Huge Marriages Search Engine!
Wilma Erde, 76 Fund-Raiser
WINTER HAVEN -- Ms. Wilma "Billee" Erde, a community activist and fund-raiser for multiple local, national and international charities and foundations, died of heart failure Tuesday (Dec. 21, 2004) at home. She was 76.
"She was a very cultured person, " said her daughter, Blair Erde of Seattle. "She spoke Spanish fluently. She played the piano. She loved to entertain, and she did it well."
Born in Baltimore on June 27, 1928, Ms. Erde was raised there as well as the Norfolk, Va., area. After two years at The College of William & Mary, she married a man in the military and traveled the world.
"When we were kids, we received postcards from every major city in the world, " Blair Erde said.
She was an active fund-raiser for many years. After coming to Florida from Honolulu in 1974, she became active with Friends of the Library, the Winter Haven Garden Club, Planned Parenthood, the Polk County Democrats and Hadassah.
Her daughter described her as an avid reader.
"She was kind of the shark of the Winter Haven Public Library, and in her years of working and raising money for the library, everybody there knew her, " Erde said. "There never was a stranger in any room that she was in. . . . She was genuinely interested, and people could tell that. They responded to that."
In addition to her daughter, Ms. Erde is survived by her son, Charles Erde, Asheville, N.C.; daughter, Dr. Alison Erde, Eugene, Ore.; brothers, Russell Sherman, Santa Monica, Calif., Frederic Sherman, Key Biscayne; four grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home, Winter Haven.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Friends of the Library, 325 Ave. A N.W., Winter Haven, 33881.
PAULINE LaROCHELLE, 85
Sales Associate
LAKE WALES -- Mrs. Pauline LaRochelle of Lake Wales died of heart failure Dec. 16, 2004, at Winter Haven Hospital. She was 85.
Born in Dover, N.H., on July 22, 1919, Mrs. LaRochelle came to Lake Wales from Mesa, Ariz., three years ago. She was a retired sales associate for Jordan Marsh Department Store. She attended the Lake Wales Keenagers. She was a member of the Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Wales.
Mrs. LaRochelle is survived by her son, Raymond D. LaRochelle, Lake Wales.
Memorial Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit.
Johnson Funeral Home, Lake Wales.
HALLIE RUSH, 95
School Teacher
LAKELAND -- Mrs. Hallie Williams Rush of Lakeland died of heart failure Tuesday (Dec. 21, 2004) at Lake Morton Plaza. She was 95.
Born in Tennessee on Aug. 27, 1909, Mrs. Rush came to Lakeland from Bowling Green, Ky., in 1992. She was a school teacher. She graduated from Western Kentucky Teacher College. She was a member of the Rose Society, the Homemakers Club and the Woman's Club. She was a member of State Street Methodist Church in Bowling Green and attended First United Methodist Church in Lakeland.
Mrs. Rush was preceded in death by her husband, Alton McDaniel Rush. She is survived by her son, Dr. Ron Rush, Monticello, Ky.; daughter, Judy Bopp, Lakeland; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at J.C. Kirby Funeral Home, Bowling Green, Ky.
Memorials may be made to Good Shepherd Hospice, 105 Arneson Ave., Auburndale, 33823.
Heath Funeral Chapel.
MARY SWAIN, 54
Lockheed Martin
POQUOSON, Va. -- Mrs. Mary Haines Swain of Poquoson, Va., who has family in Lake Wales, died of breast cancer Sunday (Dec. 19, 2004) at Sentara Careplex. She was 54.
Born in Marlton, N.J., Mrs. Swain had been a resident of the Peninsula since 1982. She graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in mechanical engineering, specializing in metallurgy. She was worked for Lockheed Martin for 15 years.She also was past president of the eastern Virginia chapter of American Society of Metals (ASM).
Mrs. Swain is survived by her husband, Bill Swain; son, Christopher Swain, Poquoson; parents, Henry and Mildred Haines, Lake Wales; sister, Carol Haines, Lake Wales; brother, Gary Haines, Greensboro, N.C.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 102454, Atlanta, Ga., 30368-2454.
Peninsula Funeral Home, Newport News, Va.
JULIAN SMITH, 87
Jewelry Stores Owner
LAKELAND -- Mr. Julian E. "Bill" Smith of Lakeland died of complications of Alzheimer's disease Tuesday (Dec. 21, 2004) at Carpenter's Manor in Lakeland. He was 87.
Born in Pax, W.Va., on Sept. 21, 1917, Mr. Smith was the owner and operator of jewelry stores in West Virginia and Sarasota. He graduated from Bradley Polytechnic Institute of America in Peoria, Ill. He was a Navy veteran of World War II, serving as an aviation machinist mate first class. He attended and assisted in the CHERA Sunday services at Carpenter's Estates.
Mr. Smith is survived by his wife, Lynn Smith; son, Julian L. Smith, Huntersville, N.C.; one granddaughter.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., F1, 17, Chicago, 60601-7633.
Lanier Funeral Home.
LOUISENA LAGUERRE, 57
Walt Disney World
HAINES CITY -- Mrs. Louisena Laguerre of Haines City died of cancer Monday (Dec. 20, 2004) at Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center. She was 57.
Born in Chardanniers, Haiti, on April 16, 1947, Mrs. Laguerre came to Haines City from Haiti 24 years ago. She worked in housekeeping at Walt Disney World. She was a member of Beraca First Haitian Baptist Church.
Mrs. Laguerre is survived by her husband, Milievre Laguerre; son, Genty M. Laguerre, Haines City; daughters, Naomie Gall, Abilene, Texas, Lawence Laguerre, South Korea, Valerie Laguerre, Providence, R.I.; sister, Carmelle Hubin, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; brother, Paul W. Aubin, Providence, R.I.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 this evening at the funeral home at 36 S. Fifth St., Haines City. Services will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Beraca First Haitian Baptist Church, 1250 N. 26th St., Haines City.
