Thelma Marie Warnick Hochkraut
Thelma Marie Warnick Hochkraut, 90, of Ravenna, Ohio, passed away in her home after a brief period of declining health.
She was born at home on October 19, 1929, in Washington, a daughter of the late Robert Keirs Warnick and Jesse Lillian Allen Warnick.
Raised in West End, she attended Washington High School and worked at the Hazel-Atlas Glass Company.
She married August Hochkraut on November 19, 1955, in Washington, before relocating to Ohio when Augie began working at the new Chrysler Twinsburg Stamping Plant in 1957. They originally lived in the Hamlet Mobile Home Park in Ravenna Township, where they met many of their lifelong friends before construction of the Route 5 bypass dislocated them. Then in 1964, they settled in their new home in Shalersville Township, where they had wonderful neighbors and she remained until her death.
Thelma was a housewife who took excellent care of her family. She was an independent lady who went wherever her car would take her. She enjoyed going to flea markets and antique stores. She especially liked venturing around the Akron/Cleveland area, searching out the day’s best estate tag sales and eating out for lunch. She was a longtime election worker in Shalersville E Precinct and a volunteer at the Portage County Republican Headquarters, being named Volunteer of the Year in 1993. For many years, she was an active member of Portage Faith United Methodist Church. Thelma was an avid reader of murder-mystery-espionage paperbacks and home magazines that she found at local book sales. She also enjoyed reading newspapers and working the Jumble and WonderWord puzzles.
For exercise, Thelma could be found walking around Sunny Lake in Aurora several times a week into her early 80s. She liked planting and caring for flowers; her favorite was mums. She was a side-kick and construction helper to her son John on his two flip houses. After the passing of her husband in 2001, she cut back on cooking and was a regular at many area restaurants with her son, including Guido’s, Ray’s, Mimi’s and the Texas Roadhouse. In her final years, as reading became more difficult, she enjoyed looking out her back window at the squirrels and birds.
In addition to her husband Augie, she was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Jean Donaldson, Bob Warnick, Jim Warnick and Don Warnick.
She is survived by her only child, John Hochkraut, who was her constant companion and cared for her until her death. She is also survived by two sisters-in-law, along with several nieces and nephews in Pennsylvania, Florida, Kentucky and Ohio.
There will be no calling hours or services, and cremation has taken place. Arrangements have been entrusted to Shorts Spicer Crislip Funeral Home Ravenna Chapel.
Condolences and memories of Thelma may be shared at www.sscfuneralhomes.com.