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Surnames: Edington, Geyer, Chaney, Hitzeman, Snoke, Randall, Weesner, Goshorn, Stoller,
Bartrom, Krinn, Marshall
Classification: Obituary
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http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Ui.2ADI/2858
Message Board Post:
Obituaries courtesy of News-Banner Publications, posted with permission.
Sept. 12, 2001
Eugene M. Edington, 77
A Bluffton educator for 32 years, Eugene M. Edington, 77, died at 6:23 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.
11, at Ossian Health Care & Rehabilitation. Death was attributed to Alzheimer’s
Disease.
He retired in 1986 from the Bluffton-Harrison School District, where he was an assistant
principal and athletic director and taught biology, printing, mechanical drawing and
driver’s training.
Upon retiring, Mr. Edington became superintendent of parks for the city of Bluffton, a
position he held for eight years. He served also as chairman from 1992 to 1995 of the
Wells County Democratic Committee. He was a member of the Lions Club, a past president of
the Wells County Teachers Association and a past chairman of the BHS Alumni Association
board of directors. He served several years as a leader in the Cub Scouts organization.
Mr. Edington was a member of the First Baptist Church, where he served over a period of
time as a member of the board of trustees and the board of deacons. He also was a 57-year
member of American Legion Post 111.
He was a 1942 graduate of Bluffton High School and earned a BS degree in education in 1951
from Ball State University and a master’s degree in 1955 from the same university.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943, serving 30 months before the surrender of Japan.
Upon his discharge, Mr. Edington worked for a year at the Fort Wayne GE plant and later at
Tonner Body Works in Bluffton.
He was born in Bluffton May 12, 1924 to Coulson and Grace Markley Edington Sr. His
marriage on June 7, 1945 at Bluffton was to Phebe Rogers, who survives.
Surviving also are four sons, Jack of Bluffton, Tom of Denver, Ind., Ned of Fort Wayne,
and Max of Cincinnati, and 10 grandchildren. Five brothers, James, Coulson Jr., Frank,
Paul and William, preceded him in death.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church with Pastor Bud Abrams
officiating. Burial will be in Six Mile Cemetery, with military graveside rites by
American Legion Post 111.
Calling hours at Thoma/Rich, Hewitt & Chaney Funeral Home will be Thursday from 1 to 8
p.m. and at the church Friday for one hour prior to services.
Memorials to Alzheimer’s Association or to First Baptist Church.
Lester L. Geyer, 70
Lester L. Geyer, 70, of Fort Wayne, brother of Levera Heyerly and Ilean Steffen, both of
Bluffton, died Monday, Sept. 10, at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne.
He was a plant foreman for Stratoflex before retiring in 1989.
Mr. Geyer was an Army veteran of service during the Korean War and was a member of
American Legion Post 47 in Fort Wayne.
He was born at Pleasant Mills Dec. 18, 1930.
Surviving, in addition to the two sisters in Bluffton, are his wife, Henrietta; three
daughters, Brenda Payne and Judy Cunningham, both of Fort Wayne, and Sandra Tankersley of
Auburn; three brothers, Verlyn, Glen and George Geyer, all of Decatur; another sister,
Dorothy VanHorn of Decatur; 19 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. He was preceded
in death by two sons, Norman and Terry Tankersley, a sister and three brothers.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at D.O. McComb & Sons Pine Valley Park Funeral Home,
where calling hours are today from 7 to 9 p.m. and Thursday from 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m.
Burial will be in Lindenwood Cemetery with military graveside rites by American Legion
Post 47.
Sept. 13, 2001
William L. Chaney, 77
Montpelier businessman William L. Chaney, 77, died at 12 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at his
residence in Montpelier.
He was the owner and operator of Chaney Hardware in Montpelier.
Mr. Chaney was a member of Masonic Lodge 600 in Montpelier and the Scottish Rite Valley of
Fort Wayne and a member also of the First United Methodist Church, American Legion Post
156, Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club, all in Montpelier, and Elks Club in Hartford City
and Blackford County Hospital Board.
He also served as a Montpelier Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and was a board member
of the Citizen State Bank and the Do It Best Building Board.
Mr. Chaney had served in the U.S. Army. He was a 1941 graduate of Montpelier High School
and attended Indiana University.
