Obituaries
Helen Matthew
Jul 28, 2005
Helen Mary Matthew, 81, formerly of Wyomissing, died July 28 at 5:10 a.m. in Phoebe Berks Health Care Center Inc., Wernersville. She had been a resident at Phoebe Berks Village since 2001. Born in West Reading, she was a daughter of Alvin and Stella (Holzman) Wenrich. Matthew was owner-operator of Marion House Hotel, Stouchsburg, for more than 25 years, retiring...
Mildred Schaffer
Jul 22, 2005
Mildred J. Schaffer, 87, formerly of Reading, died July 22 at 11 a.m. in the Berks Heim Annex, where she had resided since 1998. Her husband, David C. Schaffer, died June 13, 1998. Born in Reading, she was a daughter of the late Harry and Mary (Snyder) Noll. Schaffer was a member of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Reading. She is...
Francis Grady
Jul 22, 2005
Francis J. Grady, 90, Muhlenberg Township, died July 22 at 6:40 a.m. in ManorCare Health Services Inc., Muhlenberg Township, where he had been a resident for more than six months. He was the husband of Ruth N. (Schwenk) Grady. His first wife, Esther M. Grady, died in 1976. Born in Elmira, N.Y., he was a son of the late Joseph...
Leon Wapinski
Jul 14, 2005
Leon Wapinski, 83, died July 14 at 3:45 p.m. in his Reading residence. He was the husband of Helen M. (Quinton) Wapinski. Born in Kolo, Poland, he was a son of the late Alexander and Josephine (Stolarska) Wapinski. Wapinski had been employed for 33 years as a relief man by Hofmann Industries Inc., Spring Township, retiring in 1990. He was...
Edward Baskerville
Jul 1, 2005
Edward Baskerville, 78, died July 1 at 8:48 a.m. in his Reading residence. He was the husband of Brenda J. (Lowman) Baskerville. Born in Hartford, Conn., he was a son of the late Edward White and Gertrude (Thompson) Baskerville. Baskerville was last employed for 10 years as a security guard for J.P. Mascaro Inc., Birdsboro, until his retirement. He was...
Francisca Rivera
Jun 26, 2005
Francisca Rivera, 70, died of natural causes June 26 at 12:45 p.m. in her residence in Reading. She was the wife of Victor Osorio. Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, she was a daughter of the late Juan and Cecilia (Montanez) Rivera. Rivera was employed for 30 years as a machine operator by Consolidated Cigars, Puerto Rico. She was a member...
Donovan Ballesteros
Jun 24, 2005
Services for Donovan R. Ballesteros, 12, of Reading will be Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Whelan Schwartz Funeral Home Inc. Burial will be in Gethsemane Cemetery, Laureldale. Ballesteros was pronounced dead June 24 in Lehigh Valley Hospital near Allentown, where he had been a patient since being struck by a car June 18 on Moss Street in the city, officials...
Hazel Huls
Jun 22, 2005
Hazel V. Huls, 93, Muhlenberg Township, died June 22 at 9:27 p.m. in Reading Hospital. Her husband, John B. Huls Jr., died Feb. 15, 1976. Born in Delaware County, she was a daughter of the late Raymond B. and Lettie (Livinghouse) Fisher. Huls was employed for 13 years as a bar tacker by the Talbot Knitting Mills, Reading, retiring in...
Bernard Gousie
Jun 22, 2005
Bernard J. A�a�A"BenA�a�A� Gousie, 44, died of natural causes June 22 at 6:45 p.m. in his residence in Exeter Township. Born in Norton, Mass., he was a son of Bette L. (David) Gousie, Exeter Township, and the late Joseph L.B. Gousie. Gousie was employed for more than 20 years by Prospectus/Berco, Reading, and was employed for five years by A.T....
Eugenia Melendez
Jun 15, 2005
Eugenia Melendez, 91, Reading, died June 15 at 11 a.m. in Reading Hospital, where she had been a patient for one day. Her husband, Daniel Melendez, died in 1972. Born in Puerto Rico, she was a daughter of the late Francis and Lola (Melcado) Melendez. Melendez was a member of Hermanos Unidos en Cristo, Reading. She is survived by a...
