Ruth Anne (Sieber) Crowder

BELLEVILLE — Ruth Anne (Sieber) Crowder, 64, died to this world and
returned to her Creator on Oct. 30, 2007, from Valley View Retirement
Community, where she had been a resident for the past two years.

Born in Lewistown, she was the daughter of Violet M. (Smith) Gross, of
McClure, and the late Marvin D. Gross. Her husband, Paul D. Crowder,
whom she married May 4, 2002, preceded her in death on May 26, 2003.
Her ex-husband, Charles T. Sieber, Reedsville, survives.

She is survived by three cherished sons and their families; Michael T.
Sieber and wife, Robin, grandsons, Charlie and Clint, of Halifax,
N.C.; Matthew M. Sieber and wife, Stephanie, granddaughters, Tori,
Alli and Bella, of Haveloc, N.C., and Nathan A. Sieber, of Lancaster,
and one precious stepdaughter and her family; Kathryn J. Wright and
husband, Tim, granddaughters, Megan and Maya, of Gansevoort, N.Y. Also
surviving is her beloved sister, Joy Lynn Gross, Mechanicsburg, and
uncle Samuel F. Smith, Mount Union. Five nieces and one nephew, of
whom she was especially fond, also survive.

Ruth Anne was a graduate of the Geisinger Memorial Hospital School of
Nursing, Danville, and served as secretary of the Pennsylvania Student
Nurse Association. her professional nursing career spanned 41 years
and included Susquehanna University Health Center, Selinsgrove;
Lewistown Hospital, where she worked in Pediatrics Oncology, was the
first Hospice Nurse and was instrumental in developing HOSPICE: The
Bridge. She also served as office nurse for Dr. Pamela McCarter, as
camp nurse for Androscoggin Jr. Camp for Boys, Wayne, Maine,
Orthopedics Total Join Unit at Saratoga Hospital, Saratoga, N.Y. She
was last employed as RN supervisor at Valley View Haven, Belleville.

During her years in hospice care, Ruth Anne created many educational
programs, workshops and written materials on end-of-life issues and
was particularly interested in providing tools for adults to support
children affected by loss. She was twice a presenter at the
International Forum for Death Education and Counseling in Boston,
Mass., and San Diego, Calif. and numerous times at Pennsylvania
Hospice Network Annual Meetings, and was on the Speakers' Bureau for
Purdue Pharma with specialty in pain management at end of life.

She was an active member of Reedsville Evangelical Lutheran Church,
having served as a Sunday School teacher, Church Council Secretary,
Church Secretary, senior choir, and as director of the junior choir
for over 25 years.

Although she loved nursing and music, sewing, making dolls, and
crafts, Ruth Anne's favorite activity was supporting her children and
grandchildren in whatever activity in which they were participating.
She will be remembered for her "Indian War Whoop," enthusiastic
presence and the infamous cow bell.

Although afflicted by ALS, Ruth Anne chose to emphasize the positives
in her life and felt very blessed by her family, her friends, her
caregivers and her God.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Barr Funeral Home, 120
Logan St., Lewistown. Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday,
Nov. 3, 2007, at Reedsville Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pearl and
Logan streets, Reedsville, with the Rev. Kenneth W. Longfield
officiating. Interment will follow at the Allensville Presbyterian
Cemetery.

A viewing will be held Friday, Nov. 2, 2007, at the Barr Funeral Home,
120 Logan St., Lewistown, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made in Ruth Annes' memory to CPCI/WTLR
Christian Radio, 2020 Cato Ave., State College, PA 18601, or to
Lewistown Hospital, 400 Highland Ave., Lewistown, PA 17044.

On-line condolences may be sent to www.barrfuneralhomeinc.net

$140,000 TO CHARITIES
She lived simply to give generously
JOE DEPRIEST
jdepriest@charlotteobserver.com


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Courtesy of Lori McKeeThelda Hendrick, who saved her tips during 38 years of waiting tables at Shelby's Bridges Barbecue Lodge. Hendrick, who died in August at 81, donated the tip money to charities, including $60,000 to the North Carolina Baptist Men disaster relief efforts.(Photo courtesy of Lori McKee)
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From Billy Graham to textile workers, Thelda Hendrick treated all her customers like family at Shelby's Bridges Barbecue Lodge.

