Vera L. Lockwitz

Vera Lucille Lockwitz, 90, of Stevensville, passed away Friday, Sept. 21, 2012, at Lakeland Continuing Care Center in St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life Eternal will be held at 11:30a.m. Monday, Sept. 24 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 2673 W. John Beers Rd., Stevensville, with the Rev. Gerald Schroer officiating. Burial will follow at Lincoln Township Cemetery. Friends may meet with the family from 3:00-5:00p.m Sunday at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Lakeland Continuing Care Activity Fund, or Hospice at Home. Vera was born May 18, 1922, in Stevensville, the daughter of the Rev. William and Minnie (Kirchner) Essig. Vera graduated from Stevensville High School in 1939. On Jan. 28, 1945, she married Edgar L. Lockwitz, in Stevensville. Vera was a life-long member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church where she was active in Ladies Aid and various other church activities. She is survived by two sons, Edgar L. (Linda) Lockwitz, Jr. of St. Joseph, Bruce (Nancy) Lockwitz M.D., of Elkhart, IN.; two daughters, Carol (Rev. Kenneth) Mellon of West Bend, WI., Diane (Tony) Eaton of Stevensville; 12 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Beatrice Essig of Cadillac, MI., 2 brothers-in-law, Myron (Arlene) Lockwitz of Stevensville, Arthur (Doris) Lockwitz of St. Joseph and nieces and nephews. Vera was preceded in death by her husband, Edgar, on April 25, 1995; her parents, and 3 brothers, the Rev. Ernst Essig, the Rev. Erhardt Essig, and the Rev. Raymond Essig.