USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Lodema Austin
Lodema F. Austin, 96, 202 S. Wayne St., Mendon, died at 1:19 a.m. Dec. 11, 2000 at Van Wert County Hospital, Van Wert.
She was born Dec. 18, 1903, in Mercer County, to Fred and Laura (Fast) Pennell. On Sept. 20, 1926, she married Fred Austin, who died May 29, 1993.
Survivors are two daughters and their husbands, Barbara and Roy L. McDorman, Mendon, and Gloria and Wilks Sanders, White Lake, Mich.; two half-brothers, Jim Pennell, Traverse City, Mich., and Jerry Pennell, Holland, Mich.; 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Deceased are a son, Harry, and two brothers, Bob and Bud Pennell.
She was a homemaker and a member of The Lord's Church in Celina.
Services are 1 p.m. Friday at W.H. Dick & Sons Funeral Home, Mendon, the Rev. Randy Christian officiating. Burial is at Mendon Cemetery.
Calling is 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Contributions can be made to the donor's choice.
Billy Phillippe
Billy W. Phillippe, 76, 11181 Schroeder Road, St. Marys, died Dec. 10, 2000 at Lutheran Hospital of Indiana, Fort Wayne.
He was born July 29, 1924, in Bicknell, Ind., to Frank and Nellie (Thompson) Phillippe. On Nov. 3, 1947, he married Ivah Jean Fox, who survives.
Other survivors are a daughter and her husband, Sharon and Jim Gilbert, St. Marys; a son and his wife, Billy and Diana of St. Marys, and a son, John of St. Marys; three sisters and their husbands, Norma and Bob Stout, Sullivan, Mo., Marjorie and Bob Myers, and Phyllis and Paul Memoring, all of Bicknell, Ind., and a sister, Carolyn of Bicknell, Ind.; a brother and his wife, Bob and Dorothy of Dayton; a sister-in-law, Norma of Toledo; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Deceased is a brother, Gordon.
He was retired from the police department for the City of Oakwood, and was a volunteer for Box 21 Ambulance Service in Dayton. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9289 and American Legion Post 323, both in St. Marys.
Services are 2 p.m. Sunday at Miller Funeral Home,St. Marys.
Calling is one hour prior to services at the funeral home.
Contributions can be made to the donor's choice.
Fred Reedy
Fred L. Reedy, 64, died at 4:28 p.m. Dec. 11, 2000 at his Rockford residence.
He was born Dec. 12, 1935, in Mendon, to Cail E. and Esther (Griggs) Reedy. His mother survives in Celina. On May 27, 1972, he married Leola A. Bienz, who survives.
Other survivors are three sons and their wives, Tim and Barb of Elmhurst, Ill., Tom and Elana of Lima, and Danny and Janna of Warsaw, Ind.; four daughters and their husbands, Teresa and Tony McDermitt, Coeur 'd Alene, Idaho, Robin and Billy Baucher, Rockford, April Font and Brian Loucks, Ada, and Holly and Jason Truesdale, Celina, and a daughter, Joy, at home; a brother, Dennis of Celina; a sister and her husband, Linda and Donald Hays, Rockford, and two sisters, Judy Krugh, Rockford, and Rhonda Winget, Portland, Ind.; 19 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Deceased are his parents, two sons, Terry and Larry, a brother, Bill, and a sister, Bonnie Carroll.
He was employed in the maintenance department at St. Marys Foundry, and attended the Victory Center Church of God in Wapakoneta.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Friday at Ketcham-Ripley Funeral Home, Rockford, the Rev. Tom Bartee officiating, with assistance from A.J. Hamblin. Burial is at Riverside Cemetery, Rockford.
Calling is 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Alice Ruese
Former New Bremen resident Alice E. Ruese, 87, died at 12:55 a.m. Dec. 11, 2000 at Shawnee Manor Nursing Home, Lima, where she was a resident.
She was born Sept. 16, 1913, near New Bremen, to Henry and Lydia (Heitkamp) Bushman. On Feb. 23, 1938, she married Howard Ruese, who died Jan. 14, 1970.
Survivors are a son and his wife, Donald and Carol of New Bremen; a daughter and her husband, Lois and Carl Rabley, Elida; two sisters-in-law, Viola and Florene Bushman, both of New Bremen; a brother-in-law, Howard Wellman, New Knoxville; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Deceased are a sister, Lillian Egbert, three brothers, Ferdinand, William and Richard Bushman, and a grandson.
She was a homemaker, worked in various clerical positions and with the coupon refund group at Auglaize School. She was a member of St. Paul United Church of Christ, New Bremen, and the New Bremen Senior Citizens. She was a graduate of St. Marys Business College and New Bremen High School.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the church, the Rev. John W. Tostrick officiating. Burial is at German Protestant Cemetery, New Bremen.
Calling is 4-8 p.m. Wednesday at Gilberg Funeral Home, New Bremen, and at the church prior to services.
