McMichael Funeral Home, Inc.

06/07/2026

Edwin Morris Allegar, 99, of Benton (Jamison City), died Thursday, June 4th, 2026 at his home.

Born December 12, 1926 in Fishing Creek Township, he was a son of the late Arthur R. and Madge (Wenner) Allegar. He and his wife, Alice E. (Sutliff) would have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on June 16th.

Mr. Allegar attended grade school at the former Bendertown School and then the Fishing Creek School and then graduated from Benton High School in 1944. Following his graduation from High School he attended Lehigh University and Clemson University and then graduated from Bloomsburg University in 1949 where he was on the Dean's List and earned his degree in secondary education. He later attained Certified Administrative Manager, CLU and CPCU certification.

He faithfully served his country in the U. S. Navy during World War II and was awarded the American Theater Ribbon and the World War II Victory Medal.

Mr. Allegar taught school at Benton High School from 1950 to 1952 and also briefly at Berwick Area High School. He also played professional baseball for the New York Giants in Bristol, TN and Jacksonville, FL from 1949 to 1953.

He was later employed by Nationwide Insurance Company in Butler and Harrisburg, PA for 39 years where he was a claims adjuster and later Regional Human Resources Manager for Western Pennsylvania until his retirement in 1992.

He was an active member of Christ United Methodist Church of Central. He was also a member of Oriental Lodge, No. 460, F. & A. M., of Orangeville and the Benton V. F. W.

An avid outdoorsman, he especially enjoyed hunting and trout fishing. He spent his 32 years of retirement serving the community where he was a major contributor to his church and the local area.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, Alice, are his three sons: John Allegar and his wife, Mary Beth, of State College and their children: Jacob, Gabriel, and Emily; Jeffrey Allegar, of Harrisburg and his sons: Charley and Daniel; and Robert Allegar and his wife, Wanda, of Millville and their children: Lindsey and Katie. Also surviving are six great grandchildren: Kian, Brooks, Cecelia, Jamison, Gus and Sunnie.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Robert W. Allegar on January 7, 2013.

Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, June 10th, 2026 at 11 A. M. at the McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., 4394 Red Rock Road, Benton (State Route 487) with the Rev. Howard W. Leh, retired minister, officiating. Burial will be in the St. Gabriel's Cemetery, Sugarloaf Township with full military honors. A Viewing will be held Wednesday from 10 AM until the time of the service at McMichael's.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to St. Gabriel's Cemetery Association, c/o Meg Geffken, 377 Stevens Hill Road, Benton, PA 17814.

The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., of Benton, is honored to serve the Allegar Family. For online condolences or for additional information, please visit our website:

06/02/2026

Dottie J. (Gearhart) Swires, 73, of Divide, Jackson Township, died Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at her home.

Born October 12, 1952 in Berwick, she was a daughter of the late Don and Marylou (Eckart) Gearhart. She was also preceded in death by her husband of 24 years, Daniel S. Swires, on November 27, 2021.

Dottie was a graduate of Northwest Area High School in 1972. She worked at the Mill Race Golf Course in Benton as a waitress/manager for many years. She was last employed by Denny's Restaurant in Bloomsburg until her retirement in 2018.

She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and her pets; going to the beach and collecting jewelry.

Surviving are her two children: Kimberly Evans and her husband, Ed; Donnie Rhone and his wife, Debbie, all of Benton. Also surviving are four grandchildren: Adam, Eribella, Noah, and Lily; two great grandchildren and a sister, Donna Gearhart and her companion, Jack, of Fairmount Springs.

A Celebration of Life will be held Monday, June 8, 2026 at 11 AM at the McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., 4394 Red Rock Road, Benton with Pastor Scott Lyons, Stillwater Christian Church, officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to help offset final expenses and sent to Kimberly Evans, 43 Fallowbrook Road, Benton, PA 17814 .

The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., of Benton, is honored to serve Dottie's family. For online condolences, or for additional information, please visit our website: https://www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com/obituary/Dottie-Swires

05/23/2026

With heavy hearts we share the passing of Marlene Hein Roschen, 92, of Danville, who went to be home with our Lord on Friday morning, May 22, 2026 at her home.

Born November 25, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, she was a daughter of the late Joseph and Emily (Sauvelcoul) Kessel, she was one of seven children. She was also preceded in death by her husbands, Oswald J. Hein and John Frederick Roschen.

Mrs. Roschen was a graduate of Andrew Jackson High School in Hollace, New York. She spent her working career in finance and had last been employed by First Columbia Bank in Benton, now Journey Bank.

She was a member of St. Columba Catholic Church in Bloomsburg.

