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Miscellaneous Portage County, Ohio Obituaries - 1998

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Published February 4, 1998

Michael Brode
Michael W. Brode, 46, of Kent, died Tuesday at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna.
Born Jan. 22, 1952 in Akron, he was the son of Thomas and Mary Lou (Shepherd) Brode. Formerly of Ravenna, he had lived in Kent for 21 years.
Mr. Brode was a custodian at Kent State University until he retired.
He was a member of Brimfield Church of God and an avid sports card and model train collector.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce (Steed), to whom was married for 24 years; sons, Thomas (Michelle) of Kent and Matthew Paul, at home; one grandchild; mother, Mary Lou King of Ravenna; and brother, John (Linda) T. of Randolph. His father, Thomas, died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Shorts Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, with the Rev. James Walden Jr. officiating. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery in Ravenna.

Robert Dennis
Robert Hampton Dennis, 73, of Ravenna, died Monday after a long illness.
Born May 10, 1924 in Bluefield, W.Va, he was the son of Earl and Willie (Smith) Dennis.
Mr. Dennis was a machinist for the Carborundum Company in Solon for 23 years and later retired from Zook Enterprises in Chagrin Falls. Prior to his illness he served as a deacon at Peck Road Calvary Mission Church in Ravenna.
A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he was a member of Ravenna Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. He was also a member of the LST Association.
Survivors include his wife, Garnet (Brock), to whom he was married for 47 years; sons, Thomas (Nora) and David (Malinda), both of Ravenna, and Daniel of Cleveland; daughters, Debra Sandstrom of Rocky River, Sharon Wright of Huntsburg, and Roberta (David) Beyers and Mary Staats, both of Ravenna; 13 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; brothers, T.E. and Jackie Lee, both of Tampa, Fla., and Elwood of Abilene, Texas; and sisters, Frances Roten of Bluefield, W.Va., and Sylvia Bromley of Pinson, Ala. His daughter, Doris Elaine McGee; brothers, Woodrow, Emmitt, Arthur, Bill; and sister, Phillis Moricle, died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday with the Rev. Jake Puckett officiating. Burial will be in Hillside Cemetery in Mantua.
Memorials may be made to the family in care of Garnet Dennis, P.O. Box 741, Ravenna, 44266.

Paul B. Smith
Paul B. Smith, 87, of Plymouth, Ind., formerly of Ravenna, died Sunday at St. Joseph Hospital of Marshall County in Plymouth, Ind.
Born May 3, 1910 in Ohio, he was the son of Lee and Myrtle Smith.
Mr. Smith worked as a former maintenance worker at Grandview Memorial Park in Ravenna, and was employed as a sanitary engineer.
Survivors include his sons, Paul (Megan) of Tucson, Ariz., and Charles (Ann) of Colorado Springs, Colo.; daughters, Mary Lou (Donald) Fritz of Plymouth, Ind., and Joanna Smith of Texas, and Rosline (Edward) Mesch of Colorado Springs, Colo.; 23 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. His wife, Maude (Heeter), whom he married in November, 1930, died in 1989. Two grandchildren, a great-grandchild and a great-great-grandchild also died previously.
Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. until services at 2 p.m. Friday at Grandview Memorial Park Chapel in Ravenna. Burial will be at Grandview Memorial Park. Arrangements were made by Van Gilder Funeral Home in Plymouth, Ind.

Walter De Volld
Dr. Walter L. De Volld, 86, who was a professor of Germanic and Slavic languages at Kent State University from 1947 to 1976, died Saturday in St. Helena, Calif. after a long illness.
Dr. De Volld earned his bachelor's in English and German and master's from Ohio State University. He earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Case Western Reserve University.
He taught at Texas A&M College and St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, Wis. before coming to KSU.
Survivors include his wife, Pauline (Magnaghi) of Napa Valley, Calif.; stepson, Ronald Cary of Fullerton, Calif.; stepdaughters, Nancy Seal of Sonoma, Calif. and Virginia A. Pacileo of El Dorado, Calif.; six step-grandchildren and 10 step-great-grandchildren. His first wife, Mary, died in 1978.
A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m.Feb. 7 in the United Methodist Church in St. Helena. Burial will be in St. Helena Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Morrison Funeral Chapel in St. Helena, Calif. 
Memorials may be made to the United Methodist Church of St. Helena.

