Obituaries
Jane Stocke Greenfield |
Treva Jaffe |
Jane Stocke Greenfield, 106, died Saturday, November 2, 2019 at her current residence in Bellaire, Michigan. Jane was born July 26, 1913 in St. Louis to Amanda and Christian Stocke. She graduated from Mary Institute in 1931 and attended Smith College where she graduated in 1935 with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. In May 1936 she married Lieutenant George W. Beeler, a West Point graduate and career officer. Her two children, George W. Beeler Jr. and Janet (Beeler) Nesin were born at West Point and the family lived around the country during her husband’s service before, during and after World War II. Jane returned with her children to live permanently in St. Louis in 1952 after the death of her husband. In 1956 she married Milton Greenfield Jr., a St. Louis probate attorney and they made their home in St. Louis until she was in her 90s.
An avid volunteer, Jane used her interest and skill in mathematics and finance to provide support as a member of numerous political campaigns, boards and organizations. Jane chaired the Arts and Education Council’s Camelot auction in 1971 and was honored with St. Louis’ Woman of Achievement award that same year for her cultural enrichment work. The award recognizes and honors the achievement of women’s commitment to improving the quality of life in the St. Louis community through their volunteer efforts. “I never thought of her as a stay-at-home Mom,” commented her daughter Janet Nesin. “Every day she was out working somewhere. I was determined if I did as much good and work as she, I would at least try to earn a paycheck.” From the time she was a toddler, Jane spent her summers in northern Michigan on the shores of Elk Lake where she made a habit of swimming each morning well into her 80s. She spent more than a century of summers at the same resort community in Michigan and moved permanently to Michigan, following her 103rd birthday after living in Huntsville, Alabama for several years. Jane was adept at drawing her close-knit family near, constructing a bunk room in Michigan to house all six of her grandchildren and adding an indoor pool to their home in St. Louis, which provided non-stop entertainment during holiday visits. She loved sharing stories about her travels and experiences, which included dining at her home with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and purchasing a vacation home in Jamaica with three other couples. Birthdays were always a cause for celebration for Jane whether she was organizing a Mystery trip family tour for 70th milestone birthdays or scheduling individual trips with each grandchild on their 10th birthdays, introducing them to new places and new foods. At her 100th birthday she was thrilled to be feted by family and friends in Michigan. It was a celebration that would be recreated again five years later when she turned 105. She credited her longevity to her good sense of humor, positive attitude and two Dewars at the end of the day. Jane took pride in her impeccably dressed appearance. Always wearing pearls and stockings with bright skirts, blouses and jackets. Jane was an adept bridge player and was never far from a deck of cards with which to play solitaire or competitive games with others. An accomplished golfer she had two holes-in-one during her career – one at Elk Rapids Golf Club and one at Bellerive Country Club. She is preceded in death by her two husbands, Col. George W. Beeler Sr. and Milton Greenfield Jr., her son, George W. Beeler Jr. and her sister, Lucille Cobb. She is survived by her daughter, Janet, six grandchildren and their spouses and 14 great-grandchildren. Jane was a longtime member and supporter of The Church of St. Michael & St. George in St. Louis. The family will hold a funeral service in her honor there on Saturday, December 7 at 3:00 p.m. Memorial donations can be made to the Elk-Skegemog Lake Association. |
Treva Jaffe of Williamsburg died on November 8, 2019, at Medilodge of GTC. She was surrounded by her granddaughter, Ali Gribi and fiancée, Sean Paquet; her devoted friend, Gail Glarum; and daughter, Kim Gribi, also of Williamsburg.
