The Marion Star from Marion, Ohio • 2

2A OBITUARIES The Marion Star Wednesday, December 28, 2011 OBITUARIES Consumer confidence index surges Obituaries and photographs submitted to the Marion Star may be published, distributed, repurposed and otherwise used in print, electronic and other media platforms. rrr least 100,000 new jobs for five months in a row, the longest such streak since 2006. The number of people applying for unemployment benefits has dropped to the lowest level since April 2008. According to the AP poll of economists, conducted Dec. 14-20, the U.S.

economy i 6 Philip A. Rowsey GALION: Philip A. Rowsey, 53, of 1505 Hoffstedder Drive, Galion, died Monday, December 26, 2011 at his residence. The Mark A. Schneider Funeral Home in Galion is honored to assist the family of Philip A.

Rowsey with funeral William "Bill" Clever, Sr. CRESCENT CITY, FL William "Bill" Clever, age 94 of Crescent City, Florida, formerly of Fredericktown, died Monday December 26, 2011 at the Putnam Community Medical Center in Palatka, Florida. The Snyder Funeral Home in Fredericktown is honored to serve the family of William "Bill" Clever, Sr. Burgess Jarrell i Ky. -v llll I I Ml 1 Jerry Clay, of Chicago, shops at the Macy's on State Street store.

A monthly survey shows consumers' confidence in the economy in December surged to the highest level since April, ap photocharles rex arbogast next six months, rose to 76.4 from 66.4. In particular, shoppers' assessment of the job market improved, according to preliminary results of the survey conducted Dec. 1-14. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead increased to 13.3 percent from 12.4 percent while those anticipating fewer jobs declined to 20.2 percent from 23.8 percent. Economists watch confidence numbers closely because consumer spending including items like health care accounts for about 70 percent of U.S.

economic activity. Americans have more reason to be optimistic. The economy has produced at MARION: Burgess Jarrell, age 86 of Marion, Ohio, passed away Monday December 26, 2011 at the Community Health Care Center. He was born October 26, 1925 in Inez, to the late George and Pearl (Horn) Jarrell. On April 2, 1949 in West Virginia, pi- Marion on September 14, 1918 the late Edward and Marjorie ne marnea tuzaoein amun anu sne I preceded him in death on November 1 17, 2009 in Marion.

Burgess was la retired Crane Operator after 37 I A years with the Alloy Cast Steel Co. 1 He also was a member of Heritage LmJL Bible Church. Burgess is survived by a daughter and four sons, Dora (Phillip) Orth of Marblehead, Ohio, James E. (Audrey) Jarrell and Allen Dale Jarrell both of Marion, Ohio and Burgess H. (Linda) Jarrell of Kirkpatrick, Ohio and Elvin Ray (Penny) Jarrell of Byesville, Ohio.

Eleven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren survive. There are also three surviving sisters, Dollie Mills, Verla Mills and Katherine Mills all of KY. Besides his wife and parents, Burgess was preceded in death by a grandson and a great-granddaughter and three brothers. Funeral Services will be Thursday December 29, 2011 at 11:00 A.M. at the Boyd-Born Funeral Home.

Officiating the service will be the Rev. Gary Brugger. Burial will follow in the Grand Prairie Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday December 28, 2011 from 6 to 8 P.M. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to the Heritage Christian School.

Condolences to the family can be made at www. boydbornfuneralhome.com. Ruth Ada Baker I MARION: Ruth Ada Baker, age 93, of Marion passed away on -Monday, December 26, 2011, at 9:35 p.m. in the Community Health Care Center. She was born By Anne D'lnnocenzio Associated Press NEW YORK Americans are gaining faith that the economy is on the upswing.

An improving job outlook helped the Consumer Confidence Index soar to the highest level since April and near a post-recession peak, according to a monthly survey by The Conference Board. The second straight monthly surge coincided with a decent holiday shopping season for retailers, though stores had to heavily discount to attract shoppers. The rise in confidence jibes with a better outlook for the overall economy. An Associated Press poll of three dozen private, corporate and academic economists projects U.S. economic growth will speed up in 2012, if it isn't derailed by upheavals in Europe.

