Author: Scott Adams

Angela Fisher, a beloved mother, grandmother, and advocate, peacefully passed away Saturday, December 30th, 2023, embarking on her spiritual journey. She leaves behind a legacy of love, compassion, and dedication to helping others. Angela is survived by her son, Anthony and his wife Arlene, her daughter, Donna-Jean Loder and her husband Terry, as well as her three cherished grandchildren, Jeremy, Joseph, and Amy.

A Quaker service will be held at the Friends Meeting Hall, 104 North Main Street in Woodstown on Saturday, January 13th at 10:30am to honor Angela’s life and allow her family and close friends to share their cherished memories of her. Angela firmly believed that death was not the end and, therefore, kindly requested that no gifts or donations be made in her name.

Throughout her life, Angela was a devoted Reiki practitioner, providing healing and comfort to those in need. She also hosted Course of Miracles study groups, guiding others on their spiritual journeys. Angela’s passion for helping children led her to work as a child advocate in Gloucester County and with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, making a positive impact on the lives of countless young individuals.

Angela’s bravery and determination were evident in her co-authorship of the book, “The Bicycle Repair Shop” alongside her close friend Todd Pressman. Through this powerful story, Angela shared her personal journey of overcoming adversity, inspiring others with her resilience and strength.

Angela will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her unwavering spirit, selflessness, and commitment to making a difference in the lives of others will continue to inspire and guide us. May her soul find eternal peace as she embarks on her next chapter.

Arrangements are by the H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Woodstown.  Please visit htlayton.com to leave a note of condolence to her family.

 

Jerome Christopher Kuhn of Woodstown, NJ entered eternal life on December 17, 2023. Greatly mourning his loss is his wife of 42 years, Lynda, his brothers and sisters, Rosemary Kuhn Martens, Joseph Kuhn, Christine Kuhn Kramer, James Kuhn. He is predeceased by his parents, John F. and Lillian Kuhn, brothers John (Jack) Kuhn and Paul Kuhn. Jerry will be missed by several nieces and nephews, many friends and his dog Lainey.

 

Jerry was born and raised in Michigan but made New Jersey his home since 1985 due to a job transfer. Woodstown has been his home for the past 20 years. He was employed in retail management then later worked as a merchandiser within the grocery industry for Acosta Sales & Marketing for 15 years. Jerry not wanting to stay retired worked part time at ShopRite Mullica Hill as a Shop From Home shopper. He loved his job, his coworkers, management and customers. A day didn’t go by that he didn’t see someone he knew or was helpful to a customer. He always took the time greet everyone with a smile. Everyone knew Jerry.

 

Jerry was a devoted member of The Catholic Community of The Holy Spirit Parish where he was a lector. He was in the Knights of Columbus Woodstown and their Treasurer for many years. He was a Fourth Degree Knight with the Msgr. John S. Griffey Assembly. The spiritual fulfillment and bonds that he formed with this Knight brothers uplifted him during his illness.

 

Jerry had a passion for cooking all of his life and even created some of his own unique recipes. He was “king of the leftovers”. He took leftover anything and made it into a delicious new meal. When he wasn’t cooking, he was reading cookbooks or watching cooking shows on television.

 

He had expert knowledge and skill with gardening and every year planted a vegetable garden in the yard. No matter how busy he found time to work in his garden.  Landscaping around the house and planting and maintaining his trees and bushes were something you always saw Jerry outside doing until he was unable to physically. Then he took on the management role and tried training his wife, Lynda how to carry on his work.

 

What gave him the most pleasure were his beloved companions-his Weimaraners that owned him over the years. He could always be seen walking either Sasha or Gracie around the neighborhood and met many new people and stopped to chat with neighbors.

 

Jerry was easy going, friendly and helpful. He always introduced himself to make people feel welcome and comfortable. He enjoyed the simple things in life mostly just spending time with Lynda and his dogs at home.

 

Funeral Mass will be held Friday, December 29^th  at 11:00am with Visitation beginning at 10:00am until Mass at The Catholic Community of The Holy Spirit Woodstown Parish, Center 2 Lamplighter Drive, Woodstown NJ 08098.

 

Memorial Contributions can be made to Knights of Columbus Council 10392 c/o 13 Wynnwood St. Woodstown NJ 08098 or to Tri-State Weimaraner Rescue 3119 Belvidere Rd, Phillipsburg NJ 08865 paypal@tristateweimrescue.org.