Generous tips added up during the 38 years she waited tables. A divorced mother of three daughters, she lived frugally in an old mobile home, recycling everything from tin foil to plastic foam cups.

When Hendrick died in August at 81 from Lou Gehrig's disease, family and friends were surprised to learn she'd also recycled her tips.

She left $140,000 to an array of charities.

Her will bequeathed $60,000 to the N.C. Baptist Men disaster relief effort. She also left $20,000 each to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Hospice of Cleveland County, the American Cancer Society and Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, where she was a member.

"I'd never met her and she hadn't been personally helped by our volunteers," said Richard Brunson, executive director-treasurer of the N.C. Baptist Men. "This is a gift from someone who worked very hard, and it's been entrusted to us to help people in other ways. It's very humbling."

Lori McKee described her grandmother as a "caring and compassionate person."

"I was amazed at how much (money) she had," said McKee, who was executor of the will. "She was a very social person and loved people."

Kathryn Hamrick, former manager of the Shelby MetLife office, said Hendrick worked long hours and invested most of her money in fixed accounts. She left an estate valued at more than $500,000. In her will, she'd looked after her family members financially, but wanted to give what was left to charities, said Hamrick, who was Hendrick's financial representative.

"Periodically, Thelda would bring a $5,000 check to the office to add to her accounts," Hamrick said. "I knew Thelda's life story well enough to know that whatever money she was saving came from her earnings as a waitress, the bulk of which was tips."

N.C. Baptist Men would get the most because of a connection Hendrick had with the organization while waiting tables at Bridges.

On Palm Sunday 1994, a tornado touched down in the Cleveland County town of Boiling Springs, damaging homes. Volunteers with the N.C. Baptist Men doing relief work stopped at Bridges for a meal. Hendrick waited on them and heard their story.

"She was very, very impressed by them," Hamrick said. "Their work literally goes on around the world. She knew their efforts were the real deal."

Hendrick didn't want anybody to know about her plan to donate the tip money to charity until after death. According to Hamrick, Hendrick said it was OK to tell the story then.

"She had a very fulfilling life," Hamrick said. "Her frugality didn't impair it. She was rich in friendships."

Born in Windsor, Colo., Hendrick grew up during the Great Depression. When her mother died, her father moved back to Cleveland County and farmed land near present-day Bridges Barbecue.

"She came up the hard way," said Hendrick's sister, Lucille Gardner, 89, of Shelby. "But she had a heart of gold."

Founded in 1946 by Elmer Leroy "Red" Bridges, the Shelby barbecue lodge became a renowned regional restaurant. Billy Graham would stop by on his way to Montreat, and actor Mickey Rooney stopped in once. For Hendrick, it was like home.

Customers Jim and Kathy Holland and their two children used to visit with Hendrick while eating at the counter.

"She'd tell us jokes," said Jim Holland. "Maybe sometimes they weren't funny, but we'd laugh anyway because Thelda was telling it to us. She was taking her time to treat you like somebody more than a customer."

Hendrick worked until she was 78. She had a small house built near the old trailer, read two newspapers a day and worked crossword puzzles. She also traveled the 50 states, Mexico and Canada. The Panama Canal was on her list, but she never made it.

Doug Dickens, pastor at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, where Hendrick taught Sunday school, said the amount of money she left behind doesn't matter.

"It's still a significant legacy," he said. "She'd found something to do with her money that really mattered. In fact, what she did with her life as a waitress really mattered."

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Cookie

Muriel
Peckham

"Life is Good"

Female
58 years old
MAUMELLE, ARKANSAS
United States

MySpace URL:

http://www.myspace.com/cookiepeckham


Cookie Peckham, 58, of Maumelle, Arkansas went to be with her Lord on November 2, 2007 due to complications of ALS. She was born on July 24, 1949 in Long Island, New York, a daughter of William L. and Muriel Harris Diescher. She retired from the Arkansas State Health Department after over 18 years of service. She was active in the Muscular Dystrophy Association Chapter in Little Rock, and a strong supporter for ALS. She was preceded in death by her father.

She is survived by her loving husband, Jim Peckham; mother, Muriel Diescher, of Maumelle, Arkansas; two brothers, William Diescher, and his wife, Deborah, and John Diescher, and his wife, Brenda, all of Cortland, New York; and a host of nieces, nephews and many, many friends, and will be sadly missed.

