Frona Ward

Frona “Toni” Ward, age 101, of Kalamazoo died on Friday November 11, 2011. She was born on December 27, 1909 in Lawton, the daughter of Frank H. Bartholomew and Jennie Mae Vorris. Her birth name was after a girl in Jack London’s novel, “Daughter of the Snow.” She grew up in Lawton and graduated as Salutatorian from Lawton High School in 1927. She then attended and graduated from Kalamazoo Business School. During the war years she worked at Ft. Custer and Randolph Field in Texas as a secretary. As the war was ending she worked for the Red Cross in Silver City New Mexico, substituting for a friend who was tending to her wounded husband. Frona returned to her home at Crooked Lake where she married and had two sons. She was active in her boys’ lives and was a Scout Den Mother for 7 years. At one time, Frona also wrote a column for the Portage Herald. Always a hard working person, she worked primarily as a secretary including at Mattawan Public Schools and for many years at WMU, retiring in 1977 in the Biology Dept. She spent winters in Arizona at her brother’s house where she learned to square dance and round dance and continued to dance here with local groups well into her 90’s. She enjoyed traveling to the Caribbean where she enjoyed bird watching and snorkeling.

Members of her family include her 2 sons: Harmon” Bud” (Joyce) of Traverse City and her youngest son Barry of Kalamazoo who was also her caregiver for many years. Other members of her family include her 2 grandchildren: Cam (Sarah) Ward and Jason (Tara) Ward; 5 great grandchildren: Ellie, Charlie, Max, Christopher and Colton. She follows in death 2 brothers: Donald and Glen Bartholomew; and a sister-in-law Rebecca.

Please visit Frona’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a favorite memory and sign her online guest book. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kalamazoo Humane Society. Arrangements by Life Story Funeral Homes, Betzler – Kalamazoo; 6080 Stadium Drive, 375-2900. Private graveside services will be held at the Prospect Hill Cemetery in Paw Paw.