USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Fred A. Smith
Fred A. Smith, 84, of Lakeview, died at 8:57 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, 2007, in Lima Memorial Hospital.
A farmer, he was born in Logan County on July 29, 1922, a son of the late George A. and Emma L. Ehemann Smith. On March 30, 1947, he married the former Gleneva L. Helmlinger and she died March 23, 1993. He also was preceded in death by a grandson; one brother, Austin E. Smith; and one sister, Cleona I. Smith.
Survivors include four sons, Randy (Jane) Smith of Chesapeake, Va., Bruce (Connie) Smith of Botkins, Dean Smith of Lakeview and Brent (Diane) Smith of Bellefontaine; 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Josephine Antram of East Palatka, Fla., and Elizabeth (John) Steward of Cinnaminson, N.J.; and several nieces and nephews.
The Rev. Ed Shady conducts a funeral at 11 a.m. Monday at Sanford-Eichholtz Funeral Home, Lakeview, where calling is from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Interment is in Glen Cemetery, Port Jefferson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Grace Lutheran Church, Jackson Center.
William Max Ansley
William Max Ansley Sr., 83, of Kenton, died Thursday, June 7, 2007, in his residence.
Born on Jan. 13, 1924, in Belle Center, he was a son of the late William McKinley and Winfred Watt Ansley.
He was a 1951 graduate of The Ohio State University, where he was a member of the marching band. He retired in 1978 after 27 years as band director at Ada High School.
A member of the Belle Center United Presbyterian Church, he was a member of OSU's Alumni Band and Alumni Association. He was a World War II Army veteran and was a life member of Lima VFW Post 1275, past commander of Ada VFW Post 9381 and was a member of Willard Stout American Legion Post 266. He was a former member of the Ada Village Council.
He married Barbara Myers Hesser on March 30, 1984, in Covington, Ky., and she survives, along with a son, William Max (Kim) Ansley Jr. of Dublin; daughters, Genny Beck of Worthington and Carol Lynne Gardner of Lakeview; stepdaughters, Iris (Dale) Albersmyer of Owasso, Okla., and Rose (Neal) Walton of Waynesfield; brothers, Carl Ansley of Belle Center and Jim (Joanne) Ansley of The Villages, Fla.; a sister, Norma (Ralph) Jenkins of Bellefontaine; 14 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
A sister, Ruth Detwiler, preceded him in death.
Services are at 11 a.m. Monday in the Belle Center United Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Kathy Clark officiating. Calling is from 2 to 4 and from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Eichholtz Funeral Home in Belle Center, and at the church an hour prior to the service.
Burial is in Belle Center Fairview Cemetery with military rites conducted by the Ohio Army National Honors Team and Willard Stoat American Legion Post 266.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hardin County Hospice, 15 N. Detroit St., Kenton OH 43326.
Olga Groch
Olga Groch of Bellefontaine, formerly of New Jersey, died Thursday at Logan Acres following a recent hip fracture. She was 95.
She was born May 24, 1912, to an immigrant family in New York City, where her father was a tailor for the Lord & Taylor Department store. For the first few years of her life, she lived in a brownstone apartment on the Upper East Side.
When she was a child, her family moved to a farm in Piscataway, New Jersey. In 1931, she graduated from Perth Amboy High School. She then attended Perth Amboy Junior College.
During the Great Depression, she found a job as a bookkeeper at A.J. Newberry, a retail chain. In 1941, in Perth Amboy, she married Rudolph Stephen Groch.
In 1950, she began a decade of service as a Girl Scout leader in Metuchen. During that time, she was also active in the PTA and the Dutch Reformed Church. In the 1960s, Mrs. Groch worked in retail at the Menlo Park Mall.
Following the death of her husband of 49 years, she moved to Bellefontaine in 1991.
Throughout her life, Mrs. Groch enjoyed sewing and going to the Jersey shore. In addition to her husband, Mrs. Groch was preceded in death by five brothers and one sister.
She’s survived by a daughter and son-law, Dorothy and Donn Cost Sr. of Bellefontaine, and two grandchildren, Donn Cost Jr. of Arlington, Virginia, and Debbie Cost of Alpharetta, Georgia.
A viewing will be held at Eichholtz Funeral Home in Bellefontaine Monday evening. Calling hours are 6-8 p.m. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Eichholtz Funeral Home, with Gene Marine officiating. She will be buried at a later date at Van Liew Cemetery in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Logan County District Library.
Verna M. "Peggy" Dumke
Verna M. “Peggy” Dumke, 68, of Sidney, died at 8:10 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8, 2007, at Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton.
She was born in Olean, N.Y., a daughter of the late Clifton and Winifred Norten Marvin.
On Dec. 31, 1965, she married Robert K. Dumke, and he survives, along with three daughters, Karen Hatfield of Sidney, Debbie (Norman) Nichols of Belmon, N.Y., and Sheila (Keith) Zack of Bellefontaine; a son, Robert R. Dumke of Sidney; eight grandchildren, Rob Turner, Tony Raya, Karra Dumke, Alysia Dumke, Leslie Nichols, Kim Nichols, Kattie Dumke and Ethan Zack; two great-grandchildren, Jon and Nate Turner; a sister, Minnie (Frances) Mooney of Shinglehouse, Pa.; and two brothers, Pete (Bernie) Marvin of Atlantic Beach, Fla., and Ed (Sharon) Marvin of Eldred, Pa.
She was preceded in death by a brother, Dick Marvin; two sisters, Barb Baldwin and Twila Stickles; and a brother-in-law, Jack Baldwin.
