USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Genevieve D. Nessler
Genevieve D. Nessler, 86, of Jenera, died at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2002, at the Richland Manor Nursing Home in Bluffton.
Born Sept. 21, 1916, in Hancock County, she was married Nov. 3, 1940, to Martin P. Nessler, who preceded her in death Aug. 9, 1996.
Survivors include one son, Michael Nessler of Bellefontaine; two daughters, Mrs. Steve (Margaret) Samek of Trafford, Pa., and Mrs. John (Marilyn) Nicholson of Rawson; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
One sister, Hilda Schlaak, is deceased.
She was a member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Jenera. She was a homemaker and former housekeeper at Judson Palmer Home in Findlay and Trinity Lutheran School in Jenera.
Geraldine Ella Abshier
Geraldine Ella Abshier, 83, formerly of 308 E. Patterson Ave., died at 6 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002, at Windsor Place in Dublin.
A native of Pittsburgh, she was born Oct. 12, 1919, a daughter of the late Robert and Eleanor Moorhead Johnston.
On Sept. 6, 1945, she married Emory Joseph Abshier in Pittsburgh. He died Jan. 16, 1994.
Survivors include one son, David (Jeannine) Abshier of Dublin; one daughter, Susan (Douglas) Moore of Powell; two sisters, Florence Dobrey of Dallas and Barbara Johnston of Houston, Texas; and four grandchildren.
She was a member of the First United Presbyterian Church in Bellefontaine and had been a secretary for Sims & Huber Moving and Storage.
Edwin Michael Ewing
Edwin Michael Ewing, 40, of Bellefontaine, died at 8:05 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002, at his residence.
He was born Jan. 28, 1962, in Bellefontaine, a son of Edwin L. Ewing, who survives in Urbana and the late Polly Lakin Ewing.
On July 18, 1983, in San Antonio, Texas, he married Donna Traughber, who survives.
Also surviving are four sons, Jeremy, Wesley, Andrew and Matthew Ewing, at home; three daughters, Jessica, Sarah and Jennifer Ewing, at home; two brothers, Paul (Lori) Ewing of Melborne, Fla., and Robert (Melisa) Ewing of West Liberty; two sisters, Connie (Greg) Miller of West Liberty and Sheryl (Shane) Findlan of Harrisburg, N.C.
Also surviving are his stepmother, Phyllis Ewing of Urbana; and paternal grandmother, Myrtle Ewing of West Liberty.
He was a former sergeant with the Bellefontaine Police Department.
A 1980 graduate of West Liberty-Salem High School, he was a member of the Bellefontaine Masonic Lodge and St. Patrick Catholic Church, Bellefontaine.
Stanley I. Shafer Sr.
Stanley I. Shafer Sr., 83, of Zanesfield, died at 2:26 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002, in St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima.
He was born in Lewistown on Oct. 24, 1919, a son of the late Raymond I. and Grace Chamberlain Shafer. He also was preceded in death by one great-grandchild, Zachary Alan Coggins; three brothers, Glen Shafer, George Shafer and Fred Shafer; and two sisters, Mary Bowles and Bess Collum.
On Nov. 10, 1940, he married the former Miriam Watkins and she survives, along with three sons, Raymond A. (Yoko) Shafer of Alger, Stanley "Ike" (Catherine) Shafer Jr. of Worthington and Jeffrey L. (Victoria) Shafer of North Carolina; 14 grandchildren, Aimie (Randall) Varner, Stanley I. (Jerrie) Shafer III, Vikki (Dale) Arseneau, Si Shafer, "Skip" Shafer, Rose Ann (Scott) Zarling, Kristie (John) DeLong, Monte Shafer, Michael Shafer, Cody Shafer, Kevin Shafer, Candace (Alan) Coggins, Cara Knight and Michelle (Jonathan) Mathews; 16 great-grandchildren; seven great-stepgrandchildren; one sister, Florence (Larry) Thobe of Bellefontaine; two sisters-in-law, Myrtle Ruble of Painesville and Phyllis (William) Tudor of Overbrook, Kan.; one brother-in-law, Russells Taylor of Naples, Fla.; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A conductor for the former New York Central and Penn Central railroads, he retired from Conrail Railroad after 38 years of service. He was a past member of the Railway Trainmen and was a charter member of the United Transportation Union.
An Army veteran of World War II, he served in the European Theater as a mechanic in the Ordnance Department.
His interests included his motorcycle, tops, woodworking, hunting and storytelling, especially of railroading days. Most of all, he loved to be with his family and friends.
Mildred W. Matthews
Mildred W. Matthews, 86, formerly of Bellefontaine, died at 9:15 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, 2002, in Pleasant Valley Retirement Home in Dalton, Ga.
She was born in Harper on Feb. 9, 1916, a daughter of the late Dory J. and Ida Mae Stephens Stevens. Sher also was preceded in death by her first husband, Clifford Humphreys; her second husband, Dr. Reginald Matthews; and a sister, Wilma Beair, also preceded her in death.
She is survived by two sons, the Rev. Robert L. (Carolyn) Humphreys of Ringgold, Ga., and Paul A. (Darlene) Humphreys of Hollywood, Fla; a stepson, Paul Matthews of Tucson, Ariz.; stepdaughter, Judie Boan of Ft. Collins, Colo; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
A homemaker, she was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Bellefontaine.
