Obituaries by LocationJEANNETTE K. FRANCIS
Services were held for Jeannette K. (Hunsinger) Francis, 76, wife of Raymond B. Francis Jr., of Spruce Street, Birdsboro, who died June 11 in Reading Hospital and Medical Center.
Born in Birdsboro, she worked as a bookkeeper for 16 years for Fisher Landscaping in Douglassville.
Francis was affiliated with St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Birdsboro.
She was a 1945 graduate of the former Birdsboro High School; also a member of the Bird Chapter No. 460 Order of Eastern Star and the Birdsboro Senior Citizens.
Surviving in addition to her husband are two sons, Daniel L. Francis of Birdsboro and David R. Francis of Reading; a daughter, Donna M. Rubendall of Morgantown; two brothers, Richard F. Hunsinger of Exeter and Samuel J. Hunsinger of St. Lawrence; a sister, Betty J. Schaeffer of Douglassville; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
An Order of the Eastern Star Service was held at the Dengler Funeral Home, Birdsboro, who handled the arrangements.
Burial was in St. Paul’s Cemetery in Douglassville.
CHARLES C. FRANCO
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Charles C. Franco, 90, formerly of Court Street, who died February 4 in Berkshire Center, Exeter Township, where he had resided since 2003.
Born in Reading, Franco was employed as a teacher in the Reading School District and was last employed for 36 years by the State Department of Labor and Industry, specializing in manpower development and training until his retirement.
He was a graduate of Penn State College with a bachelor’s degree in education.
Franco was a member of Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church, Reading.
Surviving are several nieces and nephews.
Burial was in Gethsemane Cemetery , Laureldale.
The Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home Inc., West Reading, handled the arrangements.
WESLEY A. WAHL
Services were held for Wesley A. Wahl, 55, of St. Augustine, Fla., formerly of Douglassville, who died January 23 in St. John’s Health Care Center, St. Augustine.
Born in Montgomery County, Wahl was employed as a construction worker by various companies.
Surviving are a daughter, Jessica Levan, in Missouri; and two sons, Troy, Pottstown, and Jesse, in Michigan.
Other survivors include a brother, James J., Douglassville; and four sisters: Diane Davis, Rita Christman and Rose Stalnecker, all of Douglassville; and Denise Millard, Birdsboro.
There are also four grandchildren.
The Kotrady-Hudgins-Croyle Funeral Home, St. Augustine, Fla., was in charge of the arrangements.
GRACE M. BOSTIAN
Services were held for Grace M. Bostian, 76, formerly of Cumru Township, who died February 4 in Reading Hospital, where she had been a patient.
She was taken to the hospital from Outlook Pointe at Reading, Exeter Township.
Bostian was the wife of Edward G. Bostian Jr., who is also a resident at Outlook Pointe.
Born in Angelica, Cumru Township, she was last employed as a clerk by the Nabisco Co. in Wyomissing.
She was a member of Allegheny Lutheran Church, Knauers.
She was a graduate of Shillington High School.
Also surviving are two daughters, Carol A. Bostian, Harrisburg, and Betsy K. (Bostian) Moyer, West Lawn.
Other survivors include a sister; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
The services were held in the Joseph D. Giles Funeral Home Inc. & Crematorium, Mohnton.
Burial was in Allegheny Union Cemetery , Alleghenyville.
JEAN C. ULRICH
Services were private for Jean C. Ulrich, 77, of Fairmount Avenue, Exeter Township, who died February 4 in Reading Hospital.
Born in Reading, she was employed for 35 years in the payroll department of Boscov’s Department Stores, retiring in 2000.
She was a 1944 graduate of Reading High School.
Ulrich was a member of St. Mark’s United Church of Christ, Reading.
Surviving are a son, John M., Exeter Township; and three grandchildren.
The Auman Funeral Homes, Reiffton, was in charge of the arrangements.
IDA R. STOLTZFUS
A memorial service will be Thursday for Ida Rebecca Stoltzfus. 93, who died in the Meadows Health Care Facility at the Tel Hai Retirement Community, Honey Brook, where she had resided for several years.
Born near Morgantown, she taught in rural Lancaster County public schools for 10 years and did practical nursing in private homes.
She was a 1942 graduate of Elizabethtown College, Lancaster County, with a state teaching certificate. She was also licensed as a practical nurse through classes at th YWCA in Lancaster in 1939.