 

Arrangements are by the H T Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service Woodstown NJ 856-769-1515  website: htlayton.com

 

Ruth Margaretta Burgess Smith, age 89 of Monroeville, died Saturday, December 2, 2023, in her home with her family by her side.

Ruth was born on March 29, 1934, and raised in Monroeville.  She lived her entire life on the same country block.  She married Alfred E. Smith on November 28, 1953, in Friendship United Methodist Church, the church where she had been a member since age seven.  She and Al were married over 49 years and would have celebrated their 70^th wedding anniversary last week.  She had worked as a cashier at the Williamstown Acme for 7 years and at Bridgeton Acme for 33 years, retiring in 1996 after 40 years of service.  She had also served as Union Shop Steward, and in 1996, she was awarded Checker of the Year.  A true country girl, she and her husband enjoyed snowmobiling locally and were enthusiastic fishers, and hunters of deer, rabbit, squirrel and local fowl.  They enjoyed making meals from all that they hunted and caught.  Over time, Aunt Ruth and Uncle Al became the matriarch and patriarch of the Smith family.  She is survived by her nieces and nephews and their families, and her dear friends and neighbors.  In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her parents, Edgar L. & Jane (Reeve) Burgess, and her brothers, George and Joe.

Funeral services will be held at 11 AM on Friday, December 8^th in the H.T. Layton Funeral Home, 102 S. Main St., Woodstown, where friends are invited to visit from 10 AM until the time of service.  Burial will be in Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Elmer.  Memorial contributions may be made in loving memory of Ruth to Friendship United Methodist Church, 149 Friendship Rd., Monroeville, NJ 08343, Attn: Michelle Gerrells.  Please visit htlayton.com to leave a note of condolence to her family.

Earl W. “Bud” Wyckoff, Sr., age 84 of Deptford, died Thursday, November 30, 2023, in his home with his family by his side.

Born in Camden and raised in Cherry Hill, he was the son of the late Earl D. & Martha E. (Renninger) Wyckoff.  Bud attended Haddonfield High School and was a US Army veteran.  He had worked for 37 years in various departments for ACME Markets in many local stores over the years, retiring in 1993.  Bud was proud of building his own home, and he enjoyed maintaining it along with his property and gardens.  Most importantly, he loved his family, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Bud had been an active member of St. John’s UM Church in Harrisonville and had been a 40-year member of the Rising Sun Masonic Lodge in Haddonfield.

Bud is survived by his wife of 59 years, Molly (Cook); his son & daughter-in-law, Earl Jr. “Buddy” & Mary Ann Wyckoff; his daughter & son-in-law, Heather & Donnie Moore; his grandchildren, Martha Durham, Matthew Wyckoff, Joseph Schram, and Daniel Schram; his great-grandchildren, Brian Durham, Natalie Cannella, and Sunny Durham; and his sister, Martha Taylor.  In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Gayle Bonzella.

Funeral services will be held at 11 AM on Wednesday, December 6^th in St. John’s United Methodist Church on Main Street in Harrisonville, where friends are invited to visit from 10 AM until the time of service.  Burial will follow in the church cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St John’s UM Church, 803 Eldridges Hill Rd., Mullica Hill, NJ 08062.  Please visit htlayton.com to leave a note of condolence to Bud’s family.  Arrangements are by the H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Woodstown.

James Ray Stewart of Woodstown, formerly of Pennsville, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 26, 2023, he was 96. Born January 11, 1927, in Florence, SC, he later enlisted in the Navy in 1944. A proud American and veteran, he served in the amphibious forces on LSMs in the Pacific as a radioman and gunner during World War II.  After the war, he graduated from Clemson University with a degree in textile engineering. He Worked at DuPont Chambers Works as a Sr. Instrument Engineer until retirement. Ray also rose to the degree of Master Mason in the Penns Grove-Excelsior lodge and was an Eagle Scout.

Ray was predeceased by his wife of 54 years, Dorothy (Cheeseman), brother, Dan, and son, Rodney Wolfe. He is survived by his daughters, Suzanne Rathbone (Jack Scheurich) and Patricia Grenier (Fran); grandchildren Joshua Rathbone (Jess), Christopher, Emily, and Allison Grenier; two great-grandchildren, Levi and Layla; brother, Benjamin Albert, and niece Barbara Foreman (Jeff)

Ray was a loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend. He was hardworking and dedicated to providing for his family. He will be remembered for his kindness, generosity and impeccable gardens and yard. He will be deeply missed.

