, where she served as a past president. She also was a member of the Eastern Star and a former member of Calvary United Methodist Church in York.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband.
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Ronald W. and Anne M. Wix of Clermont, Fla.; a sister, Frances P. Garey of Milford; a granddaughter, Lori E. Mederios Riley; a great-granddaughter, Sara E. Mederios; a great-grandson, Brendan Riley of Assonet, Mass.; a niece, June P. Sapp of Milford; four nephews, Charles Rix Garey of Beaumont, Texas, Bruce A. Garey of Rehoboth Beach, William L. Pearson of Camden and Ronald Simonin of Virginia.
Services were private.
Joel A. Herschberger
Funeral services for Joel A. Herschberger, 88, of Dover, will be held Friday, Feb. 4, in Kokomo, Ind. Mr. Herschberger died Sunday, Jan. 30, 2005, in Springhill Hospital, Florida.
Mr. Herschberger was born Aug. 22, 1916, in Howard County, Ind., son of the late Albert and Mary Mast Herschberger.
He was a retired farmer and carpenter.
Mr. Herschberger married Dena Eash on Feb. 20, 1938; he was a member of the Old Order Amish Church.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Jonas J. Herschberger.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters and their husbands, Emma and William Byler of Dover and Mary Jane and Elmer Mast of Brooksville, Fla.; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Arrangements were by Wiegand Brothers Funeral Home, Sarasota, Fla.
Laura Elizabeth Hinzman
Funeral services for Laura Elizabeth Hinzman, 50, of Dover were held Sunday, Jan. 30, in Torbert Funeral Chapel South, Dover. Mrs. Hinzman died Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2005, in Thomas Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia.
Mrs. Hinzman was born May 28, 1954, in Ridley Park, Pa., daughter of Carl Bowker, now of Aston, Pa., and Virginia Newsome Bowker Xavier, now of Milton.
She worked for more than 25 years as a machine operator for Playtex Products. In her spare time, Mrs. Hinzman enjoyed crocheting and reading.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Crystal Lee Tremper, in 1976.
In addition to her parents, she is survived by her husband of 19 years, David L. Hinzman of Dover; a daughter and son-in-law, Kimberly B. Tremper Lawson and Scott Lawson of Smyrna; a son, Joseph Edward Tremper of Laurel, Md.; a sister and brother-in-law, Evelyn and Ronald Sauter of Glen Burnie, Md.; two brothers, Carl Bowker Jr. of Houston and William E. Xavier; a granddaughter, Emma Grace Lawson of Smyrna; a host of nieces and nephews.
Leonard Earle Huffman, 68, of Dover died after fighting throat cancer for the last two years Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2005, in his home.
Mr. Huffman was born Jan. 30, 1936, in Johnsonburg, Pa., son of the late Samuel Earle and Ruth Schriber Huffman.
He was a U.S. Army veteran, having served in the communications field for three years while stationed in Paris, France.
Mr. Huffman worked for Western Electric, AT&T and Lucent Technologies as a technician for 40 years.
He enjoyed boating, fishing and trains, loved to travel to Germany and was a member of the Dover German-American Club.
Mr. Huffman is survived by his wife of 35 years, Lois A. Slicer Huffman; a son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Cathy Huffman; a daughter, Kim Kriner of Dubois, Pa.; three granddaughters, Kate Huffman and Kelsey Huffman of Dover and Erin Welsh of Dubois; a great-granddaughter; and his faithful pet dog, Taffy.
Arrangements were by Torbert Funeral Chapel, Dover.
Funeral services for Grady Eugene Keene, 66, of Dover were held Friday, Jan. 21, in the community room of the Queens Manor Apartments, Dover. Mr. Keene died Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2005, in Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital, Dover.
Mr. Keene was born Aug. 27, 1938, in Palatka, Fla.
Mr. Keene was an auto mechanic in the Dover area. He also was a security guard at Queens Manor Apartments, where he lived and where he enjoyed helping the people at the apartment complex.
During his time off, Mr. Keene enjoyed fishing and NASCAR racing, and was a fan of Jeff Gordon.
He is survived by a son, Dennis Keene of Rhode Island; two daughters, Debra J. McMillan of Dover and Susan Vandiest of Tennessee; two brothers, Robert D. Keene of Dover and Jimmy Keene of Florida; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Carol Matilda McCray-Jefferson, 63, of Hartly were held Saturday, Jan. 29, in Bibleway Church, Dover. Ms. McCray-Jefferson died after a long illness Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2005, in Green Valley Pavilion Nursing Home, Smyrna.
