USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Joseph McDevitt
Joseph E. McDevitt, 85, 604 Plum Drive, Coldwater, died at 8:37 p.m. May 24, 2002, at Briarwood Manor Nursing Home, Coldwater.
He was born May 19, 1917, in Eaton, to Joseph S. and Katherine (Conrad) McDevitt.
On Aug. 17, 1949, he married Rita M. Giere and she survives.
Also surviving are two brothers-in-law and their wives, Oliver and Sarah Giere and Earl and Gay Giere, and a brother-in-law, LaMar Giere, all of Coldwater; a sister-in-law and her husband, Ruth and Francis Brown, Wapakoneta, and two sisters-in-law, Salome Peters, Delphi, Ind., and Betty Giere, Coldwater.
Two brothers, Conrad and John, are deceased.
He retired from the Huffy Corp., Celina, and was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during World War II. He was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church and the Holy Name Society of the church, a member and past grand knight of the Knights of Columbus and a member and past commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, all of Coldwater. He also was a member of the Public Employee Retirement System.
Funeral Mass was to be held at 10:30 a.m. today at the church, the Rev. Tom Mannebach officiated. Burial was to follow at St. Elizabeth Cemetery with the Coldwater VFW conducting military rites.
Hogenkamp Funeral Home, Coldwater, had charge of arrangements.
Contributions can be made to Mercer-Darke County Hospice or Community Hospital Home Health Care.
Edward Poeppelman
Edward A. Poeppelman, 75, Ohio 66, Fort Loramie, died at 5:51 a.m. May 27, 2002, in the emergency room at Wilson Memorial Hospital, Sidney. Death was due to an apparent heart attack.
He was born June 5, 1926, in Fort Loramie, to William and Emma (Winner) Poeppelman. On Aug. 17, 1949, he married Norma Jean (Goettemoeller) Poeppelman and she survives.
Also surviving are two sons and their wives, Gary and Evonne and Jeff and Martha, all of Fort Loramie; two daughters and their husbands, Dianne and Charles Groves, Cincinnati, and Joyce and Keith Daniel, Russia; one brother and his wife, Elmer and Verona Poeppelman, New Bremen; three sisters and their husbands, Victoria and Paul Eilerman, Sidney, Mary and Linus Hoying, Fort Loramie, and Hilda and Delbert Francis, Russia, and a sister, Kathleen Mestemaker, Coldwater; a sister-in-law, Dorothy Poeppelman, Fort Loramie; and 11 grandchildren.
Deceased are two brothers, Norbert and Herbert.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was a self-employed farmer. He also did custom plumbing and heating. He was a member of St. Michael Catholic Church and American Legion Post 355, both of Fort Loramie, and Minster Knights of Columbus Council 2158.
Funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the church, the Rev. Steven Shoup officiating. Burial will be at the church cemetery.
Calling is 3-8 p.m. Wednesday and 9-10 a.m. Thursday at Gehret Funeral Home, Fort Loramie.
Contributions can be made to a charity of the donor's choice.
Jerry Sharpe
Jerry Lee Sharpe, 59, 511 McKinley Road, St. Marys, died at 11:20 a.m. May 26, 2002, at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, St. Marys. Death was due to cancer.
He was born July 15, 1942, in Van Wert, to Minos and Madonna (Lenhart) Sharpe. His mother survives in St. Marys. On Jan. 21, 1967, he married Beverly Koeper and she survives.
Also surviving are a son, Jerry Lee II of St. Marys; two brothers and their wives, Mike and Lynn of St. Marys and Jeff and Julie of Spencerville; and two sisters and their husbands, Martha Ann and Bob Yocum, Willshire, and Peggy and Kirk Figley, Lobelville, Tenn.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran serving aboard the USS Roosevelt during the Vietnam era. He retired as a tow motor operator at Agway Corp., St. Marys. He was a member of St. Paul United Church of Christ, Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 767 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9289, all of St. Marys.
Services are 11 a.m. Thursday at Miller Funeral Home, St. Marys, the Revs. Patricia Minnick and Michael Spaulding officiating. Burial will be at Willow Grove Cemetery near New Bremen.
