James S. Thornton, Catharine B. Shields, Irma Mihan, Donald Rosenthal, Olga L Fehrer, Michael S. Epps
James S. Thornton
Sales engineer, active volunteer
James Starbuck Thornton of Princeton died Tuesday at University Medical Center at Princeton. He was 87.
Born in Summit, he was a longtime Princeton resident.
Mr. Thornton was a sales engineer and sales manager at Egan Machinery Co. in Somerville for 25 years, retiring in 1978. The company designed, built and installed specialized machinery for the paper and plastics industry and he traveled throughout the country and world as part of his job.
He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1941 with degrees in engineering and business administration.
He was an Army lieutenant colonel during World War II.
For several years, he was chairman of the steering committee of the Crisis Ministries of Princeton & Trenton, vice chairman of the board of trustees of Westminster Choir College of Rider University and governor of Springdale Golf Club.
A member of Trinity Church, he was involved in many lay activities, served on the vestry and was a longtime member of the adult choir.
Mr. Thornton was a member of The Old Guard of Princeton and of Community Without Walls.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Ruth Chambers Thornton; son Andrew S. Thornton of Bath, Maine; daughter and son-in-law Kim S. and Carl Taggart of Kennett Square, Pa.; brothers and sister-in-law Fletcher and Peg Thornton of Exeter, N.H., and Peter Thornton of Cape Cod, Mass.; brother-in-law John Schreiner of Litchfield Park, Ariz.; sisters-in-law Frances C. Joswick of Maui, Hawaii, and Moonyeen Thornton of Dallas; grandchildren Jeffrey and Ellie Taggart; many nieces and nephews; and godchild Clare Sully.
A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. today at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St., Princeton.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Crisis Ministry of Princeton & Trenton, 61 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08540; Westminster Choir College of Rider University, 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540; or Friends of Princeton Public Library, P.O. Box 422, Princeton, NJ 08542.
Arrangements are by Kimble Funeral Home, Princeton.
Catharine B. Shields
Longtime Princeton resident
BORDENTOWN Catharine B. "Cassie" Shields died Tuesday at home. She was 93.
Born in Philadelphia, she lived in Princeton more than 65 years and in Bordentown for the past 25 years.
She was a switchboard operator for New Jersey Bell Telephone Co. while residing in Princeton.
In her early years, she became interested and involved with the fox hunt and hound clubs along the East Coast.
During World War II, while living in Princeton, she was a spotter for planes for the civil defense program.
Mrs. Shields was very active in St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Princeton for more than 30 years.
She was involved and participated in many events and projects with Engine Company No. 1 of the Princeton Fire Department and had participated with the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad.
She enjoyed telling stories of her life to her grandchildren and making frequent trips to Atlantic City.
Daughter of the late Henry A. and Rose Burger of Philadelphia, wife of the late William E. Shields and sister of the late Elizabeth R. and Henry "Abe" Burger Jr. and Margaret B. Benson, she is survived by sons and daughters-in-law William D. and Eileen Shields of West Windsor and Henry F. and Lynn Shields of Lawrence; daughter Margaret S. Maple of Lawrence; grandchildren Thomas and Alan Maple, Heather M. Schwartz and Jeffrey, Kristin, Adrienne, Patrick, Ryan and Vanessa Shields; seven great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be 10:30 a.m. today at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. today at St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, 214 Nassau St., Princeton.
Burial will be in St. Paul’s Cemetery.
Visiting hours will be 9 to 10:30 a.m. today at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Samaritan Hospice, 5 Eves Drive, Suite 300, Marlton, NJ 08053; Hope Hose Humane, P.O. Box 666, Bordentown, NJ 08505; or Princeton Engine Co. No. 1, P.O. Box 390, Princeton, NJ 08540.
Irma Mihan
Longtime Princeton resident
Irma Mihan of Princeton died Thursday at Merwick Rehab Hospital & Nursing Care. She was 91.
Born in Bremen, Germany, she emigrated to New York City in 1937 before moving to Princeton in 1941.
She volunteered almost 5,700 hours over the course of 39 years at The Medical Center at Princeton, where she was instrumental in securing free valet parking for all UMCP volunteers. She continued to be an active hospital volunteer until April 17 of this year. She was also a member of The Woman’s Club of Princeton.
Mrs. Mihan served as a Brownie and Girl Scout troop leader for several years in Princeton and was a member of the Princeton Lions Club Auxiliary and the Lioness Club.
