Druzilla Bradford Schoch (October 3, 1925 - December 9, 2019). The evening of December 9, 2019 was one of overcast skies and cold swirling winds blowing from the north. It was in this setting that Druzilla Bradford Schoch left the surly bonds of Earth, escorted in the company of angels into the warm embrace of our Heavenly Father. Dru, as she was known to friends and family alike, was tired, so very tired, finally letting go and receiving the well deserved reward of her never wavering faith.
A New England woman through and through, Dru was strong willed, opinionated, while being very kind and loving. She was wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to her immediate family. She was a beloved aunt to her many nieces, nephews and their families too. The venerable Williams family of Taunton, Massachusetts have their roots firmly interwoven with the Pilgrim families that originally reached the eastern shores of this continent in the early 1600's in search of a better life. It was on Taunton Green where the first flag was raised on a Liberty pole in defiance of British rule, October 21, 1774. Dru's ancestor, Colonel George Williams led militia against the British during the American Revolutionary War. Dru's father, Palmer Champney Williams, served this country in two World Wars, first as a young Second Lieutenant with the Yankee Division as part of the American Expeditionary Force, serving under General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing during World War I. P.C. Williams was then sent to Japan following World War II as a member of General Douglas A. MacArthur's Military Administration, serving in the office of Inspector General with the rank of Lt. Colonel.
As a sixteen year old girl, Dru assisted her mother, Dorothy Goodrich Williams, who served as the Chairman of the Red Cross Mobile Canteens in Taunton during the Second World War. Mobile Canteens, or Mobile Kitchens as they were known, provided warm meals to military personnel stationed near populated areas throughout the war. Upon her graduation from Taunton High School, Dru, following in the footsteps of her two older sisters, Peggy and Jean, matriculated at Middlebury College in Vermont where she majored in Psychology. She was an active member of Kappa Delta and the Mountain Club too. Graduating from Middlebury in 1947, Dru continued her education at Tufts University in Massachusetts where she took course work in Occupational Therapy.
October 23, 1948, found Druzilla Bradford Williams and Henry Kramer Schoch Jr, MD joined in Holy Matrimony. Following their honeymoon, the young couple set up housekeeping in Ann Arbor, Michigan where Henry was an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan's Medical School from which he had graduated in 1943. The ensuing years found Dru and Henry occupied with the raising of their four children: Henry Kramer Schoch III, identical twins, Lincoln Burnett Schoch, Palmer Williams Schoch, and daughter, Amelia Crawford Schoch. Like many families in post war America, the Schoch family was involved in numerous activities, particularly the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. Dru was very proud of her association with the Girl Scouts that spanned over five decades of service.
Portions of every July and August found Dru and Henry's family ensconced on Buck Island which is located on Kezar Lake in the southwest corner of the State of Maine. The fresh, clear fragrance of the white pines, the mist that enveloped Kezar in the morning, the majesty of the weathered mountain tops and the mournful cry of the ever present loons provided a profound and enduring impression upon those of us fortunate enough to visit that heavenly location. Buck Island was purchased by Dru's maternal grandparents, Lincoln Baker Goodrich and Hattie Pegram (Burnett) Goodrich in 1920 with pin-money that was earned by Mrs. Goodrich who raised and sold Pekingese dogs, or so the story goes. Buck Island was rustic, containing what originally was a two story hunting/fishing lodge built during the late 1890's. It contained a pump in the sink, wood burning stoves for cooking and heating and kerosene lanterns to illuminate the rooms after sundown. Oh, I almost forgot, there was a two-seater outhouse on the property too. Going to Maine, or camp as it was often referred to, was a ritual that was repeated again and again as Dru, her sisters, and their husbands indoctrinated their combined offspring to that awe inspiring venue.
As the years rolled by and Dru and Henry remained active participants in the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts as well as the Al-Anon program at the Chelsea Hospital in Chelsea, Michigan. They made many great friends as they traveled throughout this country as Henry became a featured speaker for the program. Alas, Henry passed away in February of 1990, leaving Dru alone for the first time in almost 42 years.
Ever resourceful and not one to feel sorry for herself, Dru packed her bags in 1995 and moved lock, stock and barrel to Raleigh, North Carolina, to be near her son, Palmer and his family. She developed great friendships with her condominium neighbors. They often gathered to play cards and dominoes. It was through one of these good friends that Dru started attending St. Paul's Church where she participated as a deacon, serving communion and ushering. She also served on the kitchen renovation committee.
