Yvonne Richardson Bailey

Yvonne Richardson Bailey, of Gordonville, Pa. and formerly of Oxford, died on Oct. 10, 2024 at the Hospice Center of Mt. Joy, Pa. She was 84.

Yvonne was the late wife of Donald W Bailey, with whom they shared 47 years of marriage.

Born in West Grove, she was the daughter of the late Stanley C. and Mildred C. Richardson.

She graduated from Oxford Area High School class of 1957.  Yvonne was also a graduate of Emile's School of Beauty in Lancaster, Pa.  

Yvonne was named Miss Oxford 1958 and qualified at the preliminaries in the Chester County Beauty Show to represent Pennsylvania in the Miss America pageant.  During the preliminaries, Yvonne was awarded a Miss America wristwatch and the coveted title of "Miss Congeniality.”

She was also a graduate of Emile's School of Beauty. After graduating, Yvonne and her mother, Mildred Richardson, owned and operated their beauty shop out of their home located on Locust Street in Oxford for more than 30 years. For the next 13 years, Yvonne worked at the Ware Presbyterian Home as a beautician alongside her two favorite co-workers and friends, Robin Wink and Carole Shoemaker.  

Yvonne loved the beach and enjoyed every moment with her family and friends at their condo in Ocean City, Md.  Yvonne also loved shopping—pocketbooks and shoes were her weakness.   Yvonne enjoyed shopping trips with her son, Greg, and daughter-in-law, Tammy.  They would always seem to find a new primitive country shop in the area.

Yvonne is survived by two sons, Jeffrey S. Bailey of Gordonville, Pa. and Gregory D. Bailey and his wife Tamara of Strasburg, Pa., three grandchildren, M. Jason Bailey of Lancaster, Pa., Zachary Bailey of Wilmington, Del., and Kayla Bailey of Columbia, Md., three great-grandchildren, Violet Bailey, Rush Shorter and Ashton Shorter, all of Lancaster, Pa.

Yvonne's family can not thank all the staff at the Ann Barshinger Cancer Institute and the Hospice Center of Mt. Joy for all their dedicated time and compassion they gave to her during her time at those locations.

A celebration of life party will be held at her son, Greg's home in the summer of 2025.

Donations in her memory can be made to The Hospice Center of Mt. Joy, 4075 Old Harrisburg Pike, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

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

Geneva H. Barlow

Geneva H. Barlow, age 85, of Avondale, passed away on Oct. 14, 2024 while at her residence. She was the wife of John K. Barlow, who passed away in 1998, and with whom she shared 45 years of marriage.

Born in Chilhowie, VA, she was the daughter of the late Leonard Blevins and the late Nanny Mae Hash Blevins.

Geneva was a homemaker, and she enjoyed gardening, taking care of her animals and being with her family and friends.

She is survived by two sons, John K. Barlow, II of Avondale and Leonard Barlow of North Carolina, one daughter, Rebecca Barlow of Mountain City, Tenn., ten grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Geneva was predeceased by three children and seven brothers and sisters.

You are invited to visit with her family and friends from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Kuzo Funeral Home, 250 West State Street in Kennett Square. Her memorial service will follow at 1 p.m. Burial will be private.

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

Doris Ann Rhoades

Doris Ann Rhoades, of Elkton, Md., passed away on Oct. 10, 2024 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She was 86.

Born in Nottingham, she was the daughter of the late Ted and Jennie Bard Rhoades.

Doris was a member of the Barn Vineyard Church, Landenberg.

She was employed with Penn Fuel Gas Company in Oxford, where she retired after 42 years. In her younger years, she worked three jobs to support herself and her daughter.

Doris enjoyed planting flowers, the beach and watching cooking shows. She was a good cook. She also enjoyed family gatherings.

Doris is survived by her daughter, Kellie Rhoades, her good friend, Sonja Millinger, five nieces, Barbara Rhoades, Alice Witmer, Mary Lou Patterson (John), Beverly Kimble and Deborah Standford (Bill), two nephews, Ben Kimble (Marilyn) and Jeff Kimble, and many great-nieces and great-nephews. 

She was preceded in death by one sister, Mary Jane “Becky” Kimble.

A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at the Barn Vineyard Church, 3224 Appleton Road in, Landenberg, where friends and family may visit from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Interment will be private. 

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. (www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com) in Oxford. 

Richard H. Ringler

Richard H. Ringler passed away on Oct. 14, 2024 from a lung disease at the Harrington Race Track in Delaware after being the official starter of 15 races that evening.