Mrs. Roschen enjoyed being a homemaker and was known for her cooking and baking. She enjoyed making family recipes of German foods and Grandpa's cookies. She valued spending time with her friends and was often referred to as the glue of her family. To Marlene, life was a beautiful journey where the glass was always half full. No matter the challenge, she met the world with a bright smile, an infectious laugh, and an unwavering belief that tomorrow would be even better.

Surviving are her daughter, Rita Millard, with whom she made her home; a son, John Hein; nine grandchildren: Chris, Greg, Tim, Joseph, Paul, Rosie, Jessica, Nick and Danielle; 4 great grandchildren; and three siblings.

Along with her parents and her husbands, she was preceded in death by her step-mother, Veronica; two children: a daughter, Karen Hein Huddelson and Michael Hein; and three siblings.

Private Graveside Services will be held at New Rosemont Cemetery, Scott Township at the convenience of the family.

Marlene's family would like to give a special thanks to Compassus Hospice for their excellent care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored if donations were made to the Disabled American Veterans (help.dav.org) or the Wounded Warrior Project (support.woundedwarriorproject.org).

The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., of Benton, is honored to serve Marlene's family. For online condolences or for additional information, please visit our website: www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com

05/19/2026

Jane E. (Kreller) Getz, 94, of Benton, died Monday, May 18, 2026 at Glenbrook Rehab. and Nursing Center, Berwick.

Born October 31, 1931 in Plymouth, she was a daughter of the late George and Bertha (Lord) Kreller. She was preceded in death by her two husbands, Carl Getz in 1988 and Stanley Archavage in 2015.

She was a 1949 graduate of Plymouth High School and attended Penn State (Extension).

Jane had worked at various sewing factories and also sold real estate. She also drove tractor trailer with her first husband, Carl Getz and was known as "Lady Thunder".

She was a member of the Benton United Methodist Church and served on the Benton Council of Churches. She was a volunteer for the Columbia Montour Hospice program.

Jane enjoyed dancing and reading. She especially enjoyed traveling the country in her motorhome for many years.

Surviving are her two daughters: Carla J. Lee, of Benton; Marcia Kieczkajlo, of Florida; three grandchildren: Cory Lee, Brooke Gordner and Jason Derrick; seven great grandchildren; one great great granddaughter and numerous nieces and nephews.

Along with her parents and two husbands, she was the last member of her immediate family and was preceded in death by three sisters and four brothers. She was also preceded in death by a granddaughter, Vanessa Cox.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, May 22nd, 2026 at 10:30 A.M. at the McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., 4394 Red Rock Road, Benton (State Route 487) with her nephew, Pastor Kenneth Kreller, officiating. Burial will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery, Pikes Creek. A viewing will be held Friday from 9:30 AM until the time of the service at 10:30 at McMichael's. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the Benton United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 244, Benton, PA 17814.

The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., of Benton, is honored to serve Jane's family. For online condolences or for additional information, please visit our website: www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com

05/08/2026

Beatrice M. (Hess) Roberts, age 86, formerly of Third Street, Benton, died Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at the Grandview Nursing and Rehabilitation, Danville, where she had been a resident for the past two years.

Born October 11, 1939 in Benton, she was a daughter of the late H. Hurl Hess and Audrey K. (Hess) Hess.

A lifelong resident of Benton, she graduated from Benton High School in1957 and then from Bloomsburg State Teacher's College in 1960.

Beatrice was employed by the Benton Area School District as an elementary teacher for 34 years and then as a substitute teacher for many years. She touched the lives of countless children; she found great joy in her work and was deeply committed to helping students learn, grow and feel valued. Beatrice was widely known as a generous and caring woman.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Earnest L. Roberts; her daughter, Tracey O'Brien and by her sister, Louise Lewis.

Surviving are her son, Thomas L. Fought, Jr. and his wife, Terri; Richard Madero, a cherished member of the family; four grandchildren; nine great grandchildren and a niece and a nephew. Her family was the center of her life and she loved every moment that she spent with them. Her memory will live on in the many lives that she touched.

Graveside Services will be held at the Raven Creek Cemetery on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 2 PM with Pastor Scott Lyons, Stillwater Christian Church, officiating.

The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., of Benton, is honored to serve Beatrice's family. For online condolences or for additional information, please visit our website: www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com

05/07/2026

Geraldine J. (Snyder) "Dean" McWilliams, 90, of Mt. Pleasant Township, died Wednesday afternoon, May 6, 2026 at the Gardens at Millville where she had been a resident for the past three weeks.

