Saramarie Theresa Kelchner
Saramarie Theresa Kelchner, 93, passed away peacefully Friday August 27, 2021 at Fellowship Community, Whitehall, PA. She was born on August 7, 1928 to the late Horace and Catherine (Garrity) Wesley and was a graduate of Wilson High School in 1946, where she met her future husband, Raymond. They were married for 42 years until his death in December 1990. She made life-long friends in high school, and attended the monthly breakfast faithfully. She was a member of St. Jane’s Catholic Church, Easton.
Taking care of people was her life’s calling. Though she never became a nurse, she always worked in the medical field. She was a candy striper in high school, a ward clerk, a receptionist for Dr. Joseph Brau and Dr. Robert Silberman for 32 years until her retirement, and then volunteered at Easton Hospital for many years. She was a devoted worker and friend.
Pinochle was a life-long interest. She played in many card clubs, both as couples with her husband, and in many clubs with friends from high school and work. Grammy taught her grandchildren to play when they were old enough to hold the cards and they loved when she said “you daresn’t renege!” At 78, she started the Senior Card Group at Chrin Community Center when it opened in 2006 as she felt seniors needed a place to gather. She would bake cakes for once-a-month birthday celebrations, and pick up friends who could not go otherwise. In her later years, she also enjoyed Bingo and making new friends at the Nazareth Senior Center in Nazareth, PA.
She loved yardwork, reading murder mysteries, watching Investigative ID, and crossword puzzles. She will always be remembered for putting quotation marks around everyone’s “name” on family birthday cards she sent (and was never late!), baking hundreds of Christmas cookies each year, and for her devotion to her grandchildren. She cherished when the whole family gathered every July at Greg and Cheryl’s home in Ocean City, NJ.
Saramarie is survived by her daughter Lynn DeBonis and son-in-law Peter of Nazareth, PA and their children Alyssa Lagodney (John), Renae Sirkin (Mike), Maria Braxmeier (Marc) and Michael; daughter-in-law Cheryl Kelchner, of Ocean City NJ and children Karl (Amanda) and Daniel (Deanna); and brother-in-law Michael Piedmonte of Bethlehem PA. She has 9 great-grandchildren Casey, Noah, and Ryan Lagodney; Brady, Cooper and Savannah Sirkin; Lia and Grace Braxmeier; Avery Kelchner; nieces and nephews. Saramarie was predeceased by her husband Raymond in 1990, son Gregory in 2017, and sister Jeanne Piedmonte in 2017.
Calling hours will be held on Thursday, September 2, 2021, at the Finegan Funeral Home at 4080 William Penn Highway in Palmer Township from 6-8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church, 4080 Hartley Avenue in Palmer Township at 10:30am. The interment will be at Gethsemane Cemetery in Palmer. Contributions can be made to Fellowship Community Annual Fund at 3000 Fellowship Drive, Whitehall, PA 18052 for the resident’s activities.