A memorial service will be held at 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 7, 2007, at First Christian Church of Maumelle, 4001 Club Manor Drive, with Reverend Searcy McBurnett officiating. Arrangements are by Roller-Chenal Funeral Home (501)224-8300.

Memorials may be made to C-A-R-E, 5516 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, Arkansas 72207, or to ALS c/o MDA Association, 204 Executive Court, Suite 208, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.

[living-with-als] Doris Carlson



It is with great sadness I tell you this news. My
mom, Doris Carlson, passed away this morning. She
passed peacefully in her sleep. She was at home. She
had been in and out of the hospital for most of
October. She was ready. I believe she is up in Heaven
with my Dad now. She will be buried in Wisconsin next
to my Dad, and beside her parents.

My Mom was active on this board for the last 6-7 yrs.
My Dad had ALS and my mom was his caregiver for 20
years. Many of you knew her personally thru private
emails as well as on this board.

Pam (Carlson) Parana
pamelac16@...



there will be a viewing on Tues Nov 6 from 2-4pm and
6-9pm at the Rutherford Funeral home 450 W Olentangy
St, Powell, Ohio There will also be a church service
on Wed Nov 7 at 7:30pm 520 Village Park Drive, Powell
Ohio



There will be a service in Cumberland Wis next
Saturday where she will be buried.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group.../message/51104

Rodney Klein

While it sounds clich�, Ozark athletic director Phil Montgomery never heard any harsh words about Rodney Klein.

"When someone passes, you'll hear people say that no one ever says a bad word about someone. Sometimes it's true and sometimes it isn't. With that said, I don't remember too many people saying anything bad about Rodney," Montgomery said. "Even opposing coaches of the schools. Everyone liked him."

Klein, a former girls' basketball coach at Ozark, as well as a football assistant coach for Montgomery in the 1990s, passed away Thursday at the age of 45 due to complications with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).

The funeral is at 11 a.m. today at the First Baptist Church in Versailles.

Montgomery said Klein's great sense of humor always had him looking for a practical joke, even after he was diagnosed with ALS in 1998.

"He was always wanting to have fun. A terrific person, he lived life to its fullest and was a very good father," Montgomery said.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs...TS21/711050324

Local Teacher, Basketball Coach Dies

POSTED: 5:52 pm EST November 6, 2007

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INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- A local teacher and coach died Saturday after suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease.

Mike Kurent touched the lives of hundreds of students and basketball players. Those who knew him said he had a heart of gold, NewsChannel5's Tracy Carloss reported.

"He lived what he taught his students -- to get the best out of life because tomorrow isn't promised to anyone," said his sister Barbara Kurent.

He taught and coached at several schools including Central Catholic and Independence High School. He also coached NBA player Earl Boykins.

"He really worked three jobs. He was a teacher, coach and had a fencing business because a teacher is not a lucrative business," said friend Mel Termini.

As head coach at Independence, Kurent had many successful seasons. He was also a star basketball player himself at Independence. He's in the school's athletic hall of fame.

Kurent was in the classroom because he loved making a difference in students' lives. He retired last year, and on Saturday he lost his battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.

Kurent never stopped trying to educate people. He traveled to Columbus a few months ago to try and help educate lawmakers about the disease.

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/14526177/detail.html

JEANANN REYNOLDS, 54, OLD BRIDGE
Home News Tribune Online 11/5/07
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Jeanann Reynolds passed away Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007, at Old Bridge Manor. She was 54.


Born in Washington, D.C., she lived in Long Island, N.Y., before moving to Old Bridge.

She was a member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Old Bridge.

Jeanann was a loving homemaker who had a talent for being able to sew anything and everything. She was a wonderful friend to many people. A person who always stayed bright even when the situation was bad, and never stopped caring about others even when she became sick.

She was predeceased by her mother, Pauline Fogo Reynolds, in 1993. Surviving are her father, Dale Reynolds; a son, William James Dodds of New Brunswick and his fiancee, April L. Edwards of Old Bridge; a daughter, Patricia Lynn Dodds and her fiance, Tim Horn, of Florida; two stepdaughters, Anne Denise DeSchene of Pennsylvania and Janidor DeSchene of Minnesota; a sister and brother-in-law, Patricia Ann and Bill Wait of South Amboy; a nephew, Billy Wait; a niece, Kaitlyn Wait, and a grandson, Connor Lee Van Horn-Dodds.

