Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 454
Alice Faye Van Asdale, 82, of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021 at Winter Haven Hospital. She was born January 24, 1938 in Canton, OH to the late Edgar and Mabel Capper; she moved to Lake Wales from Missouri in 2002. Alice was a retired Registered Nurse, she graduated from Lincoln High School in Canton, OH and King's Daughter Nursing School in Ashland, KY. Alice was a member of the Church of God in Winter Haven and a former board member of (PEO) Philanthropic...
Angela Connelly, 56, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family and friends on Jan. 11, 2021 at her home in Woodbine GA. She was born June 13, 1964 to Frank and Lois Meade in Lake Wales. She graduated from Landmark Baptist High School in 1982. Angela (Angel) worked many years for her parents at the Act II Shoppe in Lake Wales and later worked for Certipay in Winter Haven and more recently for Jekyll Island, GA. She is preceded in death by her parents and her son...
(Editor's Note: Lake Wales High School is not included in this report, since it is part of the charter system and not considered a traditional Polk high school. Its graduation rate will be reported separately.) Polk County Public Schools' graduation rate jumped to 86.5 percent last year - a new record high - even as seniors faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic. The district's latest graduation rate was a 5.3 percentage point increase from the previous year (81.2...
In 2016, I was compelled by something deep inside me to right a wrong. The wrong, I felt, was how I had been treating other people my entire life. At the time, Lake Wales News, print newspaper, was still in operation and I thought I would write a letter and submit the letter to the editorial department in hopes it would get published. I had never sent a letter to a newspaper before, but I had a heavy heart and I wanted to apologize. I was raised in the same town I live in even...
Marilyn Dye Edwards, 88, of Belleair Beach, FL died Saturday, Dec. 26, 200 in the home of her daughter in Sarasota where she was convalescing following a sudden illness. Born Oct. 3, 1932 in Plant City she moved to Bradenton and then to Avon Park, prior to moving to Lake Wales where she lived most of her life. It was in Lake Wales where she attended high school and was a member of the Glee Club and voted Homecoming Queen her senior year. She received her nursing degree from...
Dale Ross Fair, 83, of Babson Park passed away Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020 at the Winter Haven Hospital. He was born October 21, 1937 in Morehead, KY to the late Linus and Jessie Fair; he has been a resident of the area since 1962. Dale was a teacher at Lake Wales High School from 1962 until 1968, when he then accepted a position at Babson Park Elementary School as Principal in 1968 and retired in 2003. Upon his retirement, the school was renamed Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary...
Dr. Rollie Tillman, Jr., died peacefully on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020 from complications due to COVID-19, surrounded by family in the hours before his death. He was an exceptional man, a loving husband, extraordinary father and grandfather, a mentor and friend to many, and a man of deep faith. While he was a man of many accomplishments, both academic and civic, his finest contributions were those he made to his family. He showed us what it meant to be kind and generous and was...
An active swimmer since age 5, Mary Leigh Hardman dreams of some day competing in the Olympics. The Lake Wales High School freshman moved closer to her goal last weekend by winning Florida state swimming championships in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events. "This is my first ever high school win. I'm very excited," said Mary Leigh, noting "I just knew I was going to do my best." Mary Leigh is following in the footsteps – or swimming strokes - of her mother, Molly Magill H...
Charles Robert “Boo” Goodman, III, 22, of Lake Wales passed away Friday, Nov. 6, 2020 in Lake Wales. He was born April 29, 1998 in Kissimmee to Charles and Robin Goodman. Boo was a plumber for Tri Tech. He was a lifelong resident of the area and graduated from Lake Wales High School. Boo was love by many and will be missed. Boo was preceded in death by three brothers and sisters. He is survived by his mother, Robin Denise Goodman of West Virginia; father, Charles Robert Goodman, II of Lake Wales; sisters, Isabella Goo...
Barbara Lou Kwasny, 85, passed away peacefully on Nov. 6, 2020 surrounded by her family. Born March 1, 1935 to Arthur and Lena Ohime in LaPorte, IN, Barb graduated from Stillwell High School, and, on November 7, 1953 married Raymond Kwasny. Ray and Barb moved to Lake Wales in 1979, where they established a thriving real estate business. Barb loved cooking and baking, gardening, water aerobics, and spending time with her family and many friends. She was a member of the local...
The world's current youth population (people aged 15-20) is around 1.8 billion. Most of this population has the potential to be great leaders, while only a small percentage of this population is encouraged to or provided the resources to learn and practice leadership. This stage of being a youth is when young people are still uncertain about what they like and what they don't. Their opinions are not firmly in place, revisited and revised due to their peers' influence and...
The chair of Warner University's agricultural studies department, Justin Sharpless, is one of three alumni being recognized by the National FFA for outstanding support of the organization. The other two honorees are from Wisconsin and Oregon. The awards honor FFA alumni and supporters across the nation who donate their time, talent and financial resources to support current FFA members. They are being presented this week at the 93rd National FFA Convention and Expo. In...
Ed Palmer officially became the Lake Wales Police Department's community liaison officer on Sept. 14. But if you ask James "Perly" Sermons, it's been Palmer's calling for a lifetime – Sermons' lifetime. The two first met when Palmer served as the School Resource Officer at Hillcrest Elementary when Perly was a student there. As luck might have it – others might call in Divine guidance – Palmer followed Sermons as an SRO when the youngster went to Roosevelt Academy and to La...
