Blanche P. Burch
MOUNT VERNON — Blanche Pauline Burch, 91, of Mount Vernon died Thursday, March 17, 2005, at The Inn at HillenVale in Mount Vernon. The North-Dilley Funeral Home in Mount Vernon is in charge of arrangements.

Dale N. Hammond
DANVILLE — Dale Nelson Hammond, 89, of South Market Street, Danville, died Wednesday, March 16, 2005, at Knox Community Hospital in Mount Vernon.

He was born July 19, 1915, in Millwood to Finley and Elizabeth (Busenburg) Hammond. On June 25, 1939, he married Wava E. Workman. She preceded him in death on May 10, 1995. He was a member of the Danville Lions Club, Danville United Methodist Church and the Scottish Rite and Aladdin Shrine of Columbus. He was a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge 199, and was the fire chief for 35 years with the Danville Fire Department. He was the owner of Dale’s Cardinal Market, and had been in the food retail business in Danville for 60 years.

He is survived by three sons, John (Sue) Hammond, Scott (Aimee) Hammond of Danville and Mike (Jean) Hammond of Newark; a daughter, Kay Stimpert of Danville; 16 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren; and a son-in-law, Lanny Parrish of Danville.

In addition to his parents and his wife, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Linda; a sister, Clara Mickley; and a brother, Carl Hammond.

The funeral, with a fire department memorial service, will be Saturday, March 19, at 11 a.m. at the Danville United Methodist Church. The Rev. Doug Sweet will officiate. Calling hours will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the church, with a Masonic service at 8:45 p.m. Burial will be in Workman Cemetery, Danville.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Danville Fire Department, P.O. Box 526, Danville, OH 43014; or to the Danville UMC, 408 S. Market St., Danville. The Fischer Funeral Home in Danville is handling the arrangements.

Ella Mae Laidig
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — Ella Mae (Miller) Fawcett Davis Laidig, 79, of Santa Clarita, Calif., died March 11, 2005, at the Holiday Manor Nursing Home in Canoga Park, Calif., due to complications of a 10-year debilitating illness.

She was born July 10, 1925, in Ohio to Amos and Goldie (Von Born) Miller. She was a 1943 graduate of Utica High School, where she was homecoming queen. After marriage to Gene Fawcett, the family lived in Utica and the Martinsburg area. They moved to Tucson, Ariz., in 1956. There she found a successful career as a valued title clerk with several automobile dealerships. After her husband’s death in 1967, she moved to California to be near her daughter, Maureen, and continued her career with automobile dealerships there. She was a member of the Santa Clarita Valley Sweet Adelines in her senior years.

She is survived by her husband, William Laidig of Santa Clarita, Calif.; her daughter, Maureen (Mike) MacLaughlin of Canyon Country, Calif.; five grandchildren, Tammie Lynn (David) Richards of Valencia, Calif., James Robert (Lora) Pearson of Maple Valley, Wash., Jeffrey Michael Fawcett of Tucson, Ariz., Bryant Fawcett Wilson and Lynette Fawcett Wilson, both of North Pole, Alaska; four great-grandsons; a brother, Henry (Pat) Miller of Miamisburg; a half sister, Belle (Miller) Martin of Rochester, N.Y.; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Gene William Fawcett; two sons, Michael Gene Fawcett and Daniel Gordon Fawcett; former husband, Arthur Davis; a sister, Doris (Miller) Sites Mitchell; and a half sister, Margaret (Miller) Thornquist.

A private family memorial was held March 13, 2005, in Santa Clarita, Calif.