Obituary: Thelma Senecal

Mrs. Senecal

Mrs. Senecal

In Loving Memory of Thelma Senecal

Thelma passed away at home on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015 at the age of 93, after a brief illness while living with her daughter and son in law in Noble, Oklahoma.

Born March 5, 1922 to Roy and Frederica Coates, she was the oldest of five children, raised on a farm in Wysox, Pennsylvania, and graduated from high school in Towanda, Pennsylvania. Thelma met Raymond Senecal, a young Marine, and they married Feb. 19, 1943, spending the first 20 years of their married lives at different duty stations. Ray retired from the Marine Corps in1961 where upon they settled in Garden Grove, California, Thelma was a housewife, raising three children and worked part time at Sears until 1974, when they resettled in Prescott, Arizona to enjoy their retirement. Four years later, Ray passed away and Thelma took up hiking. She joined the Prescott Outings Club in 1980 at the age of 58 and that's where her passion for hiking began. Over 20 years, she not only hiked, but blazed new trails earning four 1000 miler badges. During this same time, she was an active member of the Prescott Litter Lifters, working weekly to keep the roadways free of trash.

Thelma's family is spread across the United States, none of us really knew all that she contributed to, only that she truly loved Prescott and the friends she made while living there. It was a sad day in October 2010 when her children had to move her to Oklahoma.

Preceding her in death is her mother and father; and three of her siblings, James Coates, Irene Hufford and Jack Coates, and a grandson Kevin Senecal. Survivors are one remaining brother George Coates and wife Betty; children Andrew Senecal and wife Adrienne, Douglas Senecal and wife Hermie, and Jacqueline Collins and husband Don; along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Information provided by survivors.


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