Calling is 1-3 and 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Contributions can be made to Auglaize Industries, New Bremen.
Roger Sites
Roger Allen Sites, 43, 4459 Tama Road, Rockford, died May 26, 2002, at Van Wert County Hospital. Death was due to natural causes.
He was born July 18, 1958, in Mercer County, to William J. and Ruth E. (Fast) Sites. The mother survives.
Also surviving are two sisters and their husbands, Colleen and Randy Shellabarger and Peggy and Doug Beair, all of Rockford, and a sister, Teresa A. of Celina; and five nieces and nephews.
A sister, Beverly Renee, is deceased.
A 1976 graduate of Parkway High School, he had worked 11 years for the Elgin-Spencerville Railroad and four years for the Indiana High-Rail Railroad. He currently worked as a supervisor at Driggs Ice Cream plant in Decatur, Ind, and a longtime breeder of Hampshire swine.
He was a member of St. John Lutheran-Hopewell Church, the Ohio Hampshire Breeders Association, Ohio Farm Bureau and the Rockford Fraternal Order of Eagles.
Services are 11 a.m. Thursday at Cisco Funeral Home, Celina, the Rev. Debra L. Domeier officiating. Burial will be at Mercer Memory Gardens.
Calling is 2-8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Harold Thees
Harold E. Thees, 89, 506 S. Main St., New Knoxville, died at 6:15 a.m. May 26, 2002, at Heritage Manor Nursing Center, Minster.
He was born July 29, 1912, in New Knoxville, to William F. and Wilhelmina (Korspeter) Thees. On Feb. 1, 1933, he married Viola G. Dresher and she died Sept. 28, 1992.
Surviving are a son-in-law, James McDermitt, New Bremen; two grandsons and two great-grandchildren.
A daughter, Kathryn Ann McDermitt, is deceased.
He retired from Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., St. Marys, and repaired bicycles for many years in New Knoxville. He was the last surviving male member of the New Knoxville High School Class of 1930 and was a member of First United Church of Christ, New Knoxville.
Services are 2 p.m. Wednesday at Gilberg-Hartwig Funeral Home, New Bremen, the Rev. David Hunt officiating. Burial will be at Pilger Ruhe Cemetery, New Knoxville.
Calling is noon-2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Contributions can be made to the church memorial fund or the New Knoxville Historical Society.
Elva Champ
Elva Iota "Odie" Champ, 93, of Spencerville, died at 1:38 a.m. May 27, 2002, at Roselawn Manor Nursing Home, Spencerville, where she had resided since October.
She was born Feb. 27, 1909, near Fort Amanda in Auglaize County, to Albert M. and Delcie R. (Ramsey) Adams. On Nov. 6, 1929, she married J. Lewis Champ and he died Aug. 19, 1994.
Surviving are a son, James W. of Lima; a daughter and her husband, Mary Ruth and H. Ray Roof, Lima; a brother and his wife, Glen and Pauline Adams, Plano, Texas; a sister and her husband, Ellen and Lewis McClanahan, Venedocia; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Deceased are an infant son, Gerald William; three brothers, Edgar, Russell and Albert Adams; and four sisters, Pearl Sells, Mary Cleveland, Edna Thrush and Velma Adams.
She was a former member of Christie United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Women, the Adult Sunday School program and the C.B. Club, all of the Spencerville area, a 47-year member of Ida Rebekah Lodge 391, Spencerville, and a member of Dorcas Circle, Spencerville.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Thomas E. Bayliff Funeral Home, Spencerville, the Rev. Thomas E. Brown and Thomas R. Roof, a grandson serving as a missionary in Lima, Peru, officiating. Burial will be at New Salem Cemetery near Monticello.
Calling is 7-9 p.m. Thursday and 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Contributions can be made to Followers of Christ International.
Dorothy Fast
Dorothy Mae Fast, 93, formerly of Celina, died May 26, 2002, at the Laurels of Shane Hill, Rockford.
She was born Nov. 24, 1908, in Alexandria, Va., to John and Gertrude (Bowers) Martin. On May 22, 1930, she married Irvin A. Fast and he died in August 1949.