An employee of Spot Restaurant in Sidney, she was a member of the Northtown Church of God. She enjoyed walking, exercising, spending time with friends and family and helping others.
Pastor Tim Bartee conducts a funeral at 11 a.m. Friday at Adams Funeral Home, Sidney, where calling is one and a half hours prior. Burial is in Ceres Cemetery, Ceres, N.Y.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Northtown Church of God Building Fund.
Boyd C. Fout
Boyd C. Fout, 84, of North Lewisburg, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2007, at his residence.
He was born in North Lewisburg on Jan. 15, 1923, a son of the late Clyde D. and Margaret Patch Fout. He also was preceded in death by his wife Kathryn Bahan Fout; a son, Jim Fout; and his twin brother Loyd Fout.
Survivors include two sons, David (Karen) Fout of Springboro and John (Jane) Fout of Charlotte, N.C.; two daughters, Beth Ann (Ray) Plank of Englewood and Kathy (Donnie) Sosby of West Mansfield; 12 grandchildren, James Holycross, Anne Fout, Jill Lambert, Jennifer Fout, Jason Allen, Jeremy Allen, Jackie Miller, Jamie Porterfield, Michelle Hess, Kathryn Fout, Jordan Sosby and Jessica Sosby; nine greatgrandchildren; a sister, Maryetta (Jack) Gaver of Zanesfield; and numerous nieces and nephews of several generations.
A 1942 North Lewisburg High School graduate, he served his country in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America and was a member of the Franklin Optimist Club, the Franklin Charter Commission and the West Mansfield American Legion Post.
He loved the sport of fast-pitch softball. He played, managed, kept score and was the number-one fan of the sport. In 1987, he was inducted into the Butler County Softball Hall of Fame and in 1985, into the Ohio A.S.A. Hall of Honor.
The Rev. Kathy Reiff conducts a funeral at 10 a.m. Friday at the North Lewisburg United Methodist Church. Calling is from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Freshwater McDonald & Vernon Funeral Home, North Lewisburg. Burial is in Maple Grove Cemetery, North Lewisburg.
Memorial contributions may be made to the North Lewisburg United Methodist Church, 124 E. Maple St., North Lewisburg 43060, and to the scholarship fund for the Triad Softball Boosters, 18 E. Elm St., North Lewisburg 43060.
John T. Harford
John T. Harford, 85, of Lakeview, died at 6:26 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8, 2007, at Mary Rutan Hospital.
He was born in Logan County on Jan. 23, 1922, a son of the late James F. and Rose Zella Toland Harford. He also was preceded in death by sisters Mabel, Lucretia, Wahoneta and brothers Robert, George, Fred, Dick and Ray E.
On July 5, 1942, he married the former Marcella “Tootie” McArthur, and she survives, along with a daughter, Vicki (Larry) Slotten of Lakeview; three sons, Ken (Linda) Harford of DeGraff, Mike (Deborah) Harford of Kokomo, Ind., and Chris Harford of Lakeview; 11 grandchildren; 13 greatgrandchildren; two brothers, Glenn (Frances) Harford of Lakeview and Archie Harford of Marsailles; and many nieces and nephews.
A 33-year employee of Westinghouse, he was a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps’ 872nd Airborne Engineers, Doyle R. Miller AMVETS Post 39, Lakeview, and Frank D. Castle VFW Post 1080, Bellefontaine.
The funeral is at 11 a.m. Friday at Sanford-Eichholtz Funeral Home, Lakeview, where calling is from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday. Interment is in Walnut Hill Cemetery, New Hampshire, where the Logan County Honor Guard will perform military rites.
Memorial contributions may be made to Universal Home Health & Hospice Care.
Doris Marie McGowan
Doris Marie McGowan, 82, of Jackson Center, died at 10:46 a.m. Monday, Oct. 8, 2007, at Auglaize Acres, Wapakoneta.
She was born in Monroe Township, Logan County, on Nov. 20, 1924, a daughter of the late Henry Lawrence and the late Minnie Elizabeth Wicklund Madden.
On Jan. 23, 1948, she married Frederick J. “Mick” McGowan in Frankfurt, Ky., and he survives, along with a daughter, Nancy (Mike Phillips) Wise of Huntsville; a son, David (Joyce) McGowan of Jackson Center; five grandchildren, Cory (Sara) Thompson, Kevin McGowan, Katrina McGowan and Keira McGowan, all of Jackson Center, and Lesli (Jim) Andrews of Columbia, Mo.; two great-grandchildren, Dylan Thompson and Emily Andrews; two great-stepgrandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by six brothers, William Madden, Lyman Madden, Floyd Madden, Everett Madden, Roy L. Madden and Robert Madden; and four sisters, Grace Buchenroth, Bernice Madden, Hazel Madden and Mabel Clark.
A 1942 DeGraff High School graduate, she was a Jackson Center correspondent for the Sidney Daily News, worked for the Shelby County Board of Elections, and was a Buckeye Girls State adviser.
She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, Shelby County Republican Women, Shelby County Republican Central Committee, Jackson Center VFWAuxiliary, Christian Women’s Association and the American Business Women’s Association.
She also was a member, past president and past commander of the American Legion Post 493, Jackson Center. A proud Republican, she enjoyed campaigning for her favorite candidates and worked the polls for many years.
She loved to sew, play cards and shop. She and “Mick” spent several winters in Sebring, Fla., which she enjoyed very much and where she made many new friends.
The Rev. Kieran Darcy conducts a funeral at 10 a.m. Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church, Jackson Center. Calling is from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. today at Sanford Funeral Home, Jackson Center. Burial is in the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Clay Township.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Jackson Center Education Foundation and Grace Lutheran Church.
