Luther T. Baker
CARLISLE--Luther Trulan Baker, 74, of Carlisle, died Thursday, Sept. 14, 2000. He was born in Pine Ridge, Ky., on Aug. 7, 1926, and was a lifelong Middletown resident. Mr. Baker worked as a machine operator at Inland Container Corp. for 34 years before retiring in 1987. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sarah Jane; three brothers, Leonard, Arthur and Barney Baker; and four sisters, Edna Whisman, Betty Baker, Roxie Hollon and Maxine Deaton. Among his survivors are three sons and their wives, Donald and Connie Baker of Carlisle, David and Cheryl Baker of Middletown and Bobby Lee and Carla Baker, also of Middletown; a daughter, Joyce Ann Maloney, and her husband, David, of Etowah, Tenn.; 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Madge Sparks, and her husband, John, of Pine Ridge, Ky.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, at Joseph Baker-Stevens Funeral Home. Friends may call from noon to 2 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Interment will be at Woodside Cemetery.
MEMORIALS: Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Middletown, 4414 Lewis St., Middletown 45044.

Charlotte R. Bostic
FRANKLIN -- Mrs. Charlotte Ruth Bostic, 73, formerly of 3945 Kenny Lane, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000, at Franklin Ridge Nursing Home. She was born on Dec. 22, 1926, in Beckley, W.Va. She was a lifelong member of the Franklin Freewill Baptist Church. Mrs. Bostic was preceded in death by a son, Jack Bostic in 1981. She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Emerson; four sons, David Bostic of Huber Heights, Timmy Bostic of Mason, Emerson Bostic Jr. (Butch) of Apopka, Fla., and Danny Bostic of Franklin; two daughters, Charlene Fugate of Franklin and Melodie Lewis of Carlisle; 10 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Franklin Freewill Baptist Church, with the Rev. Dencil Owsley officiating. Burial will be in Woodhill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Unglesby-Anderson Funeral Home, 1357 E. Second St., Franklin.

Shelby Lynn Bowling
CARLISLE -- Shelby Lynn Bowling, precious daughter of Steve and Heidi Bowling of Carlisle, and sister of Jacob Bowling, passed away Saturday, Sept. 16, 2000, at Children's Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. She was born in Middletown on Sept. 7, 2000. She will be deeply missed by her loving grandparents and great-grandparents as well as many family and friends.
ARRANGEMENTS: Visitation is today from 10 a.m. to noon at Unglesby-Anderson Funeral Home, 1357 E. Second St., Franklin. Funeral services and burial will be held at the convenience of the family.
MEMORIALS: Donations may be made in Shelby's memory to the Children's Medical Center in Dayton.

David M. Brewer
David M. Brewer, 69, of Middletown, died Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000. He was born in Middletown, Ohio, on March 30, 1931, and was a lifelong resident. He graduated from Middletown High School in 1949 and attended Heidelberg College. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. Mr. Brewer was deputy fire chief for the Middletown Fire Department and had worked in the department for 39 years. He was a member of the Middletown Veterans of Foreign Wars and the City of Middletown Employees Credit Union where he served on credit committees. He was an avid golfer and mushroom hunter. Mr. Brewer was preceded in death by his wife, Isabelle, earlier this year; and his parents, Chalmers and Louise Brewer. Surviving are a daughter, Debbie Rose, and her husband, Alan, of Middletown; sons John Brewer of Franklin and David Brewer; grandchildren Andrea Rose and Ryan Rose, both of Middletown; and two brothers, Phillip Brewer of Wilmington, Ohio, and Chalmers Brewer, and his wife, Patsy, of Middletown.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18, at Joseph Baker-Stevens Funeral Home, with the Rev. Greg Wallace officiating. Interment will be at Woodside Cemetery. Friends may call Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. at the funeral home, 1500 Manchester Ave.
MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to PAWS, the Butler County Humane Society, or to the Louella Thompson Feed the Hungry program.