A lifelong resident of Montpelier, he was born Sept. 18, 1923 to William B. and Sedalia
Lewis Chaney. His marriage at Montpelier on March 28, 1947 was to Mary E. Griffith, who
survives.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Chaney is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Mark (Meg) Wilson of
Huntertown; two sons, Mike of Montpelier and Bill of Omaha, Neb.; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Glancy Funeral Homes, Walker Chapel, at Montpelier
with Rev. John Bellante officiating. Burial will be in Historic Woodlawn Cemetery at
Montpelier with military graveside rites by American Legion Post 156.
Visitation hours at the funeral chapel will be Friday from 2 to 9 p.m. and Saturday for
two hours prior to services. A Masonic service will be conducted at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Memorials to Family Hospice of Northeast Indiana in Berne.
Gertrude A. Hitzeman, 87
Gertrude A. Hitzeman, 87, died Wednesday, Sept. 12, at her rural Ossian residence.
A homemaker, she was a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church on Thiele Rd. at Fort Wayne.
She was born Dec. 16, 1913 in Allen County to Gustav and Annetta Dettmer Springer. Her
marriage on Sept. 3, 1939 was to Peter C. Hitzeman, who survives.
Other survivors are a son, Gary L.; three daughters, Mrs. Bart (Janice K.) Blum and Mrs.
Larry (Colleen A.) Bulmahn, both of Decatur, and Mrs. Lynn (Diane S.) Shutt of Uniondale;
six sisters, Frieda Fenton, Della Hilsmier, Linda Caston, and Bernadine Brewer, all of
Ossian, Mildred Menze of Fort Wayne, and Joann Voelker of Hoagland; two brothers, Raymond
Springer and Kenneth Springer, both of Ossian; 11 grandchildren; 3 stepgrandchildren; 15
great-grandchildren; and one stepgreat-grandchild. Three brothers and one
stepgreat-grandson are deceased.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 16933 Thiele Rd., with
Rev. Richard Vonesh officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Visitation hours will be at the church Friday from 3 to 8 p.m. and Saturday for one hour
prior to services.
Memorials to St. John’s Lutheran School, to Wyneken Lutheran School, to Worship for
Shut-ins, or to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.
Arrangements are by Elzey-Patterson-Rodak Funeral Homes in Ossian.
James A. ‘Bill’ Snoke, 94
A retired farmer, and former mill owner/operator, James A. “Bill” Snoke, 94, died at 4:10
a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at his residence in rural Roanoke.
In addition to farming, Mr. Snoke had worked for Gelzleichter & Son Feed Mill in
Huntington for 20 years and was the owner and operator for 18 years of the Snoke Feed Mill
in Roanoke.
He was born April 15, 1907 in Union Township, Huntington County, a son of William and Emma
Stetzel Snoke. His marriage in Huntington County on March 26, 1962 was to Deloris Hoover,
who survives.
Other survivors are a daughter, Mrs. David (Fanchon) Rodenberger of Palm Bay, Fla.; a
stepson, Danny Hughes of Roanoke; and four stepgrandchildren. Two sisters are deceased.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Myers Funeral Home Huntington Chapel with Rev. Ron
Burns officiating. Interment will be in Pleasant Chapel Cemetery in Huntington County.
Memorials to the Huntington County Home Health Care.
Allen Randall Jr., 77
Allen Randall Jr., 77, of Bippus in Huntington County, died at 3:15 a.m. today, Sept. 13,
at the Norwood Nursing Center.
Mr. Randall work for 29 years as a set-up employee at Precision Fittings/Essex Wire in
Andrews, retiring in 1988. He served as a past president of AFL-CIO Local 7307.
He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.
Mr. Randall was a member of the Northside Church of the Nazarene and the Bippus Lions
Club. He coached Little League and Farm League teams in Bippus. He and his family spent
time also at Bear Lake in Noble County.
He was born in Huntington June 8, 1924, a son of Joseph Allen and Carrie Randall Sr. His
marriage at Huntington on Aug. 2, 1953 was to Waneta Gaskill, who survives.
Additional survivors include two sons, David A. of North Manchester and Randall of Bippus;
a daughter, Mrs. Carrie Lester of North Manchester; a brother, Clayton Penn of Huntington;
two sisters, Naomi Kinsey of Andrews and Jessie Bittinger of Ohio; two grandchildren; and
one great-grandchild. A grandchild and a number of brothers and sisters are deceased.
Services will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Myers Funeral Home Huntington Chapel, where
visitation hours will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday. Interment will be in St. John’s Cemetery
at Bippus.
