Portage County obituaries for Jan. 28-29, 2026
- Staff Report
Elsie Donnetta Danner
Elsie Donnetta Danner, age 91, of the Village of Hiram, passed away peacefully Thursday, January 22, 2026. Elsie Donnetta (Donnie) was the beloved mother of Laura Jane Noland, Tobin Michael Noland (partner Martha Gauss), Beth Lynn Romeo, and Kathleen Emma Marten (late Theodore G.); beloved sister of Linda Danner Sprague (Jack Gresham); cherished grandmother of Cameron Boberick (Jessie), Kashtin Boberick, Daniel Romeo (Lauren), Linda Romeo, Jennifer Limas (Marc), and Margaret Marten(Michael); dear great grandmother of Avery and Adley Boberick, Hazel Romeo, and Juliet Romeo.
Elsie Donnetta was an Assistant Director at the Portage County District Library, from which she retired in 2000. She was an avid reader and especially loved English mysteries. She was a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Donnie was a member of a local book club where she shared her love of reading with her community. She was a keen dog and cat lover. She was an enthusiastic Anglophile and loved everything, especially the history of the British Isles, where she traveled several times. She was a longstanding member of the Hiram Research Club. One area she excelled in was needlework and she initiated a local "Warm the World" knitting group to provide caps and blanket bereavement sets and welcome home blankets for newborns at Akron Children's Hospital. She served as a commissioner for the Hiram Village Planning and Zoning Commission and dedicated herself to the betterment of her community.
A memorial service celebrating Donnie's life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made in Donnie's name to the Akron Canton Foodbank Crestwood 4C at https://www.akroncantonfoodbank.org/, 4572 W Prospect Street, Mantua, Ohio 44225, or The Nature Conservancy https://www.nature.org/. Cards can be sent to: 4646 Dresher Trail, Stow, OH 44224. Arrangements by Busch-Romito Funeral Home, Hudson, OH. www.buschcares.com
Robert C. Hayden
Robert C. “Bob” Hayden, 87, of Ravenna, Ohio, passed away on January 26, 2026, after a brief illness at Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland Ohio.
Margie Lynn (Wilkinson) Henderson-Trimble
Margie Lynn (Wilkinson) Henderson-Trimble, age 72, passed away January 25, 2026, while residing at Hudson Springs in Stow.
Frederick L. Edwards Sr.
Frederick L. Edwards Sr., age 84 of Rootstown, passed away January 23, 2026, at his home.
Dr. David Jerome Reith
Dr. David Jerome Reith, 84, of Kent, passed away on Sunday, January 25, 2026 at UH Portage Medical Center. He was born in Kokomo, IN on February 7, 1941 to the late Joseph and Marion Reith.
Charlotte M. Krause
Charlotte Krause (nee Kotzmann), age 84, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 25, 2026. She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Lawrence J. Krause.
Staff Report