Obituary of Mildred Watrous

Mildred Edna Watrous, 91, died Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at Foxdale Village, 'State College, PA. Born May 10,1919, in Weehawken, N J, she was the daughter of the late Mildred Goodeve and Edward Henry Wesp. On July 27,1939 she married George Harrison Watrous, Jr., her beloved husband, who died October 3, 1994. They were married for 55 years. A wonderful mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, her family and friends will cherish the memory of her beautiful smile and her grateful, optimistic spirit. In 1936 Mildred graduated from Cliffside Park High School Cliffside Park, N J. She attended Alfred University, Alfred, NY where she met her husband and was a member of Pi Alpha Pi Sorority and president of the YWCA. In 1940 she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Pennsylvania State University. A seventh grade English teacher, Mildred taught from 1960 to 1973 for the State College Area School District at the Fairmount Avenue Building, the Nittany Avenue Annex and the Westerly Parkway Junior High School. In 1947, during the first year of State College radio station WMAJ's operation, she had a weekly program of prose and poetry readings. She was an amateur oil painter and enjoyed a summer home for 25 years on Lake Wallenpaupack in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania and for 16 years a winter home in Winter Haven, FL. She was a 56-year member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, State College where she was a charter member and teacher of the Friendship Class, belonged to the United Methodist Women's Sunshine Circle and served as secretary on the Board of Trustees. In addition to a 25-year plus membership in the State College Women's Club, she was a former member of the Lakeville, PA and St. John's, Winter Haven, FL United Methodist churches, the Women's Club of Hawley, PA, the Florida Newcomers, Winter Haven, FL. and was a member of the Penn State Alumni Association's Pioneer Club and the Penn State Faculty Women's Club. She is survived by four children, ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Her children are Carol G. Naspinsky and husband, Charles W. of State College; George H. Watrous, III and wife Mildred of San Mateo, CA; Janet M. Woodard and husband James, of Indiana, PA, and Marilyn W. Emanuel and husband, James, of Baldwin, MD. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren are Lisa Cross and her husband Glenn, Canton, MI; Pamela Bigatel, her husband Patrick, and daughters Stellar, Paisley, and Haven, Seattle, WA; Joseph Watrous, James Watrous, San Mateo, CA, Shawn Watrous and wife Alexandra, Pittsburgh, PA; Brett Woodard, Highpoint, NC, Tara Woodard-Lehman her husband Derek and son Josiah, Princeton, NJ and Juliana Woodard, Philadelphia, PA; Kristen Emanuel Martignetti and daughters, Greta and Samantha, Baltimore, MD, and Laura Emanuel, Los Angeles, CA. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Ruth Wesp, Whiting, NJ, four nieces, three nephews and her beloved cousin, Bernice Schweizer and husband Jack, Punta Gorda, FL. Mildred was preceded in death by her dear brother, Robert Wesp of Whiting, N J. A second great-grandson, Elias Woodard-Lehman, is due in February. Friends will be received from 10 until 11 AM on Monday, January 10, 2011 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. 109 McAllister Street, State College, PA. The funeral will be at 11 AM on Monday, January 10, 2011 at the church with Rev. Eric Shafer officiating. Burial will be at Centre County Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the General Operating Budget of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 109 McAllister Street, State College, PA 16801 or to the State College Area Food Bank, University Park Plaza, 276 West Hamilton Avenue, State College, PA 16801.