(Handwritten date: Monday, September 10, 1951)

CHARLES E. HAMMOND DIES SUDDENLY TODAY

Well Known Decatur Man Dies In Auto

   Charles E. Hammond, 58, well known Decatur brick mason and contractor, died of a heart attack early this morning while driving to work.  He was found in his car at Winchester and Line streets, only a block from his home at Winchester and Reiter streets.

   He was taken to the Adams county memorial hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival about 9:30 o'clock. He had had a heart ailment for several years but his death today was entirely unexpected.

   A lifelong resident of Decatur, Mr. Hammond was born in this city June 20, 1893, a son of Lewis and Kate McCullough-Hammond, and was married to Marie Daniel Dec. 24, 1922.  Mrs. Hammond died in 1944.

   He was a member of the First Christian church.  He was a veteran of World War I and a member of Adams Post 43, American Legion, and the Moose lodge.

   Surviving are his mother, who resides on Line street; one son, Keith Hammond, of Decatur;  two daughters, Carolyn and Gail, both at home; one grandchild; three bro- (cut off)...Hammond, all of Decatur;  and three sisters, Mrs. Vera Fritzinger and Mrs. Ethel Rayer, both of Decatur, and Mrs. Lois Kerr of Colon, Mich.  One daughter is deceased.

   Funeral services will be held at  2 p.m. Wednesday at the Black funeral home, the Rev. Jonas M. Berkey officiating.  Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery, with the American Legion post conducting military rites.  Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 p.m. Tuesday.

*****

(Handwritten date:  Friday, June 23, 1950)

   On Thursday, Mrs. Noah Habegger and Mrs. Dwight Amstutz motored their mother and grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth Graber, to Fort Wayne where she attended her class reunion at the home of Mrs. Minnie Lake.  There were ten girls in the 1895 graduating class of Milan Center.  All are still living and are now in their seventies.  Those who enjoyed the day together at the Lake home were Mesdames Clara Gerig of Ft. Wayne, Hattie Rothgeb, Estella Daniels, Jane Werts and Jane Miller, all of New Haven, Kate Roberts of Woodburn,  O. H. James of Harlan, Elizabeth Graber of this city, and the hostess, Minnie Lake, of Fort Wayne.  Mrs. Trainess Yoder of Harlan was unable to attend.

*****

(Handwritten date:  Monday, August 6, 1951)

JOHN THATCHER DIES SATURDAY

Funeral Today For 71-Year-Old Former Local Resident

   Funeral services were held this afternoon at 2:00 o'clock, at the Church of God in Willshire, Ohio, for John Thatcher, 71, who spent much of his life in this community and was well known here.  Rev.  Herbert Schumm officiated at the funeral and burial was at Willshire.

   Thatcher died suddenly at 5:30 a.m. Saturday at his home in Willshire.  He was found by a neighbor on the lawn near the Thatcher house, seconds after he died.  The neighbor noticed Thatcher slumped on the lawn but he was dead when he reached him.  Death was attributed to coronary thrombosis.  Thatcher had visited the office of a local physician Friday and had been told to limit his activities, it is understood.  He had not been well for some time.  He spent several weeks in the hospital last summer after he had been struck by a tractor.  He suffered a broken hip at the time and never recovered completely.

   Thatcher divided his time between the Berne and Willshire communities.  He did many odd jobs, mostly for farmers and worked in this community this summer.  He was born at Willshire September 29, 1879.  When a small boy he was taken into the Daniel Z. Sprunger home in Berne and was reared there.  Later he made his home with the Peter Burkhalter family.  He was married to Margaret Moser, formerly of Marion.  She survives, together with the following children:  Lester Thatcher, Willshire;  and Edna, Elizabeth and Oscar, all of Orient, O.  A daughter preceded in death at the age of 11 months.

*****

(Handwritten date:  Monday, August 6, 1951)

   Those from this community who motored to Van Wert, Ohio, Sunday afternoon to see John Thatcher, who passed away Saturday morning at his home in Willshire, Ohio are the following:  Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Schwartz and family,  Mrs. Jacob J. Schwartz and daughter Rachel,  Mrs. Noah D. Schwartz,  Mr. and Mrs.  Rufus Hirschy,  Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Muselman,  Mr. and Mrs. Amos M. Schwartz, and Mrs. John J. Schwartz (handwritten:  'and Ella').

Adams County, Indiana Historical Society

1933-1953 Scrapbook - Image 52

Transcribed by Karin King