Born January 25, 1936 in Girard Manor, East Union Township, Schuylkill County, she was a daughter of the late Frank Monroe Snyder and Mary Modjeski (Hill) Snyder. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert L. McWilliams, on September 16, 1996.

Mrs. McWilliams attended Catawissa High School and had been employed by the former Emenee Shirt Factory in Catawissa until her retirement in 1972.

She enjoyed being a homemaker and was noted for her cooking, baking, sewing and babysitting her grandchildren.

Surviving are her children: Robert D. McWilliams and his wife, Mary, of Millville; Donald L. McWilliams, and Mary E. O'Donnell, both of Mt. Pleasant Township; grandchildren: Melissa Greenly and her husband, Wade; Eva M. O'Donnell, Amy E. Williams, Laura J. O'Donnell, Michael P. O'Donnell; great grandchildren: Cadence Greenly, Lillian O'Donnell, Maximillian Benincasa, Kristopher Matthews and Saoirse Mays. Also surviving are her sisters: Mary Lue Wolfe and her husband, Larry; Linda Hoffman and her husband, Donald; brothers-in-law: George McWilliams and his wife, Sue; and Harry Ashelman.

In addition to her husband, Robert, and parents, she was preceded in death by the following brothers: James, Kenneth, Leonard, Donald, Carl and Dale Snyder; and sisters: Lucille Morrison, Emma Stanchock and by a sister-in-law, Trudy Ashelman.

Graveside Services will be held Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 2 PM at the Freewill Cemetery, Roaring Creek Township with Pastor Steve Styer, officiating. There will be no public viewing. The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., Benton is honored to serve the McWilliams Family. For online condolences or additional information, please visit our website: www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com

05/07/2026

Bobbie Jo (Swank) Rogers, 41, of the Buckhorn area, was called home to the Lord on Saturday, May 2, 2026. A life taken too soon. She was a beloved daughter, sister, mother and aunt.

Born May 24, 1984 to Beverly J. (Walburn) Swank, of Warfordsburg, PA and the late Willard N. Swank, Jr., who died Jan. 5, 2023.

Bobbie Jo was a scrappy, free-willed soul that enjoyed outside activities including fishing, hiking and riding bikes as well as family gatherings.

She was the third daughter to Willard Jr. and Beverly Swank and she had three children: Christopher Wood, Jr., Willow Fausnaught and Richard Rogers, III as well as her second husband, Richard Rogers, II.

Also, surviving, in addition to her mother, Beverly, are two sisters: Brenda Gordner and Tina Parks; 3 nephews, William Parks II, Nicholas Parks and Keegan Delaney; 4 nieces: Elana-Mayli Parks, Lisa Parks, Makayla Parks and Angel Lee Parks; 8 uncles, 1 aunt and numerous cousins and friends who will all dearly miss her.

Bobbie Jo was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Willard Swank, Sr. and Kathryn Swank; maternal grandparents; Harold and Edna Walburn; her father, Willard N. Swank, Jr. and her first husband, Christopher Wood, Sr.

Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., Benton is honored to serve Bobbie Jo's family. For online condolences or additional information, please visit our website: www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com

05/06/2026

Sandra B. (Baker) Fritz, 89, of Benton, (Sugarloaf Township) died Tuesday evening, May 5, 2026 at the Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital.

Born May 13, 1936 in rural Bloomsburg, she was a daughter of the late Raymond and Genevieve (Edwards) Baker. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 61 years, Jesse E. Fritz, on June 14, 2018.

Sandra was a 1954 graduate of Benton High School where she was Valedictorian of her class. She then earned her R.N. degree from Hospital of University of Pennsylvania in 1957. In 1973 she graduated from Bloomsburg University with a B. S. in Public School Nursing and in the 1990's earned her Master's equivelant in School Nursing.

From 1957 to 1971 she worked as an R. N. at various hospitals including the Bloomsburg Hospital, the Lancaster General Hospital and the Frederick Memorial Hospital in Frederick, Maryland. From 1971 to 1999 she was the school nurse for the Benton Area School District. From 1999 to 2003, she was employed by the Columbia Montour Home Hospice as Director of Camp Courage for nine summers. She and her husband, Jesse, also owned and operated Jubilee Valley Retreat Center for 25 years for youth and families.

She was a longtime and active member of the Benton United Methodist Church where she was a Sunday School teacher, choir member and choir director, church pianist, missions coordinator, member of the Church council, youth leader, Bible School teacher and was a volunteer for the Kids for Christ program. She also participated and helped lead a Ladies Bible Study at the Church.

Sandra was also a member of the Benton Sewing Club, the Northern Columbia County Quilting Club and the Daughter of American Revolution.
She also served as chairperson for the Benton Salvation Army and was a CPR instructor for the American Red Cross.