But confidence is still far below where it is in a healthy economy. And Americans' mood could sour again if the debt crisis in Europe deepens and spreads to the U.S. Shoppers still face big obstacles higher costs on household basics and a still-slumping housing market. "This is encouraging. It's good to be talking about improvement," said Mark Vit-ner, an economist at Wells Fargo.

"But there is stuT a lot of room for trouble." The Conference Board, a Sears Continued from Page 1A Credit Suisse analyst Gary Baiter says the softer-than-expected holiday sales performance points to "deepening problems at this struggling chain and renewed worries about Sears survivability." Baiter added that Sears' weakening performance may lead its vendors to start to worry about their exposure. If vendors stop shipping to a retailer or start insisting on cash up front, it can spell the end. That company disputes talk that it is in trouble financially or will have problems surviving. Spokesman Chris Brathwaite says Sears Holdings has more than $3.5 billion of liquidity, consisting of $700 million in cash and $2.9 billion available under its credit lines. Still, Sears Holdings said its declining sales, ongoing pressure on profit margins and rising expenses pulled its adjusted earnings lower.

The company predicts fourth-quarter adjusted earnings will be less than half the $933 million it reported for the same quarter last year. The retailer also anticipates a non-cash charge of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion in the quarter to write off the value of carried-over tax de 4 in (Cheney) Mawer. Ruth married Philip H. Baker on February 1, 1942 in New Bloomington, Ohio and he preceded her in death on May private research group, said Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index rose almost 10 points to 64.5 in December, up from a revised 55.2 in November. Analysts had expected 59.

The level is close to the post-recession high of 72, reached in February. The December surge builds on a big increase in November, when the index rose almost 15 points from October. That month's reading was the lowest since March 2009, the depths of the recession. One component of the index that measures how shoppers feel now about the economy rose to 46.7 from 38.3 in November. The other barometer, which measures how shoppers feel about the ductions it now doesn't expect to be profitable enough to use.

Some industry experts say part of the problem Sears is facing is that economic difficulties continue to grip its core customers. These middle-income shoppers have seen their wages fail to keep up with higher costs for household basics like food. But the bigger issue, analysts say, is that Sears hasn't invested in remodeling, leaving its stores uninviting. Preschool teacher Sara Kriz concurred. Picking up conditioner at a Kmart in Manhattan on Tuesday, Kriz said she shops at Kmart "only when I have to," which amounts to once every few months.

Yet she goes to Wal-Mart or Target nearly every week because, she said, they are cleaner and better stocked. "It seems easier to go to Target and Wal-Mart to get the same thing at the same price," she said. Sears Holdings' announced Tuesday that revenue at stores open at least a year fell 5.2 percent for the quarter-to-date at both Sears and Kmart. That includes the critical holiday shopping period. Its Kmart stores reported a 4.4 percent decline, with layawaV faltering as rivals like Wal-Mart and Toys Us found success with their own lay-away programs, which allow 1 C) 2004 in Marion, Ohio, bhe was lifelong member of the Meeker Unted Methodist Church where she financially stressed shoppers to finance their holiday purchases by paying a little at a time.

Both Kmart and Sears stores reported weak consumer electronics sales. Sears, whose same-store revenue dropped 6 percent, also reported softer sales of home appliances. The same-store revenue metric is a key gauge of a retailer's health because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed. Sears Holdings appeared to stumble early in the holiday season, as it opened its Sears, Roebuck and Co. stores at 4 a.m.

on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Rivals including Best Buy Wal-Mart and Toys Us opened as early as Thanksgiving night. Sears stores had opened on Thanksgiving Day in 2010. Kmart has been opening on Thanksgiving for years. A hint that trouble might be brewing came in mid-December when Sears Holdings unexpectedly announced that 260 of its Sears, Roebuck and Co.

locations would stay open until midnight through Dec. 23. In an internal memo Tuesday to employees, CEO and President Lou D'Am-brosio said that the retailer had not "generated the results we were seeking during the holiday." Like Sozzi, Baiter be c- taught Sunday School for many years. Ruth graduated from Meeker High School and assisted her husband with farming their land for most of her life. Surviving are a son, Marshall (Beverly) Baker of Marion; a daughter, Jean Swartz of South Haven, Ml; two brothers, Dale Richard (Jeanette) Mawer both of Marion two grandchildren, Lesley Boulant of Columbus, OH Wesley (Penny) Baker of LaRue, OH; and two great grandchildren, Lauren Raye Boulant of Columbus, OH Nunabelle Mae Baker of Meeker, OH.

