Obituaries by LocationRUBY M. PETSCH
Services will be held for Ruby M. Petsch, 92, formerly of Petsch Road, Alsace Township, who died July 23 in St. Joseph Medical Center.
She had been a resident of the Beverly Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Exeter Township, where she had resided for 3-1/2 years.
Her husband, Henry D. Petsch, died in 1991.
Born in Alsace Township, she was a member of Zion (Spies) Reformed Church, Alsace Township.
Surviving are two sons, Herman H. and Samuel, both of Exeter Township; and two daughters, Pearl R. (Petsch) Hertzog, Fairfax, Va., and Edna M. (Petsch) Romberger, West Lawn.
Other survivors include two sisters, Mary K. (Petsch) Garman and Anna (Petsch) Rothenberger, both of Alsace Township.
There are also 15 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by a son, Robert W. Petsch.
Services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. in Bean Funeral Homes & Cremation Services Inc., Reading.
Burial will be in Spies (Zion) Cemetery , Alsace Township.
RALPH E. HOFFMAN
A memorial service was held for Ralph E. Hoffman, 77, of Colebrookdale Road, Douglass (Berks) Township, who died July 11. He had been a patient at the Pottstown Memorial Medical Center.
He was the widower of Geraldine M. (Houck) Hoffman.
Born in Windsor Castle, he was a 1940 graduate of Boyertown High School.
Hoffman had worked at Occidental Chemical Company, Pottstown, as a maintenance worker until retiring in 1985. Before that he had worked for the former Firestone Tire Company.
He was a U.S. Navy Veteran of World War IIand was a member of Good Shepherd United Church of Christ, Boyertown.
He had been active with Boy Scout Troop 3 of Boyertown for many years, serving as district commissioner of Daniel Boone Council and earning the Distinguished Silver Beaver and Wood badges as an adult.
Surviving are two sons, Donald C. Hoffman of Pottstown and Michael L. Hoffman, of Boyertown; a daughter, Suzanne L., wife of Arthur Donald Gibson, of Lemoore, Calif.; and five grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother.
Memorial contributions may be made to Good Shepherd U.C.C. Memorial Fund, 35 W. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown, PA 19512.
The arrangements were handled by the L. W. Ott Funeral Home, Boyertown.
RUTH SURGEONER
Services were held for Ruth (Moyer) Surgeoner, 77, wife of Samuel "Scotty" Surgeoner, of Mock Road, Pottstown, who died July 10 at her residence.
Born in Limerick, she was a member of St. Paul’s Church, Stowe, and the Ladies Auxiliary of American Legion Post 471, Boyertown.
In addition to her husband of 52 years, she is survived by two sons, D. Bruce Surgeoner of Boyertown, and Scott A. Surgeoner of Gilbertsville; a daughter, Bonnie L., wife of Richard R. Rotz, of Gilbertsville; two sisters and five grandchildren.
She was predeceased by a brother.
Memorial donations may be made to The Memorial Fund of St. Paul’s Church, Linden and Glasgow streets, Stowe, PA 19464; or to The Visiting Nurses of Pottstown and Vicinity, 1963 E. High St., Pottstown, PA 19464.
The arrangements were handled by the Houck Funeral Home Inc., Pottstown.
CAROL A. EIDLE
Services were held for Carol A. (Hall) Eidle, 50, wife of Kerry J. Eidle Sr. of Yoder Road, Oley, who died July 11 in Reading Hospital, where she had been a patient.
Born in Pottstown, she was a 1969 graduate of Boyertown High School. Mrs. Eidle was a housewife.
Surviving in addition to her husband are two stepsons, Kerry J. Eidle Jr., of Earl Township and Mark A. Eidle of Chicago; one stepdaughter, Tina M. Eidle, wife of Thomas Borcher of Fleetwood, one step-granddaughter; one brother, Thomas Hall of Wyalusing, four sisters, Jane, wife of George Dierolf of Pottstown; Pearl, wife of Thomas Kirlin of Pottstown; Mary, wife of Gary Neiman of Boyertown and Doris, wife of Richard Bates of Oley.
The arrangements were handled by the Daniel R. Christ Funeral Home, Oley.
CATHERINE H. GEHMAN
Services will be held for Catherine H. (Frey) Gehman, 86, of Barto, Washington Township, who died July 15. She died from injuries received from an auto accident.
Gehman was the widow of Ralph H. Gehman.
Born in Berks County, she was a housewife and a member of Christ Lutheran Church, Niantic.
Surviving are four daughters, Arlene G., wife of David C. Houck of Blandon; Virginia M., wife of George H. Reifsnyder of Boyertown; Dorothy A., wife of William J. Houser of Pottstown; Anna M. Gehman of Barto; four sons, Russell H., Richard J. and Ralph R. Gehman, all of Barto, and Ernest E. Gehman of Boyertown; 16 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
She is predeceased by a daughter Helen, wife of Donald P. Bauer of Barto.
Also a sister and a brother.
Funeral services will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Christ Lutheran Church, 222 Niantic Road, Barto.
The Rev. Richard H. Schaefer, retired pastor, will officiate.
Friends may call at 10 a.m. at the church until the time of the service.
Contributions may be made in her memory to Christ Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, 222 Niantic Road, Barto, PA 19504.
The arrangements were handled by the L. W. Ott Funeral Home, Boyertown.
PEARL M. EVANS
Graveside services will be held for Pearl M. Evans, 85, formerly of Boyertown, who died July 8 in Berks Heim, where she had been a resident since 1990.
Her husband, Bernard W. Evans, died in 1985.
Born in Shanesville, she had been employed for many years as a tubing machine operator at Judson Smith Co., Boyertown, retiring in 1985.
