This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: Reid, Iliff, Rapp, Durr, Walsmith, Cook, Meyer, Shaw, Rhodes, Bird, Bowman
Classification: Obituary
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http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Ui.2ADI/2965
Message Board Post:
Obituaries courtesy of News-Banner Publications. Posted with permission.
Nov. 27, 2003 - Thanksgiving Holiday. No paper published.
Nov. 28, 2003
Violet Maxine Reid, 85
Services for Violet Maxine Reid, 85, of Bluffton, will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at the
Thoma/Rich, Hewitt & Chaney Funeral Home in Bluffton. Mrs. Reid died at 2:20 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 26 at Meadowvale Health and Rehabilitation Center after having been in
failing health the past five years,
Born in Downs, Kansas on July 29, 1918 to Albert R. and Laura Alice Pearson Ray, she
married J. Paul Reid on April 21, 1935 in St. Joseph, Mo.; he died Aug. 4, 1999. She
attended Greenville College and moved to Bluffton in 1988. She was a homemaker and a
member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Bluffton, where she was involved in several
ladies’ groups.
She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. William (Naomi) Halsey of Huntington; a son, John
David Reid of Aurora, Colo.; three sisters, Julia Reed of Olathe, Kan., Lorene Kautz of
Independence, Mo., and Pauline Russell of Ochelata, Okla.; seven grandchildren; and six
great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. The services Sunday
will be officiated by Pastor Larry Sheets, with burial in the Elm Grove Cemetery.
Preferred memorials to the church.
Marcella I. Iliff, 85
Marcella I. Iliff, 85, of Bluffton, died at 7:10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27 at Bluffton
Regional Medical Center.
Born Sept. 15, 1918 in Bryant to William Hayward and Ida Ann Miller Betz, she married
Howard Iliff on Oct. 16, 1938 in Muncie; he died Aug. 21, 1968. A graduate of Hartford
Twp. School in Adams County, she lived most of her life in Adams and Jay counties, working
at home on their farm and at Economy Printing in Berne. She moved to Bluffton nine years
ago and was a member of the Fellowship Missionary Church in Fort Wayne, and a past member
of the D.A.V. Auxiliary.
She is survived by six daughters, Joyce Iliff of Decatur, Mrs. Walt (Jan) Lewis of Gaston,
Mrs. Mike (Jerry) Sullivan of Warner-Robin, Ga., Mrs. Larry (Joann) Strickler of Fishers,
Mrs. Lester (Dr. Julia) Bickel of Warren, and June Smith of Jamaica, N.Y.; a brother,
William Betz of Portland; 12 grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. She was preceded
in death by a sister, Vergena Baumgartner.
Calling hours will be Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Thoma/Rich, Hewitt & Chaney
Funeral Home and for one hour prior to the service on Monday, which will begin at 10 a.m.
at the funeral home with Pastor David DeSelm officiating. Burial will be in the Gravel
Hill Cemetery in Bryant. Preferred memorials to the church.
Bladen Dominik Rapp, Infant
The grandchild of a Bluffton woman, Bladen Dominik Rapp, was stillborn Thursday, Nov. 27
at the Adams County Memorial Hospital in Decatur.
Survivors include the parents, Paul Rapp and Kristina Clark, both of Decatur; a brother,
Matthew Rapp of Decatur; maternal grandmother Jeanne Clark of Bluffton and the maternal
great-grandmother, Shirley Ehret of Bluffton; paternal grandparents, Michael and Carla
Rapp of Decatur; and paternal great-grandparents Phyllis Rapp and Calvin Smitley of
Decatur.
Private services were held. Arrangements were handled by the Haggard & Sefton Funeral
Home in Decatur.
Wilma L. Durr, 77
The sister of Janice Walker of Poneto, Wilma L. “Billie” Durr, 77, of Kokomo, died at 8:50
p.m. Monday, Nov. 24 at Manor Care Health Services in Kokomo.
Born in Blackford County on March 13, 1926 to Thomas and Lula Hilton Keagle, she married
Charles Durr on May 24, 1946; he died in 1972. She graduated from Montpelier High School
in 1944 and retired from Delco Electronics after 32 years of service.
Other survivors include two other sisters, Mary Elizabeth Simpson of Columbus and Patricia
Lindensmith of Topeka, Kan. She was preceded in death by three brothers and five sisters.