Stoltzfus was a volunteer for relief work under the Mennonite Central Committee in 1947 and spent three years in India.
In 1951, she began working in the MCC office in Akron, Lancaster County, and also visited churches around the United States promoting the relief program.
In 1952, she entered relief work in Palestine. Before their first term of service was completed she had founded an orphanage/school for needy children.
When MCC terminated work in the Hebron area in 1967, Stoltzfus continued the orphanage/school under the Anglican Church.
From 1983 until her retirement in 1989, she directed its operation under Holy Land Ministries.
Stoltzfus was a member of the Conestoga Mennonite Church, Morgantown.
In 1974, she received Elizabethtown College Alumni Association’s “Educate for Service to Humanity Award.”
In 2001, the Atlantic Coast Conference of the Mennonite Church presented Stoltzfus with its annual peace mug for her work in India and the Middle East.
In 2003, she was honored by Dr. Samir Amr of Saudi Arabia, formerly of Hebron, for her work in Hebron. There have been two books written about her relief work.
Surviving are several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be at 11:15 Thursday in the Conestoga Mennonite Church.
Burial will be in the church Cemetery .
The Labs Funeral Home Inc., Honey Brook, was in charge of arrangements.
GIOACCHINO CHINNICI JR.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Gioacchino G. Chinnici Jr., 81, of Waterford Lane, Exeter Township, who died February 3 in Reading Hospital.
He was the husband of Consetta S. (Sedoti) Chinnici.
Born in Reading, he had been employed for more than five years as a machinist by the Reading Co. and was employed for more than 30 years as a salesman in the Berks County area. He was last employed in the maintenance department by R. M. Palmer Co., West Reading, until his retirement.
He was a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War.
Chinnici was a member of Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church, Reading.
He was a 1940 graduate of Reading High School.
Chinnici is also survived by a son, John A., Fleetwood; and two daughters, Angela M. Chinnici, Reading, and Constance S. (Chinnici) Nunan, Douglassville.
Other survivors include a sister, Vincenza (Chinnici) Rodino, Birdsboro.
Burial was in Gethsemane Cemetery , Laureldale.
The Auman Funeral Homes, Reiffton, was in charge of the arrangements.
EARL W. LESHER
Services were held for Earl W. Lesher, 82, of Schoolhouse Lane, Caernarvon Township, formerly of Berne, Tilden Township, who died February 6 in Reading Hospital.
He was the husband of Catherine M. (Collins) Lesher.
Born in Berne, he had been employed for 38 years as a seam presser by Continental Can Co., Reading, retiring in 1984.
He was a member of St. Michael’s Church, Tilden Township.
Lesher was an Army Air Forces veteran of World War II.
He is also survived by a daughter, Karen L. (Lesher) Rigg, Glenmoore, Chester County.
There are also three grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Burial was in St. Michael’s Cemetery , Tilden Township.
The arrangements were handled by the Leibensperger Funeral Homes Inc., Hamburg.
JOVINO VELAZQUEZ CRUZ
A graveside service was held for Jovino Velazquez Cruz, 93, formerly of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, who died February 6 in his residence at Beverly Manor, Exeter Township.
His wife, Cathlina (Gonzalez) Velazquez, died in 1990.
He was born in Viequez, Puerto Rico.
Cruz had been employed for 20 years as a taxicab driver in St. Croix, retiring in 1996.
Survivors include two daughters, Theresa Velazquez and Esther Velazquez, both of St. Croix, and four sons: Antonio and Ruben Velazquez, both in Puerto Rico, and Albert and Carmelo Velazquez, both of Reading.
There are also 30 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by three sons.
Services were in the Mellinger Mennonite Cemetery , near Lancaster.
The Eckenroth Home for Funerals, Terre Hill, Lancaster County, was in charge of the arrangements.
MARY M. LUBAS
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Mary M. Lubas, 91, formerly of Arlington Street, who died February 6 in St. Joseph Medical Center. She had been a resident of the Berkshire Center, Exeter Township.
Her husband, Frank W. Lubas, died in 1982.
Born in Jessup, Lackawanna County, she had been employed for 20 years as a sewing machine operator by several area knitting mills, retiring in 1960.
She was a member of St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church, Millmont.
Lubas was a life member of the Polish Falcons Alliance of Berks County, Reading.
She is survived by a son, Frederick, Reading.
Also a sister; five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery , Reading.
The Gallman-Sonoski Funeral Home Inc., Reading, was in charge of the arrangements.