Francisco Mendoza
Jun 12, 2005
Francisco R. Mendoza, 76, Reading, died June 12 at 10:30 p.m. in Reading Hospital. His wife, Ella Mae (Peabody) Wright, died Jan. 7, 2003. Born in Puerto Rico, he was a son of the late Geronimo and Eulalia (Roman) Mendoza. Mendoza was employed for 26 years in housekeeping by the Reading Hospital, retiring in 2001. Surviving are five daughters: Loreen...
Paul Gerhart
Jun 8, 2005
Paul Gerhart, 88, formerly of Reading, died June 8 at 3:05 p.m. in the Mifflin Center, Cumru Township, where he had resided since April. His wife, Annabelle (Kulp) Gerhart, died in September 1986. Born in Philadelphia, he was a son of the late William and Anna (Seibert) Gerhart. Gerhart was employed for 23 years as a knitter by Rockwell International,...
Michael Gonzalez
May 22, 2005
Services for Michael L. Gonzalez, 24, of Reading will be Friday at 10 a.m. in Whelan Schwartz Funeral Home Inc. Burial will be in Charles Evans Cemetery. Gonzalez died as a result of head injuries suffered in a one-car accident along Skyline Drive in Alsace Township on May 22. A passenger in the vehicle, Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the...
Barry Bender
May 6, 2005
Barry L. Bender, 59, Reading, died of natural causes May 6 at 2:09 a.m. in St. Joseph Medical Center, where he had been a patient for one day. He was the husband of Rita M. (Mohr) Bender. Born in Reading, he was a son of the late Robert L. and Mary A. (Dietrich) Bender. Bender had been employed for nine...
Trent Harris
Apr 29, 2005
Trent B. Harris, 40, Reading, died of natural causes April 29 at 8:45 a.m. in the Trans Level Care Center of St. Joseph Medical Center, Reading. Born in West Reading, he was a son of Deanna H. (Keith) Harris, a resident at Berks Heim, and the late Marlin R. Harris. Harris had been employed as a cook in the kitchen...
Charles Stricker
Apr 28, 2005
Charles I. Stricker, 86, Reading, died April 28 at 11:33 a.m. in Reading Hospital, where he had been a patient for 12 days. He was the husband of Laura A. (Gehr) Stricker. Born in Reading, he was a son of the late Henry R. and Kathryn M. (Martin) Stricker. Stricker had been employed for 27 years by Lebanon Tool Co.,...
Roy Frank
Apr 20, 2005
Roy G. Frank, 91, Reading, died April 20 at 7 a.m. in St. Joseph Medical Center, where he had been a patient nine days. He was the husband of Fern E. (Ritz) Frank. His first wife, Pauline M. (Tatarewicz) Frank, died in 1972. Born in Reading, he was a son of the late Nelvin R. and Nattie (Weidenhammer) Frank. Frank...
Jane Pergola
Apr 17, 2005
Jane R. Pergola, 78, formerly of Reading, died April 17 at 1:18 p.m. in Spruce Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, West Reading, where she had been a resident since January. Her husband, Joseph A. Pergola, died Nov. 30, 1982. Born in Reading, she was a daughter of the late George and Esther (Hill) Smith. Pergola had been employed for many...
Elwood Iii
Apr 16, 2005
Services for Elwood W. Heck III, 42, West Reading, will be arranged by the Whelan Schwartz Funeral Home Inc. Heck was pronounced dead at the scene Saturday after leaping from the east side of the Lindbergh Viaduct, according to officials at the Berks County Coroner's Office. He died of multiple injuries. The cause of death is listed as suicide. He...
Esther Kramer
Apr 10, 2005
Esther M. Kramer, 97, Reading, died April 10 in Berkshire Center, Exeter Township, where she had resided one month. Her husband, Harry A. Kramer, died in 1979. Born in Hamburg, she was a daughter of the late Oliver and Martha (Matz) Moyer. Kramer was a member of St. Thomas United Church of Christ, Reading. Surviving are a son, Richard H....
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