Contributions can be made to the church memorial fund, St. Rita's Hospice or New Bremen Emergency Squad.
Charles Powell
Charles Scott Powell, 40, of Coldwater, died Dec. 10, 2000 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident on Ohio 118 in Darke County.
He was born Jan. 29, 1960, in Dayton, to Charles and Phyllis (Waldren) Powell. His father and his mother and her husband, Robert Kelly and wife Nancy Sue all survive.
Other survivors include a daughter, Tammy, two sons, Michael and David, and a brother, Mark Kelly.
Services are 10 a.m. Thursday at Morris Sons Funeral Home, Kettering, the Rev. Roberta Hart officiating. Burial is at Mount Zion Shoup Cemetery.
Calling is 9-10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Contributions for his children can be sent to the "Powell Children" at Pacesetter Bank, Union City, Ind.
Rev. Robert Gaertner
Rev. Robert Gaertner, 82, died Dec. 11, 2000 at St. Charles Center in Carthagena.
He was born June 21, 1918, in Cleveland, to August and Florence (Brissel) Gaertner.
Survivors include a brother and his wife, Leonard and Rita of Rocky River; a brother-in-law and ten nieces and nephews.
Deceased are a stepmother, Coletta, and a sister, Gertrude Mayte.
He entered the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in 1931, was professed in 1935, and ordained in 1943. He was associate pastor at a few churches in Ohio and Michigan then became administrator at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Osgood. He entered the U.S. Air Force as a chaplain in 1950, serving in Washington, England, Illinois, Ohio, Morocco, Nebraska and Alaska. He retired from the military, and served as the first personnel director of the Cincinnati Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, served as rector of St. Charles Center and continued to supply and substitution ministry.
Funeral Mass is 2 p.m. Friday, the Provincial Director of the Cincinnati Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Rev. Angelo Anthony presiding, and Rev. William Eilerman preaching. Burial will follow in the center's cemetery.
Calling is 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Thursday and prior to services Friday at the center, with wake services at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Hogenkamp Funeral Home, St. Henry, handled arrangements.
Martha Hare
Martha Irene Hare, 99, died Dec. 12, 2000 at her residence at 518 Hierholzer St., Celina.
She was born Feb. 25, 1901, in Mercer County, to Seth and Martha J. (Boise) Runkel. In 1922, she married Lee Anthony Hare, who died Feb. 29, 1960.
Survivors include a daughter, Evenelle Compson, Celina; a daughter-in-law, Wanda of St. Joe, Mich.; five grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
Deceased is a son, Forrest "Gene," four brothers, three sisters and a grandchild.
She was retired from Reynolds & Reynolds, and was a member of First Church of God, Celina.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Friday at the church, the Rev. Stephen L. Dunn officiating. Burial is at North Grove Cemetery, Celina.
Calling is 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Thursday at W.H. Dick & Sons Funeral Home, Celina, and one hour prior to services Friday at the church.
Contributions can be made to the donor's choice.
Hilda Heitkamp
Hilda H. Heitkamp, 83, 2324 Clune-Stucke Road, Maria Stein, died at 7 p.m. Dec. 12, 2000 at Heritage Manor Nursing Home, Minster.
She was born Jan. 1, 1917, to Joseph and Rose (Luttmer) Lochtefeld. On June 19, 1946, she married Alfred H. Heitkamp, who died Jan. 7, 1996.
Survivors are a son and his wife, Leroy and Patricia of Carthagena, and two sons, Marvin and Elton, both of St. Rose; a daughter and her husband, Marlene and David Schulze, Wapakoneta; three brothers and their wives, Roman and Bernice Lochtefeld, and Clarence and Alvina Lochtefeld, all of St. Henry, and Arthur and Irene Lochtefeld, Yorkshire; a sister-in-law, Ruth of Minster; and six grandchildren.
Deceased are two brothers.
She was a homemaker and a member of St. Rose Catholic Church and its Ladies Sodality, Knights of St. John Auxiliary and American Legion Auxiliary, both of Maria Stein, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, Chickasaw.
Funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the church, the Rev. Emil Labbe officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Calling is 3-8 p.m. Friday and 9-10 a.m. Saturday at Hogenkamp Funeral Home, Minster.
Mary Jo Weitz
Mary Jo Weitz, 60, of Celina, died of cancer at 10 a.m. Dec. 12, 2000 at the Laurels of Shane Hill, Rockford.
She was born July 7, 1940, in New Vienna, to Homer K. and Josephine Williams. Her mother survives. She was married to Dr. Lowell E. Weitz, who survives.
Other survivors are two daughters and their husbands, Elizabeth and Michael E. Eickholt, Van Wert, and Christina and Dustin Yorksie, Lima; and two grandchildren.
She was a music teacher and organist for many churches. She held a master's degree.
A private memorial service will be held Saturday.
There will be no visitation.