Ellie Caudill
CARLISLE -- Mrs. Ellie (Creech) Caudill, 73, of 930 Timothy Lane, died Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000, at University of Louisville Hospital. She was born on July 7, 1927, the daughter of Isaac and Sarah Helen (Collins) Creech. She was a member of the Little Family Old Regular Baptist Church. Preceding her in death were her husbands, Lloyd Ritchie in 1977 and Raymond Caudill in 1986; two sons, Danny and Donny Richie; a daughter, Deliah Richie; five brothers, Arvel, Norman, Leonard, Carlos and Raymond Creech; and three sisters, Nora Roberts, Ethel Ritchie and Flaurie Creech. Surviving are two sons, Roger Richie of Carlisle and Larry Richie of Franklin; a daughter, Janice Back of Franklin; three brothers, Evert, Eli and Philip Creech of Ottwell, Ind.; two sisters, Molly Ritchie of Ottwell and Ollie Patrick of Germantown; 12 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services are set for 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18, at Unglesby-Anderson Funeral Home, 1357 E. Second St., Franklin, with the Revs. Roy Caudill, Hendricks Hampton and Buford Brock officiating. Burial will be in Springboro Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.

John O. Case
John O. Case, 78, of Middletown, died Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000. He was born in Middletown, Ohio, on April 20, 1922, and was a lifelong area resident. Mr. Case was a Navy veteran of World War II and served in the Pacific theater. Before retiring in 1988, he was employed as a machinist in the tool room at Delco Products where he had worked for 19 years. John was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Middletown. He was a certified journeyman machinist and an avid cyclist, photographer and carpenter. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Esther (Richmond) Case. Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Doris L. Case; two sons and their wives, Phillip and Ann Case of Dayton and Mark and Priscilla Case of Newtown, Conn.; a daughter, Sharon Goforth and Jeff Trammell of Middletown; two grandchildren, Jennifer Goforth of Middletown and Rebecca Goforth of Monroe; a great-grandchild, Adrianna Barnett of Monroe; two brothers, Paul and Owen Case, both of Middletown; and three sisters, Ruth Keller of Franklin, Mary Coffey of Lebanon and Jean Long of San Antonio, Texas.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at Joseph Baker-Stevens Funeral Home, with the Rev. John Keeny officiating. Interment will be at Woodside Mausoleum. The family will receive friends Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
MEMORIALS: Memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church, 120 S. Broad St., Middletown 45044.

Rosemary L. Bruggeman Davis
Former Middletown resident Mrs. Rosemary L. (Bruggeman) Davis, 48, of Lakeland, Fla., died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000, in Lakeland. Mrs. Davis was born in Middletown, Ohio, on Nov. 24, 1951. She graduated from Middletown High School and was a member of St. Mary's Church in Middletown. She moved to Lakeland, Fla., 18 years ago and was employed as an IT systems analyst for Summit Consulting Workman Comp. Insurance. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lakeland. She is survived by her husband, Michael Davis; sons Robert M. Davis and Randy S. Davis, both of Lakeland; a daughter, Julie M. Davis of Lakeland; her father, John P. (Renie) Bruggeman of Middletown; brothers David Bruggeman (Ginger) of Middletown, Joseph Bruggeman (Janet) and James Bruggeman (Merri), both of Lakeland, and John Bruggeman (Jenny) of Seffner, Fla.; a sister, Beverly Stoehr (Steven) of Centerville, Ohio; and five grandchildren.
ARRANGEMENTS: Mass of Christian Burial was concluded at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lakeland. Visitation was held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, at Trinity Funeral Home in Lakeland with a wake service at 7:30 p.m. in the chapel.
MEMORIALS: Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice or a charity of donor's choice.

