Cokesbury

On June 5, 1785, before a large crowd, the cornerstone was laid for the highly anticipated Cokesbury College, a religious school built on a high knoll in Abingdon. The school was planned by the Rev. Thomas Coke, who had been appointed superintendent of Methodism in the United States, and Bishop Francis Asbury, the pioneer bishop of Dover, Del. The men had agreed on the need for an institution of higher education under control of the church, and decided the location should be in Harford.

There's much more than just Bibles at the Cokesbury Christian Bookstore in Maple Lawn. While customers can certainly pick up Christian study aids, cards, jewelry with inspirational sayings and plenty of commentaries and devotionals, the bookstore also carries an eclectic assortment of volumes on global and social issues. On its shelves one can find a copy of “The Indispensable Guide to End-of-Life Care” by Sharyl Peterson, get some help from “Revolutionary Parenting” by George Barna or energize playtime with “101 Great Games for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers” by Jolene L. Roehlkepartain.

RUTH CARHART WILSON PATTERSON, age 84, a resident of Cokesbury Village, Hockessin, DE, since 1986 and formally of Perryville, MD, died July 26, 2003 in Hockessin. She was the daughter of the late Isabel C. and Ralph T. Wilson and wife of Marion Lee Patterson. She is survived by her husband of almost 60 years, a daughter, Lynn Patterson Jacobs of Cincinnati, OH, a son, M. Lee Patterson, Jr. of London, England, their spouses and three grandchildren. Interment will be at St. Mark's Episcopal Church Cemetery, 175 St. Mark's Church Road, Perryville, MD, on Friday, August 1 at 2:30 P.M. A memorial service will be held at Cokesbury Village, 726 Loveville Road, Hockessin DE, on Saturday, August 2 at 2:30 P.M. In place of flowers, remembrances may be made to St. Mark's Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 337, Perryville, MD 21903.

As cold cases go, this one's a doozy. The world's first Methodist college, one of Maryland's earliest institutions of higher education, burned in 1795. Newspapers at the time said it was arson. The governor offered a $1,000 reward - a lot of money then - to catch the perpetrator. But no one was ever charged. Enter Bonnie McCubbin, an anthropology and history major at St. Mary's College of Maryland, who graduated in May. More than two centuries after the mysterious fire, the 22-year-old from Bel Air tracked down artifacts excavated decades ago at the site in Harford County where Cokesbury College once stood.

Alice Virginia Morgan Levoff, Funeral services are being arranged by McComas Funeral Home, 1317 Cokesbury Road, Abingdon, MD. The family will receive friends Friday, June 6, 2008, 7:00-9:00 P.M. at the funeral home. A graveside service will be held 11 A.M. Saturday, June 7th at Holly Hill Memorial Gardens in Baltimore, MD.

On May 28, 2004, ALICE ELEANOR HUTSON, of Abingdon, MD; beloved aunt of Raymond (Sonny) Hutson, Jr., Helen Cochran and Alice Hamby Keller. Also survived by several great nieces and nephews. Services will be held in the family owned Mc Comas Funeral Home, P.A., in Abingdon, MD on Tuesday, June 1 at 10 A.M. Interment will be in Calvary United Methodist Church Cemetery, Churchville, MD. Friends may call at the funeral home on Monday, May 31, from 1 to 3 P.M. Those who desire may contribute to Cokesbury United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 85, Abingdon, MD 21009.

On November 2, 2003, IRVIN HENRY ROPKA of Voorhees, NJ. Beloved husband of the late Lois E. Melton Ropka. Devoted father of Charles I. Ropka. Also survived by 7 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Services will be held at the family owned McComas Funeral Home, P.A., Abingdon, MD on Saturday, November 8, 2003, at 12:30 P.M. Interment will be in Cokesbury United Methodist Church Cemetery, Abingdon, MD. Friends may call at the funeral home in Abingdon on Saturday from 11:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Those who desire may contribute to Presbury United Methodist Church Cemetery, 806 Edgewood Road, Edgewood, MD 21040.

A funeral service for Spc. Ari D. Brown-Weeks, an Army paratrooper who was killed Sept. 10 in Iraq, is scheduled for noon tomorrow at Mountain Christian Church, 1824 Mountain Road, Joppa. Brown-Weeks died in a truck accident in Baghdad with six other soldiers. The Massachusetts native had lived in Abingdon over the past two years with his wife, Ashley Tillery Weeks, a Harford County native. The family will receive visitors from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today at McComas Funeral Home, 1317 Cokesbury Road, Abingdon.

MARGARET GERHARD SCHMEISSERWEIKART age 82, died September 14, 2004 at Cokesbury Village. She was born in Baltimore, MD on June 10, 1922, the daughter of Gerhard L. Schmeisser and Katharine Fleming Schmeisser. She married John Weikart on October 20, 1945 and lived in Elizabeth, Cranford, and Westfield, NJ before retiring to Fairlee, MD on July 1, 1983. They later moved to Cokesbury Village in Hockessin, DE on July 1, 2000. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her son, J. Martin Weikart of Walnutport, PA; son, Albert M. Weikart and his wife, Patricia Anne and their children, Chris and Jody, all of Marietta, NY; and son, David F. Weikart and his wife, Patti and their daughter, Julie, all of Bridgewater, NJ. She is also survived by a sister, Betty Schmeisser Nelson and her husband, Karl of Weston, CT and a brother, Dr. Gerhard Schmeisser and his wife Ann of Gibson Island, MD. Arrangements by CHANDLER FUNERAL HOMES & Stough)

A 16-year-old Pasadena youth was stabbed in the arm during a fight Saturday night, county police said yesterday.Police said Willard Olson of the 200 block of Maryland Ave. was treated at North Arundel Hospital.He told police that he and two friends were walking on Old Crown Drive shortly before 11:30 p.m. when they encountered a youth walking toward them.The approaching youth -- a 14-year-old boy who lives in the 3500 block of Cokesbury Court -- and one of Willard's friends bumped into each other, said Officer Randy Bell, a police spokesman.