Treva was born in Dover, Ohio, on November 13, 1927 to Alvin and Edna Pearl (Wesley) Graff. After high school, she attended the Cincinnati Conservatory, where she majored in piano. Due to the then claustrophobic set up of living, practicing, and taking classes all in the same building resulting in her sometimes not going outside for weeks, Treva transferred to Northwestern University in Illinois, where she graduated with a degree in music in 1949. She returned to New Philadelphia, Ohio, where she met and married Lewis Jaffe. Living in North Muskegon, Michigan, and then Latrobe, Pennsylvania, together they raised five children, Lynne Jaffe (John Hartley) of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Kim (Kevin) Gribi of Williamsburg, Michigan; Douglas Jaffe of Latrobe, Pennsylvania; Garson Jaffe, of Latrobe, Pennsylvania; and Jon Jaffe, of Durham, North Carolina. When the children were gone, Treva returned to her passion for music and studied jazz in Pittsburgh. She began performing in the area, and then moved to northern Michigan in the early eighties. Treva regularly performed at local venues, including The Park Place Hotel, The Waterfront, Mountain Jack’s, as well as gigging with area jazz ensembles. Additionally, she performed two summers at the Iroquois Hotel and one summer at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Treva could also be seen well into her 80s playing piano with the NMC jazz band and singing with the NMC jazz vocal group. Most recently, she performed Thursday afternoons at the Traverse City Senior Center. Treva was a talented singer, pianist and songwriter. She was also an outdoor enthusiast and loved everything to do with nature, particularly feeding the birds. Renowned for kicky outfits with matching colorful socks and stylish shoes, of which she had a lot – Imelda Marcos had nothing on her! In addition to her five living children, Treva is survived by her grandsons, Tim Skolnik (Boston) and Jordan Jaffe (Quarryville, Pennsylvania), and granddaughter, Ali Gribi (Düsseldorf, Germany). Long-time beau Charlie Williams of Elk Rapids preceded her in death. A jazz memorial concert will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse, 6726 Center Road, Traverse City, on Sunday, December 1, 2019, at 3 p.m. The Jeff Haas Trio including Laurie Sears and Jack Dryden as well as Tom Kaufmann and David Chown will perform, followed by a wine and cheese reception. Per Treva’s wishes of having a “jazz concert for all,” this event is open to the public. Henry Alfred Schantz III
Henry A. Schantz III, 93, of Canton, Georgia died Friday, November 15 holding hands with his wife of 67 years, Barbara H. Schantz. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on January 14, 1926 to parents Henry and Helen (Bremer) Schantz and lived in Elk Rapids, Michigan for 32 years until 2018 when they moved closer to family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Donald, Walter, and David, and his granddaughter, Emma. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, daughters Vicki (Jim), Kathy (Richard) and son Robert (Barb). His grandchildren include Lauren (AJ) Stark, Leslie Toth, Paul Brandeis, Alex Brandeis, and Jacob Schantz. Great-grandchildren are Landon James Stark and Dylan Alexander Stark. In 1943, Henry enlisted in the Navy and served as Quartermaster in the Pacific during WWII. He attended Grand Rapids Junior College and Michigan State University. He owned and operated Schantz Hardware and Schantz Ski Shop with his brother, Wally, in downtown Grand Rapids until 1985. Building a home overlooking Elk Lake in 1986, Henry and Barbara developed an extensive outdoor garden railroad that they gladly shared with many family and friends. Henry loved the outdoors, boating, and racing sailboats, either on water or ice. He sailed the Chicago/Mackinaw Race for 24 consecutive years. He was the founder of the Grand Traverse Ice Yacht Club in 1987. Snowmobiling, four-wheeling, skiing – both water and snow – were among his many passions. When not on the water, he could be found inside studying the Civil War. Nehmer Camp located in the Upper Peninsula was organized and incorporated by Henry. Father/son weekends, work weeks, and deer hunting were only second to the many close Nehmer friends he cherished. Henry served on the Antrim County Public Works board. He was a life member of the V.F.W. and a proud member of AMVETS Post 114. In his later years, he enjoyed giving presentations in uniform to school children of all ages. He was an Elder in First Presbyterian Church and supported Presbytery Point Camp. A private memorial service will be held in Canton, Georgia. Memorials can be made to First Presbyterian Church, 404 Spruce Street, Elk Rapids, Michigan 49629. |