Burtis 'Phillip' Moses
Former West Mansfield resident Burtis "Phillip" Moses, 45, of Florida, died unexpectedly Friday, Dec. 13, 2002.
He was born in Bellefontaine on June 22, 1957, a son of Burtis and Ruth Price Moses, who survive in West Mansfield.
Also surviving are his brother with whom he shared a residence for the past 10 years, Steven Moses of Florida; two sisters, Carol (Charlie) Bliss of Marysville and Charlotte (Don) Detrick of West Mansfield; seven nieces and nephews, Joe (Tara) Bliss, Holly Bliss, Kevin Bliss, Ashley Bliss, Dwayne Detrick, Derrick (Sharalyn) Detrick and Suzi Detrick; a great-nephew, Hunter Bliss; two uncles, Everett Moses of Williamsburg, Ky., and Don Price of Marion; and an aunt, Dorothy (Eddie) Mumaw of Piqua.
He was an electrician with Millennium Electrical Contracting in Naples, Fla.
A talented mechanic, he enjoyed motorcycles, mudrunning in his truck and working on hot rod cars.
During his childhood, he was a member of the West Mansfield Baptist Church.
He was a 1975 graduate of Marysville High School and a graduate of Northwestern Business College in Lima.
He was a fan of the Florida University Gators and enjoyed football, hunting and fishing.
Kathleen Ann Keller
Kathleen Ann Keller, 53, of Bellefontaine, died at 6:55 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, 2002, at Mary Rutan Hospital.
Born Sept. 7, 1949, in Punxsutawney, Pa., she was a daughter of the late Howard "Bud" Murray and of Esther Roney Murray, who survives in Erie, Pa.
On May 2, 1970, she married Thomas "Tom" Keller in Erie. He survives along with one son, Stephen Keller of Grandby, Colo.; two daughters, Melissa (Kris) Schreckengost of Little Rock, Ark., and Becky (Jason) Leveson of Fishers, Ind.; one brother, Thomas Murray of Midwest, Okla.; and two sisters, Patty Walsh of Erie and Elaine Murray of Columbus; and one grandson, Zachary C. Schreckengost.
A homemaker, she was a 1967 graduate of Villa Maria Academy in Erie and was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Bellefontaine.
Gerald Lowell Rea
Gerald Lowell Rea, 86, of Raymond, died Saturday, Dec. 14, 2002, at Memorial Hospital of Union County, Marysville.
A lifetime grain and Holstein dairy farmer, he was an active lifetime member of the Millcreek Church of Christ, where he served as deacon, elder and chairman of the board. He was a charter member of the Northwestern Lions Club and the West Mansfield Conservation Club, and was a 1934 graduate of Raymond High School. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and took great pride in his annual fishing trip to Georgian Bay, Canada, that he had made since 1948.
He was born Aug. 20, 1916, in Raymond, a son of the late Herbert and Fern Middleton Rea.
He also was preceded in death by a sister, Lois Russell; an infant brother, David Rea; and three brothers-in-law, Frank Orahood, Jim Russell, and Robert Sedgwick.
Survivors include his wife, Nell O'Neil Rea, whom he married Jan. 25, 1941, in Monroe, Mich., one son, Jerry (Barbara) Rea of Raymond; one daughter, Margery (Robert) Baldridge of Plain City; four grandchildren, Jeff (Teresa) Rea, Jane (Tim) Kirk, Holly (John) Sarosi and Brad (Karen) Baldridge; six great-grandchildren, Dylan Rea, Chelsea Kirk, Emily Rea, Nicholas Rea, Blake Baldridge and Brock Baldridge; two sisters, Frances Orahood of Raymond and Betty Jo (Bob) Sedgwick of Raymond; and several nieces and nephews.
Richard L. Reschly
Richard L. Reschly, 60, of 17351 County Road 48, Syracuse, Ind., died at 11:36 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, 2002, in his home following a 10-month illness.
He was born in Olds, Iowa, on Nov. 5, 1942, a son of the late Floyd and Hazel Richard Reschly.
On Aug. 28, 1965, he married the former Ann L. Lengacher in Harlan, Ind., and she preceded him in death Dec. 13, 1997. He also was preceded in death by one brother, Edward Reschly.
He then married former Bellefontaine resident LouAnn Nafziger Rupp on Feb. 24, 2001, in Goshen, Ind., and she survives, along with two sons, Richard Thomas (Jackie) Reschly and James P. (Jamie) Reschly, both of Goshen; one stepdaughter, Melissa Rupp of Elkhart, Ind.; and two stepsons, Phillip (Rita) Rupp and Rick Rupp, both of Goshen.
Also surviving are two grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; one brother, Ken Reschly of Olds; and two sisters, Barbara King of Carrollton, Texas, and Ruth Ann (Joe) Miller of Plano, Texas.
He owned and operated Omega Plastics Inc. in Elkhart since 1982, and was an avid tennis player. He enjoyed spending time in his home workshop and snow skiing.
He attended Hesston College in 1961, was a 1968 graduate of Goshen College and served in 1-W alternative service for two years.
