USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Mary Colby-Braun
Mary Helen Colby-Braun,79, of Metter, Ga., formerly of Coldwater, died June 5, 2002, at her residence.
She was born Jan. 5, 1923, in Coldwater, to Harold and Lena (Schmidt) Colby. Her husband, Herbert Braun, survives.
Also surviving are a daughter and her husband, Deborah and Tim Gast, Metter; a stepson, Adam; a stepdaughter, Erin; two grandchildren, a great-grandchild and a stepgrandson.
She had worked as an administrative secretary at the former Pet Milk plant in Coldwater.
Funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Coldwater, the Rev. Thomas Mannebach officiating. Burial will be at St. Elizabeth Cemetery, Coldwater.
Hogenkamp Funeral Home, Coldwater, has charge of arrangements. There is no visitation.
Mary Catherine Burns
Mary Catherine Burns, 80, 1008 Emerald Ave., Coldwater, died at 9:35 a.m. June 6, 2002, at Parkview Memorial Hospital, Fort Wayne, Ind.
She was born March 28, 1922, in Yoder, Ind., to Jacob and Iva (Harkenrider) Krouse. In 1974, she married Firmer Burns and he died in 1987.
Surviving are a son, Richard Love, Fort Wayne; a daughter and her husband, Roxanne and Jim Firks, Coldwater, with whom she had resided the past 3 1/2 years, and a daughter, Jyl Strand, Fairbanks, Alaska; a brother, Jack Krouse, Fort Wayne; two sisters, Lois Anweiler and Rita Schmidt, both of Fort Wayne; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
A brother, Eugene Krouse, is deceased.
Services will be 1 p.m. Monday at C.M. Sloan and Sons Funeral Home, Fort Wayne. Burial will follow at Catholic Cemetery, Fort Wayne.
Calling will be 2-5 and 7-9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. A rosary service will take place there at 4:30 p.m.
Contributions can be made to the St. Peter Neurological Center, the Mercer County Cancer Association or the Make-A-Wish Foundation for terminally ill children.
Mabel Kettler
Mabel L. Kettler, 81, 10 E. Vine St., New Bremen, died at 4:20 a.m. June 7, 2002, at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, St. Marys.
She was born Aug. 2, 1920, in Minster, to Albert and Eleanora (Beckman) Oldiges. On Oct. 12, 1939, she married Donald B. Kettler and he died Sept. 9, 1989.
Surviving are two sons and their wives, James and Mary Anne of Flint, Mich., and Jay and Marilyn of Rochester, Mich., and a son, Joseph of Wapakoneta; two daughters and their husbands, Nancy and Robert Price, Grove City, Pa., and Patricia and Daniel Duffy, West Chester; two brothers and their wives, Wallace and Martha Oldiges, Minster, and Clarence and Elsie Oldiges, Chicopee, Maine; a sister and her husband, Doris and Jerry Wissman, New Bremen, and a sister, Elizabeth Albright, St. Marys; and nine grandchildren.
A daughter, Malinda Ann, and a sister, Elinor Pearson, are deceased.
She was a homemaker and a member of the Church of the Holy Redeemer, New Bremen. She served as a member of the Auglaize County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MR/DD) from 1980 to 1986. She previously served as president of the county chapter of the ARC from 1974-1976 and as vice president in 1972. In 1979, she was nominated by Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes as MR/DD Mother of the Year. She continued as an active member of both organizations and was involved with initiating, planning and outfitting the Auglaize School in New Bremen and was among the ARC members instrumental in developing the Auglaize group homesite in Wapakoneta. For more than 30 years, she was involved in clipping coupons, a fund-raiser for the mentally and physically handicapped in Auglaize County. Her efforts to the community were recognized when she was named Bremenfest grand marshal in 1997.
Funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church, the Rev. Daniel Conlon officiating. Burial will be at Willow Grove Cemetery, New Bremen.
Calling is 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Monday at Gilberg-Hartwig Funeral Home, New Bremen, and 9:30-10:10 a.m. Tuesday at the church. A rosary service will follow the Tuesday viewing.
Contributions can be made to the Auglaize County MR/DD Group Home (recreation).
Zeno Brackman
Zeno J. Brackman, 85, 1643 St. Joe Road, Fort Recovery, died at 3:12 p.m. June 9, 2002, at Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie, Ind.