Evans was a member of Church of the Good Shepherd United Church of Christ, Boyertown.
She is survived by a daughter-in-law, Deborah J. Evans, Gilbertsville; a nephew, two nieces and two grandchildren.
Evans was predeceased by a son, Robert B. Evans.
Services will be Thursday at 2 p.m. in Hill Church Cemetery , Pike Township.
The arrangements were handled by the L. W. Ott Funeral Home Inc., Boyertown.
MARION B. WILSON
Visitation will be held Thursday for Marion B. (Dengler) Wilson, 97, widow of Dallas Wilson, formerly of Pottstown, who died July 8 at Manatawny Manor, East Coventry.
Born in Boyertown, Wilson was a telephone operator for Bell Telephone in Pottstown for 40 years.
Surviving is a sister.
She was preceded in death by two brothers and four sisters.
Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the Houck Funeral Home Inc., Charlotte and Grace streets, Pottstown.
The Rev. David Jones, pastor at Limerick Chapel, will officiate.
Burial will be in Florida at a later date.
ROBERT D. MOLL
A funeral Mass was held for Robert D. Moll, 61, husband of Marjorie A. (Kulp) Moll of Fourth Street, Bally, who died July 6 in Lehigh Valley Hospital Center, Allentown.
Born in Bally, he attended elementary school at Most Blessed Sacrament School in Bally and was a graduate of Boyertown Area High School. He earned an Accounting Degree at Lasalle University and also an Associates Degree in Business Administration, Motor Traffic Management and Advanced Traffic Management from I.C.S.
He was employed as the Borough Manager for the Borough of Bally for the past 11 years.
Prior to that he was employed as a Department Supervisor and Warehouse supervisor at Boyertown Packaging for 23 years. He was an elected official in the borough of Bally prior to his hiring as the manager serving as borough mayor for eight years and borough councilman for 12 years.
He was the chairman of the borough planning commission for six years, borough zoning officer for five years and chairman of the borough municipal authority for 12 years.
During his involvement he was instrumental in expanding the sewage treatment plant without raising sewer rates, constructing new borough offices in the former Bally School on Chestnut Street, encouraging the Senior Center expansion, upgrading the borough playground and park, initiating the process of installing sidewalks throughout the borough, developing a borough logo, computerizing the borough offices and initiating a recycling program. He also helped in the organization of the Boyertown Area Communications Center Inc., serving as a director and treasurer for seven years. He also helped in the organization of the Berks-Mont Council of Governments serving as a representative for 12 years and president.
He was a peacetime veteran of the U.S. Army.
He and his wife celebrated 27 years of marriage September 16.
A life long and active member of Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Bally he was active in the Boy Scouting program for nine years.
Surviving in addition to his wife are two daughters, Elizabeth, wife of Michael Brogan and Margaret Fretz, both of Reading, three sons, Scott Moll and Michael Moll, both of Bally; Mark Moll of Boyertown; two sisters, Diane Engle of Allentown and Linda Moll of Bally, and eight grandchildren.
Contributions may be made to the Lehigh Valley Hospital Hospice Unit, 17th & Chew Streets, Allentown, PA 18105; or American Cancer Society Upper Perkiomen Unit, P.O. Box 75, Pennsburg, PA 18073.
The arrangements were handled by the Mann-Slonaker Funeral Home, East Greenville.
JACOB S. KING JR.
Services were held for Jacob Samuel "Sam" King Jr., 64, husband of Mary Ann (Yoder) King, of Telford, formerly of Boyertown, who died July 6. He had been a patient at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia.
Born in Belleville, Mifflin County, he was employed as a machinery operator by Knoll International, East Greenville, for 28 years until his retirement in April.
He was a 1953 graduate of Belleville High School and attended Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg, Va., for a year. He was a member of Boyertown Mennonite Church, where he was a former Sunday School teacher, superintendent, trustee and youth leader. He was a former softball umpire for church leagues in the Boyertown area.
In addition to his wife of 35 years, he is survived by a sister and one sister-in law.
He was predeceased by a brother; three sisters and three infant siblings.
Memorial donations may be made to Boyertown Mennonite Church, 275 Mill St., Boyertown, PA 19512.
The arrangements were handled by the Anders-Detwiler Funeral Home, Souderton.
RICHARD E. WOOD JR.
Services will be held Wednesday for Richard E. "Richie" Wood Jr., 11, of North Walnut Street, Boyertown, who died July 6 at Lehigh Valley Hospital, when he was struck by a vehicle.
He was born in Pottstown, and was a son of Tammy M. (Miller) Wood, with whom he resided in Boyertown, and Richard E. Wood Sr., of Pottstown. He would have been a fifth-grade student at Colebrookdale Elementary School in the fall.
Richie was a member of the Boyertown Area YMCA, where he participated in the Schools Out Program, and attended Camp Oasis at Boyertown Elementary School.
In addition to his mother and father, Richie is survived by two sisters, Melanie Paige and Kristy Marie Wood, both at home in Boyertown; a step-sister, Jasmine Bryson, Pottstown; one stepbrother, Brandon L. Bryson, Pottstown; one half-brother, Jacob M. Wood, Pottstown; his maternal grandparents, John and Carol Miller, Boyertown; his paternal grandmother, Susan Carroll, Pottstown; his paternal grandfather, Robert L. Wood Sr., Phoenixville.
Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Harvest Fellowship Church, 584 Colebrookdale Road, Boyertown. The Rev. Barry Parsons, pastor of the church, will officiate.
A viewing will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the church.
Memorial donations may be made to the Boyertown YMCA, 301 Spring St., Boyertown, PA 19512.
Burial will be in Limerick Garden of Memories, Limerick.
The arrangements were handled by the Linwood W. Ott Funeral Home Inc., Boyertown.