In 2008, Dru decided it was time to return to Michigan, specifically Chelsea. Though raised in the Congregational Church, Dru found comfort at the First Methodist Church in Chelsea and regularly attended services there. She loved the quaintness of Chelsea, with its unique shops and interesting eateries. Almost anything that she required could be found within the confines of this lovely mid-western community. The ravages of time eventually overtook Dru, and she found that she could no longer fend for herself in a safe manner. Dementia and Alzheimer disease required that she live under the watchful eye of the professional caregivers at Towsley Village, the memory care division of the Chelsea Retirement Community.
When Dru entered under the care of these wonderful people in September of 2013, I advised her to participate in everything that was available to her for as long as possible. Dru embraced this new chapter in her life, and as recommended, became involved in every activity that was offered to her. She loved to sing and was a regular participant at all of the sing-alongs and church services. She went on a variety of off campus excursions including an outing in which she ended up on horseback. Much to the amazement of her family, Dru became the second coming of Gramma Moses, so to speak. She exhibited amazing skill with any projects that involved painting or drawing and could be regularly found working on multiple projects simultaneously.
2019 was not a good year for Dru as her interest or ability in her beloved art work projects came to a standstill. As a member of the Greatest Generation, Dru always attempted to do her best in any endeavor in which she undertook. Dru was truly a good soldier in life. God, country and family meant everything to her. As General Douglas A. MacArthur so eloquently phrased it during his farewell speech to the American people on April 19, 1951...."Old Soldiers never die; they just fade away."
Dru was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Reverend Lincoln Baker Goodrich & Hattie Pegram (Burnett) Goodrich, her paternal grandparents, Enos Dean Williams & Alice Tillinghast (Champney) Williams, her parents, Palmer Champney Williams & Dorothy Isler (Goodrich) Williams, her husband, Henry Kramer Schoch Jr., her daughter, Amelia Crawford (Schoch) Tonkin; sister, Dorothy Pegram (Williams) Rhodes, brother in-law, Marcus Arnold Rhodes, Jr., sister, Jean Baker (Williams) Schoch, brother in-law, Thornton Cochran Schoch, sister, Sallie Ann (Williams) Leach, brother in-law, Roy Eugene Leach; brother and sister in-laws, Frank William and Lois Mae Virginia (Haase) Schoch and Frederick Todd and Barbara Mary (Hart) Schoch; nephews, Charles Wolverton Schoch, Jonathan Baker Schoch, Frank Giles Schoch and Bruce Ellery Leach; also, special Friend, Ermil Jones.
She is survived by her sons, Henry Kramer (Jacquelyn) Schoch III, Lincoln Burnett (Paula) Schoch, and Palmer Williams (Robyn) Schoch; grandchildren, Nathan Farish (Brock Henderson) Schoch, Morgan Schoch Godfrey, Matthew Lincoln Schoch, Ryan Joseph (Jessica Kong) Schoch, Chad Henry (Megan) Schoch, Mary (Corey) Bunch, Katy (Brian) McGuffey, Becky (Aron) Hall, William Palmer Schoch and Edward Henry Tonkin; great-grandchildren, Oliver Farish Mortimer McLean, Madeline Paige Godfrey, Carsen John Henry Godfrey, Myles Craig Godfrey, Maxwell Hudson Schoch, Olivia Violet Schoch, Ethan Bunch, Benjamin Bunch, Kayla McGuffey, Kelsey McGuffey, Brendan McGuffey, Bailey McGuffey, John Palmer Hall, Ellie Hall, Abbie Hall and Reagan Hall; nieces and nephews, Sarah (Edward) Miller, Dorothy (Richard) Jacobson, Thornton (Anna) Schoch, Peter (Kate) Schoch, Elizabeth Todd Schoch, Alexander Cochran Schoch, Elizabeth (Matt) Lovell, Elizabeth (Doug) Jenzen, George Williams Rhodes, Timothy Lincoln Rhodes, Marcus (Susan) Rhodes, Kenneth (JoAnne) Leach and Richard Macdonald.
The family would like to express their gratitude to the entire staff of the Towsley Memory Care Center for the exemplary way in which they cared for Dru over the past six years. A Memorial Service will be held at the Towsley Chapel, Chelsea Retirement Community, at 11:00 a.m. on January 25, 2020. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kezar Lake Watershed Association, P.O. Box 88, Lovell, Maine 04051, Girl Scouts of America, the First United Methodist Church of Chelsea, 128 Park Street, Chelsea, Michigan 48118 or the First Congregational Church, 608 E. Williams Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104.