Family and friends are invited to graveside services that will be held at Salem County Veterans Cemetery on Friday, December 15, at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Ray’s memory to his favorite charity, The B.A.C Cancer Transportation Fund @ https://baccancerfund.org/ or a charity of your choice.  Please visit htlayton.com to leave a note of condolence to his family.  Arrangements are by the H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

Arlene S. Long of Daretown went home to be with the Lord on Monday, November 20, 2023, surrounded by her family.

Born the daughter of Howard and Marguerite (Campbell) Sims of Eldridge’s Hill, Arlene was a graduate of Woodstown High School.  This is where she met her husband, Jesse.  She retired from Upper Pittsgrove Township BOE where she was a school bus driver for over 30 years.  Arlene loved to dance and had a love for country music.  She liked to crochet and has made a blanket or two for every family member.  She enjoyed baking, cooking, and feeding lots of dinner guests.  She always had a house full of children and big Sunday family dinners.  She enjoyed going on bus trips with friends and trips to Lancaster with her sister and daughters.  She is a lifelong resident of Daretown where she had the closest and best neighbors in the world.  She is the loving mother of eight children, who she devoted her entire life to, and she is survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and her four-legged baby, Remi.  She is survived by her children, Barbara and Ervin Foote of LAC, Richard Long of Elk Township, Steven “Shorty” Long and Carol of Joplin, Missouri, Barry and Nina Long of Pilesgrove, Susan and James Heller of Quinton, Jeffrey and Jackie Long of Pilesgrove, and her son-in-law, Jack Denham of Woodstown.  She was predeceased by her loving husband, Jesse, her daughter, Donna Lynn Denham, her son, Kenneth, and her daughter-in-law, Jane Long.  Also, several siblings have gone on before her, her sisters, Lois Trew and Betty Wilson; her brothers, Raymond, Charles, Barry, George, Wayne, and Frank Sims.  We could never have wanted for a better mother.  God loaned her to us for over 91 years and now has prepared a place for her alongside the love of her life.  A graveside service will be held at 3 PM on Saturday, November 25^th in the Pittsgrove Baptist Church Cemetery, 368 Daretown Road in Daretown.  Please visit htlayton.com to leave a note of condolence to her family.  Arrangements are by the H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Woodstown.

 

David C. “Davey” Gray, Jr., age 32 of Woodstown, died Friday, November 17, 2023, in his home while surrounded by his family.

Born in Salem, Davey had been a lifelong Salem County resident.  He had attended Pennsville Memorial High School and was a professional truck driver for Seashore Asphalt Corp. in Clayton.

Davey loved spending time with all of his family.  He enjoyed fishing, music, and watching football, especially the Raiders.  He also enjoyed traveling with his family on vacation.

Davey is survived by his wife, Kaitlyn “Katie” Gray; his children, Naomi, Emma, Christopher, Jayce, Harley, and Colt; his mother, Connie Congleton; his father & stepmother, David Gray Sr.  & Dawn Stegeman; his sisters & brothers-in-law, Karen & Lee Coombs, Toni & James Jackson, and Samantha & Ed Hiles; his brothers, Mason Gray and Austin Myers; his nieces & nephews, Nova, Ayden, Azriel, Hunter, Savannah, Paisley, and Waylon; his uncle, John Donelson; and his uncle, Dwayne Donelson.  He was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Bernice & Mason Gray; his maternal grandparents, Gail & John Donelson; his stepfather, Vernon Congleton; his aunt, Kimberly Donelson; and his best friend, David Biddle Sr.

A memorial gathering will be held from 5 PM to 8 PM on Friday, December 1^st in the Pennsville VFW, 171 South Broadway, Pennsville, NJ, 08070.  Please visit htlayton.com to leave a note of condolence to his family.  Arrangements are by the H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Woodstown.

Carolyn Dare, age 86, passed from this life on Thursday, November 16, 2023, to be home with Jesus, the Lord she loved with every ounce of her being. She was born to parents Carlton and Kathryn Keen on May 22, 1937 in Salem, NJ and grew up in Quinton. She later met and married Samuel Dare, living the rest of her life in Monroeville, NJ.