Preceeding her in death along with her parents husband were 2 sisters, Iva Clayton Irene Miller. Friends may call at the Boyd-Born Funeral Home on Thursday, December 29, 2011, from 4-7 p.m. The funeral serve celebrating her life will be held in the funeral home on Friday at 11:30 a.m. with burial to follow in the Meeker Cemetery. Contributions may be given to the Meeker United Methodist Church or to the Quality of Life Hospice Program at the Marion General Hospital.

Ferdinand Dean Joseph Whalen, I ri MARION: Ferdinand Dean Joseph Whalen, I passed on to celebrate I his eternal birthday with our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas morning -ion the Lord's Day, December 25, U. rtrt 1 IN i cent next year. In 2011, it like- lir m'QTir lace tVi on rayfanf- "We're starting to make some progress," said Kathy St. Louis of Atlanta, who was picking up lunch Tuesday at CNN Center. "It could always be better, but we're trying to move in the right direction." She said she spent $700 on holiday presents, up from the $300 she spent last year, even though not much changed with her paralegal job.

Ahlum Beruk, 22, a Greenville, resident who was visiting Atlanta, was a student last year and worried about finding a job. This year she works for a hotel and spent about $100 on Christmas presents. She spent nothing on gifts last year. Shoppers still face many hurdles. In fact, while the job market is steadily improving, the unemployment rate is still high at 8.6 percent.

And housing remains wobbly. The Standard Poor's Case-Shiller index of home prices, also released Tuesday, dropped in October in 19 of the 20 cities it tracks. lieves the shopping experience is hurting Sears' performance. "The extent of the (sales) weakness may be larger than expected but the reasons behind it are not. It begins and some would argue ends with Sears' reluctance to invest in stores and service," Baiter said.

The company said that the store closings will generate $140 to $170 million in cash from inventory sales. It expects the sale or sublease of real estate holdings to add more cash. The Hoffman Estates, 111., company has more than 4,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Its stock dropped $10.66, or 23.3 percent, to $35.19 in midday trading.

The shares dipped to their lowest point in more than three years' at $35.13 earlier in the session. Aside from the planned store closings, Sears is altering the way it handles stores that are not performing as well as others. The company says it will no longer prop up marginally performing stores in hopes of improving their performance and will now concentrate on cash-generating stores. Sears Holdings said it also plans to lower its fixed costs by $100 million to $200 million and trim its 2012 peak domestic inven: tory by $300 million from 201 l's $10.2 billion at the third quarter's end. himself I would love to have a "mortgage-burning" party, but I'm worried about showing off in this uncertain economy.

Can we have this party, or should we just make our last payment and be quiet? THRILLED IN SAN JOSE DEAR THRILLED: Taking into consideration that many people have not been as fortunate as you in spite of the fact that they too worked hard, lived frugally and followed all the rules, my advice is to have a quiet celebration with your husband and forgo the party. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. A 740-387-1163 www.

HysF I ow rs.com OH-OMWT3m5 iim at 5am. Dean was a oevoui Catholic who moved Marinn from Rfinnns New Brunswick, Canada at age 9 He graduated from Marion tn he Catholic High School in 1962 where still carries the record for most defensive tackles in single game during his Junior year. He married Dorothy Kim Sayre at St. Mary Husband needs to prove Catholic Church on July 13, 1968, and although they divorced in 1971, he considered her his best friend even with his dying breaths. He retired from Whirlpool in 2001 after 36 years, with the last 20 in the maintenance crib.