Jesse T. Gabbard
Jesse T. Gabbard, 74, of Middletown, died Sunday, Sept. 17, 2000, at the Hospice of Dayton. Born in Salt Lick, Ky., the son of Belvin and Alice (Bashaw) Gabbard, he had lived in Ohio for the past 50 years. He was retired from the South Park Tool and Die Co. in Dayton. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. Preceded in death by his parents, he is survived by his loving wife of 35 years, Kathy (Bush) Gabbard of Middletown; brothers, Hobart Gabbard and Arthur McCarty, both of Kentucky, and Estill Gabbard of Lebanon; sisters, Ruby Burden and Bessie Mae McCarty, both of Lebanon; special nephews Ronnie and Brent Pergrem, both of Kentucky; and a host of other nieces, nephews and family members.
ARRANGEMENTS: Friends may call on the family Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. with the funeral service Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 11 a.m., all at the Stine & Kilburn Funeral Home, 801 Monroe Road, Lebanon, with the Rev. James Cockerham officiating. Burial will be in Woodside Cemetery.
MEMORIALS: The family requests, if desired, memorial contributions to the Hospice of Dayton.

Ruby Hale
Mrs. Ruby (Hamilton) Hale, 81, of West Middletown, Ohio, went to be with the Lord at her home on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000. She was born on May 15, 1919, in Letcher County, Ky., to Henry and Esther (Layne) Hamilton. She lived most of her adult life in the Middletown area. Mrs. Hale was employed in the stainless steel department of Armco Steel Co. during World War II and had also been employed at Frigidaire. She was a homemaker and her life was devoted to her family. She was a member of the Butler County Native American Council. Mrs. Hale was preceded in death by her parents; a granddaughter, Lori Lea Craig; two sisters, Mae Walley and Violet Robinson; and four brothers, Charles, John, A.W., and Clyde Hamilton. Surviving are her husband of 62 years, Luther; a son, Charles F. Hale, and his wife, Donna, of Middletown; two daughters, M. Janice Hall, and her husband, Jim, of Trenton, and Victoria Hale, and her fiancé, Charles Fields, of Middletown; seven grandchildren, Charles Scott Craig, and his wife, Vicki, and Kenneth Ray Craig, all of Middletown, Erin Suzanne Craig of Oxford, Christina Craig of Zalenski, Ohio, Shannon Hale of Brookville, Ohio, Todd Thomas, and his wife, Jen, of Lodi Calif., and Kimberly Thomas of Columbia, Md.; and five great-grandchildren, Heather Jenkins and Lori Craig, both of North Carolina, Joshua Zinck of Franklin and Nikolas and Dakota Craig, both of Middletown.
ARRANGEMENTS: Visitation will be Friday, Sept. 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Herr-Riggs Funeral Home, 210 S. Main St., Middletown. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with Pastor Gary Justice officiating. Interment will be at Woodside Cemetery.
MEMORIALS: Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Middletown, 4414 Lewis St., Middletown 45044.

Clifford W. Jones
Clifford Wright Jones, 84, formerly of Middletown, died Saturday, Sept. 16, 2000, at his residence in Sun City, Ariz. He was born in Athens, Ohio, on Feb. 22, 1916, a son of Carl and Marcella (South) Jones, and lived in this area most of his life. Mr. Jones worked at Armco Steel Co. for more than 40 years, retiring in 1981 from the East Works. He was an avid golfer. He is survived by his daughter, Sharon Kay Rothe of Franklin; a grandson, Todd Rothe; and a sister, Dolores Wozniak of Fort Wayne, Ind. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gynelle in 1992; and three sisters and two brothers.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Breitenbach-McCoy-Leffler Funeral Home, with the Rev. Frank Curtis officiating. Entombment will follow in Woodside Cemetery. Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

