Connie H. Gast

Connie H. Gast, 80, of St. Joseph, passed away Monday, December 24, 2007 at her home. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:30 A.M. Friday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph with Rev. Dan Head officiating. Cremation will follow the service with burial of her ashes at North Shore Memory Gardens. Friends may call from 5:00 until 8:00 P.M. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Hospice at Home, 4025 Health Park Lane, St. Joseph. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Connie was born February 20, 1927 in St. Joseph to Emil & Mary (Huelsberg) Bansen. On May 10, 1946, she married Henry Richard Thain in St. Joseph. He preceded her in death on October 28, 1975. On May 2, 1980, she married Arthur J. Gast in St. Joseph. He preceded her in death on January 13, 2002. Connie, at one time, owned & operated a beauty salon; and later worked at several salons here in St. Joseph. She was a very caring person. In her spare time, Connie enjoyed reading, crossword & jigsaw puzzles, and tending to her flower garden. Connie is survived by her children-Julia Thain Willson of Fort Wayne, IN, Sharon Carlson of St. Joseph, Rita Wohler of Rincon, GA, Arthur Jack (Sue) Gast, Jr. of St. Joseph, Dawn (Frank) Richardson of Unionville, IN; seven grandchildren-David Watters of Tuscon, AZ, Heather (Sean) Bronson of Sierra Vista, AZ, Trevor (Amy) Willson of Krum, TX, Phaedra Willson of Ft. Wayne, Michael (Jamie) Wohler of Rincon, GA, Jason Gast of Sodus, Jeffery Gast of St. Joseph; five great-grandchildren; one brother Paul (Barbara) Bansen of Winter Haven, FL; and one sister Priscilla Duffy of Vancouver, WA. In addition to her two husbands, Connie was preceded in death by her parents, her son Richard Henry Thain on January 7, 1995, her son-in-law, and her siblings-Ezra Bansen, Charity Nicoli, Debora Bansen and Celeste Barrattiero.