Obituaries

Daniel Charles Smith, 42, of Old Bridge, formerly of Aberdeen and Keyport, died Sept. 11 at home. Surviving are his mother, Bernadette McDonald-Smith of Old Bridge; a brother, Richard H. Smith of Old Bridge; a sister, Geraldine A. Opitz of Howell; and two nephews and two nieces. Services were held at Day Funeral Home, Keyport. Interment was in St. John’s Cemetery, Queens, N.Y.

The Rev. Kristaps Valters

The Rev. Valters, 72, of East Brunswick died Sept. 17 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Ordained in 1958, he served Lutheran Church of America congregations in North Dakota, New York City, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and Latvian Lutheran churches in Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., and, finally, East Brunswick. He retired in 2000 from the Latvian Lutheran Church of East Brunswick and Lakewood after serving as pastor for nine years. Surviving are his wife, Brigita Utinans Valters; two sons, Vilnis Valters of Milwaukee and Peter Valters of Gaithersburg, Md.; two sisters, Daina Tsurumaki of Fort Washington, Md., and Ruta Shuart of Hackensack; and two grandchildren. A service was held at the Latvian Church, East Brunswick. Interment was in Van Liew Cemetery, North Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to the Latvian Church, 12 Gates Ave., East Brunswick, NJ 08816.

Staff Sgt. Frederick Louis Miller Jr.

Sgt. Miller Jr., 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died in Iraq Sept. 20 when his unit was engaged while conducting a security patrol. Born in Lakewood, he lived in Jackson. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1995 and had been serving in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Surviving are his wife, Jamie, who is expecting their son; two daughters, Hailey and Sierra Miller; his father, Frederick Miller Sr.; his mother, Anne Miller; two brothers, Justin and Randy Miller; a sister, Jolene Miller; his paternal grandparents, Arlene and Rolland Miller; his maternal grandmother, Ruth Slanovits; a niece; and several aunts and uncles. Funeral services were held at Higgins Memorial Home, Freehold, followed by interment with full military honors at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery in Arnytown.

Dorothy M. Lane

Mrs. Lane, 69, of Toms River died Sept. 21 at home. Born in Farmingdale, she had lived in Howell before moving to Toms River 25 years ago. She was a homemaker and a member of the East Dover Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. Mrs. Lane is survived by her husband, Latius Lane; three sons and two daughters-in-law, Anthony Bruning of Toms River, Mark and Janet Bruning of Waretown, and Eugene and Bonnie Lane of Brick; two brothers and three sisters-in-law, Francis and Evelyn Morgan of Sarasota, Fla., Robert and Eileen Morgan of Farmingdale, and Frances Morgan of Georgia; one sister and brother-in-law, Ann and William Mathews of Spring Lake; and five grandchildren. A memorial gathering was held at the C.H.T. Clayton & Son Funeral Home, Adelphia, followed by interment at Farmingdale-Evergreen Cemetery, Farmingdale.

Bernice Finney

Bernice Finney, 77, of Lakewood died Sept. 22 at Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood. Born in Onley, Va., she had lived in Lakewood for more than 50 years. She was a certified nurse’s aide at the Geraldine Thompson Medical Home, Wall, where she was employed for 37 years before her retirement eight years ago. Surviving are her companion and caretaker, Roosevelt Williams, Lakewood; three stepsons, Roosevelt Williams Jr. and Sherwood Williams, both of Philadelphia, and Linwood Williams of Maryland; a stepdaughter, Darnen Williams of Philadelphia; a brother, Alonzo Crippen of Lakewood; two sisters, Oneida Anderson of Lakewood, and Bessie Pearson of Exmore, Va.; two sisters-in-law, Agnes Kelliam of Daugherty, Va., and Dorothy Crippen of Lakewood; a friend, Buelah Hickman of Freehold; seven stepgrandchildren; three step-great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services were held at the Bethel A.M.E. Church, Freehold, followed by interment at Maplewood Cemetery, Freehold Township.

Kenneth N. Eldridge

Mr. Eldridge, 84, of Howell, died Sept. 24 at Bartley Health Care Nursing & Rehabilitation, Jackson. Born in Neptune, he had also lived there before moving to Howell. A U.S. Army Veteran who served during World War II, Mr. Eldridge was the recipient of the Purple Heart award. He was a heavy equipment and crane operator for Fred McDowell for 45 years, until his retirement, after which he became a driver for Lakewood Auto Supply for eight years. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping. Surviving are his wife, Iris Wagner Eldridge of Howell; one son, Raymond W. Eldridge of Howell; and three grandchildren. A funeral service was held at the C.H.T. Clayton & Son Funeral Home, Adelphia, followed by interment in Adelphia Cemetery.

Salvatore Seminerio

Mr. Seminerio, 74, of Howell died Sept. 24 at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he moved to Howell 10 years ago. He was a communicant of St. Veronica’s Roman Catholic Church in Howell. He was a carpenter for Local Union 608 in Manhattan, N.Y., for 35 years. He is survived by his wife, Lucille; a son and daughter-in-law, William Joseph and Ruth Seminerio of Sumner, Wash.; a daughter and son-in-law, LuAnn and Bryan Epstein of Howell; and two granddaughters. A funeral liturgy was offered at St. Veronica’s Church, followed by interment at St. Charles Cemetery, Pinelawn, N.Y.

Jon S. Sem

Mr. Sem, 70, of Howell, died Sept. 25 at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Town­ship. Born in the Tottenville section of Staten Island, N.Y., he had also lived in the Eltonville section, as well as in Brooklyn, N.Y., Old Bridge, and Los Lunas, N.M., before moving to Howell in May, 2003. A 1951 graduate of Tot­tenville High School, he studied mechanical engineering at Cooper Union in New York and was a member of the model Railroaders Club. Until his retirement in 1997, Mr. Sem was a mechanical engineer for Foster-Wheeler, Liv­ingston, where he worked on the Colony Shale Oil project, the Baytown Refinery, the Hydro­gen Plant Expansion for Tosco in California and Bayway Refinery in Linden. He was pre­deceased by his wife, Margarette Samuel Sem, who died in 2001. Surviving are one daughter, Karen Sem of Bedford, Texas; one stepdaugh­ter, Lisa C. Gibbs of Howell, with whom he had lived; and three sisters and one brother-in-law, Anne Marie and Steven Doolos of Ten­nessee, and Ellen Ahlin and Barbara Trabosci, both of Staten Island, N.Y. The funeral service was held at the C.H.T. Clayton & Son Funeral Home, Adelphia, with the Rev. Thomas J. O’­Connor officiating.

Leonard Hans

Mr. Hans, 66, of Beachwood died Sept. 26 at Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood. Before moving to Beachwood two years ago, he had been a lifelong resident of Lakewood. A mem­ber of the Over the Rail Gang in Manasquan, he was self-employed as a general contractor for more than 30 years before his retirement 20 years ago. He was predeceased by his par­ents, Edna and David Hans, and a brother, Kenneth Hans. Surviving are his wife of 47 years, Carol VanAntwerp Hans; four daugh­ters, Leonora Hans and Susan Leon, both of Lakewood, Carol Thumann of Pennsylvania and Debbie Luzza of North Carolina; a son, Leonard Hans of Beachwood; six grandchil­dren; and two great-grandchildren. A memo­rial service was held at the home of his daughter, Leonora. Cremation was private, with D’Elia Funeral Home, Lakewood, in charge of arrangements.