John J. King
John J. "Jack" King, 56, formerly of Miamisburg, Ohio, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000, at Middletown Regional Hospital after a lengthy illness. He was born on July 9, 1944, in Cleveland, Ohio, and had lived in the MIamisburg and Carlisle, Ohio, areas most of his life. Mr. King was self-employed as an auto body worker. He was co-founder and past president of the Miami Valley Impala Car Club. He is survived by a daughter, Jennifer Fugate, and her husband, John, of Middletown; a son, Joseph King of Miamisburg; four grandchildren; his mother, Mary M. King of Miamisburg; his father, Paul King of Florida; two brothers, Ronald E. King, and his wife, Carol, of Franklin, and Lester E. King, and wife, Elizabeth, of Carlisle; a sister, Sue Akers, and husband, Keith, of Middletown; and numerous nieces and nephews.
ARRANGEMENTS: Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, Sept. 14, at Herr-Riggs Funeral Home, 210 S. Main St., Middletown, where funeral services will begin at noon. James L. Kinser, Minister, will officiate. Interment will be at Woodside Cemetery in Middletown.

Willard Ledford
FRANKLIN -- Willard Ledford, 84, of 8205 Morningstar Road, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Dayton. He was born in Richmond, Ky., on Sept. 9, 1916, the son of Ash and Mary (Miller) Ledford. He was a graduate of West Carrollton High School and participated in football and basketball under the legendary coach, Tom Blackburn. Mr. Ledford was a World War II veteran serving in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater. After the war he purchased a farm and was a prominent dairy farmer, retiring in 1974. He resided in his winter home in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., for 26 years. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Scott Ledford; a sister, Evelyn Andrasik; and a great-grandchild, Alyse Thumann. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Alyce (Leichty) Ledford; a son, Michael Ledford, and his wife, Heidi, of Kettering; a daughter, Judy Wilson, and her husband, John, of Germantown; a sister, Virginia Armbruster, and husband, Marty, of Kettering; grandchildren Catharine (Ledford) Jones, and husband, Bryan, Bryan Moon, and wife, Amy, and Amy Thumann, and husband, Matt; and great-grandchildren Taylor and Noah Moon and Erin Thumann.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at Unglesby-Anderson Funeral Home, 1357 E. Second St., Franklin. Burial will be in New Jersey Presbyterian Church Cemetery with full military honors. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

Alden Little
Alden Little, 37, of Hamilton, Ohio, died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000. He was born in Middletown, Ohio, on March 16, 1963, the son of Roscoe Little and Nannie (Gibson) Little. Survivors include two sons, Michael Little of Middletown and Alden Little Jr. of Hamilton; two daughters, Ashley Little and Stephanie Little, both of Hamilton; three brothers, Wesley Little and Edward Pelfrey, both of Middletown, and Roscoe Little of California; four sisters, Debbie McIntosh and Annette Fulks, both of Middletown, Mary McGee of Cincinnati and Leslie Smith of Bethel, Ohio; and many nieces and nephews. Mr. Little was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Frank Little; and two sisters, Barbara Peck and Patty Smith.
ARRANGEMENTS: Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at Woodside Cemetery in Middletown. There will be no visitation.
MEMORIALS: Donations will be accepted. Wilson-Schramm-Spaulding Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Mildred I. Medlin
WEST CARROLLTON -- Mildred I. "Millie" Medlin, 71, of West Carrollton, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000, at her residence. She was employed at C.B. Manufacturing/Certified Heat Treating as a bookkeeper. She was a Springboro class of 1946 graduate and a member of the Kettering First Church of God. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Hulda Hanks; a sister, Irene Hanks; and a grandson. Millie is survived by two sons, Denny Medlin, and his wife, Mary Jo of Waynesville, and Michael Medlin, and his wife, Patricia, of Springboro; three daughters, Sherry Reagan of Huber Heights, Paula Medlin of West Carrollton and Rachelle Long of Hallsville, Mo.; seven grandchildren, Travis, Mandy, Jason, Brittany, Lindsay, Autumn and Jeremy; and a great-grandson, Daniel.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services are set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Kettering First Church of God, 1450 E. Dorothy Lane, with Pastor Thomas H. Pelt officiating. Interment will be in Woodhill Cemetery in Franklin. The family will receive friends from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the church.
MEMORIALS: If desired, contributions may be made to Hospice of Dayton, P.O. Box 3509 Dayton, Ohio 45401-3509. Tobias-Conner & Koch Funeral Home in Bellbrook is in charge of arrangements.

