God

Maryland residents must take a stand in November To the editor: In the Leonard Pitts column of May 14, he alluded to the direction our country is taking as progress. When in reality it is an uncontrolled, downhill slide into ancient Rome. History does repeat itself; a nation without a relationship with God will stumble. When the people of North Carolina said “Enough is enough,” and voted to ban same-sex marriages, he described it as taking a step backward from progress.

Margaret M. Lynch, 85, of Mercersburg, Pa., died Wednesday, May 23, 2012, at Chambersburg (Pa.) Hospital. Viewing will be Sunday one hour prior to the 2 p.m. service at Clayton Memorial Church of God in Mercersburg. Arrangements are by Lininger-Fries Funeral Home Inc. in Mercersburg.

Ethel Alberta Lee, 83, of Inwood, W.Va., died Friday, May 18, 2012, at her residence while under the care of Hospice. A memorial service will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Crosspoint Church of God with Pastor Harold Newsome officiating. Arrangements are by Brown Funeral Home in Martinsburg, W.Va.    

Velma Elizabeth Weller, 74, of Hancock, Md., passed away Sunday, May 6, 2012, at her home, surrounded by her family. Born Oct. 16, 1937, in Hancock, she was the daughter of the late Daniel and Elva Hull McCormick, and the widow of Clyde Leroy Weller, who died Dec. 26, 2004. She attended Hancock schools and Orchard Ridge First Church of God. She is survived by three daughters, Brenda Hixon of Front Royal, Va., Melissa Unger of Hancock and Wendy Hoover of Hustontown, Pa.; four sons, Denver L. Weller, Tony L. Weller, Tracy A. Weller and Darrin E. Weller, all of Hancock; one sister, Lafaune St. Clair of Hancock; and 10 grandchildren.

Lee Rouson knows all about what hundreds of college football players are going through this weekend while hoping to get the phone call telling them they've been drafted by an NFL team. Rouson was drafted by Bill Parcells and the New York Giants in 1984 and went on to win two Super Bowl rings as a running back and special teams player. These days, Rouson is interested in a different kind of draft, one he talked about with about two dozen area coaches early Friday morning during a Fellowship of Christian Athletes coaches' legacy breakfast at Panera Bread in Hagerstown.

More than 100 supporters, local officials and the just plain curious traipsed through the new 78-bed Union Rescue Mission building on Saturday. The building will open next month, two years after ground was broken. Greeting the guests as they entered the front door of the 21,400-square-foot facility at 608 W. King St. was the Rev. William C. Crowe, 82, who has served as the mission's superintendent since 1961, when he and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to Martinsburg. Crowe will continue in his position in the new building.

A man left comatose and near death after a Franklin County, Pa., car collision in 2007, returned to the county Thursday morning to share his story of recovery. Carlisle, Pa., resident John Ulsh credited surgeons, God and his athleticism with surviving numerous injuries that included a broken pelvis, spinal damage, the rupturing of his diaphragm and spleen, lacerations and a collapsed lung. He remained comatose at Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center for 15 days after the Dec. 1, 2007, accident on Pa. 16 near Heisey Road outside Mercersburg, Pa. “I had 17 surgeries those 15 days to put me back together,” Ulsh said.

The Rev. E. Louise Barrett, 91, of Martinsburg, W.Va., died Sunday, April 8, 2012, at City Hospital. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Brown Funeral Home. The service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Bethel Assembly of God with Pastor Arnold Brown and Pastor William Wood officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant View Memory Gardens. Arrangements by Brown Funeral Home.

Patricia A. Starliper, 74, of Mercersburg, Pa., died Friday, Feb. 17, 2012. Visitation will be Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lininger-Fries Funeral Home Inc., Mercersburg, and one hour prior to the service Wednesday at Greencastle Church of God. The service will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the church, with Pastor Floyd E. Myers officiating.