Verna E. White

Verna Elaine White, 87, of St. Joseph, passed away Monday, July 18, 2005 at Orchard Grove Nursing Facility in Benton Harbor. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Friday, July 22, 2005 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 211 Church St., St. Joseph with Msgr. Tom Martin officiating. Burial will be at a later date. Friends may call upon the family on Thursday between 6:00-8:00 P.M. at the Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road, in St. Joseph. A Rosary will be said immediately following the visitation. Memorials may be made to the Verna White Memorial Fund in care of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Those wishing to leave the family a message of condolence or to sign the guestbook may do so online at www.starks-menchinger.com. Verna was born on February 22, 1918 in New Troy, MI. She was one of 6 children born to William & Harriet (Holtz) Hanover. On July 27, 1937, she married Nicholas Joseph White at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Sawyer, MI. To this union were born 5 children. She was a longtime member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. During WWII, Verna worked as a stenographer for Clark Equipment. Verna was an excellent cook and often helped prepare luncheons at the Rose Center. She was particularly known for her pies and her recipes were in demand by many. Verna was also the best ?Blueberry Picker in the Country.? She loved travel to Northern Michigan to go fishing. One of her favorite places was ?Fisher?s Cottage? in Cedarville, MI. She was particularly proud when she caught her first Northern Pike. An avid traveler, she also loved to ?off-road? and to trek across the Rocky Mountains in Colorado with her brother Leo. She was a member of the Home Economics Club of New Troy. Mrs. White is survived by her beloved husband Nicholas of nearly 68 years; her children, Patricia Kathryne (Gerald) Bosch of Kalamazoo, Nicholas James (Kathy) White, Theresa Elaine Rahn, Michael Kevin (Marla) White each from St. Joseph, and Nickey Anne (Mark) Misner of Carmel, IN; her grandchildren, John, Tom, David, Julie, Nicole, Nicholas, Christopher, Courtney, Chelsea, Bruce, Brian, Scott, Michael, and Jake; her great-grandchildren, Jennifer, Emily, Kaitlyn, Patrick, Nicholas, Conner, Elizabeth, Steven, Brandon, Nathan, Tyson, Roger, Avalon, Jamie, Elyse, Emily, Nicholas, Anna, Brianna, Colin, Simon, and Ethan; a sister, Carol Taylor; three brothers, Leo, Jack, and Roy Hanover; and her ?best buddies?, Vera Pollack, Ma Fisher, Annie Murphy & Marge Welsher. In addition to her parents, Verna was preceded in death by her brothers, Harold, William, Rex, & Charlie; her uncle, Hank Holtz; and her great-granddaughter, Robin Dohm. Verna loved her family very much and the ?love of her life? was her adored husband, ?Just Nick.?