He was born Feb. 2, 1917, in St. Joe, to Joseph and Rose (Bruns) Brackman. On July 21, 1943, he married Julianna Reier and she survives.
Also surviving are five sons and their wives, Charles and Mary, Wapakoneta, Luke and Luella, Coldwater, Eugene and Joyce, Maria Stein, Mark and Doris, Sharpsburg, and Albert and Linda, Philothea, and two sons, Joe and Paul, both of St. Joseph; three daughters and their husbands, Virginia and Lester Meyer, Coldwater, Rosemary and Carl Stachler, Wendelin, and Rita and Vaughn Wakefield, Versailles; a brother and his wife, Ivo and Norma, Fort Recovery; a son-in-law, Steve Borges, Minster; a sister-in-law, Dolores Brackman, St. Henry; 38 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Deceased are a daughter, Mary Catherine Borges; a sister, Marie Buddenbeck; two brothers, Ray and Herb; and three grandchildren.
He was a retired farmer and a member of the Holy Name Society at St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Joseph.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the church, the Rev. Kenneth Alt officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery.
Calling is 2-9 p.m. Tuesday and 9-10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Brockman and Boeckman Funeral Home, Fort Recovery.
Luella Bruns
Luella R. Bruns, 87, formerly of 3330 County Road 716A, Celina, died at 5:10 p.m. June 7 at Heritage Manor Nursing Home, Minster.
She was born Nov 8, 1914, in Maria Stein to Bernard and Elizabeth (Heitkamp) Meier. On May 5, 1936, she married Elmer Bruns and he died Feb. 15, 1994.
Surviving are seven sons and their wives, Willard and Alberta of Celina, Eugene and Jeanie and John and Irene, all of Maria Stein, Omer and Jeannette of Dayton, Lavern and Wilma of St. Henry, Dennis and Elaine of St. Sebastian and Mark and Cindy of Fort Recovery; two daughters and their husbands, Mary and Paul Gagel, Maria Stein, and Lois and Nick Kremer, Fort Recovery. and a daughter, Evelyn Bensman, Anna; a sister, Verena Bohman, Versailles; two sisters-in-law, Clara Meier and Velma Bruns, both of Maria Stein; 42 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Deceased are a son-in-law, Don Bensman, two brothers, a sister and a great-grandchild.
She was a homemaker and a member of St. Sebastian Catholic Church and the St. Sebastian Ladies Sodality. She was a member of the Knights of St. John Auxiliary, Maria Stein, and a volunteer at Community Hospital, Coldwater.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church, the Rev. John Bensman officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery.
Calling is 2-8 p.m. today and 9-10 a.m. Tuesday at Hogenkamp Funeral Home, Coldwater.
Contributions can be made to the church building fund.
Delbert Lunz
Delbert E. Lunz, 83, 5 Miami Erie Place, New Bremen, died at 8 a.m. June 10, 2002, at Valley Nursing Home, St. Marys.
He was born April 17, 1919, near Fryburg, to William and Caroline (Knerr) Lunz. On Dec. 10, 1942, he married Doris Christler and she survives.
Also surviving are a son, Rick of Celina; a daughter and her husband, Susan and Ned Koenig, New Bremen; a sister, Frieda Baeumel, Wapakoneta; a sister-in-law, Irene Lunz, also of Wapakoneta; and two grandchildren.
Deceased are three brothers, Walter, Theodore and Elmer.
He ran a milk route in New Bremen before becoming a letter carrier with the New Bremen Post Office. He earned a bronze star while serving with the U.S. Army in the European Theatre during World War II. He was a member of Faith Alliance Church and American Legion Post 241, both of New Bremen. He performed with several dance bands in the area and was a member of the Auglaize County Alumni Band and the former Zion's Song.
Services are 11 a.m. Thursday at the church, the Rev. Dean Greenwood officiating. Burial will be at German Protestant Cemetery, New Bremen.
Calling is 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at Gilberg-Hartwig Funeral Home, New Bremen, and after 10 a.m. Thursday at the church.
Contributions can be made to the New Bremen Emergency Squad or the church memorial fund.
Barbara McEldowney
Barbara McEldowney, 66, 332 S. Pine St., St. Marys, died at 6:27 a.m. June 10, 2002, at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, St. Marys, following an extended illness.