Surviving are a son and his wife, Bob and Dixie of Hagerstown, Ind.; two granddaughters and a great-granddaughter.
Deceased are two brothers, James and Charles, and two sisters, Mary and Margaret.
She moved to Celina from Alexandria in 1948 and worked at Colonial Rest Home, Rockford Produce, Gibbons Hospital and Plaza Laundramat over the years. She had been a member of Mount Tabor Church of God and the International Mail Bag Club.
Services are 2 p.m. Saturday at W.H. Dick & Sons Funeral Home, Celina, the Rev. Jim Keiser officiating. Burial will be in North Grove Cemetery.
Calling is noon-2 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
Contributions can be made to a charity of the donors choice.
Elsie Will
Elsie Louisa Anita Will, 82, of Kettering, a Maria Stein native, died May 27, 2002, at Oak Creek Terrace Nursing Home, Dayton.
She was born Feb. 10, 1920, in Maria Stein, to John and Agnes (Menker) Kremer. Her husband, F. Mark Will, is deceased.
Surviving are three sons and their wives, Tom and Wilma of Kettering, Mark and Janet of Washington Township, and Mick and Joan of Centerville, and a son, Richard of Kettering; a daughter, Linda of Washington Township; four brothers, Walt Kremer, Washington Township, Lewis Kremer, Versailles, Fred Kremer, West Lafayette, Ind., and Ray Kremer, Coldwater; a sister, Emily Minnich, Mercer County; a brother-in-law, Vern Winner, Versailles; a sister-in-law, Kathleen Urschel, Spring Valley; eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Deceased are a sister, Dorothy Winner, and a grandson.
Funeral Mass is 10 a.m. Friday at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Dayton, with burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery, Dayton.
Calling is 5-8 p.m. Thursday at Tobias Funeral Home, Far Hills Chapel. A prayer service will be there at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Contributions can be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation or Hospice of Dayton.
Dorothy Bozarth
Dorothy Bozarth, 75, 417 Fremont St., Fort Recovery, died at 4:47 a.m. May 29, 2002, at Grandview Hospital, Dayton.
She was born Oct. 14, 1926, in Silver Point, Tenn., to James and Muncie (Oaks) Tucker. On June 29, 1945, she married Johnnie Bozarth Sr. and he died in 1956.
Surviving are two sons and their wives, Gayle and Carol of Dayton and Johnnie Jr. and Donna of Fort Recovery; a daughter and her husband, Carolyn and Wendell Craig, Englewood; two brothers and their wives, James and Maria Tucker, Orlando, Fla., and Dell and Rosa Tucker, Silver Point; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Four brothers and two sisters are deceased.
She formerly worked at Fort Recovery Industries and CTS in Berne, Ind. She was a member of the Church of the Nazarene and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, both of Fort Recovery.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the church, the Revs. John Perkins and Verl Ballmer officiating. Burial will be at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Union City, Ind.
Calling is 2-8 p.m. Friday at Brockman & Boeckman Funeral Home, Fort Recovery, and after 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the church.
Contributions can be made to the church building fund.
Woodie Burns
Woodie E. Burns, 87, 111 Clearview Court, St. Marys, died at 12:50 p.m. May 29, 2002, at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, St. Marys, following an extended illness.
She was born June 8, 1914, in Bell County, Ky., to Lee and Ida (Partin) Webb. In 1930, she married Rubin Burns and he died in 1969.
Surviving are a son and his wife, the Rev. Jack and Opal of St. Marys; a daughter, Iva Jean Gibson, with whom she made her home; a sister, Cleta Bowman, Springfield; 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Deceased are a son, Robert; a daughter, Mavis; three brothers, Pascal, Edgar and Edsel Webb; and two sisters, Lillian and Mary Webb.
She was a homemaker, a graduate of Bell County High School and a member of Samaria Missionary Baptist Church, St. Marys.
Services are 11 a.m. Saturday at the church, the Rev. Robert Loemker officiating. Burial will follow at Elm Grove Cemetery, St. Marys.
Calling is 6-9 p.m. Friday at Miller Funeral Home, St. Marys.
Contributions can be made to the Fellowship Hall Fund of the church.