Rich was born in West Grove to Elsie (nee Bard) and William H. Ringler.  He graduated from Oxford Area High School in 1975.

He became involved at an early age with Standard Bred Horses at the farm of Dana Irving. Rich spent his life time training, racing, operating as an official starter and serving as a race judge.

Rich was predeceased by his mother in 2017.  

He is survived by his wife, Maria; three stepdaughters, Heather, Ashley and Morgan; and six step-grandchildren, Cierra, Hope and Nicholas, and Mary, Kaydence, and Jonnie; his father, William; and his brother, William S. Ringler (Sherry). Also surviving are his niece, Samantha Bennett (Matthew), his nephew, William S. Jr.(Jaclyn), his great-nephew William S. III, and a step-great niece Jacelyn.

Memorial services will be held on Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Oxford Presbyterian Church, 6 Pine Street, Oxford. Visitation will be for family and friends before the service at 1:30 p.m.

Jerald W. Wheatley

Jerald W. Wheatley, 87, of Chadds Ford, and formerly of Simi Valley, Calif., passed away while at home on Oct. 17, 2024.

He was the husband of the late Patricia A. Welsh Wheatley, with whom he shared 56 years of marriage.

Born in Phoenix, AZ he was the son of the late Floyd and Martha Reed Wheatley.

Jerald was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

He attended the University of Texas and played football as a tight end.

Jerald was employed with Century 21, Simi Valley, CA as a realtor for many years. 

He was a master leather craftsman and made beautiful carved leather cases, saddles, boots and belts as a hobby and side business. Jerald was a gourmet chef and master baker, and baked beautiful wedding cakes and special occasion cakes for friends and family. He also had his pilot’s license and loved flying single-engine planes. He was a poet and regularly wrote poetry and read it to his family and friends.

He enjoyed golfing, fly-fishing and deep-sea fishing, hunting and shooting guns at the gun club. He loved watching his grandsons play ball and hearing about their games when he could not be there.  Jerald loved making Sunday dinners for the family.

He is survived by one daughter, Kimberly Wheatley Falco of Chadds Ford; two sons, Brock Wheatley of San Angelo, TX and Blane Wheatley (Millie) of Rome, GA; four grandchildren, Vincent J. Falco, Anthony John Falco III, Jake Wheatley Falco and Garrett Wheatley; and two great-grandchildren, Skye Ringgold and Talon Wheatley. 

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct.25 at the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc., 86 Pine St., Oxford, where family and friends may visit from noon to 1 p.m.

Interment will be private.

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

Willis Eldridge Roberts

Willis  (PeeWee) Roberts, of Kennett Square, passed away peacefully on Oct. 16, 2024 at Riddle Hospital in Media, Pa. He was 95.

He was the husband of the late Norma Roberts.

Born in Alabama, he was the son of the late Jesse and Mary Tinney Roberts.

Willis was a veteran of the U.S. Army and was based at Aberdeen Proving Grounds during the Korean War.

In earlier years, he painted houses, a craft he learned from his step-father.  He lived in Wilmington, Del. for many years and retired from General Motors after 35 years of service.  

Willis was a devoted husband and enjoyed spending time with his wife, Norma on the Chesapeake at Kent Narrows Marina. He also enjoyed traveling in their RV, fishing with family, gardening, and restoring and caning furniture.  He was always willing to help neighbors or friends in any way.  “Poppop” loved his family deeply and was admired and loved by multiple generations of grandchildren.  He quietly held a strong faith in God and displayed it in his actions everyday.  He was kind, gentle and selfless—a wonderful man.

He is survived by his two children, Mable Miller of Kennett Square and Dean Gregg (Michelle) of Louisville, KY; a daughter-in-law, Janet Gregg of Landenberg; seven grandchildren, Randy Emerson, Ed Miller, Barbara Miller, Patti Young, Donna Alexander, Carolyn Brookover and Dana Sheridan; four great-grandchildren; six great-great grandchildren; and one sister, Joyce Berney of Pelham, AL.

He was preceded in death by two children, Ruth Emerson and Donald Gregg; grandson, Ralph Emerson IV; brother, Leamon Roberts; and son-in-laws, Malcolm Miller and Ralph Emerson III.

Visitation will be held at 11 a.m. followed by services at noon on Monday, Oct. 28 at the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. at 86 Pine St. in Oxford.

Interment will be in Nottingham Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at the website at www.alz.org.