 

Always a welcoming blend of brightness and bluntness to everyone who knew her, she deeply loved her family and was an active part of their lives. She was predeceased by her husband Samuel Dare, siblings Betty Bieszcz, Joyce Locuson, & Carlton Keen, sister-in-law Virginia Schneeman as well as brothers-in-law Larry Schneeman & Tom Peraino. She is survived by sisters-in-law Doris Peraino & Thelma Keen as well as brother-in-law Lynn Locuson, children Dennis (Nancy) Dare & Kathy (Greg) Parks, grandchildren Brian (Kayla) Dare, Beth (Andrew) Khair, Rachel Parks, Bruce (Danielle) Dare, & Samuel (Leah) Parks, and great-grandchildren Ava, Zachary, Emily, Hudson, Rylee, Nathaniel, Natalie, Savannah, Samuel, Gabriella, Ryan, & Brody.

 

Carolyn worked at First National Bank of Elmer for years, but of more importance to her was her membership at First Baptist Church of Elmer. She had served on the missions committee and loved teaching the JOY class there, even until the Sunday previous to her death. She prayed for hours every day for her family and church, and conversation with her did not go long before she spoke of the Bible, which she loved to hear and study. She was an avid reader in general and loved music, especially hymns. Having volunteered in her retirement years at the Ranch Hope thrift shop, she continued to live a full life, whether it was enjoying day trips to Lancaster, PA or her Thursday dinner club friends. Her smile and spunk will be sorely missed.

 

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 25th at 11 am at the First Baptist Church of Elmer, 209 Broad Street, Elmer, with the family receiving visitors beginning at 10 am. Interment will be at Friendship Methodist Cemetery in Monroeville. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Source of Light Ministries International (www.sourcelight.org). Funeral arrangements are under the direction of H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Woodstown (www.htlayton.com).  Please visit their website to leave a note of condolence to her family.

Mary-Louise Lindsay, age 72, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 9, 2023 after a courageous battle with health issues. She grew up in Pennsville, NJ, where she still resided. Mary attended Pennsville Memorial High School, Class of 1969, attended the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Philadelphia PA, Class of 1972, and she later received her BSN from Evangel College, Springfield MO, Class of 1977.
Mary is survived by her brother, Robert (Bob) Coles (Debbie); her niece, Kristen Wooten (Hassel); and her niece, Hannah Couch (Colton). She is also survived by her stepmother, Janet Lindsay, along with aunts and cousins. She was preceded in death by her mother, Doris H Coles, (stepfather Robert J Coles, Sr.), and her father, Joseph Lindsay. Mary left behind a lifelong friend, Kathy O’Hara, who has been a tremendous support over the years as Mary’s health declined. She also left behind her friend and companion Max, her beloved dog.
A graveside service will be held at a later date in Eglington Cemetery. The family requests any donations be made to the Salem County Humane Society, PO Box 214, Carneys Point, NJ, 08069, or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Please visit htlayton.com to leave a note of condolence to her family. Arrangements are by the H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

Danny Sims, age 60, passed away at home on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. Danny was born in Reno, Nevada to Kathleen Lane Sims and Frank Sims on January 23, 1963. That same year, he moved to Woodstown, New Jersey with his father and remained a Salem County resident throughout the rest of his life.

Danny graduated from Woodstown High School in 1981 and began working as an electrician for the family business, Sims Refrigeration. As the owner of the business, Danny served as a prominent member of the community, greeting each customer with his signature kindness and sense of humor. He served on the board of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and the Ashbrooke D. Snelbaker Home. Danny was also a member of the Osceola Snowmobile Association.

In his free time, Danny enjoyed hunting, snowmobiling, Philadelphia professional sports, and spending time with his family and friends. The life of the party, Danny was a natural at making everyone laugh with his fun and goofy personality. He will be remembered for being loyal, caring, sweet, and humble. He was loved by all of those he encountered.

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Janice Sims; daughters Rachel Sims and Amanda McManus (Vince); his mother, Beatrice Sims; his siblings, Karen Walker (Danny) and Kelly Sims (Cheryl); and many more aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces. He is predeceased by his parents.

A memorial visitation will be held from 2 to 4 PM on Saturday, November 11^th in the H.T. Layton Funeral Home, 102 S. Main St., Woodstown.  Please visit htlayton.com to leave a note of condolence to Danny’s family.