Obituaries

Frank R. Geist, 93, of Lancaster, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at Hospice of Lancaster County.Born March 19, 1918 in Lancaster, he was the son of the late Harry E. and Lillie A. Curley Geist. He was the husband of the late Pauline Kneisley Geist with whom he shared 65 years...

Virginia Mae Hollinger Graybill, passed away on December 13th 2011, at the age of 87.Born in Manheim, she was the daughter of the late Raymond W. and Emma A. Hess Hollinger. Virginia was a member of Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in Lancaster. In her early years she was an active volunteer in the community working and chairing...

M. Maxwell Smith, 96, of Lancaster, passed away Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at the Mennonite Home, Lancaster. Born in Rea, PA, he was the son of the late J. Leonard and Elsie Taggart Smith. He was the husband of Emma (Shoemaker) Plastow Smith and also the late V. Ruth McCalmont Smith.Max graduated from Penn State University in 1936. A year...

Florentena W. Groff, 95, a resident of Luther Acres, died Sunday, December 11, 2011 at Abington Hospice at Warminster following a brief illness. She was the wife of the late Robert L. Groff who died in 2006. Born in Enola, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Arianna Beachler Wilt. Mrs. Groff was an active member of the...

Milton K. Morgan Jr., 79, of Lancaster, died Friday, December 9, 2011 at Hospice of Lancaster County after a bout with cancer.A Lancaster native, Milt built his life in the community where he grew up. He was a Manheim Township High School graduate, owner and president of the J. Walter Miller Co., an active civic group member and a lifelong...

David V. Swartz, 78, of Lancaster, died Thursday, December 8, 2011, at Lancaster Regional Medical Center.He was married 50 years this past April to Verna A. Hess Swartz. Born in Wilkes-Barre, PA, he was the son of the late Jeremiah C. and Ethel Wallick Swartz.David graduated from Millersville University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and then later received his...

Violet A. “Mom” Dull, 93, of Lititz, died Sunday, December 4, 2011 at Hospice of Lancaster County in Mount Joy.She was the wife of the late Clarence L. Dull who died in 1990. Born in Pottstown, PA she was the daughter of the late John and Elizabeth Trimble Lesher.Violet was a homemaker who enjoyed bowling and vacations in Wildwood, NJ....

Lenora Pinto Seacat, 91, formerly of Hostetter Lane, Lancaster, died Monday, December 5, 2011 at Moravian Manor, her home for the past 8 months.Born Feb. 3, 1920 in Osceola Mills, PA she was the daughter of the late Joseph, Sr. and Vera Olive Phillips Pinto. While working as a secretary in Harrisburg she met WWII soldier Wayne Seacat, former chief...

Doris I. Riggins, 86, a resident of Luther Acres, died Saturday, December 3, 2011.She was the wife of the late Ralph G. Riggins, Jr. who died in 2002. Born in Reading , she was the daughter of the late Frank and Elsie Dornan Rothermal.Doris was a homemaker and a member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. Her interests...

Betty Ruth Doak Lindsey of Willow Valley Retirement Community, in Lancaster, PA. passed away after a lengthy illness on November 30, 2011, at the age of 90. Betty Ruth was born in New Jersey and grew up in Tyler County, West Virginia, where she held her first teaching position as the district music teacher. She and her husband, John raised...

Mary Alice Thompson, 89, of Lancaster, PA passed away Monday, November 28, 2011 at Lancaster General Hospital. She was born in Charleston, WV, and was raised in Newport, KY, Columbus, IN and Louisville, KY. She was the daughter of the late Joseph Michael and Ida (Casada) McDermott. She was the wife of Roger D. Thompson. She and Roger lived in...

Cheryl A. KiefferCheryl A. Kieffer, 67, of Lancaster passed away peacefully at her home on Friday, December 2, 2011 following a courageous battle with cancer. She was the daughter of the late John M. and Evelyn E. (Morrow) Kauffman of Lancaster. She is survived by her husband of 26 years H. Ronald Kieffer.Until her recent illness, Cheryl was employed by...

Rev. Otto F. Becken, 82, of Lancaster, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, December 1st at his home with his loving wife Mary J. Becken by his side.Born in Manorville, Long Island, New York, he was the son of the late Ivison and Agnes Nugent Becken.Otto graduated from the Biblical University of Philadelphia and devoted his life...

Tina M. Cherry, 50 , of Lancaster, died Thursday, December 1, 2011 at Lancaster General Hospital.Born in Lancaster, she was the daughter of the late James W. and Frances M. Woodard Cherry.Tina was a 1979  graduate of J.P. McCaskey High School.   She was a homemaker who enjoyed cooking, playing cards and family  outings.Surviving are  three daughters, Tiandra Cherry, Tynisha Cherry...

Darwin T. SmithDarwin Tennis Smith passed away Monday, November 28, 2011 atCoatsville VA Hospice. He was the loving husband of Deborah. He is also survivedby his sons Darwin and Michael, stepchildren Jason, Daniel and Sara, 13grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, sisters Patricia and Sandra, and brotherRichard.Tennis was a life member of Riverside Camping Assoc. and theV.F.W. He was an avid sports fan...

Katherine Gschwend Miller, 39, of Lancaster, PA died Thursday, November 24, 2011. Kate was the daughter of Dorothy Moore Gschwend and Dr. Paul Gschwend III, of Lancaster.A 1990 graduate of Lancaster Country Day School, Kate earned her B.A. degree from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. She completed her Masters in American Studies at the College of William and Mary. Kate...

John B. Fishel, 97, passed away on Tuesday, November 22,2011 at Hospice of Lancaster County, Mount Joy.He was a resident of Oak Leaf Manor North, Landisville.  Prior to that, he resided in ValleybrookEstates, Lancaster.Born in Hagerstown, MD on September 24, 1914, John was theson of the late Oram and Mary Blume Fishel.He was the husband of the late Janice S....

Jerrold S. Dix, 83, of Lancaster, passed away Saturday, November 19th at Homestead Village. Born on March 25, 1928 in Brattleboro, VT he was the son of the late Justin H. and Myrtle Briggs Dix. He is survived by his loving wife Marilyn Wetzell Dix.Jerrold was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was a man of many hobbies, some...

Donald B. Jones, 89, of Lancaster, PA passed away on Saturday November 19, 2011 at the Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center, Lititz, PA after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife Ann Oster Jones.Don was born in Baltimore, MD on February 6, 1922. He was a devoted husband of 61 years and a loving father of his...

Darlene E. Reikard, 57, of Lancaster, passed away November 17, 2011 at home. She left this world peacefully and was sent with much love from her family and friends to join her fur friends across the rainbow bridge.Darlene graduated from McCaskey High School in 1971. She was most recently employed by Y & S Candies.She is survived by her parents,...