Obituaries

Dr. I. C. Kim, 91, of Palmer Township, died Tuesday, June 13, 2017 in Gracedale.

Born August 6, 1925 in Seoul, South Korea, he was a son of the late Yung Ho Cho Kim and Yung Whan Kim.  His wife, Helen (Wagner) Kim died in 1994.

Dr. Kim was a well known pediatrician in the Easton and Phillipsburg Area.  He retired in 2005 after more than 50 years in practice.

Surviving are a daughter, Cathy Smith of Bath; a son, Stephen Kim of Bath; 4 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

Services will be held at 7:00 pm on Friday, June 16, 2017 in Forks United Church of Christ, 4500 Sullivan Trail, Stockertown.  A visitation will be held from 6:00 pm until service time on Friday in the church.  Interment will be private in Forks Cemetery.  The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling the arrangements.  Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, alz.org.

Clara A. Kaniper, 91 of Palmer Township, PA died Sunday, June 11, 2017 at Alexandria Manor, Nazareth. Born August 22, 1925 in Richmond, PA she was the daughter of the late Katie (Frey) and Fred Smith, Sr. Her husband Delbert K. Kaniper died in 1999. She was employed by Laneco for many years before retiring and was an avid cat lover.

She is survived by her daughter: Patricia Sesoko of Bethlehem Twp., PA; her son: James A. Kaniper of Palmer Twp., PA; her granddaughter: Nicole Glass (husband Dr. Eric Glass) and two great-granddaughters: Isabella and Ella. Her husband, Delbert and her brother: Fred Smith, Jr. died earlier.

Services are private. The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Center for Animal Health and Welfare, 1165 Island Park Road, Easton, PA 18042.

Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Marjorie O. Arnold, 97 of Palmer Twp., PA died Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at Moravian Hall Square. Born May 31, 1920 in Easton, PA she was the daughter of the late Carl and Beatrice (Saylor) Opitz. Her husband Wm. Karl Arnold, Sr. died in 1983. A 1938 graduate of Easton High School, she had been employed by Crayola for 28 years and then as one of their tour guides for 10 years before retiring. She was a member of: First United Church of Christ, Easton;  the Jr. O.U.A.M., the William Parsons Chapter, O.E.S where she was a past-worthy matron and she was a Meals on Wheels volunteer for 10 years. Marjorie also loved spending summers at the Ocean View Resort and on the beaches of Sea Isle City.

She is survived by four children: William K. Arnold, Jr., Robert K. Arnold and his wife Doreen, Brenda A. Guffy and her husband William, all of Forks Twp., and Barbara K. Lobb and her husband Joseph of Bangor, PA; 12 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and longtime companion: J. Robert Lynch of Wilson Borough. A brother Robert Opitz died earlier.

Services are 10:30 AM Monday, June 12 in First United Church of Christ,  27 N. 3rd Street, Easton; with visitation 6 PM to 7:30 PM Sunday in the Ashton Funeral Home,  1337 Northampton St., Easton. Interment is in Northampton Memorial Shrine.

Memorial contributions may be made to the church.  Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Fred W. Hoffert, Jr., 88, of Bethlehem, died Saturday, June 3, 2017 in St. Luke’s Hospice House.

Born September 18, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, he was a son of the late Fred W. and Edna Mae (Cooksey) Hoffert.

He and his wife, Jeanelle (Rye) Hoffert, formerly of Little Rock, Arkansas, were married 69 years.

Fred was a manager for Manufacturers Railway, St. Louis for 26 years and for American Steel, Granite City, Illinois for 19 years.

He was a graduate of Southern Illinois University and a member of Epworth United Methodist Church, Bethlehem where he served as a trustee. He was a Boy Scout leader and traveled on church missions to Russia, Kenya and Mexico.

Surviving with his wife, Jeanelle are two sons, Fred W. Hoffert, III and his wife, Liz, of Phoenix, Arizona and Dennis K. Hoffert of London, England; a daughter, Cindy Mahaney and her husband, Ray of Mountain Top; four sisters, Ella Mae Henson, Lillian Faye Maxey and her husband, Eugene, Thelma Cummins and her husband, David and Leona Gottchlich; three grandsons, Keith, Aaron and Andrew and two great granddaughters, Kai and Lily.  A sister, Marie Wood died earlier.

A Celebration of Life will be held 11:00 am, Friday, June 23, 2017 at Epworth United Methodist Church, 3245 Oakland Rd., Bethlehem.  The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling the arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to Boy Scouts of America, Minsi Trails Council, P.O. Box 20624, Lehigh Valley, PA 18002 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org.  Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Verna J. Wagner, 89 of Nazareth, PA died Saturday, June 3, 2017 at Gracedale. Born January 3, 1928 in E. Stroudsburg, PA she was the daughter of the late Bertha (Lehman) and Henry Ace.  Her husband Richard A. Wagner died in 2002. She was a 1946 graduate of E. Stroudsburg High School and worked in sewing mills in the area but felt her most important job was as a homemaker. She attended Bethel Memorial Baptist Church, Palmer Twp. and Lehigh Valley Grace Brethren Church, Bethlehem. Verna loved her family, she loved to bake, she loved to crochet and she loved her sweets.

She is survived by two daughters: Beth A. Over and her husband Robert with whom she resided, Patricia W. Dean and her husband Richard of Zionsville, PA; 9 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

Services are 10:30 AM Wednesday, June 7 in Lehigh Valley Grace Brethren Church, 580 Bridle Path Rd., Bethlehem, PA with visitation 9:30 to 10:30 AM. Interment is in Northampton Memorial Shrine.  The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to Bethel Memorial Baptist Church, 715 Chestnut Ln., Easton, PA 18045 or Lehigh Valley Grace Brethren Church, 580 Bridle Path Rd., Bethlehem, PA 18017.

Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.