Connie A. Milton
Mrs. Connie Ann (Young) Milton, 44, of Columbus, Ohio, died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000, at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. Mrs. Milton was employed as a certified public accountant (CPA) for Buckeye Power Co. in Columbus. She is survived by her husband, Jim Milton of Columbus (a former longtime Middletown resident); her parents, Fred and Irene Young of Columbus; a brother, Tom (Sue) Young of Columbus; sisters Cheryl (Cris) Truesdell of Columbus and Cinda (Leonard) Riddle of Lancaster; her grandmother, Hazel Groves of Summersville, W.Va.; nieces Cara and Sami; and a nephew, Freddy.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. today, Sept. 15, at Schoedinger Worthington Chapel, 6699 N. High St. (1/2 mile south of I-270), Worthington, Ohio, where friends were received Thursday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Interment will be in Kingwood Memorial Park.

Marie E. Myers
Marie E. Myers, 84, of Eaton, Ohio, departed this life to be with her Lord on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2000. She was born in Warren County, Ohio, on March 14, 1916, to Jerret and Matilda (Wilhelm) Remley. She was a member of the Gratis United Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday school for many years. She was a member of the Women's Christian Society. She had retired in 1975 as a bus driver for Twin Valley Schools. She leaves behind to mourn her death a loving and devoted husband of 61 years, Chester Myers; two sons, Dale (Diane) Myers, Camden and Ronnie (Nokie) Myers of Eaton; 10 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; two great-great-granchildren; and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by two grandsons, Scotty and Ricci Myers; a brother, Gerald Remley; and a sister, Beatrice Remley.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Gratis United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery. Friends may call at Lindloff-Zimmerman Funeral Home in Gratis on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and an hour prior to service at the church on Wednesday.

Ollie Griffith Nichols
FRANKLIN -- Mrs. Ollie (Young) Griffith Nichols, 94, formerly of 1118 S. Main St., died Friday, Sept. 15, 2000, in Prestonsburg, Ky., at the home of her daughter with whom she had resided for the past year and a half. She was born in Lowmansville, Ky., on Feb. 21, 1906, the daughter of Joseph H. Young and Mary F. Lyons Young Castle. Preceding her in death were her first husband, John Franklin Griffith in 1949, and her second husband, Stanley H. Nichols in 1983; a son, Russell E. Griffith in 1999; a daughter, Roberta Griffith; and three stepchildren, Betsy R. Smith, Jack Nichols and Charles Nichols. Surviving are two sons, Bill J. Griffith of Miamisburg and John N. Griffith of Springboro; three daughters, Lillian Conley of Prestonsburg, Ky., Mary O. Dooley of Springfield, and Julia Duchemin of Franklin, with whom she resided for 13 years; a stepson, Robert Nichols of Lexington, Ky.; 19 grandchildren; 49 great-grandchildren; 12 great-great-grandchildren; and 20 step-grandchildren.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, at the Franklin Freewill Baptist Church, with the Rev. Dencil Owsley officiating. Burial will be in Springboro Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Anderson Funeral Home, 40 N. Main St., Springboro, and also one hour prior to the service Monday at the church.