Services were held today at Ellers Mortuary in Kokomo with burial in the Galveston
Cemetery.
Joan F. Walsmith, 87
A former Montpelier resident, Joan F. Walsmith, 87, of Winter Haven, Fla., died at 11:05
p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 at the Tandem Health Care Center in Winter Haven.
Born in Montpelier on June 6, 1916 to Glen W. and Jo Burris Arrick, she married Robert B.
Walsmith in Montpelier on July 14, 1940; he died Feb. 13, 1998. A graduate of Montpelier
High School, she was co-owner of Service Cleaners in Montpelier, a member of the
Millard-Brown American Legion Post 156 Auxiliary and the First United Methodist Church in
Montpelier. Active in politics, she was a member of the Blackford County Republican Women.
She had also worked as a bookkeeper and secretary for the Acme-Lees Paint Co. in Muncie.
Survivors include a number of nieces and nephews in the area, including Stanley Gilbert of
Bluffton, Sue Ann Hoy Linen of Montpelier and Joseph Gilbert of Montpelier.
Calling hours are from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Glancy Funeral Home, Walker Chapel in
Montpelier with services scheduled for Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home with Doug
Hoy officiating. Burial in the Brookside Memorial Park in Montpelier. Preferred memorials
to the Good Shepherd Hospice in Auburndale, Fla.
Jon L. Cook, 70
Services for Jon L. Cook, 70, of Montpelier, will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the St.
Margaret’s Catholic Church in Montpelier. Mr. Cook died at 7 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 27 at his
residence.
Born Sept. 26, 1933 in Matamoris to Elihu and Dula Katherine Cook, he married Joan Paxson
in Hartford City on Nov. 17, 1962; she survives.
A 1951 graduate of Montpelier High School, he served as his class president. He served in
the U.S. Air Force from 1952-1956 and was a member of the Millard-Brown American Legion
Post 156. He retired from the Indiana Box. Corp as the office manager-comptroller in 1998
after 40 years of service. He was the grandson of one of Montpelier’s founders, W.D.D.
Cook.
Other survivors include three daughters, Linda Batten of Montpelier, Diana Moeglin of
Hudson, Ohio, and Jennifer Poynter of Anderson; two sons, Edward Cook of Tokyo, Japan and
Jon Cook of Eaton; a brother, WDD “Bill” Cook of Cicero; and five grandchildren. He was
preceded in death by three brothers, Jerry, Robert and Van Cook; and two sisters, June
Cook and Doris Wright.
Calling hours are Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Glancy Funeral Home, Walker Chapel in
Montpelier. Burial will be in the Brookside Memorial Park in Montpelier. Preferred
memorials to the Montpelier Volunteer Fire Dept or the Millard-Brown American Legion Post
156.
Mildred Ann Meyer Shaw, 96
Mildred Anna Meyer Shaw, 96, of Warren, died at 6:55 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 27 at the United
Methodist Memorial Home in Warren after an extended illness.
Born Sept. 13, 1907 in Grant County to John and Lula McCormick, she was a homemaker and a
member of the Jefferson Center United Methodist Church and the Mt. Etna Order of Eastern
Star. She lived most of her life in Huntington County and was preceded in death by two
husbands: Claude Meyer and Ora Shaw.
She is survived by a son, Marion “Mike” Meyer of Jonesboro; two step sons, Lynn Shaw of
Warren and Meridth Shaw of Huntington; a step daughter, Marjorie Shaw of Denver, Colo.;
seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and several
step-grandchildren.
She was also preceded in death by a son, Edgar Meyer and two daughters, Enola Guyer and
Evelyn Meyer.
Calling hours are from 5 to 8 p.m. this evening at the United Methodist Memorial Home in
Warren, with services to be held there Saturday at 10 a.m with Rev. Herb Edwards
officiating. Burial in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Roan. Glancy Funeral Homes, H. Brown &
Son Chapel in Warren is in charge of arrangements.e IOOF Twin Hills Cemetery. Preferred
memorials to the Jay County Heart Foundation.
Nov. 29, 2003
Lola B. Rhodes, 70
Mother of Brenda Sue Thomas of Markle and grandmother of Richard L. Thomas of Bluffton,
Lola B. Rhodes, 70, of Muncie died Thursday, Nov. 27.
