Obituaries

Eugene W. Crider, 91, of Lancaster, PA passed away on December 21, 2011, at the Apostle Center of Homestead Village. Born in Camp Hill, PA, April 20, 1920, he spent his childhood in Mt. Joy and adulthood in Lancaster. Gene was the son of William and Gertrude Crider and for 52 years the husband of the late Estelle Crider. Surviving...

Willard Eugene OliverWillard E. Oliver, known to family and friends as Gene, died on December 13 at Willow Valley Community Retirement Community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania after a brief illness. He was 91. He was born on July 13, 1920 in Great Falls, Virginia. In 1941 he married Julia Lee of Herndon, Virginia, having already begun a 23-year career in the...

James Robert Hess, 85, Lancaster, passed away peacefully on Tues., Dec. 20, 2011 of natural causes. He was born in Lancaster. He was the son of the late Oliver and Verna (Forry) Hess.He was in the 2nd graduating class (1944) of the newly formed Lancaster Mennonite High School. He also graduated from Eastern Mennonite Seminary (now EMU), Harrisonburg, Virginia. In...

Evalyn Gretzmacher of Lancaster, formerly of Newtown Square, died Dec. 14. She was the loving wife of the late William F. Gretzmacher Jr.She is survived by her children, William F., III (Gloriann) of Washington Township, NJ, daughter Gail S. Ryan (Robert) of Manchester, CT., and son Robert D. (Janice) of Garnet Valley, along with three grandsons and a granddaughter.Evalyn enjoyed...

Noel Siggins Dorwart, 87, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 18, 2011 after a brief illness. Noel was a lifelong resident of Lancaster. He was born on December 25, 1923, the son of the late Harry M. and Marguerite S. Dorwart. Noel was a member of Bethany Presbyterian Church. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 61...

Dorothy M. CreamerDorothy M. Creamer, 86, of Lancaster, PA died Monday, December 19th at Conestoga View. She was the widow of J. Kenneth Creamer. Born in New Oxford, PA she was the daughter of the late Charles and Ruth Gulden Sadler. Dot was a member of St. Andrew U.C.C. and was a secretary for Allen M. Alboum Insurance Agency. She...

Helen Tinley LewisDecember 16, 2011, Helen Tinley Lewis, 94, passed away. Born in Baltimore to the late Frederick C.B. and Maud Ellingsworth Tinley on June 11, 1917. She married the late Trevor C. Lewis on January 9, l942 and is survived by their four children: Nancy Paluch of Ladson, SC; Beverly Cryer of Lancaster, PA; Trevor (Chip) Lewis Jr., of...

Joan Timney Verigood, 75, of Lancaster, passed away Friday, December 16, 2011 at Hospice of Lancaster County. Born in Ambridge, she was the daughter of the late John A. and Elizabeth Schlumpf Timney. She was married for 53 years to Robert J. Verigood.Joan was a 1953 graduate of Ambridge High School and a 1957 graduate of Grove City College. She...

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...