Maxine Null
Maxine Null, 73, died Sept. 15, 2000, at Hospice of Dayton. She was a resident of Miamisburg. She was born June 24, 1927, in Middletown. She retired from Mount Pleasant Retirement Home after 18 years of service. Her husband of 49 years, Lynn (Spider) Null, preceded her in death in 1996. Her parents, Albert E. and Mary Lou (nee Gillum) Mullins, also preceded her in death, as did her sister, Carol Henry. She is survived by sons Lynn D. Null, and his wife Diane, of Miamisburg, and David J. Null and his wife, Bobbi, of Middletown; grandchildren Heather Barker and her husband, Jeremy, of Middletown, Rebecca Null, of Dayton, Erin Null, of Miamisburg, and Stevie Ray Null, of Middletown; step-grandsons John Young, Chris Young and Andy Young, all of Middletown; brothers Joe Mullins and Jack Mullins, both of Middletown, and Glenn Mullins, of Cincinnati; and a sister, Patricia Potter, of Franklin.
ARRANGEMENTS: Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Joseph Baker-Stevens Funeral Home. Services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, also at the funeral home. Burial will be in Butler County Memorial Park.
MEMORIALS: Memorials may be sent to Hospice of Dayton.

Elmer H. Stout
Elmer H. Stout, 69, of Middletown, died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000. The Middletown native and lifelong resident was born on March 16, 1931, to Carl Clarence and Nannie M. (Martin) Stout. He was a self-employed contractor. Mr. Stout worked in the contracting business for 50 years before retiring in 1977. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Carl Edward Stout; two half brothers, Chester A. Davis and James Davis; and a son, Randy H. Stout on Nov. 5, 1996. Surviving are his wife of 46 years, Lorene; a son, Kevin Stout of Kentucky; a daughter, Vicki Stout Haber, and her husband, Jacob, of Middletown; two brothers, Donnie Stout of Flint, Mich., and Gene Stout, and his wife, Marie, of Camden; four sisters, Katherine Lehman, Marilyn Byrd, and her husband, Carl, and Pauline Denny, and her husband, Bill, all of Middletown, and Esther Bentz of Mason; granddaughters Brandy Roberts, and husband, Charles, of Kentucky, and Kathleen Stout of Kentucky; a great-grandson, Dakota Harlan Roberts; and many nieces and nephews.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Thursday at Joseph Baker-Stevens Funeral Home, with the Rev. Bobby Reed officiating. Interment will be at Woodside Cemetery. Friends may call from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, 1500 Manchester Ave. The family wishes to publicly express its thanks to Garden Manor Extended Care Center for taking care of our husband, father, father-in-law, brother and grandfather.

Clarence B. Wells
Clarence Bradley Wells, 67, of Homosassa, Fla., formerly of Middletown, died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000, at his residence. He was born in Millersburg, Ky., and had lived in Homosassa for nine years after moving from Middletown, Ohio. He was retired from Jefferson-Smurfit and Diamond Packaging Corp. in Middletown where he had worked as a truck driver and glue machine operator. Mr. Wells was a veteran of both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps and a member of the Clayton Street Church of God in Middletown. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Kim Wells in 1986; and a son, Tim Wells in 1996. Survivors include his wife Helen (Deaton) Wells of Homosassa, Fla.; three sons, Mike of Suffolk, Va., and Terry and Eddie Wells, both of Homosassa; his mother-in-law, Stella Deaton of Middletown; two daughters, Pat McDaniel and Doty Wells, both of Homosassa; two brothers, Stanley Wells of Middletown and Ed Wells Jr. of Clearwater, Fla.; a sister, Jean McKenzie of Middletown; 10 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
ARRANGEMENTS: A graveside urn burial will be held for Clarence Wells at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at Woodside Cemetery in Middletown. Arrangements are being handled by Wilder-Fountains Funeral Home, 4890 S. Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa Springs, Fla.