James Johnson
James G. Johnson, 85, formerly of Tioga Street in Newton Falls, died Sunday at Gillette Nursing Home in Warren. 
Born Nov. 26, 1912 in Philadelphia, Pa., he was the son of William P. and Anna (Magee) Johnson.
Mr. Johnson had worked as a golf teacher for the Pontiac Country Club in Pontiac, Mich.
A U.S. Army veteran, he was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Army-Navy, and AmVets, all of Newton Falls.
He attended St. Michael Church in Newton Falls.
His wife, Marie (Petricko), whom he married in 1952, died in December, 1983. His daughter, June, also died previously.
There will be no calling hours. Memorial services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. Michael's Chapel in Newton Falls. Arrangements were made by Borowski Funeral Home in Newton Falls.
Memorials may be made to St. Michael Church in Newton Falls.

Betty Ferrara
Services were held today for Betty Claire Ferrara, 77, of Tallmadge, who died Monday at Akron City Hospital.
Survivors include her husband, Siv, to whom she was married for 57 years; daughters, Mrs. Bob (Kay Lynn) Tafini of Munroe Falls, Sylvia Lee Ferrara of Diamond Bar, Calif., and Mrs. Joe (Marty) Staud of Roswell, Ga.; seven grandchildren, three step-grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and brother, Joe Fink of Sterling, Ill.
There will be no calling hours. Services were held today at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Tallmadge. Burial was in Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent. Arrangements were made by Bissler & Sons Funeral Home in Kent.
Memorials may be made to Kent Lions Club Eye Programs, P.O. Box 666, Kent 44240.

Wilbur Corbitt
Wilbur S. Corbitt, 73, of Ravenna, died Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. 
Arrangements will be announced by Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel.

Opal Corkream
Opal L. Corkream, 94, died Monday at Stow-Glen Nursing Home.
Born July 9, 1903, in Fairmont, W.Va., she was the daughter of Ora and Martha (Martin) Carpenter. She lived most of her life in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, moving to Florida after retirement.
Mrs. Corkream worked in the office at B.F. Goodrich for more than 30 years, retiring in 1963.
Survivors include her brother, Edward Carpenter of Ravenna; and sister, Pauline Hensley of Hudson. Her husband, Joseph, brothers, Monroe and Douglas, and sisters, Beatrice Carpenter, Mary Williams and Dorothy Hickman, died previously.
Private burial will take place in Jefferson, Ohio. Arrangements were made by Wood-Kortright Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel.

Published February 6, 1998

Naomi R. Robb
Naomi R. Robb, 89, of Sebring, died Thursday at Northeast Ohio Alzheimer's Research Center.
Born Jan. 19, 1909 in Tarentum, Pa., she was the daughter of Floyd and Elizabeth (Lauer) Lowther.
Mrs. Robb served as the postmaster at the Deerfield Post Office.
She was a member of the Deerfield United Methodist Church and the Deerfield American Legion Auxiliary.
Survivors include her sons, H. Thomas of Acworth, Ga. and Richard of Berlin Center; daughters, Gale Forst of Woodbury, Tenn., Martha Vogel of Santa Rosa, Calif., Doris Weisner of Simonton, Texas, Susan Mercer of Torrance, Calif. and Linda Werk of El Camino Village, Calif.; 21 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; one great-great-great-grandson; and sister, Gladys Shaughnessy of Jacksonville, Ill. Her husband, Henry, died Aug. 17, 1985. Her brother, Floyd, also died previously.
Calling hours will be held one hour prior to the 2 p.m. Sunday services at the Deerfield United Methodist Church. The Rev. May Morrow will officiate. Burial will be in Deerfield Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Deerfield United Methodist Church.
Arrangements are being handled by the Gednetz-Kuzck Funeral Home in Sebring. 

James A. Spellman
RANDOLPH _ James A. Spellman, 94, died Wednesday.
Born in Cuyahoga Falls, he had been a Randolph resident most of his life.
He was a farmer and retired in October of 1968 from B.F. Goodrich Tire and Rubber Company.
He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Randolph and of the Goodrich 35-Year Club.
Survivors include his wife, Alice, to whom he was married 58 years; sons, Joe (Lyn) and Richard (Delores), each of Randolph, and Loren (Susan) of Stow; daughter, Lois Rinehart of Randolph; eight grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and brother, Andrew "Bud" (Betty) of Uniontown. His parents, seven brothers and sisters, and a grandson, Dennis, died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight at the Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home, 34 S. Cleveland Ave. in Mogadore. Services will be held beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 2643 Waterloo Road in Randolph with the Rev. James Lang officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery.
Memorials can be made to the Randolph Fire Department or the Kent Visiting Nurse Service.

Orville Free Carpenter
FREEDOM _ Orville Free Carpenter, 86, died Thursday at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna. 
Arrangements will be announced by the Mallory-DeHaven-Carlson Funeral Home in Garrettsville.