Ms. McCray-Jefferson was born April 10, 1941, in Millsboro, daughter of the late Norman G. and Edith Z. McCray.
She received her education in Millsboro public schools.
Ms. McCray-Jefferson worked as a cook in many private homes and restaurants in Rehoboth Beach for many years. After she retired, she became a full-time homemaker.
She loved her family very much and would do anything for them. She was affectionately called “Granny” by all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She had a passion for fishing and was ready to go almost any time. She lived with her grandson, Perry Jr., and his wife and family until she became seriously ill.
Ms. McCray-Jefferson was a member of Morning Star Church of God in Christ in Camden.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by four brothers, Elmer McCray, Norman McCray Jr., Cornell McCray and Norvel McCray; and two sisters; Mary “Libby” McCray and Edith A. McCray.
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Perry E. and Angela McCray of Milford; a former daughter-in-law, Martha McCray of Smyrna; a goddaughter, Star Johnson of Dover; and four grandchildren, Perry E. McCray Jr., and his wife, Christine, of Woodside, Crystal Minor of Alexandra, Va., Terrance McCray of Dover and Carol L. McCray of Milford.
Mrs. McCray-Jefferson also is survived by seven great-grandchildren; a brother, Thomas H. McCray of California, six sisters and four brothers-in-law, Sarah and George Snow, and Juanita McCray, all of Millsboro, Agnes Lee, and Alice and Reginald Hitchen, all of Wilmington, and Bertha and Rickey Johnson, and Norma and Harvey Johnson, all of Dover; a host of nieces, nephews and cousins; and numerous friends.
Arrangements were by Bennie Smith Funeral Home, Dover.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Sarah “Sally” Messina, 99, of Tenafly, N.J., will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 3 at the Church of the Holy Cross, Dover. Friends may call from 6 until 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2 at the Trader Funeral Home, Dover. Mrs. Messina died Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005, in County Manor, Tenafly.
Mrs. Messina was born April 26, 1905, in New York City, N.Y., daughter of the late Anthony and Vinzenza Merandini Carnesi.
She lived in Dover from 1973 to 1998, later moving to a nursing home to be near her son.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Russell Messina, in 1982.
Mrs. Messina is survived by a son, Anthony J. Messina of Middletown; two grandchildren, Theresa Prendergast of Edison, N.J. and David Messina of Kearny, N.J.; and six great-grandchildren, Donna Jo, Emily Grace, Kaitlyn Marie, Alyssa, David Russell Jr. and Megan Rose.
A celebration of the life of Betty Lou Parag Pennell, 80, of Frederica, was held Monday, Jan. 24, at Torbert Funeral Chapel, Dover. Mrs. Pennell died Monday, Jan. 17, 2005, in Christiana Care Hospital, Newark.
Mrs. Pennell was born Aug. 15, 1924, in Merrill, Wis., daughter of the late Jake and Helen Ament.
She worked for Wilmington Dry Goods and Value City in Dover since 1985 and became known by many as “The Value City Lady.” She was selected several times as a “Valued Employee of the Month” and once was named “Employee of the Year.”
Mrs. Pennell fulfilled her lifelong dream of visiting Hawaii for her 80th birthday and enjoyed a last visit with her family in Wisconsin this past fall. She was a caring mother, mother-in-law and grandmother and expressed all her care for her family throughout her life.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Frank Parag, in 1953; her second husband, Daniel T. Pennell, in 1983; and a son, Daniel “Tom” Pennell, in 2003.
Mrs. Pennell is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Frank and Patricia Pennell of Dover; a daughter-in-law, Andrea Pennell of Florida; four brothers and three sisters-in-law, Ronald Ament of Wisconsin, Jake and Edie Ament of Wisconsin, Bob and Florence Ament of Arizona, Don and Bev Ament of California; and two sisters and a brother-in-law, Roxie and Dave Johnson and Jackie Pierce, all of Wisconsin.
She also is survived by nine grandchildren and the spouses of three, Matthew and Julia Pennell of Dover, Nathan and Julie Pennell of Texas, Daniel T. Pennell of Florida, Christopher and Jeaneane Pennell of Florida, and Cherith Pennell, Corrie Pennell, Katie Pennell, Vincent Pennell and Chay Pennell, all of Dover; and two great-grandchildren, Seth Pennell and Katherine Pennell of Dover.
