USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Mary Smith
Former Mercer County resident Mary Elizabeth Smith, 86, 2667 S. Driftwood Blvd., Avon Park, Fla., died April 4, 2002, at Kindred Acute Care Hospital in Tampa, Fla.
She was born Jan. 27, 1916, in Mercer County, to A.B. and Esta (Gibson) McAlexander. Her husband, Ermal Smith, died in 1972.
Surviving are a son and his wife, Richard and Linda Smith, Commerce, Mich.; a daughter and her husband, Lois and Ray Wilson, Avon Park, Fla.; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
She formerly worked at Fort Recovery Equity and St. Clair Mills, also of Fort Recovery. She was a charter member of the Church of the Nazarene and a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, both of Fort Recovery.
Memorial services will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the church, the Rev. Verl Ballmer officiating. The body was cremated and burial will take place at Mercer Memory Gardens, Celina.
Brockman & Boeckman Funeral Home, Fort Recovery, has charge of arrangements There will be no visitation.
Harold Wietholter
Harold H. Wietholter, 84, 107 1/2 E. South St., New Knoxville, died at 5:36 a.m. April 16, 2002, in the emergency room at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, St. Marys.
He was born Oct. 30, 1917, in New Bremen, to Fred and Sophia (Schellenberger) Wietholter. On June 20, 1940, he married Audrey Shuster and she survives.
Also surviving are four sons and their wives, Stan and Patricia of New Knoxville, Mitchell and Sharon of Cudahy, Wis., Nelson and Kristy of Allen Park, Mich., and Brad and RoseMary of Bluffton; and 12 grandchildren.
Deceased are four brothers, William, Elmer, Clarence and Leon, and three sisters, Myrtle Wagner, Bertha Ahlers and Louette Topp.
He was the retired owner of Katterheinrich and Wietholter Milk Hauling Co. and also had worked at Continental Can Co. in Van Wert. He was a member of New Knoxville United Methodist Church and a former member of the New Knoxville Village Council. An avid sports fan, he was named New Knoxville High School Fan of the Year.
Services are 11 a.m. Friday at the church, the Rev. Mitch Arnold officiating. Burial will follow at Pilger Ruhe Cemetery, New Knoxville.
Calling is 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the church. Vornholt-Miller Funeral Home, New Knoxville, has charge of arrangements.
Contributions can be made to the church.
A. J. Sanford
A. J. Sanford, 78, 11101 Schroeder Road, St. Marys, died at 1:29 p.m. April 17, 2002, at Lima Memorial Hospital.
He was born Oct. 10, 1923, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Francis and Audrey (Farris) Sanford. On March 14, 1959, he married Anna Mae Frasure and she died June 3, 1995.
Surviving are a son and his wife, Paul and Liz Meadows, and a son, Rick Sanford, all of St. Marys; a daughter and her husband, Birdie Sue and Art Corwin, Fort Wayne, Ind., and three daughters, Sundina Wuebbenhorst, Stella Kohli and Joan Meadows, all of St. Marys; three brothers, Riley of New Knoxville and Sam and Leonard, both of St. Marys; three sisters, Vernita Jump, Fremont, Bella Gibbs, St. Marys, and Betty Rockwood, Lewisburg, N.C.; 14 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Deceased are a sister, Wayne Cook, and a grandson.
A graduate of Buckland High School, he served with the U.S. Army in Central Europe during World War II. He retired from Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., where he had worked in the service department. He also raced motorcycles at Horseshoe Creek Track on the south side of Grand Lake St. Marys.
Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Miller Funeral Home, St. Marys, with the Rev. Judy Ball officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memory Gardens near Moulton.
Calling is 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Ben Schlater
Ben R. Schlater, 72, 818 Parkview Drive, Coldwater, died at 2:55 a.m. today, April 19, 2002, at Community Hospital, Coldwater, following a sudden illness.
He was born April 23, 1929, in Fort Loramie, to Joseph and Ursala (Meyer) Schlater. On Aug. 4, 1956, he married Velma E. Ziegenbusch and she died Jan. 20, 1991.
Surviving are a son and his wife, Craig and Mary Jo of New Bremen; a daughter and her husband, Kay and Floyd Farrar, Cincinnati; a brother, Joe of Wapakoneta; two sisters, Lucille Berning, Minster, and Mary Bachman, Van Wert; and four grandchildren.
Deceased are two brothers, Bill and David.
He retired as a railway agent for Norfolk & Southern Railroad and worked as a boiler fireman at Community Hospital. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Korean War, and a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Coldwater.
Funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. Monday at the church. Burial will follow at St. Elizabeth Cemetery, Coldwater.
Calling is 2-8 p.m. Sunday and 9-10 a.m. Monday at Hogenkamp Funeral Home, Coldwater.