George Asbury Jr.
George N. Asbury Jr., 82, of Middletown, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2000, at his residence. He was born in Menifee County, Ky., on Sept. 15, 1917, the son of George and Dolly Asbury. Mr. Asbury was a farmer for most of his life. He also worked as a truck and auto mechanic in the Middletown and Dayton areas for many years. He then retired in 1962 after an accident at work. He was a resident of the Middletown and surrounding area most of his life. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Naomi L. (Smith) Asbury of Pearl Street, Middletown; six sons, George A. Asbury, and his wife, Betty, Clarence E. (Slim) Asbury, Wilbur N. Asbury, and his wife, Sandy, and Ronald E. Asbury, and his wife, Debbie, all of Middletown, Jacob W. Asbury, and his wife, Jeanne, of Indian Mound, Tenn., and Jonathan W. Asbury, and wife, Regina, of Dallastown, Pa.; and five daughters, Dorothea L. Esposito, and husband, Dominic C., of Middletown, Kathren E. Houtz of Kettering, Susan E. Hardin, and husband, Jim, of Taylorsville, Miss., Rebecca J. Perkins, and husband, Lee, of Middletown, and Naomi D. Williford, and husband, Joe, of Moraine, Ohio. He is also survived by 34 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and 16 great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Mr. Asbury was preceded in death by a son, David M. Asbury in 1969; a granddaughter, Jennifer D. Dick in 1984; a grandson, Kenneth B. Haering in 1995; his parents; and four brothers and nine sisters.
ARRANGEMENTS: Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8, with funeral services following at 11 a.m., at Herr-Riggs Funeral Home, 210 S. Main St., Middletown. Interment will be at Butler County Memorial Park in Trenton.
MEMORIALS: Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation or the Cancer Foundation.

Mattie B. Ashley
Funeral services for Mattie Bell Ashley, 69, of Middletown, who passed away Saturday, will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, at the Elizabethtown First Church of God, 899 Chamberlain Road, Franklin. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Herr-Riggs Funeral Home in Middletown.

James L. Back
James Louis Back, 77, of Middletown, Ohio, passed away Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000, at 4:25 p.m. at his residence. He was born on Aug. 28, 1923, in Menefee County, Ky., and had lived in the Middletown area for 60 years. He was employed for 43 years as a beater man at the Simpson Paper Co., formerly the Harding Jones Paper Co., retiring in 1986. He was a member of Life Tabernacle. Mr. Back was preceded in death by his parents, Kelly and Media (Hampton) Back; two sons, Bobby and Carl Back; a daughter, Loraine Silverthorn; five brothers, Pearl, Joe, Estel, Bert and Rader Back; and a sister, Jessie Mae Earls. He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Nena A. Back; two sons, David Back of Middletown and Kelly Back, and his wife, Tonya, of Gallatin, Tenn.; two daughters, Della Boggs and Gladys Signom, both of Middletown; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild; two brothers, J.K. Back, and his wife, Alice, and Cletus Back, and his wife, Lola, all of Menifee County, Ky.; and many nieces and nephews.
ARRANGEMENTS: Visitation will be Sunday, Sept. 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Herr-Riggs Funeral Home, 210 S. Main St., Middletown. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the Life Tabernacle, 6462 Hamilton-Middletown Road, Middletown, with Pastor Palmer L. Ledford officiating. Interment will be at Woodside Cemetery in Middletown.

Joseph W. Baird
Joseph W. Baird, 94, of Middletown, died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000, at Garden Manor Nursing Center. He was born in Butler County on Oct. 29, 1905, the son of James W. Baird and Effie (Hendrickson) Baird. Mr. Baird worked as a farmer. He was a lifelong member of the Blue Ball Presbyterian Church and a charter member of the Blue Ball Historical Society and the Middletown Historical Society. Mr. Baird was an 80-year member of the Monroe Grange and a member for more than 30 years of the Gideons International. He was also a member of the Butler County Farm Bureau and a former member of the Rotary Club. He is survived by three daughters, Mildred (husband Carl) Hollon of Monroe, Joanne Baird of Middletown and Ruth (husband Theodore) Martin of Cincinnati; a son, Dr. George W. Baird of Midland, Mich.; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and a brother, Raymond Baird of the Ottterbein-Lebanon Retirement Community. Mr. Baird was preceded in death by his wife, Anna Louise (Ross) Baird in 1999; two brothers, J. Elmer Baird and Arthur Baird; and his parents.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Blue Ball Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. Michael Evans officiating. Visitation will be Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Breitenbach-McCoy-Leffler Funeral Home with Grange services at 8 p.m. Burial will be at the North Monroe Cemetery.
MEMORIALS: Memorial contributions may be made to the Gideons International or the Blue Ball Presbyterian Church, 6901 Roosevelt Ave., Franklin, Ohio 45005.

