Dorothy Taylor

Dorothy Elizabeth  Potts Taylor, passed away on Nov. 29 at the Crosslands. Retirement Community in Kennett Square. She was the wife of Wallace G. Taylor, whom she married on June 29, 1946. He passed away in 2010.

Born on Jan. 31, 1923 in West Chester, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Jesse F. Potts and the late Leona Temple Potts.

She graduated from Kennett Consolidated School and Mary Washington College with a bachelor of sciences degree.

Dorothy was a  member and past president of the Four Seasons Garden Club,  A member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church. She was active in church work serving as president of the Woman's Association, a circle leader, and an elder. She attended an Ecumentical Bible study beginning in 1978. 

Some of her favorite hymns were “My Tribute,” “To God Be the Glory,”  “Morning is Breaking,” “He Lifted Me,” and “Here I am, Lord.”

She enjoyed reading, golf, bridge, music, travel, and her friends and family.

Dorothy is survived by one daughter Barbara Shrewsbury (and her husband Brian) of Mount Dora, FL; 11 grandchildren:  Amy Gibbs, Jenny Lebel, Meredith Adomanis, Lauren Washington, Derek Tichenor,  Adam Tichenor,  Kellen Tichenor,  Abby Makle,  Hayley Verdecanna,  Drake Shrewsbury and Jibril Shrewsbury; 17 great-grandchildren:  Aiden Lebel,  Madison Lebel,  Leia Adomanis,  Kade Adomanis,  Jase Adomanis,  Alaina Washington,  Shea Washington,  Fiona Washington, Lowan Tichenor,  Grayson Tichenor,  Noah Tichenor,  Eden Tichenor,  Levi Tichenor,  Jazelle Ramos, Noah Ramos, Malachi Tichenor, and Ivy Verdecanna, with two more on the way and also one great-great granddaughter on the way.

She was predeceased by one daughter, Nancy  Hawkins.

The service and burial will be held privately.

To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo Funeral Home in Kennett Square.

Mary Anna Jackson

Mary Anna Jackson, a resident of Elkton, Md., passed away on Nov. 27 at Laurelwood Nursing Home. She was 84.

She was the wife of the late Samuel H. Jackson, Sr.

Born in Lester, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Joseph Leo and Anna Grace Bilbrow Anderson.

She is survived by five children, Alice Martin (Doug) of Elkton, Md., Frank Creshine (Tracy) of Quarryville, Samuel H. Jackson, Jr. (Judy) of Cochranville, Helen McGinnis (Andy Kauffman) of Bart and Vonnie Creshine; 12 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held at Cochranville United Methodist Cemetery at 147 Cochran St., in Cochranville, Pa. on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Amedisys Hospice Care, 107 Chesapeake Blvd., Suite 134, Elkton, MD 21921, or Laurelwood Healthcare Center, 100 Laurel Dr., Elkton, MD 21921. 

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford.
Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

Randy Lee Rader

Randy Lee Rader, a 61-year-old resident of Nottingham passed away on Nov. 27 at his home.

He was the husband of the late Cheryl McColl Rader.

Born in Watkins Glen, NY, he was the son of the late Nelson and Arlene Lamb Rader.

Randy was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He was a special electronic device repairer and held the sharpshooter badge.

Randy was a self-employed drywall contractor.

He was an active member of the Pagan’s Oxford chapter.

He enjoyed music, playing guitar, riding his bike and spending time with his brothers and family.

He is survived by his fiancé, Myrl R. Ward; one daughter, Amber Dawn Rader of SC; two brothers, Ricky N. Rader of Kirkwood, Pa., and Roger A. Rader of West Grove; one sister, Debra A. Rader of West Grove; nieces and nephews; and great-nieces and great-nephews.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Rodney Rader.

Services and interment will be private.

The family requests memorial tributes be directed to Collins Funeral Home for Randy’s funeral fund to assist with expenses.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford.
Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

Passmore Johnston, Jr.

Passmore “Pete” Johnston, Jr., a resident of Oxford, passed away on Dec. 3 at Season’s Hospice in Newark, Del. He was 78.

He was the husband of Beulah Marie Gentry Johnston, with whom he married on April 9, 1962.

Born in West Chester, Pa., he was the son of the late Passmore, Sr. and Louise Price Johnston.

Pete was a dedicated farmer and rose grower with Yeatman's & Sons, and a heavy equipment operator with Technivate, Inc.

He enjoyed gardening, hunting, and Sunday drives with his wife. He was a loving husband, devoted father, and ornery grandfather.