Dean was our true life Santa Clause, AKA "Dean-0," "Deaner Dog," or as his favorite Dr. Hayes, whom he loved dearly, called him, "Big Guy." Dean was cared for by many doctors nurses who he appreciated. Dean had a wonderfully fruitful spirit. He was a loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, and gentle man who tried to teach us self control by his examples of fasting his favorite things for 40 days every year for Lent, and his devotion to prayer 4 times a day, never praying for himself or material things, but always thinking of putting others first. He suffered these many years holding on for his family, friends, and the only dog he's ever owned, Mya.

What an honor to celebrate his ultimate healing on a resurrection Christmas. This was his Christmas miracle. Dean was preceded in death by his parents, William Mary Whalen, and his sister, Carleen Schofield. He is survived by 2 brothers, Kenny (Helen) Whalen and Terry Whalen and their children grandchildren Carleen's daughter Lisa (Shane) Oney their children, 2 biological children, Shay (Vinney) Scerbo and Ferdinand Joseph Dean Whalen, II, and their children Courtney Johnson, Kyle, Casie, Brittany Robby Patterson, Brent Joseph Whalen, and Kyle's daughter Shilo, 2 grafted in step children Jason Holsinger and Catrina (Chris) Crawford and their children Jeremy, Mariah Colten Holsinger, Shantell, Aundrea, Skyler, Dustin Bosley, Jeremy's 2 daughters Aubree Lenaya, and many other step grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends as well as family back in Canada. Rest in will be missed but celebrated always! Calling hours will be held at the Boyd-Born Funeral Home on Thursday.

December 29, 2011 from 4-8PM. The funeral service will be officiated by Father Michael Nemocks at St. Mary Catholic Church on Friday, December 30, 2011 at Internment will follow at a later date. Contributions may be given to the family in care of the Boyd-Born Funeral Home to help the family with expenses. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.boydbornfuneralhome.com ward until his children accept me.

I love Wayne. I have searched my whole life for someone like him. How long is long enough to wait? What if they never do? ON THE SIDELINES DEAR ON THE SIDELINES: You have assessed your situation correctly. You are sharing only part of Wayne's life, and won't be moving forward until his adult daughters accept you or Wayne asserts himself. Wayne should be ashamed of himself.

He should have introduced you to his daughters when you started living together. As his partner, you should not have been excluded from any family functions. As long as Wayne does nothing, nothing will change. DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have worked hard and spent our money carefully. We are almost ready to pay off our home.

FLOWER SHOP OIFI CENTER 740-389-2323 www.marionflowmhop com DEAR ABBY: My marriage has been on the rocks since 2008, when I caught my husband talking to other girls online. He swore he would never do it again and I trusted him, only for it to happen again and again. We have a 2- year-old and I'm Jeanne Phillips Universal Press Syndicate pregnant with our second child. He has now placed another ad online stating that he's a single dad. I am torn.

He keeps telling me he loves me and wants only me, and he doesn't know what's wrong with him. He is bipolar and not taking meds for it. He promised this time he will get help and try to get better. This is the fifth time he has placed an ad or chatted with other girls online. I don't know if I should call it quits or keep trying.

I love him and want us to be a family, but I don't know how much more I can take. TORN IN CALIFORNIA DEAR TORN: Because you still love your husband, make his taking his medication a condition of your continuing the marriage. He needs to be willing to prove to you that he wants you to stay. If he won't do that, then you will have to decide if this is the way you want to spend the rest of your life. And please, for your sake and that of your kids, don't have more children with him until you're sure your marriage is on solid ground.

DEAR ABBY: I'm an independent, never-married woman who has been holding out for the right man. I finally found him in "Wayne," a 49-year-old widower with two adult daughters. Wayne and I have been together for a year living together for six months but his daughters still refuse to meet me. Wayne says they need time because they lost their mother only two years ago and aren't ready to accept anyone else in his Life. The rest of his family has been welcoming and sweet.

I'm invited to some family functions, but allowed to attend only those that Wayne's daughters won't be at. I feel like I am able to share only part of his life and nothing will move for.