Obituaries

M. Nancy Morrison, of the Willow Valley Retirement Communities, died Tuesday, July 5, 2016.Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late John and Margaret Kennedy.  Nancy was the wife of the late Warren Paul Morrison who died in 1984.She was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church and served as a deaconess.  She was a former member of the...

Phyllis Ethel Esbenshade (nee Roberts) of Ephrata, PA passed away on July 3, 2016 at Ephrata Manor.  She was the loving wife of J. Fred Esbenshade with whom she celebrated 72 years of marriage.She was born in Lebanon, PA on March 13, 1920 to Herbert Light and Ethel Mutch Roberts.A member of Grace United Church of Christ, Eden, Phyllis was...

Emma Burkholder Hess, age 98, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, died on June 30, 2016, at Conestoga View Nursing Home.She was born December 14, 1917, in Pea Ridge, Missouri, the fourth child of John Wolf Hess and Lizzie Burkholder Hess. In early childhood, her family moved to Manson, Iowa and then returned to Akron, Pennsylvania. She attended elementary school in Akron and...

Earl H. Demmy, 77, husband of the late Clara M. (Myers), formerly of Ephrata, passed the 21st of June, at Wellspan ECH. He is survived by four daughters, Lori A. (wife of Robert Martin), of Ephrata, Robin Mentzer, of Ephrata, Tina M. (wife of Brian Reinhart), of Lebanon, Tracy M. (wife of Kevin Kepple), of Denver, nine grandchildren, one step-grandchild,...

George L. Turns, Jr, 92, passed away Monday, June 20, 2016 at Masonic Village, Elizabethtown, PA.   Born in Harrisburg, PA, he was the son of the late George L., Sr. and Bertha Schubauer Turns.He was the husband of Joan (McLaughlin) Duncan Turns to whom he had been married 31 years.  His first wife, Jane preceded him in death.Mr. Turns served...

Anna May Fitzgerald, 90, of Lancaster, PA died Tuesday, June 21, 2016.  She was the widow of Robert W. Fitzgerald, Jr. who died July 12, 2004.Born in Lancaster, PA she was the daughter of the late Israel and Mary Rohrer.  She graduated from J.P. McCaskey High School and was a cook at Conestoga View for many years.  She was a...

Jean E. Frantz, 86, died on June 9, 2016 in Mechanicsburg, Pa. at the home of her sister, where she had resided for the past year.A graduate of Myerstown High School, where she graduated as valedictorian, Jean went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in music education from Lebanon Valley College and a Master’s Degree in organ from Westminster Choir...

Mary Louise Habecker Shelton died June 16th, 2016.  Mary Lou was born February 4th, 1919, the first child of John S. and A. Mary Habecker, and she was raised on their farm on Spring Valley Road outside of Rohrerstown.She was a graduate of East Hempfield High School and completed studies in Secretarial Science at Catawba College, North Carolina.  Initially employed...

Ruth E. Proctor, 83, of Columbia, died Monday, June 13, 2016 at Lancaster General Hospital.She was the wife of the late Jere D. Proctor, Sr. who died in 1997.  Born in Carroll County, MD she was the daughter of the late Stanley and Mary Criswell Myers.Ruth had worked for over 20 years at the former Good’s Dairy and then ended...

Marjorie Louise Kauffman age 94 of Brethren Village Lancaster Pa., passed away June 7, 2016. Born in Altoona Pa., she has resided in the Lancaster area after moving from North Manchester, Indiana. She was the director of the YWCA nursery school in Elgin Illinois. She attended Juniata College and Loch Haven College. She was a member of the Lancaster Church...

Corinne H. Nissley, 92, died at the Brethren Village on June 6, 2016.  Born in East Petersburg to Elam and Esther Martin Hollinger, she was married to Walter Scott Nissley, Jr. for 68 years.A 1942 graduate of East Hempfield High School, Corinne first became a busy farmer’s wife, housewife and mother.  Later she entered retailing as a sales clerk and...

Jeanne E. Michael, 93, of Lancaster, passed away on Monday, June 6, 2016 at Lancaster General Hospital.  She was the loving wife of the late Jack H. Michael who preceded her in death.Born in Lancaster, PA., she was the daughter of the late John A. and Emma R. (Bernhard) Otstot.Jeanne was a graduate of J.P. McCaskey High School class of...

Ethel Jean Bitzer Hall passed away on June 4, 2016 at Landis Homes.Ethel was born in Lancaster, the daughter of John Guy and Laura Kauffman Bitzer on March 2, 1918.  She spoke happily of her years growing up on Lemon Street.  She graduated from Stevens (Girls) High School as a class officer and member of the National Honor Society. While...

Barbara Ann Fisher, 74, of Lancaster, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, June 3, at the Mennonite Home.Born in Lancaster, she was the daughter of the late John and Nancy Jane Bell.She was the loving wife of Levi Fisher, with whom she celebrated 51 years of marriage.Barbara was a member of Calvary Church of Lancaster, where she...

Irene Louise Chandler, 94, a resident of Willow Valley Communities, Lancaster, PA passed away Sunday, May 29.  Born in Dimock, PA she was daughter of Roy & Irene Button and wife of the late George Chandler.She leaves three daughters, Donna Swenson, FL, Nancy DiCocco, CO, Beverly Rohon, CT, grandchildren Aimee, Scott and Brent, great-grandchildren, Caleb and Maya, nieces and nephews.For...

Verna M. Lefever, 93, passed away on Friday, May 27, 2016 at Garden Spot Villages.  She was the loving wife of the late Frank H. Lefever to whom she was married to for 47 years before his death in 2003.Born in Lancaster, PA., she was the daughter of the late Charles R. and Christiana (Shaub) Walker.She worked as a carburizer...

Eleanor C. Riker, 90, of Lancaster, went home to be with the Lord on June 1, 2016 at Calvary Homes. Born in Newark, NJ, she was the daughter of the late William and Mabel (Downs) Riker.Eleanor was a sweet, dedicated servant of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and she spent her life as a missionary.Eleanor was a member of...

Nathen Porter Edwards died on May 26, 2016 at the age of 93 in Willow Street, PA surrounded by family.  He is predeceased by his parents Elias Jackson Edwards and Eunice “Jessie” Telford Edwards, his sisters Lucy and Eunice and brother Ernie.He is survived by his wife Doris Best and his sons Richard (wife Sharon) and Robert (wife Pam) and...

Charles J. “Chuck” Snader, Jr., 87, a resident of Homestead Village, died Monday, May 31, 2016.He was married 56 years to Joyce A. Shirk Snader.  Born in Lancaster, he was the son of the late Charles J., Sr. and Neva H. Little Snader.Chuck had multiple careers, he was involved in purchasing at Irex Corp. and Specialty Products Insulation Co.  He...

Clinton K. Burkhart, 100, of Conestoga, died Monday, May 30, 2016.He was the husband of the late Arline Bauer Burkhart who died in 2003.  Born in New Holland, he was the son of the late Wayne and Susie Kilhefner Burkhart.Clinton retired from Hamilton Watch after 35 years of employment.  He was a 1935 graduate of East Lampeter High School and...