Lemma Endersby, Charles Havens.
Lemma Endersby
Active Princeton volunteer
Lemma Rapelye Johnston Endersby of Princeton died Saturday at the Merwick unit of The Medical Center at Princeton after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 88.
Born in Roselle Park, she lived in a number of New Jersey shore communities before moving to Princeton in 1941 following her marriage.
She was a volunteer for many Princeton community groups, including the Red Cross, Princeton YMCA, The Princeton Recollector (a publication of the Princeton History Project) and, most especially, Trinity Episcopal Church, in many leadership capacities.
She helped edit the first Trinity Church cookbook, "Guests Unlimited," in 1964. She completed 50 years of work on behalf of the Alter Guild at Trinity, where she was a member of the Flower Committee.
With an instinctive talent with flowers and a mastery of early American toleware painting, she earned election in 1978 to the Esther Stevens Fraser Guild of Early American Decoration.
She worked for a time at Princeton Theological Seminary and Princeton University.
Daughter of the late Herbert Rapelye Johnston and Elsie Lent Johnston, wife of the late Elric George Endersby, she is survived by her son, Elric Johnston Endersby of Ewing; daughter and son-in-law Deborah Endersby Gwazda and Edward J. Gwazda Jr. of Pennington; brother Herbert R. Johnston; brother-in-law Norman Endersby; and grandsons Farley, Henry and Chester Gwazda.
A celebration of her life will be held 3 p.m. Friday at Trinity Episcopal Church, 30 Mercer St., followed by a reception.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Merwick Memorial Fund through the Medical Center at Princeton Foundation, 253 Witherspoon St., Princeton, NJ 08540.
Arrangements are by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.
Charles Havens
Watchmaker
MONTGOMERY Charles Havens died Jan. 14 at The Medical Center at Princeton. He was 84.
Born in Butler, he grew up in North Brunswick and moved to Montgomery in 1974.
A watchmaker, he operated a store in New Brunswick for 25 years until 1968, when he began to work from his home. He continued to work at his trade until his final illness.
He graduated from New Brunswick High School in 1936 but his plans for college ended with the death of his father. He instead used his motorcycle to begin a messenger business.
He joined the Merchant Marines during World War II, graduated from Gallups Island Radio School and was a radio officer aboard the SS Button Gwinett in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Following his war service, he learned watchmaking while working for Wendel Blath of Bound Brook.
He was a founding member of the Watchmakers Guild of Central Jersey, serving as both secretary and president before it merged with the Watchmakers Association of New Jersey. He was a member of the association’s board of directors and was a recipient of its 1999 Fellowship Award.
He was a member of the advisory council of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Somerset County since its inception, serving several terms as president.
He was a member of the Montgomery Evangelical Free Church and led the Saturday morning Men’s Breakfast Fellowship for 11 years.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Jessie Lynes Havens; daughter Faith Havens York; and grandchildren Tracie York Beauchamp and Ronald N. York Jr.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at Montgomery Evangelical Free Church, Griggstown Road, Montgomery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Project Liberty Ship, P.O. Box 25864, Highlandtown Station, Baltimore, MD 21224, or to Montgomery Emergency Medical Services for the Gideon Bible Society.
Arrangements were by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.