Visitation will be from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday evening, Nov. 6, and from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. and 7 p.m.-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Old Bridge Funeral Home, 2350 Route 516, Old Bridge. A service will be held Wednesday during the evening hours at the funeral home. Cremation will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Jeanann's name to battle Lou Gehrig's Disease to either the ALS Association, Development Department, 27001 Agoura Road, Suite 150, Calabasas Hills, CA 91301 or the Joan Dancy Foundation, Riverview Medical Center, 1 Riverview Plaza, Red Bank, NJ 07701, Attn: Patricia Schaeffer, RN. Online condolences can be made at www.oldbridgefh.com.

MARIETTA: James Hogue Jr., 45, admirable Cobb coach

By Kay Powell
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/16/07
That day Jim Hogue had been expecting finally came. He could no longer coach sports with his body, so he coached with his words.

He was 41 when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, in May 2003. Gradually, he lost all use of his body—-except his voice —- and could no longer show Cobb County children how to shoot hoops, pitch, catch, bat or pass.

With each loss, he adapted so he could continue coaching in church and community leagues. "Maybe he would scream a little bit louder," said his neighbor Clay Fleishel of Marietta.

Mr. Hogue coached the players and their parents, Mr. Fleishel said. He taught the athletes to be competitive and to shake the opponent's hand after each game. He taught them always to be prepared to play hard. His players learned that they have a team role even sitting on the bench or in the dugout, and that is to cheer their teammates on.

He coached parents to keep their expectations realistic and not to get out of line. When it came time to pick his teams, he evaluated the parents as well as the players. If he thought a parent did not fit his sportsmanship standards, he would pass on the child as a player, said his wife, Polly Hogue of Marietta.

"He was easy to respect," Mr. Fleishel said. "When there was a draft, everybody wanted to be on his team."

The funeral for James Rodney Hogue Jr., 45, who died of ALS Tuesday at his Marietta residence, is 11 a.m. today at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. H.M. Patterson & Son, Arlington Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

"He had the wisdom to teach boys through his words," Mrs. Hogue said. "His goal for each and every child was to make them better."

His support was ongoing. After a hard week at work, Mr. Hogue flew his family to visit Mr. Fleishel's family when they lived in Louisiana. The flight arrived late, Mr. Hogue fell into bed and he easily could have slept late the next day. "He woke at 7 in the morning to see my son do baseball tryouts," Mr. Fleishel said.

An all-around athlete at Campbell High School and basketball player at Georgia Tech, Mr. Hogue was a sales engineer who provided refrigeration units for Wal-Mart stores worldwide, his wife said.

"He was your classic relationship sales person," Mr. Fleishel said. "People wanted to do business with him."

He presented financial seminars at his church and never paid full price for anything, Mrs. Hogue said. That led to one big surprise for her when he bought their east Cobb County house out of a foreclosure sale without her ever seeing it, she added.

Friends were fodder for Mr. Hogue's quick wit. "If you made a mistake around him, he was all over you," Mr. Fleishel said. "I was on the other side of those barbs a lot."

His time for himself was golf, and he was popular on the course. "Older men would call and ask me, 'Can Jim come out and play?' " Mrs. Hogue said. When he began to have problems controlling his putter on the golf course, he saw a doctor and received his ALS diagnosis.

Mr. Hogue raised money for the ALS Association of Georgia through a 5K run/walk sponsored by Neurosport Physical Therapy. For the past three years, 100 to 150 of his friends have entered the event, and the number is increasing for the run/walk in his honor Saturday, said Neurosport executive assistant Heather Fitzgerald of Kennesaw.

Mrs. Hogue is a nurse and increasingly took care of his personal needs, drove him to practice and games and enabled him to keep coaching.

"To take a man who was so athletic, a truly beautiful person physically, to lose all your physical aspects to your body didn't bother him. It wasn't a pretty picture. It's a horrendous disease," she said. "He handled it with so much grace. He never complained."

"Jim was an easy person to be jealous of —- smart, good-looking, successful, athletic and a sharp sense of humor —- but he had so much charm you had to like him," Mr. Fleishel said.

Other survivors include a stepdaughter, Lauren Hogue of Marietta; a son, Jim Hogue III of Marietta; his parents, Sadie and James Hogue of Roswell; and a sister, Susan Wamsley of Charleston, S.C.