Darwin "John" Rohrbaugh Sr.
NELSON _ Darwin "John" Rohrbaugh Sr., 62, died Thursday at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna after a brief illness.
Born March 6, 1935 in Maysville, W Va., he was the son of Arnold and Ollie (Berg) Rohrbaugh. He had lived in Nelson for the past 20 years and had been a Garrettsville area resident for 32 years.
He retired in 1986 as a truck driver for Boltsum Brothers in Akron. He was an avid hunter and fisherman.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Ellouise (Hartman), to whom he was married Oct. 22, 1955; sons, Darwin Jr. (Doris) of Garrettsville, Tracy (Pattie) of Tallmadge, Matthew of Warren, Mark (Pam) and Wade, both of Garrettsville; daughter, Kathy Clouse of Garrettsville; 12 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; brother, Forest (Jane) of Maryland; and sisters, Evadot Davis and Maxine Gank, both of Maryland, Amagene (Clarence) Metheny of Ravenna, and Louise (Ralph) Wrigley of Warren. His parents died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Mallory-DeHaven-Carlson Funeral Home in Garrettsville, where services will be held beginning at 11 a.m. Monday with the Rev. Bob Heeger officiating. Burial will be in Harrington Cemetery in Nelson.

Michael "Mike" Dittmer
Michael "Mike" Dittmer, 40, of Warren, died Wednesday at Trumbull Memorial Hospital.
Born Aug. 3, 1957 in Warren, he was the son of Carl and Virginia (Crites) Dittmer.
Mr. Dittmer worked at RMI in Niles.
He was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Warren and the U.S. Navy. He enjoyed horseback riding.
Survivors include his daughter, Nicole of Warren; father, Carl Dittmer of Warren; mother, Virginia Frederick of Warren; grandmothers, Mae McKain of Warren and Lucy Crites of West Virginia; and brothers, Jim of Wooster, Donald of Avon Lake and Randy of Champion.
There will be no calling hours. Private services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Borowski Funeral Home in Newton Falls. Burial will be in Hawley Cemetery in Paris Township.

Glenn O. Walker
Services will be held Saturday for Glenn O. Walker, 79, of Longcoy Avenue, Kent, who died Tuesday at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna.
He was born June 27, 1918 in Anteroom, the son of Harry and Edna (Eons) Walker. He was a graduate of New Philadelphia HIgh School and came to Kent in 1941.
Mr. Walker had worked at Black & Decker and Lamb Electric, and retired from Chrysler in Twinsburg. He worked at All Pro Sports for the past 27 years.
He served in the 2nd Marine Division in the South Pacific during World War II. He enjoyed fishing and playing sports.
Survivors include his wife, Mary (Hart), whom he married Oct. 2, 1937; sons, Ed (Linda) of Kent and David (Sandra) of Chesterland; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandsons; and sister, Faye Roan of Clearwater, Fla. His son, Thomas, died in 1992.
Calling hours will be held 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Bissler & Sons Funeral Home in Kent, with a prayer service set for 8:30 p.m. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Gary Lissy officiating. Burial will be in Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent. 
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, 840 Southwestern Run, Youngstown, Oh. 44514.

Published February 7, 1998

Howard Gaston
ROOTSTOWN _ Howard E. Gaston, 82, died Thursday at Barberton Citizens Hospital after a long illness.
Born Aug. 31, 1915 in Rochester Mills, Pa., he was the son of Claude and Ollie (Brickell) Gaston. He had lived in Rootstown for 55 years.
Mr. Gaston retired from the Portage County Engineer's Office, where he had worked as a garage foreman. 
He was a member of the Ravenna Moose Lodge No. 1234.
He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Edna (Baun); daughters, Shirley (James) Hogle of Rootstown, Joan (Larry) Serafin of Washington, Mary James of Ravenna, Cheryl (James) King of Rootstown and Ronnie (Gary) Kirby of Atwater; 12 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and sisters, Evelyn (Robert) Pardee of Grafton, and Alma (Carl) McMahon and Mable (Vernon) Baun, both of Pennsylvania. Two sisters died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Shorts Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel, where services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday with the Rev. Carl Holm officiating. Burial will be in Grandview Memorial Park in Ravenna.