She was born May 5, 1936, in St. Marys, to Samuel and Bessie (Goodwin) Cotterman. On Aug. 28, 1954, she married Jerome McEldowney and he survives.
Also surviving are two sons and their wives, Jerome Jr. and Peg and Scott and Dana, all of Wapakoneta, and two sons, Dale and Craig, both of St. Marys; three daughters and their husbands, Beverly and Mike Whitaker, Teena and Bill Ward and Theresa and Don Henning, all of St. Marys; two brothers and their wives, William and Doris Cotterman and Lester and Barb Cotterman, all of Wapakoneta; a sister and her husband, Betty and Dick Weiler, and a sister, Louise Zimmerman, all of St. Marys; 13 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and four stepgrandchildren.
Deceased are two daughters, Tammy and Kimberly; three brothers, Donald, Sam and Ronnie Cotterman; and six sisters, Delores Sawmiller, Rosemary Holsinger, Dixie Cramer, Judy Ann and Beverly Cotterman and Pat Chilcoat Koeper.
She had been employed at the former St. Marys Woolen Mill and was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, St. Marys.
Funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the church, the Rev. David Heinl officiating. Burial will follow at Gethsemane Cemetery, St. Marys.
Calling is 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at Miller Funeral Home, St. Marys.
Susan Stukenborg
Susan E. Stukenborg, 60, 8517 Celina-Mendon Road, Celina, died at 4:55 p.m. June 10, 2002, at Valley Nursing Home, St. Marys. Death was due to natural causes.
She was born March 1, 1942, in Littcarr, Ky., to Mack and Ila (Short) Martin.
Surviving are two sons, Tim of Coldwater and Tony of Celina; a daughter and her husband, Diane and Drew Herndon, and a daughter, Kristy Kennedy, all of Pueblo West, Colo.; and five grandchildren.
She worked as a nurse's aid at Shane Hill Nursing Home, Rockford, and for home health care in the Celina area.
Graveside services are 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Elizabeth Cemetery, Celina, the Rev. Kathleen Hayes officiating.
Lehman Funeral Home, Celina, has charge of arrangements. There will be no visitation.
Contributions can be made to the Mercer County Cancer Society.
Gretchen Ponzuric
Gretchen B. Ponzuric, 82, South Oak Street, Coldwater, died at 3:48 p.m. June 11, 2002, at Community Hospital, Coldwater.
She was born Sept. 4, 1919, in Findlay. Her husband, Paul Ponzuric, a football coach at Coldwater and Elida high schools, died March 30, 1972.
Surviving are a son, John of Fort Recovery; a sister and her husband, Fern and Dean Balcom, Running Springs, Calif.; and two grandsons.
She retired as a cook from Coldwater Public Schools. She was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, St. Ann Rosary-Altar Sodality and St. Cecilia Knights of St. John Auxiliary, all of Coldwater, and Mercer County Senior Citizens.
Funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. Friday at the church, the Rev. Thomas Mannebach officiating. A committal service will take place at noon Saturday at St. Elizabeth Cemetery, Coldwater.
Calling is 5-8 p.m. Thursday at Hogenkamp Funeral Home, Coldwater. There will be no visitation Friday morning.
Carl Schelich
Carl T. Schelich, 81, 126 Cottonwood Drive, Celina, died at 5:05 p.m. June 11, 2002, at Valley Nursing Home, St. Marys.
He was born Oct. 19, 1920, in Celina, to Robert and Anna (Andrew) Schelich. On Jan. 24, 1942, he married Lucille Sammons and she survives.
Also surviving are two sons and their wives, Tom and Linda of Beaverton, Mich., and Bob and Jane of Celina; a daughter and her husband, Jackie and Lloyd Colburn, Celina; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
One granddaughter is deceased.
A retired Metropolitan Life Insurance agent, he served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He was a founding member of the Mercer County Sportsmen Association and a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church, the American Legion and the Masonic Lodge, all of Celina.
Services are 11 a.m. Friday at Lehman Funeral Home, Celina, the Rev. Kathleen Hayes officiating. Burial will be at Swamp College Cemetery, Celina.
Calling is 4-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Contributions can be made to a charity of the donor's choice.