He is survived by his wife; one son, David Johnston (Nancy) of West Chester; three daughters, Shawn Johnston (Vanessa) of Oxford, Darlene Johnston (Jack) of Landenberg and Cheryl Ruoss (Michael) of Oxford; four grandchildren, Christina Johnston of Landenberg, Angela Reyes of Kennett Square, Dakoto Ruoss of Oxford and Michael Ruoss, Jr. of Oxford; and by seven great-grandchildren

He is also survived by seven siblings, William Moore, Mary Payne, James Johnston, Norman Johnston, Joe Rivera, Manuel Johnston, and Sandra Rivera.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, John Moore, Bruce Johnston and David Johnston.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11 at Kennett Square Missionary Baptist Church, 408 Bayard Rd., Kennett Square, PA 19348, where friends and family may visit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Russellville Grange #91, 245 Old Limestone Rd., Oxford, PA 19363.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford.

Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

Pauline H. James

Pauline H. James, a longtime Oxford resident and retired elementary school teacher, passed away on Dec. 3 at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del. She died peacefully in her sleep, just days away from her 90th birthday.
Known to friends and family as Polly, she was a devoted member of the Oxford United Methodist Church, following in the footsteps of her parents, William and Charlsie Harold. 

She was also an active supporter of the Oxford Public Library. In recent years, she had overseen a scholarship program established in the name of her late husband Edward James, a retired elementary school principal. The fund supported college costs for graduates of Oxford Area High School intending to go into teaching. 

She was a longtime, avid reader and a dedicated bridge player, and she enjoyed cooking for and hosting family gatherings. She loved gardening around her house on Locust Street in Oxford. She and Ed were adventurous and wide-ranging travelers, visiting far-flung family members, favorite destinations abroad and in the U.S., and learning expeditions with Elderhostel.
Pauline Peterson Harold was born in Rising Sun, Md. on Dec. 6, 1930. Her father was an executive in a manufacturing firm and her mother was a homemaker, well-known for family recipes in the Southern cooking tradition. 

She grew up in a household with one brother, Richard, and three sisters, Nancy, Peggy and Joanne.  She attended Oxford Area High School and then received a teaching degree from West Chester State Teachers College (now West Chester University). Her first job was as an elementary school teacher at Gilpin Manor School and then, later, she was a reading teacher in the Oxford schools.  
She met her husband-to-be when he took a teaching position in Oxford and was a boarder in her parents’ house in Oxford. They married in 1952 and soon had two children: a son, Jeff, and a daughter Judy, whom they brought up in Oxford.
Her husband passed away in 2007. 

She is survived by her sister, Joanne DiNicola, her children and grandchildren and their families: Jeff (and husband Paul Travers); Judy Davis (and  partner Jimmy Raimato); Derek Davis (and wife Tara); Niki Davis (and wife Brandie); and “adopted” family Deb Prewitt (and husband Rod).  

As the oldest surviving member of the Harold clan, she was immensely proud of the many accomplishments of her extended family, including many beloved nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.  

A memorial service will be announced at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Oxford Public Library, 48 S. Second St., Oxford, PA 19363 or the United Methodist Women of the Oxford United Methodist Church, 18 Addison St., Oxford, PA 19363.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. 
Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

Mexie “Esther” Perry

Mexie “Esther” Perry, 95, a resident of Rising Sun, Md., passed away on Dec. 2. She was born on January 31, 1925 in Swords Creek, VA to the late Elbert T. Miller and Virginia Pearl (Herndon) Miller.

Esther was a graduate of Rising Sun High School and lifetime member of Conowingo Baptist Church. 

A person that always kept busy, she was an avid reader, enjoyed spending time in her vegetable garden, and canning. Esther was gifted at craft work and could make anything. She also had a passion for genealogy, having researched and written books with the family trees as well as interesting stories for both the Miller and Perry sides of the family. 

Esther’s greatest joy came from spending time with her family. She loved going to annual family reunions in addition to singing for the weekly family nights. She will be dearly missed.

Esther is survived by her four children, Ronald B. Perry (and his wife Sherry), Norris S. Perry (and his wife Minnie), Basil S. Perry (and his wife Joan), and Vivian Martin; seven grandsons; two granddaughters; 16 great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren, as well as numerous extended family members. 

In addition to her parents, Esther was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Branham Perry, grandson, Scott Perry and her ten brothers and two sisters.

Services for Esther will be held privately at the convenience of the family. 

To send online condolences, please visit, www.rtfoard.com.