William Hartman Jr.
Former Portage County resident William F. Hartman Jr., 76, died Friday at Woodlawn Nursing Home in Mansfield after a brief illness.
Born Aug. 15, 1921 in Canton, he was the son of William F. and Charlotte Cecelia (Hutson) Hartman. A 1941 graduate of Edinburg High School, he lived in the Mansfield and Crestline areas most of his life.
He retired from OSR/MANCI in 1985. Mr. Hartman owned Pleasant Side Poultry Farms. He also worked in construction, and was a heavy equipment operator.
He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II, serving with the First Marine Division in the South Pacific Theater and the invasion of Guadalcanal.
Survivors include his son, Robert W. of Mansfield; and sister, Dr. Wade G. (Joanne Rae) Gardner of Lakeland, Fla. His wife, Lorraine O., whom he married Jan. 6, 1951, died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Werner Funeral Home, 885 Ashland Road, Mansfield, where Masonic services will be held at 8:30 p.m. Monday and funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday with the Joint Veterans Council officiating. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery in Crestline with military graveside services.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Published February 9, 1998

W. Culver ("Cully") Hale
W. Culver ("Cully") Hale, 87, of Hudson, who was a founding director and board member of the newly-organized Portage Community Bank in Ravenna, died Saturday at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron after a brief illness.
Born Jan. 27, 1911 in Marion, Ind., he lived with his wife, Marjorie, in Euclid for several years before moving to Hudson in 1991. He spent most of his early years in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he graduated from high school. He was a 1933 graduate of Oberlin College.
Mr. Hale worked as a salesman for Standard Oil Co. of Ohio and retired in 1976 as manager of sales for Pennzoil Corp.
He was active with the United Way of Northeastern Ohio, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Masons, Cleveland Jaycees, Kiwanis and the Hudson Presbyterian Church. 
In addition to his wife, survivors include his sons, William of Kent and Robert C. of Denver; and daughter, Bonnie Lindner of Ashland. His first wife, Florence (Pfeil), whom he married in 1935, died in 1985.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Hudson Presbyterian Church, 201 West Streetsboro St. (S.R. 303) in Hudson. Arrangements are being handled by Johnson-Romito Funeral Home in Hudson.
Memorials may be made to the Euclid YMCA, Oberlin College Scholarship Fund and East Shore United Methodist Church.

George P. Rankin
George P. Rankin, 79, of Ravenna Township, died Sunday at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna after a long illness.
Born Sept. 20, 1918 in Ada, Pa., he was the son of Dewey and Anna Mae Rankin. He had lived in Ravenna Township since 1991.
He retired from Chrysler Corporation in 1980, where he had worked in the plant protection division.
He was a member of the Mantua Masonic Lodge.
A U.S. Army veteran, he served as a staff sergeant during World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Naida (Martz), to whom he had been married for 40 years; sons, William and William Kruhmin, both of Long Island, N.Y., and Kenneth Kruhmin of Ravenna; daughters, Sandra Dunfee of Kent and Jean Dennis of Mantua; twelve grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and sisters, Nora Brady and Geraldine Patterson, both of Pennsylvania. His sons, Randall and Sonny, and two brothers, died previously.
There will be no calling hours. Private funeral services will be held at Maple Grove Cemetery Chapel in Ravenna, with the Rev. Carl Holm officiating. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by Shorts Funeral Home, Ravenna Chapel.
Memorials may be made to Robinson Memorial Hospital Hospice.

Nancy L. Lopez
Nancy L. Lopez, 72, of Braceville, died Saturday at University Hospital in Cleveland.
Born June 15, 1925, in Clarksburg, W. Va., she was the daughter of Anthony and Michelina (Sgattoni) Malone. She had lived in the Braceville area since 1956.
She worked for Serve-A-Mation.
She was a member of Christ Our King Catholic Church in Warren. She attended the Warren Academy of Beauty School. 
Survivors include her husband, Alfred, whom she married Sept. 1, 1956; daughters, Mrs. Tim (Michelle) Fraelich and Mrs. Brian (Lisa) Gregory, each of Champion, Ohio; two grandchildren; and, sister, Edith Clifton of Jacksonville, Fla. Her sisters, Rose Yeter and Clara Gonzalez, died previously.
Calling hours will be held from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Borowski Funeral Home, where a prayer service will be held at 6:45 p.m. that day. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Christ Our King Church. Burial will be in All Souls Cemetery in Cortland.
Memorials may be made to the Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospital in Cleveland.

Margaret E. Prohn
Margaret E. Prohn, 71, of Hamilton, a former Portage County resident, died Sunday at the Hospice of Cincinnati.
Born Jan. 5, 1927 in Hiram, she was the daughter of Ira P. and Florence (Hoskins) Chalker. 
She was a member of Lindenwald United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her daughters, Jeannie Prohn of Hamilton and Judy (Peter) Teeple of Fairfield; two grandchildren; twin brother, Marland "Bud" (Laverne) Chalker of Eustis, Fla.; brother, Harrison "Chuck" (Rosemary) Chalker, of Ravenna; and sister, Shirley (Archie) Kaser of Killbuck. Her husband, Robert W. , died in 1985.
Calling hours will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Zettler Funeral Home, 2646 Pleasant Ave., Hamilton, where services will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, with the Rev. Thomas Harry officiating.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Cincinnati.


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