On March 12, 2009, DOUGLAS WELLINGTON STORMS, JR. of Fallston, MD. Beloved husband of Alma J. Leight Storms. Devoted father of Gene Charles Storms and wife Peggy, and the late Mark Douglas Storms. Loving brother of Paul James Storms and wife Marion. Also survived by grandson Erik R. Storms. Services will be held at the family owned McComas Funeral Home, P.A., Abingdon MD on Tuesday March 17, 2009 at 12 PM. Interment will be in Cokesbury United Methodist Church Cemetery, Abingdon MD. Friends may call at the funeral home on Monday from 6 to 8 PM. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Harford Hospice, 8003 Corporate Drive, Suite G, Baltimore, MD 21236.

Alice Virginia Morgan Levoff, Funeral services are being arranged by McComas Funeral Home, 1317 Cokesbury Road, Abingdon, MD. The family will receive friends Friday, June 6, 2008, 7:00-9:00 P.M. at the funeral home. A graveside service will be held 11 A.M. Saturday, June 7th at Holly Hill Memorial Gardens in Baltimore, MD.

A funeral service for Spc. Ari D. Brown-Weeks, an Army paratrooper who was killed Sept. 10 in Iraq, is scheduled for noon tomorrow at Mountain Christian Church, 1824 Mountain Road, Joppa. Brown-Weeks died in a truck accident in Baghdad with six other soldiers. The Massachusetts native had lived in Abingdon over the past two years with his wife, Ashley Tillery Weeks, a Harford County native. The family will receive visitors from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today at McComas Funeral Home, 1317 Cokesbury Road, Abingdon.

On December 27, 2006, DONALD ALBERT NORRIS of Abingdon, MD loving uncle of Margaret A. Peters, Theresa M. Lowery, Regina L. Deickman and Donald F. Deickman. Also survived by one great-niece and one great great-nephew. Predeceased by one sister, Theresa M. Deickman. Services will be held at the family owned McComas Funeral Home, P.A. in Abingdon, MD on Saturday, December 30, 2006 at 12 p.m. Interment will be in Cokesbury United Methodist Church Cemetery, Abingdon, MD. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday, December 29, 2006 from 7-9 p.m. Memory tributes may be sent to the family at mccomasfuneralhome.

On April 23, 2006, ROSE BOTTEON OATES, 85, formerly of Rosedale; devoted wife of the late Francis S. Oates; loving mother of Victoria Hay, Steve and Donna Oates, Frank and Helena Oates, Helen Oates and Tracey Miller; sister to Edith Monacelli; also 9 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Viewing Wednesday evening, April 26, from 5 to 7 Pm in the Galena Funeral Home of Stephen L. Schaech, 118 W. Cross St. Galena, MD and on Thursday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 at Mc Comas Funeral Home, 1317 Cokesbury Road, Abingdon, MD, where funeral service will be held on Friday at 11 A.M. Burial in Gardens of Faith, Baltimore, MD. Memorials may be offered to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of MD, 11403 Cronhill Dr. Suite E. Owings Mills, MD 21117.

1795: Fire destroys Cokesbury College Church leaders the Rev. Thomas Coke and Bishop Francis Asbury, seeing that the Baltimore area held "the greatest concentration of Methodists in the nation," decided to found a sectarian college. They chose Abingdon for the site, a thriving town on a stage line to Philadelphia (the largest city in America at the time). Coke and Asbury laid the cornerstone of the building in 1785. The Georgian edifice was three stories and larger than anything else in the county.

Cokesbury Manor Chateau Builders, with 35 communities throughout the metropolitan region, is making its first entry into Harford County, with its Cokesbury Manor single-family homes. The community is to comprise 325 Colonial-style homes and offers five floor plans, with four bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms and two-car garages. Priced from $234,900, the homes offer a choice of stone, brick and vinyl siding exteriors simulating cedar shakes, with front porches. Standard interior amenities include hardwood floors in the foyer and powder room, 6-by-6-inch ceramic tiles in all bathrooms and upgraded faucets and molding throughout.

On January 8, 2005, JOSEPH JAMES HLADKY, of Abingdon, MD; beloved husband of the late Mary Regina Hladky; devoted father of Joseph J. Hladky, Jr., Stephen Hladky, Regina Novotny, Theresa H. Mitchell and Julia Lowman. Predeceased by one son, Mark Hladky. Also survived by fourteen grandchildren. Mass will be held at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Abingdon, MD, on Wednesday, January 12, 2005, at 10 A.M. Interment will be in the Cokesbury Cemetery. Friends may call at the family owned Mc Comas Funeral Home, Abingdon, MD, on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M. A Wake Service will be held at 8 P.M. Those who desire, may contribute to the Alzheimer's Disease Association, 1850 York Road, Suite D, Timonium, MD 21093-5142.