December 22, 2005

OBITUARIES

Mary Weiss Dykstra

Mary Weiss Dykstra, formerly of Yellow Springs, died early Christmas morning at her home in Tucson, Ariz. She was 97.

She was born on Sept. 25, 1908, the daughter of Paul W. and Louise (Geiger) Weiss. She grew up in Yellow Springs and graduated from Bryan High School in 1926.

Mary was the oldest living member of the First Presbyterian Church in Yellow Springs. She served on the board of deacons and was a member of Presbyterian Women. She was a longtime active member of the Yellow Springs Library Association. She loved Yellow Springs and was always interested in everything and everyone and had a zest for life.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Kenneth; and her husband of 47 years, Edward J. Dykstra.

She is survived by two daughters, Jane Force of Tucson and Susan Bothwell of Ashland, Ore.; five grandchildren, Jill Bothwell Failla of Portland, Ore., Rex Force of Pocatello, Idaho, Andrew Force of Portland, Clark Force of Tucson, and Seth Bothwell and his wife, Erica, of Yellow Springs; 10 great-grandchildren, including Jillian, Caitlin and Allison Bothwell; and two sisters, Mabel Weiss and Esther Miller of Yellow Springs.

A memorial service will be held in Yellow Springs at a date to be announced. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church or to the Yellow Springs Library Association.

Ethel Pollard Moss Hobdy

Ethel Pollard Moss Hobdy of Yellow Springs died Thursday, Dec. 22, at home. She was 97.

She was born June 21, 1908, in Macon County, Ala., the daughter of Lucious and Alma Pollard. She began her Christian life at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Macon County. Later in Birmingham, she united with the Union Bethel Independent Methodist Church. She was a dedicated and active member for more than 60 years, serving as secretary of various boards. After moving to Yellow Springs in 2000, she became a member of the First Baptist Church.

Ethel was a strong, proud and independent woman. She was very thrifty. You were rewarded for any deed that you did for her. She insisted on doing this. Her love for baseball began as a teenager and continued throughout her life. The Atlanta Braves was her favorite team.

She was preceded in death by all seven of her siblings; both husbands, Booker Moss and Frank Hobdy; and one daughter, Patricia Leonard.

Ethel is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Jacqueline and Norman Childs of Yellow Springs and Betty Jean Glenn of Chicago; grandchildren Michael D. Childs, Pamela Douglas, James and Cheryl Glenn, Ireta McGee and George Leonard; great-grandchildren Robert and Jacqueline Douglas, Erica, Ashley, Ryan and Michael L. Childs, Ilanthia McGee, Anthony, Zachary, Kimberly and James Glenn, Tyree Leonard and Maya Mungo; and great-great-grandchildren, Tiana and Makayla Douglas and Lillie Glenn.

Services and burial will be held at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Macon County, Ala., on Thursday, Dec. 29. Porter-Qualls Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements here. Final arrangements are by McKenzie’s Funeral Home of Tuskegee, Ala. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Yellow Springs Senior Center or the Greene County Council on Aging.

Elizabeth ‘Dottie’ Lowe

Elizabeth Maxine “Dottie” Lowe of Xenia died Thursday, Dec. 22, at Liberty Nursing Center in Xenia. She was 89.

She was born on July 31, 1916, in Jamestown, the daughter of Frank and Stella Fitchthorne Brock. She and her husband, Carl E. Lowe, longtime proprietor of Lowe’s Drug Store in Xenia and Yellow Springs (1955–73) moved in 1974 to Florida, where she lived until 2005.

She was a member of Faith Community United Methodist Church and New Port Richey United Methodist Church. An avid golfer, she was a charter member of the Greene Country Club.

She was preceded in death by her husband in 1987; three sisters, Mary Wolf, Florence Dinwiddie and Lily Tobin; and a brother, Loren “Butch” Brock.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Carl and Sarah Jane Lowe; two grandchildren, Trevor and Carly Lowe, of Xenia; a sister, Genevieve Brock, all of Xenia; and several nieces and nephews.

Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. Her cremains will be placed in a Masonic niche in Grace Memorial Gardens in Hudson, Fla. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, Ohio Valley Affiliate, P.O. Box 634445, Cincinnati 45263-4445. Neeld Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Narva A. Stewart

Narva A. Stewart of Huntsville, Ala., and formerly of Yellow Springs, died Wednesday, Dec. 21, in the University of Alabama Hospital. She was 68.

She was born May 28, 1937, in Springfield, Ohio, the daughter of Booker T. and Sedalia (White) Schooler. She was a retired mental health counselor.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Narva is survived by her loving husband, Jack; her children and their spouses, Lamont “Monty” Stewart, and Christa “Chris” and Ray Ortiz, all of San Antonio, Kent and Lillian Stewart of Rochester, Minn., and Jill and Steve Johnson of Huntsville, Ala.; a sister and brother-in-law, Doris and Jesse Penn of Miami; and six grandchildren.

Services were held Wednesday, Dec. 28, at Central Chapel AME Church. Interment followed in Glen Forest Cemetery.

Elizabeth Ann Folck

Elizabeth Ann Folck died Tuesday, Dec. 27, at Hospice of Dayton, after a 14-month battle with breast cancer. She was 52.

She was born in Springfield on Dec. 18, 1953. She graduated from Greenon High School and Wright State. She was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and worked as a teacher at the Bethlehem Lutheran School in Fairborn. Ann will be cherished as a loving mother, daughter, sister, friend and educator.

She is survived by her parents, Glenn C. and Helen I. (Neal) Folck; children, Ashley Frey, a student at the North Eastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, and Adam Frey, a student at the University of Cincinnati; brothers and sisters-in-law, Neal and Ginger of Centerville and Andrew and Mary of Charlotte, N.C.; and several nieces and nephews.

Friends may call Friday, Dec. 30, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Jackson Lytle Williams Funeral Home in Yellow Springs. Services will be held Saturday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m., at the funeral home, with Pastor William McKee officiating. Interment will follow in Glen Forest Cemetery.