Memorials to Kid’s Kampus.
Sept. 14, 2001 - None
Sept. 15, 2001
Evelyn Irene Weesner, 89
Evelyn Irene Weesner, 89, of North Manchester, died at 5:30 a.m. Friday at the Peabody
Retirement Community in North Manchester.
Born Sept. 16, 1911 in Wabash County to John and Lucille Duffey Zintsmaster, she was
married Aug. 2, 1930 in South bend to Thomas Delmar Weesner. He preceded her in death in
January of 1988.
A 1928 graduate of Huntington Twp. High School, she was formerly a resident of Huntington.
She worked at Memcor in Huntington for 20 years retiring in 1970. She was a member of
Trinity United Methodist Church, the Van Guards at Trinity and the OES Floral Chapter
Number 75. She was a volunteer at Huntington Memorial Hospital for many years.
Survivors include a son, Thomas J. Weesner of Marion, two daughters, Anne Eagleton of
Northbrook, Ill. and Nancy Beal of Bonita Springs, Fla., seven grandchildren and ten
great-grandchildren.
Visitation and a memorial service will be held at a later date with arrangements in charge
of Myers Funeral Home, Huntington Chapel.
Memorials are to be made to Trinity United Methodist Church or the Huntington North High
School Band in care of Myers Funeral Home.
Sept. 17, 2001
John J. Goshorn, 77
John J. Goshorn, 77, of Ossian, who served a term as treasurer of Wells County and as a
state highway inspector, died Sunday, Sept. 16, at Markle Health Care.
Mr. Goshorn was county treasurer from 1972 to 1976 and later became a state highway
inspector working out of the Bluffton subdistrict until his retirement in 1991.
He also had operated with his parents the Goshorn IGA market in Ossian for 23 years.
In the year 2000, Mr. Goshorn served as grand marshal for the Ossian Days parade.
During World War II, he was a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps.
He was a member of the Ossian United Methodist Church, serving in numerous positions and
singing with the choir. He was a past president and treasurer of the Ossian Lions Club, a
50-year member and past treasurer of the Ossian Masonic Lodge and a member of the Fort
Wayne Valley of the Scottish Rite, singing with that organization’s choir also.
He was born at Ossian Dec. 8, 1923, to Raymond and Mary Roe Goshorn. His marriage at
Richmond on Aug. 8, 1948 was to Marjorie Sutton, who died March 30, 1993.
Surviving are four daughters, Mrs. Don (Christine) Brinson of Yorktown, Mrs. Rick (Mary
Ellen) McAfee of Ossian, Mrs. Mike (Starla) Hilgert of Fairland and Mrs. Tom (Judy)
Christophel of Elkhart; a brother, Robert Goshorn of Farmington, Mich.; and nine
grandchildren. A brother is deceased.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church in Ossian with Tim
Dilley officiating. Burial will be in Oak Lawn Cemetery at Ossian.
Visitation hours at Elzey-Patterson-Rodak Funeral Home, Ossian Chapel, will be Wednesday
from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8:30 p.m. and Thursday at the church for one hour prior to services.
An Ossian Masonic Lodge service will be conducted at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Memorials to the church’s memorial fund or to the Wells Council on Aging.
Helen Stoller, 99
Helen Stoller, 99, died at 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at Christian Care Center in
Bluffton.
A homemaker, she was a member of the Apostolic Christian Church.
She was born in Adams County Dec. 1, 1901 to John M. and Hannah Schlatter Kaehr. Her
marriage on May 20, 1928 at Bluffton was to Henry E. Stoller, who died July 14, 1987.
The last of her family, she is survived by a son, Ramon D. Stoller of Bluffton; a
daughter, Mrs. Robert (Evelyn) Gerber of Bluffton; eight grandchildren; 29
great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. One great-grandchild is
deceased.
Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Apostolic Christian Church East with
ministers of the church officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Calling hours at Goodwin Memorial Chapel will be Tuesday from 2 to 8 p.m.
Harold M. Bartrom, 75
Harold M. Bartrom, 75, of Huntington, died at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14 at his
residence.
Mr. Bartrom worked in auto repair at Carnes Body Shop in Huntington for 45 years. He was a
U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and a member of the Veterans of Foreign War Post 2689 at
Huntington.