Raymond Campbell
Raymond "Rainbow" Campbell, 53, of Middletown, died Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2000, at Middletown Regional Hospital. Mr. Campbell was a Middletown native and lifelong resident. He was born in Middletown on June 3, 1947, and was a member of Middletown Moose Lodge 501. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Angela Dawn Campbell. Among his survivors are his wife of 37 years, Ann Campbell of California; his mother and stepfather, Peggy and Floyd Palmer of Middletown; his father, Porter Campbell of Corinth, Ky.; a son, Johnny Ray Campbell of San Jacinto, Calif.; three grandchildren, Ricky and Justin Bihner and Brandon Morgan; a sister, Brenda Matthews, and her husband, Junior, of Middletown; and a brother-in-law, Ed Joy, and his wife, Joyce, of Middletown.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services will be at the convenience of the family.
MEMORIALS: Contributions may be made to his sister, Brenda Matthews, in his memory. Joseph Baker-Stevens Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Teresa K. Combs
Mrs. Teresa Katherine Combs, 88, of 506 Lylburn Road, passed away at her residence Sunday afternoon, Sept. 10, 2000. She was born on Dec. 19, 1911, in Middletown, the daughter of Thomas and Pauline Muchki Takach. Teresa was the owner of Tee's Restaurant, which was located on Yankee Road and later on Clark Street. She and her late brother, Steve Takach, founded the restaurant on Friday the 13th in 1940 and served the Middletown community until 1975. She was noted for her outstanding pie-making ability. She was a member of Holy Family Parish. Mrs. Combs is survived by her daughter, Margaret "Margie" J. Combs of Middletown; a brother and his wife, Frank and Betty Takach, of Monroe; a sister and her husband, Agnes and Fred Kynch of Paso Robles, Calif.; and a special friend, Annette Collins of Middletown. She was preceded in death by her husband, James W. Combs in 1991; four brothers, John, Joe, Mike and Steve Takach; and a sister, Mary Antrium.
ARRANGEMENTS: Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. John's Chapel, with Father John Civille as celebrant. Visitation will be held at Breitenbach-McCoy-Leffler Funeral Home Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m., with prayer services at 6:30 p.m. Burial will be at Woodside Cemetery.
MEMORIALS: The family suggests memorial contributions be made to St. John Chapel of Holy Family Parish, 201 Clark St., Middletown 45042.

Rosemary Ferguson
Rosemary Lehman Ferguson, 56, of 421 Mission Lane, Franklin, died Sept. 10, 2000, at the Franklin Ridge Nursing Center following an extended illness. She was born in Augusta, Ga., on Dec. 3, 1943, a daughter of Arthur and Addie (Dye) Lehman, and worked for 27 years for the Avon Company. She was a member of the First Church of God faith. She is survived by her daughter, Alicia Phillips, of Carlisle; two grandchildren, Rose Phillips and Zackary Scott Phillips; a sister, Nancy Maertz, and her husband, David, of Middletown; two brothers, Bill Lehman and his wife, Sydne, of Hyrum, Utah, and Richard Lehman and his wife, Connie, of Middletown; a dear friend, Bonnie Vanderpool; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, and by a sister, Brenda Bush.
ARRANGEMENTS: Funeral services were Saturday. Burial was in Woodside Cemetery. Arrangements were be Breitenbach-McCoy-Leffler Funeral Home. The family wishes to thank Vitas Hospice and the Franklin Ridge nursing staff.