Person Page 4,882

Obituary -- (Findagrave.com):

Opal L. Emmert, 85, passed away Friday, September 4, 2009 at Perry Lutheran Home in Perry, Iowa.

Opal Leigh was born October 25, 1923 in Melbourne, Missouri, the daughter of Leora and Arthur McLey. At the age of 12 her family moved to Booneville, Iowa and later to rural Waukee, Iowa, where she graduated from high school in 1941. On January 20, 1943 she was united in marriage to Dale Emmert. They made their home at their farm in rural Minburn where they have lived 66 years. Opal was a home maker and a longtime member of Minburn United Methodist Church. She also volunteered for the Red Cross and the Woodward State Hospital. She enjoyed gardening and spending time with her family.

Opal is survived by her husband of 66 years, Dale; three children, Darrell (Nancy) Emmert of Adel, Linda (Bill) Brueck of Chatfield, MN and Mark Emmert of Minburn; eight grandchildren; eight great- grandchildren; and two sisters, Lois Young of Des Moines and Karen (Ronald) Main of Camden Point, MO. She was preceded in death by her parents; an infant son, Aaron; and a brother Francis.

Obituary -- (Findagrave.com):

Cora E. Specht passed away on June 4, 2017, at Serenity House, a hospice facility in Santa Barbara, California after a short but intense battle with an aggressive form of lymphoma. She was 89 years old.

She is survived by her daughter, Mary Gilmour, and son-in-law, Jim Gilmour, of Santa Barbara, California; her son, Grant Specht, and daughter-in-law, Louise Lofquist, of Camarillo, California; four grandchildren, Ryan Gilmour (and wife, Erin Modecai), Jaime Johnson (and husband, Sam Johnson, Dylan Specht, and Shane Specht, and her great grandson, Emmett Johnson.

Cora was born on February 20, 1928, to Ray and Bertha Emmert in Des Moines, Iowa. Cora attended McPherson College in Kansas for two years and then transferred to Grinnell College in Iowa, receiving a B.A. degree in Economics and Business in 1950. After graduation she taught 5th grade in Ames, Iowa, and 7th and 8th grade in Belle Plaine, Iowa, before receiving an M.S. degree in Education from Drake University, in Des Moines, in 1954.

After her children went off to college, Cora volunteered for four years in the Career Counseling Center at Union County Technical Institute, in New Jersey, and in 1981 earned an M.A. degree in Student Personnel Services (Guidance and Counseling) at Kean College of New Jersey, graduating with a 4.0 GPA.

Cora married Gordon D. Specht on May 24, 1952, beginning a loving marriage that lasted over 60 years until Gordon’s death in 2012. They moved to Westfield, New Jersey, in 1954, where they lived for the next 50 years. Cora devoted herself to raising her children and creating a warm and caring home environment for her family. Cora was active in the First United Methodist Church in Westfield, where she served in various capacities, from teaching and playing piano for Sunday school to serving as chairperson on numerous church committees.

In 1983, Cora opened her own business, Career and Leisure Horizons, a career, educational, and leisure counseling and consulting service in Westfield. Cora ran Career and Leisure Horizons for 20 years before moving to Santa Barbara in 2004 to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

Cora was an accomplished pianist and enjoyed music throughout her life. She also enjoyed playing bridge, travel, bicycling, hiking, and reading. She was an avid canoeist who joined her family on countless white water canoeing trips on the Delaware River. One of her great joys was exploring national parks on numerous family vacations.

Cora was a devout Christian with a strong faith in God. She was a charter member of Stover Memorial Church of the Brethren in Des Moines, a 50-year member of the First United Methodist Church in Westfield, N.J., and later a member of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara. In recent years, Cora lived in an independent living apartment at The Samarkand retirement community in Santa Barbara, where she enjoyed the beautiful mountain view and spending time with her extended family at numerous family gatherings.

Obituary -- (Findagrave.com):

THOMAS A. MILLER, 89, formerly of Potomac Towers Apartments, died Wednesday at the Avalon Manor Nursing Home. Born in Washington County, he was a son of the late Hamilton Miller and Martha Wade Miller.

He was a life time member of the Church of the Brethren.

He is survived by one son, Garvin Miller of Virginia; one daughter, Doris Huffman of Hagerstown; one sister, Jane Shoop of Hagerstown; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Source: Morning Herald (Hagerstown, MD) Thurs., Mar. 24, 1977.

Obituary -- (Findagrave.com):

ANNA ARBENA MILLER, wife of Thomas A. Miller, died Saturday morning at her home on Hagerstown Route 2, Western Pike, after a long illness. Born at Eccard, Md., she was the daughter of Hiram and Susan (Reese) Hoffman. She lived most of her life in this area and was a member of the Beaver Creek Christian Church.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son, Garvin O. Miller, College Park, MD.; daughters, Mrs. Eugene Hoffman, Hagerstown Route 2; and Mrs. Arthur Hartle, Williamsport Route 1; brothers, Lewis Hoffman, Mt. Lena, Md.; and Arthur Hoffman, Hagerstown; six grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

Source: Morning Herald (Hagerstown, MD) Mon., April 18, 1960.