Lee Alexander "Alex" Wheeler III passed away Tuesday, October 27, 2020 after unexpected complications following surgery. A third generation Lake Walean, Alex was born in Lake Wales on February 4, 1953, and was a graduate of Lake Wales High School and the University of Florida. Alex was a CPA practicing at Bunting Tripp & Ingley, where he specialized in not-for-profit tax law. Alex was an avid scuba diver who loved hiking, camping, and the outdoors in general. His underwater...
Allan W. Gauss, 87, passed away at Water's Edge of Lake Wales on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Al was born in Albion, Michigan on February 27, 1933 to Russell and Muriel Gauss. He grew up in Albion and graduated from Albion High School in 1951. He graduated Michigan State University in 1955, the first year Michigan State College became a University. Upon graduating, Al joined the Army and was on active duty for two years. He married Betsy Sturm of Deerfield, IL on Aug. 2, 1958. Duri...
Beverly Dillon Petruschke, 65 of Lake Wales went home to the Lord's presence on Thursday Oct. 15, 2020. She was born September 5, 1955 in South Charleston, WV to the late Ocus E "Matt" and Margaret K (Kibbee) Dillon. She graduated from St. Albans High School Class of 1973 in St. Albans, WV. She moved to South Florida after graduation and had been a part time resident of Saddlebag Lake Resort since 1988, coming several times a year to visit her parents. She worked most of her...
Rodney Theodore Krueger, 85, passed away at home surrounded by his family on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. Born on Sept. 1, 1935, in Wayne County, MI to Almer and Marie (Wanemacher) Krueger, Rodney grew up to become a businessman after working alongside his father throughout high school at his business, Anrod Screen, developing and producing filters and screens. Rodney took over the business upon his father's retirement. After a successful career, Rodney retired at the young age of...
Thomas (Tom) Ancil Freeman, 94, of Lake Wales passed away on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, at Palm Garden Health and Rehabilitation Center in Winter Haven. He was born in Lawrenceburg, TN on October 19, 1925 and lived a very full and active life. He will always be known for his magnificent artwork of Florida landscapes, nearly 1,000 originals, and his murals throughout Polk County in Lake Wales, Frostproof, and Lake Placid. Those who knew him personally, remember him as a...
If you drove through Lake Wales neighborhoods this summer, you may have seen them at work - dozens of young people painting, roofing, cleaning – serving their community. Local youth have undergone a lot of changes this year, but it seems nothing can stop them from coming together with caring hearts and working hands for Lake Wales Care Center's annual Stay-At-Home Work Camp (SAHWC). With modest beginnings in 1985, SAHWC started with a handful of individuals completing yard w...
Walter Squire Williams, 44, passed away Aug. 29, 2020 at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. He was born Nov. 3, 1975 in Bartow and spent his entire youth in Lake Wales. He graduated from Lake Wales High School then went on to graduate from Culinary School in Lakeland. His love of cooking was a passion of his and it travelled with him wherever he went. Walt loved his family and friends and had a dry sense of humor that would send everyone into hysterics. Walt lived a life...
Marjorie Jane Chandley of Atlanta, GA, age 91, passed from this life surrounded by loving family on Sunday, March 1, 2020. Marjorie, daughter of Edgar Reason Chandley and Myra Althea Curtis Chandley, was born in Lake Wales, FL on Sept. 17, 1928. She leaves behind to cherish her memory her sons Charles Edward Chowning, Jr. of Dallas, GA, and Christopher Dru Chowning of Atlanta; grandsons Charles Edward Chowning III (Chelsea) and Justin Grady Chowning; great-grandchildren Jacie...
COVID-19 did not deter volunteers from the American Association of University Women from delivering nearly 100 framed prints of famous fine art paintings to area schools for public display. This year the selections range from Middle-Ages masters Durer and Brueghel to more modern artists such as Matisse and Dali. Advancing through their K-12 school years, with displays changing annually, students see a wide variety of styles and periods of art through this program. More pieces...
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams," says Dolores Vogel, Legacy Real Estate Center broker and owner. "So, DREAM BIG, we do!" The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine hasn't slowed down this entrepreneur who moved into new digs at 218 E. Park Ave. in downtown Lake Wales. The building was purchased in 2018 and completely renovated. "I'm proud that the Center has been ranked number one in sales within the Lake Wales Association of...
Virginia E. McGrath (nee Moorehead), of Mansfield, OH, passed away on Aug. 9, 2020 at her winter home in Lake Wales after a long illness. She was 86. Ginny was born Jan. 22, 1934 in Cleveland, OH, and attended Kent State University in Kent, OH where she met her husband Donald. Ginny majored in elementary education and minored in art at Kent State. She taught special needs children for nearly 40 years. Ginny immensely enjoyed baseball, faithfully serving as scorekeeper for each...
Donald W. "Don" Lewis, 79, of Lake Wales went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at his residence. He was born March 10, 1941 in Bristol, VA to the late Clarence and Evelyn Lewis. During his working years, Don was a process server for the Polk County Sheriff's Office, as well as working for the Lakeland Post Office for many years. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam Era. Don was a sports enthusiast with football being his primary passion. He play...