She was born in 1933 to George and Sara Slaven. She attended Muncie Central High School.
Mrs. Rhodes attended and served as a Sunday School teacher at East Sixteenth Street
Separate Baptist Church.
Surviving, in addition to the daughter at Markle and the Bluffton grandson, are her
husband of 56 years, Sam Rhodes; two sons, Allan L. Rhodes of Frankton and Tony Rhodes of
Eaton; an adopted daughter, Beth Parker of Muncie, 8 other grandchildren, 14
great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter, Cheryl Lynn Stinslick, two sisters,
Dorothy Sales and Evelyn Cecil; three brothers, Lt. Col. Slaven, Charles Slaven and
Riddell Slaven, and a granddaughter, Carrie Thomas.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Garden View Funeral home in Muncie, where
services will be at 1 p.m. Monday. Burial will be in Gardens of Memory Cemetery.
Charlotte E. Bird, 76
Charlotte E. Bird, 76, of Hartford City, mother of James Brown of Bluffton, died at 5:50
p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27 at Blackford Community Hospital after an extended illness.
A homemaker, Mrs. Bird had worked for Miller’s Merry Manor and Norwood Nursing Home in
Huntington. She attended the First Christian Church in Hartford City.
Born March 13, 1927 in Cass County to Walter and Lucretia Bektol Cree, she had resided in
Huntington and Blackford Counties most of her life.
A 1945 graduate of Jackson Center High School in Wells County, she was first married to
Ernest Brown, who died Feb. 12, 1964. She later married Alfred B. (Burl) Bird on May 4,
1964 in Wayne, Mich. He preceded her in death on April 17, 1993.
In addition to the son in Bluffton, other survivors are a daughter, Mrs. John (Barbara)
Hardwick of Hartford City, two other sons, Jerry Brown of Montpelier and John Brown of
Warren, seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday at the Waters Funeral Home in
Hartford City with Rev. William Pieper officiating. Burial will follow in Asbury Cemetery
in Wells County.
Calling at the funeral home will be Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. and after 8 a.m. on Monday.
Preferred memorials are to the First Christian Church or the Tri Kappa Cancer Fund.
Lloyd George Bowman, 76
Father of Edward E. Bowman and William Lloyd Bowman of Bluffton, Lloyd George Bowman, 76,
of 7698W-650N, Bryant, died Thursday morning, Nov. 27, at Americare Living Center in
Winchester.
He retired in 1990 after 22 years of employment with Genova Mfg. in Fort Wayne and then he
worked as a security guard for Jay Tec of Portland. Mr. Bowman was a member of the Full
Gospel Church of Dunkirk, the VFW at Fort Recovery, Ohio, and the Association of Chiefs of
Police.
He was born Oct. 23, 1927, in Morehead, Ky., to Herbert L. and Sara Elizabeth Roberts
Bowman. He was married Aug. 28, 1948, to Geneva I. Harrison, who died Oct. 23, 1990. His
second marriage was on Dec. 22, 1990 to Wanda M. Wysong, who survives.
Also surviving, in addition to the wife and two Bluffton sons, are two other sons, David
Keith Bowman of Cridersville, Ohio, and Kevin Wayne Bowman of Milroy, Ind.; five
daughters, Lana Marie Klarer of Muncie, Elizabeth Darlene Schubert of Christinburg, Ohio;
Barbara Elaine Brandenburg of Winchester, Regina Lynn Quillian of Portland and Karen Sue
Grider of Milroy.
Also one step-son, Dr. David Wysong of Fort Wayne; three step-daughters, Robin Lynn Martin
of Nappanee, Dr. Michelle Wysong-Mihlorie of Granger and Nicole Wysong of Fort Wayne; one
brother, Farris Bowman of South Vienna, Ohio; six sisters, Lynn Morell of Morehead,
Kentucky, Joyce Larson of Muncie, Lucille Stevens of Lowell, Lea Wheldon of Lafayette,
Virginia Keller of Sacramento, Calif., and Clara Conn of Morehead, Ky.; 40 grandchildren,
10 step-grandchildren and 44 great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Portland Chapel of the Williamson &
Spencer Funeral Home, where services will be at 10 a.m. Monday with pastor Bob Thomas
officiating. Burial will be in the Star of Hope Cemetery at Huntington.