October 17, 2002

front page
more news
sports
classifieds
calendar
ad information
directory
contact information
archives

 

OBITUARIES

Charlotte Case

Charlotte Case of Williamsburg, Va., died Saturday, Oct. 12. She was 103 years of age.

She was born Charlotte Adams Smith on March 22, 1899, in Rochester, N.Y.

During World War I, she attended Mechanics Institute (now part of the University of Rochester), then worked in a chemistry laboratory where she developed new dyes to replace those formerly imported from Germany.

Following her marriage to Percival Homer Case on Sept. 11, 1920, she lived for a time in Denver, where she studied and performed vocal music at the Denver Conservatory. During WWII, she managed voluntary services for the Office of Civil Defense on Staten Island.

In 1943, when their son was serving as a naval officer in the Pacific Fleet, she and her husband settled in Van Buren County, Mich. They raised jersey cattle and a variety of fruits on Peaches ’n Cream Farms. After Percival died in 1953, Charlotte continued to administer the farm operation alone until 1957, when she moved to the Chicago area. There, she became office manager and bookkeeper for a large suburban florist.

Following her retirement, she returned to needlework, an avocation of her youth. During the years from her 70th to her 95th birthday, she created more than 40 quilts. Every one of her descendants has at least one of her quilts. During her 100th birthday celebration, 26 quilts were exhibited in the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists sanctuary.

She was a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood for 71 years, a third generation Unitarian, and a member of the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists. She had lived in Williamsburg since 1989.

She is survived by her son, David Adams Case, and his wife, Barbara Wilcox Case, of Yellow Springs, and by their four daughters, Janet Case Title of Arlington, Va., Martha Case Betts of Sandpoint, Idaho, Sara Ellen Case of Yellow Springs and Polly Case Lohrer of Cologne, Germany; her daughter, Katharine Case Fournier of Williamsburg, and her two daughters, Susan Campbell Fournier of Williamsburg, and Annie Fournier Tiberio of Amherst, Mass; and eight great-grandchildren, David and Allison Betts, Benjamin and Brian Title, Douglas and Michael Hass, and Adam and Jenny Tiberio.

A memorial service will be held Friday, Oct. 25, at the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, 3051 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, Va. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists Endowment Fund or to The Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203.

John W. Lang Jr.

John W. Lang Jr. of Yellow Springs died Tuesday, Oct. 15, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton. He was 65 years of age.

Born Nov. 10, 1936, in Pickens County, Ala., he was the son of the late John W. Lang Sr. and the late Annie Lee Cole Lang.

He moved to Xenia to attend high school and became part of an extended family of the late Lewis L. and Gloria S. Winfrey. While a student he worked at the Winfrey Funeral Home. After graduating from East High School in Xenia, he enrolled and graduated from the Chicago Institute of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. He became a furniture maker with Kroehler Manufacturing Company in Xenia, where he worked until it was destroyed by a tornado.

He relocated to Charlotte, N.C., where he continued his trade as a furniture maker. Upon retiring, he moved back to the Xenia and Yellow Springs area where he worked part-time for St. John Bus Company.

He is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Lucy B. Lang; children, Gerald Leslie and Mary Lang of Charlotte, Darwin Wayne Lang of Yellow Springs, Dr. Sandra Lang of Ft. Worth, Texas; one grandson, Andre Leslie Lang of Savannah, Ga.; two sisters, Lula L. Lang-Jeter and her husband, James Jeter, of Arlington, Va., and Johnnie L. Lang of Philadelphia; and a nephew, Lewis Rinehart of Philadelphia; and a host of other family members and friends.

Services will be held on Friday, Oct. 18, at the United A.M.E. Church, 286 East Church Street in Xenia, Pastor Robert H. Reid Jr. presiding. A viewing will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by a funeral service. Interment will be in Valley View Cemetery. The Porter-Qualls Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Joyce Ann Canterbury

Joyce Ann Canterbury of Fairborn died Wednesday, Oct. 9. She was 47 years of age.

Born in Barberton, she was the daughter of Edward Swason and Patricia Davis Canterbury.

She graduated from Barberton High School and attended Ohio State University.

She was the owner of Fiber Fantasy in Yellow Springs, which closed in 1999. She was a popular instructor of spinning and knitting. She bred and raised angora rabbits and sheep and devoted her life to the love and care of injured and homeless rabbits of all species.

She was preceded in death by her father and her grandparents.

She is survived by her mother; her sister, Anita Canterbury; her brother, Edward Canterbury; three aunts, Bessie, Helen and Lillian; two first cousins; a niece and several grandnieces and nephews.

A viewing and memorial service were held on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Jackson Lytle & Ingling Williams Funeral Home in Yellow Springs.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Clark County Humane Society, 5201 Urbana Road, Springfield, Ohio 45503.

J. Robert Pfeiffer

J. Robert Pfeiffer of Springfield died Tuesday, Oct. 8, at his residence. He was 86 years of age.

Born Feb. 21, 1916, in Springfield he was the son of Joseph D. and Mary E. (Liesch) Pfeiffer.

He retired in 1981 from Meade Corporation and was a ham radio operator for many years.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Hope Errett and Ruth Cultice.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Nona; a son and daughter-in-law, David and Susan Pfeiffer of Yellow Springs; a daughter and son-in-law, Judy and Jeff Sturgell of Springfield; four granddaughters and their husbands, Sheryl and Bud Lanier, Tamara and Lonnie Snapp, Laura and Scott Morgan, Heidi and Shane Hall; eight great-grandchildren, Travis, Justin, Kacie, Nick, Danny, Jake, Brad and Megan; a brother and sister-in-law, Mac and Leanna Pfeiffer; a sister, Betty Kennedy, all of Springfield; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Services were held on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Asbury United Methodist Church in North Hampton, with burial following in Myers Cemetery.

Martha Ream Yoder Morris

Martha L. Ream Yoder Morris of Scottsdale, Ariz., died on Sunday, Oct. 13. She was 83 years of age.

She was born in Springfield on Dec. 11, 1918.

During her marriage to Earl Yoder, she moved to Yellow Springs, and together they established Yoder Memorial Home. She received her funeral director’s license from the University of Cincinnati and was active in Eastern Star.

She is survived by her daughter, Linda Todd of Scottsdale, and her son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Suzanne Yoder of Sarasota, Fla.

Her family and friends honored her life in a private ceremony.