A longtime participant in Swedish gymnastics at the YWCA Princeton, she completed the course for training instructors in Swedish gymnastics in 1976 and taught exercise in the YWCA Vitality In Maturity program for senior citizens until her mid-80s.
A league bowler for over 50 years, she also earned numerous trophies, both individually and with her teams. She continued to bowl through 2005.
She and her husband were charter members of the Lutheran Church of the Messiah in Princeton, where she was an active congregant for 58 years. She was a longstanding member of the church choir and other church organizations.
Wife of the late Eric P. Mihan Sr., founder of E. P.M. Steins and The English Shop, a Princeton business that opened its doors in 1951, she is survived by sons and daughters-in-law Eric and Betsy Mihan Jr. of Oxford, Md. and Herbert K. and Drucilla Mihan Sr. of Waynesboro, Ga.; daughter Elisabeth Linda Louise Mihan of West Windsor; sister and brother-in-law Lieselotte and Hans Rietdorf of Bremen, Germany; brother and sister-in-law Harry and Barbara Singer of Cherry Hill; grandchildren Eric J. Mihan, Herbert K. Mihan Jr. and Stephanie Grant; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins in Germany and the United States.
The funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah, 407 Nassau St., Princeton.
Visiting hours will be 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of donor’s choice.
Donald Rosenthal
Grew up in Princeton
POTSDAM, N.Y. Donald Rosenthal died May 19 at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, Vt. He was 79.
He was born and raised in Princeton, where his father owned the Princeton Clothing Company at 17½ Witherspoon St. for many years.
Mr. Rosenthal was a professor emeritus of chemistry at Clarkson University in Potsdam.
He joined the faculty at Clarkson in 1961 as an associate professor and was named professor of chemistry in 1966 and professor emeritus in 1992. He previously taught at the University of Chicago, Columbia University and the University of Minnesota.
He graduated from Princeton High School and Princeton University, then getting his doctorate in chemistry from Columbia University. He did post-graduate work at the University of Minnesota.
He was a leading member of Congregation Beth-El in Potsdam and was actively involved with the chemical education community of the American Chemical Society.
Mr. Rosenthal served in the Navy during World War II.
Son of the late Samuel Rosenthal and Ida Finkle Rosenthal, he is survived by his wife of 50 years, Eleanor Oliven Rosenthal; daughters Deborah Rosenthal of Rainbow Lake, N.Y., Susan Rosenthal of New York City and Marion Rosenthal of Burlington, Vt.; son Daniel of Chicago; and sisters Marilyn Rosenthal of Potsdam, N.Y., and Elinor Kraut of Ewing.
Olga L. Fehrer
Hospital volunteer
EAST BRUNSWICK Olga Lundin Fehrer died Tuesday at home. She was 90.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she moved to Edison as a child and was a South River resident 49 years before moving to East Brunswick in 1990.
She was a substitute teacher in South River schools and an office assistant at a doctor’s office. She was a PTA president in the 1950s and a South River Republican committeewoman.
A volunteer at the Infant Hearing Assessment Program at University Medical Center at Princeton, she accumulated over 1,000 volunteer hours at the hospital.
She was an elder, deacon and member of Presbyterian Women and Christian Education Commission at Trinity Presbyterian Church, East Brunswick.
Wife of the late Fred Fehrer, sister of the late Alice Lundin, grandmother of the late Michael Rao, she is survived by daughters Alice Wyatt of West Columbia, S.C., Lois Rao of Lancaster, S.C., and Susan of Hightstown; son Fred of Palo Alto, Calif.; grandchildren Kris Haimbach, Kendra Fehrer, Eric Robinson and Derek Fehrer; and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held 1 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 367 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, 367 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick, NJ 08816.
Arrangements are by Brunswick Memorial Home, East Brunswick.
Michael S. Epps
Worked at university
EWING Michael S. Epps died Sunday at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Camden. He was 51.
He was a Princeton University employee.
Born in Princeton, he was educated in the Ewing public school system and was a 1972 graduate of Ewing High School. He later received an associate’s degree from Mercer County Community College.
Son of the late Solmen Epps, he is survived by his mother, Mardean Epps; brother Timothy Epps; godmother Anne King; three aunts; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, great-nieces and great-nephews.
The funeral was Thursday at Hughes Funeral Home, Trenton.