He was born in Fort Wayne May 8, 1926, a son of Andrew and Dora Smuts Bartrom. His
marriage on Sept. 23, 1950 at Huntington was to Marigold E. Yeiter, who died Feb. 8,
1990.
Surviving are three sons, Robert W. of Fort Wayne, Richard E. of Kansas City, Mo., and
Mark A. of Laguna Niguel, Calif.; a daughter, Mrs. Mitchell (Kathleen) Mathy of Kansas
City, Mo.; four brothers, Kenny, Andy and Norman, all of Florida and Mitchell of
California; three sisters, Marquetta Griffith of Huntington, June Puryear of Fort Wayne
and Shirley Kees of Colorado Springs, Colo; and nine grandchildren. A brother is
deceased.
Services at 10 a.m. Friday will be at Myers Funeral Home Huntington Chapel with Rev.
Russell Buzzard officiating. Interment will be in Pilgrims Rest Cemetery in Huntington.
Visitation hours at the funeral chapel will be Thursday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m.
Memorials to the American Diabetes Association or the Huntington County Cancer Society.
Harold M. Krinn, 94
Harold M. Krinn, 94, a retired farmer who served both as a Wells County commissioner and
Wells County councilman, died at 5:45 a.m. Sunday at Meadowvale Health &
Rehabilitation Center.
Mr. Krinn was a lifelong resident of Wells County and was active in agricultural
organizations, youth associations and Democratic Party. He was a past president of the
Wells County Farm Bureau, past chairman of the Wells County Democratic Party as well as
serving as a precinct leader.
He served as a chairman of the agricultural committee of the Bluffton Street Fair and the
Wells County 4-H Association, active in the Head Start program and sponsored the Wells
County Rural Youth Association.
Mr. Krinn was a 1925 graduate of Bluffton High School and attended for two years the
agriculture program at Purdue University. He was a past president of the Purdue Alumni
Association in Wells County and was a member of the First United Church of Christ.
He was born in Bluffton Oct. 23, 1906 to Charles and Sarah Ashbaucher Krinn. His marriage
at Bluffton on Aug. 23, 1928 was to Mildred Paxson, who died Feb. 12, 1989.
Surviving are a son, Dale B. of Uniondale; two daughters, Joyce C. Wolf and Mrs. Kenneth
(Judy) Hedges, both of Bluffton; 11 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; 6 step
great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; and 4 step great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the First United Church of Christ with
visitation there for one hour prior to services. Burial will be in Six Mile Cemetery.
Calling hours at Goodwin Memorial Chapel will be Tuesday from 2 to 8 p.m.
Memorials to the church or to the Wells County 4-H Association.
Evelyn Irene Weesner, 89
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Peabody Retirement Community
Chapel in North Manchester for Evelyn Irene Weesner, 89, formerly of Huntington, who died
Friday, Sept. 14, at the retirement center. Visitation will be for one-half hour prior to
the service. Myers Funeral Home Huntington Chapel is on charge of arrangements.
H. Dale Marshall, 90
Warren resident H. Dale Marshall, 90, died at 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Norwood
Nursing Center in Huntington.
Mr. Marshall was a farmer in Warren Township, Huntington County, until his retirement in
1972. He also worked at the Farm Supply in Bippus and Reed’s Tractor Service Inc. in
Huntington and was a member of the College Park United Brethren Church in Huntington and
the Bippus Lions Club.
He was born in Henry County, Ill., April 15, 1911 to Harry and Anna Clowes Marshall. His
marriage in Grant County on June 9, 1934 was to Elnora Mills, who survives.
Surviving also are five sons, Francis of Marion, Philip and Lynn, both of Huntington, Jay
of Leesburg and David of Roanoke; four daughters, Mrs. George (Rosemary) Barnes of
LaFontaine, Mrs. Robert (Ruth) Slusser of Van Buren, Mrs. Max (Lois) Spahr of Warren and
Mrs. Rogers (Phyllis) Somers of Bluffton; two sisters, Ruth Wright of Fairmount and Mrs.
Dwight (Pauline) Kehrn of Craigville; 26 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; and two
great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the College Park United Brethren Church in
Huntington with Rev. Brent Birdsall and Rev. Raymond Waldfogel officiating. Burial will be
in Grant Memorial Park in Marion.
Calling hours at Bailey-Love Mortuary in Huntington will be Tuesday from 2 to 8 p.m. and
at the church Wednesday for one hour prior to services.
Memorials to the church.