Her hobbies included quilting, music, playing the piano, gardening and traveling but she especially cherished spending time with her family.

Surviving are her three children: Gregory N. Fritz and his wife, Nancy, of Benton; Shelby R. Brown and her husband, Paul, of Parker, Colorado; Nelson K. Fritz and his wife, Robin, of Benton; 9 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren. Also surviving are her brothers: Edward Thomas Baker and his wife, Mary Ann, of Centre Hall, PA; Frederick P. Baker and his wife Beth, of Charleroi, PA; a sister-in-law, Bobbi Baker, of Starkville, Mississippi and as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Along with her husband, Jesse, and her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Donald W. Baker.

Services will be held Monday, May 11, 2026 at 11 AM at the Benton United Methodist Church, Main Street, Benton, with Pastor Chris Long, officiating.
Friends and Relatives will be received Monday from 10 AM until the time of the Service at the Church. Private burial will be in the Benton Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the Benton United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 244, Benton, PA 17814 or to a Mission organization of the donor's choice.

The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., Benton, is honored to serve the Fritz Family. For online condolences or for additional information, please visit our website: www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com

05/01/2026

Eleanor Rae (Dunlap) Buck, 90, of Stillwater, passed away on April 29, 2026 at home surrounded by her family.

Eleanor was born on January 25, 1936 in New York City to the late Clarence & Elizabeth “Betty” (Jones) Dunlap.

Eleanor was a plant and flower lover, she also enjoyed watching and feeding the birds nearby. She loved animals and had a special place in her heart for dogs and cats. Most of all she loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her four children, Diane Baker of Bloomsburg, Mary Ellen Zeisloft and her husband, Dale of Bonita Springs, FL, Holly Lamoreaux and her husband, Kevin of Stillwater, and Charles “Chuck” Baker and his wife, Karen of Bloomsburg; grandchildren, Alison, Lee, Amber, Tanner, Dominique, Ross and Lauren; great-grandchildren, Makenna, Parker, Shea, Cara, Eislee and Bridger; and siblings, Bob Dunlap and Kathleen Dunlap.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her first husband, Charles Baker, and her second husband, Allen D. Buck.

Services will be private and at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Eleanor’s memory to: Animal Resource Center, P.O. Box 439, Bloomsburg, PA 17815 (http://nokillARC.org)

The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., of Benton, is honored to serve Eleanor’s family. For online condolences or for additional information, please visit our website: www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com

The loss of a loved one can leave you with a lot of unanswered questions, feelings of stress and anxiety and grief that make events difficult to handle. The experienced staff at McMichael Funeral Home will guide you through the aspects of the funeral service with compassion, dignity and respect. Our...

04/23/2026

George B. Sellers, 82, of Derrs, Jackson Township, died Wednesday morning, April 22, 2026 at his home surrounded by his family.

Born September 27, 1943 at the Bloomsburg Hospital, he was a son of the late William Clark Sellers, who died March 10, 1981 and Mildred Jean (Moss) Sellers Derr, who died October 15, 2012. George and his wife, Paula D. (McMichael) Sellers, would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 4th.

George attended Millville Schools and had been employed by Bloom Mills for more than 20 years. He was known as a very hard worker and a jack-of-all trades and did odd jobs including roofing, painting and carpentry work in the area.

He was an active member of Derrs Christian Church where he had served as a Deacon and an Elder over the years.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, Paula, are his three children: Paul Sellers and his wife, Heather, of Bellefonte; Matthew Sellers and his wife, Debra, of Berwick; Georgia Crawford and her husband, Garth, of Bloomsburg; six grandchildren and the following siblings: Ruth Evart and her husband, Martin; Donald Sellers; Barbara Griff and her husband, George; Gloria Woodside and her husband, Rick; Dale Sellers and his wife, Linda; David Sellers and his wife Josie; Beverly Lee and her husband, Garrett; Karl Sellers, and Marilyn Strauch and her husband, Garth as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his step father, Eugene Derr, Jr.; and two brothers: Darwin Blaine Sellers and Clark Sellers.

Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 11 A.M. at the McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., 4394 Red Rock Road, Benton (State Route 487) with Pastor Robert K. Andrews, officiating. A Viewing will be held Wednesday from 10 AM until the time of the service at 11. Burial will be in Elan Memorial Park, Lime Ridge. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the Orangeville Veterans Home, P. O. Box 157, Orangeville, PA 17859.

The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., of Benton, is honored to serve the Sellers Family. For online condolences or for additional information, please visit our website: www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com