Contributions can be made to the American Heart Association or a charity of the donor's choice.
Ruth Broerman
Ruth M Broerman, 84, 8103 North Star-Fort Loramie Road, Yorkshire, died at 11:31 a.m. Friday, April 19, 2002, at Community Hospital, Coldwater.
She was born Jan. 6, 1918, in North Star, to Clarence and Irene (Groff) Barga. On June 30, 1938, she married Clarence Broerman, who died Oct. 28, 1991.
Survivors include four sons and their wives, Roger and Kathleen Broerman, Fort Recovery, and Robert and Connie Broerman, Raymond and Rebecca Broerman, and Richard and Mary Lou Broerman, all of Yorkshire; three daughters and their husbands, Nancy Jean and Ott Kuess, Celina, Caroline and Elmer Schlater, Sidney, and Irene and John Romer, LaGrane, Ind.; a brother and his wife, David and Thelma Barga, North Star; three sisters, Marlene McClurg of Versailles, Sister Maura Barga, Fairfield, and Doris and Paul Rindler, Dayton; 32 grandchildren; and 47 great-grandchildren.
Deceased are a sister and one grandchild.
She was a member of St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Osgood and the St. Barbara Sodality of the Church. She was a homemaker.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church, the Rev. David Zink officiating. Burial is at the church cemetery.
Calling is 2-8 p.m. Monday and 9-10 a.m. Tuesday at Hogenkamp Funeral Home in Minster.
Contributions can be made to the Osgood Life Squad.
Leon Hanni
Leon P. Hanni, 80, 3373 Hone-Weir Road, Celina, died at 5:45 a.m. Friday, April 19, 2002, at Bluffton Regional Medical Center in Bluffton, Ind.
He was born Feb. 11, 1922, in Berne, Ind., to Elmer and Emma (Peel) Hanni. On Sept. 11, 1946, he married June Hight, who survives.
Other survivors include three daughters and their husbands, Dawn and Edward Weirrick,Celina, Lynn and William Louthan and Jayne and Charles Shady, both of Fort Wayne, Ind.; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Deceased are a sister, Carolyn Kneib.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and worked 50 years as corporate secretary for Celina Insurance Group. He was a member of Grace Missionary Church in Celina and graduated from Celina High School in 1940.
Services are at 11 a.m. Monday at the church, the Rev. Steve Howell officiating. Burial is at Swamp College Cemetery, Celina.
Calling is 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Sunday at Cisco Funeral Home in Celina and one hour before services Monday.
Contributions can be made to the church.
Ronald Shoemaker
Ronald G. Shoemaker, 68, 809 Greenbriar Court, Celina, died at 3:14 a.m. on Friday, April 19, 2002, at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, St. Marys.
He was born on Dec. 3, 1933, in Dayton, to Donald and Marie (Acton) Shoemaker. On June 30, 1954, he married Phyllis Keyes, who survives.
Other survivors include a daughter and her husband, Deb and Dave Hanna, Celina; a son and his wife, Mike and Dena Shoemaker, Vancouver, Wash., and five grandchildren.
He was retired as district manager for Northern Propane Gas Co., Buffalo, N.Y., and later worked in sales at WKKI Radio in Celina. He was a member of Living Hope Assembly of God Church in St. Marys and was retired from the Royal Rangers through the church where he held statewide positions.
Services are at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the church, the Rev. John Nunnally officiating. Burial is at Swamp College Cemetery, Celina.
Calling is 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Sunday at Lehman Funeral Home in Celina and one hour before services at the church.
Alvin Glass
Alvin C. Glass, 79, 603 N. Augustus St., St. Marys, died at 10:55 a.m. Friday, April 19, 2002, at St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, following a brief illness.
He was born Nov. 17, 1922, in Salem Township in Auglaize County, to Walter and Hilda (Dohse) Glass. On Dec. 10, 1945, he married Vivian Lee Eberle, who survives.
Other survivors include a son, Stephen Glass, Toledo; two daughters, Randi Glass, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Anna and John Armstrong, Wauconda, Ill.; two brothers, John Edward Glass, Celina, and Don W. Glass, Fort Thomas, Ky., and two grandchildren.
He was U. S. Navy veteran of World War II. He was retired from the St. Marys Foundry, where he worked in electrical maintenance. He also worked at Weston Paper Mill, the St. Marys city power plant and Midwest Electric Cooperative.
He was member of of the Zion Lutheran Church in St. Marys, where he served on the vestry.
Services are 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church. No information about the pastor or burial plans was available from the funeral home.
Calling is 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Monday at Long & Folk Funeral Home in St. Marys.
Contributions can be directed to the church or the Leukemia Society of America.