Former Murfreesboro chief E.N.Brown dies

By BRANDON PUTTBRESE
Gannett Tennessee


MURFREESBORO — Former Police Chief Edmond "E.N." Brown, known for his commitment to improving the working conditions of officers, died Saturday. He was 68.

Chief Brown was appointed to head the department in 1978 and served until 1987, when he was forced to retire for health reasons. After a 20-year battle, the former chief succumbed to Lou Gehrig's disease and Parkinson's.




Police Chief Glenn Chrisman remembered his former boss as compassionate and big-hearted. "His legacy will be that he always wanted to do the very best he could for his officers," Chrisman said.

"He had come through the ranks, starting as a patrolman, and knew the problems facing officers in their day-to-day lives."

Chief Brown, a Rutherford County native and graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, worked 27 years in law enforcement, also serving in the Tennessee Army National Guard.

A 1975 graduate of the FBI National Academy, Chief Brown served on the board of directors of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Officers Association.

He began his career walking the streets of Murfreesboro as a patrol officer in 1960. It's a position he never lost touch with, said Chrisman.

"He liked working out in the field and had a great appreciation and respect for people who did," Chrisman said. "He was a policeman's chief."

Chief Brown was promoted to detective in 1965 and became chief of detectives a year later.

Visitation will be from 4–8 p.m. today at Woodfin Memorial Chapel in Murfreesboro. Memorial services will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at Woodfin Chapel. Burial with police honors will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alive Hospice Inc., 1718 Patterson St., Nashville, Tenn., 37203.


http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....59/1006/NEWS01

Dave Price taught us all how to handle a bad draw
Column by Kevin Record
DEMOCRAT CORRESPONDENT

When tennis tournament draws are posted on the Internet, or anywhere else, players often take one look and begin complaining. The whining can be incessant.

It's just not fair, they will tell you. They shouldn't have to play such a tough opponent in the first round.


Well, I'm not putting up with it anymore. I'm not complaining - and I'm not going to tolerate anyone's complaining - about getting a tough draw.

It's my way of honoring the late coach Dave Price.

Through his courageous actions, Price taught us all how to compete during our time here on earth, no matter how tough the opponent.

Here's a man who embraced physical activity. By profession, in fact, he was a physical education teacher at Wakulla Middle School. It was his very nature to be constantly on the move, whether he was competing in a road race or chasing down an opponent's shot on the tennis court.

But about two years ago, coach Price got a bad draw. His opponent: Lou Gehrig's Disease.

It is an absolutely insidious malady. It attacks the central nervous system relentlessly, breaking down its victims without regard for who they are or what they stand for.

Coach Price did a lot with his life in 53 years. He was the major force behind getting tennis started in the Wakulla County school system. The tennis courts at Wakulla High will forever bear his name.

He coached soccer. He coached cross country. He dedicated his life to serving kids and helping them lead active lives.

But, in the end, he taught us all how to handle a bad draw. He looked his final opponent in the eye and never backed down, never blinked.

Coach Price passed away13 days ago, but he did not lose. By every definition, he's a winner and will be remembered as such.

When I saw him running around the track at Leon High School last spring, as his opponent was completely wreaking havoc with his body, it was just one example of his courage.

Last week, friends and family told story after story about his fighting spirit. He refused to stop living. He refused to stop playing. He kept trying to get things done - as a father, husband, teacher, coach and friend.

When they took away his car keys, he just took his son's. “I think dad stole my car,” the text message from son to mom read.

Toward the end, he would play tennis sometimes until he fell over. Friends would simply pick him back up and he'd keep on playing.

Before he got ill, coach Price would have a weekly game with Judge Terry Lewis at Leon High School. From afar, I watched this friendly rivalry with great admiration.

Last Monday evening, just hours after coach Price's memorial service at Blessed Sacrament, I engaged in my own friendly rivalry with Eric Larson under the lights at Myers Park.

I was thinking about coach Price and Judge Lewis, and I was thankful for the time I had watching those two in action and for the time I was still able to share with Eric. Honestly, I was just trying to compete like coach Price would have it.

At that moment, one of coach Price's sons, Tyler, came through the gate at Myers Park with several of his buddies. They were wearing T-shirts that read “Wakulla High School Tennis.”

One of them said, “Let's do this.”

They were still playing tennis when Eric and I left the courts over an hour later. Their collective spirit filled the air.

Hey, coach Price, you won.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs...NEWS/711210354