Grant County Obituaries

The News-Sun—Wednesday—January 9, 1985

Bette Hiatt
Bette L. Hiatt, 62, 3891W 400S, Marion, died Dec. 29 at the Lutheran Hospital, Fort 
Wayne.  She had been a patient there for six weeks.  She was a former resident of 
Fairmount and a graduate of Fairmount High School.  She was a member of the National 
Kidney Association and attended the Maple Run Friends church, Marion.  Bette, a warm-
hearted, friendly and courageous person to the end, assisted her husband, Evert, at 
his place of business before her health prevented it.  Her memory will be cherished 
and she will be missed by her many friends.  She is survived by her husband, Evert; 
four sons, Howard (Slug), Gas City; John E., Fairmount; Jim, Summitville, and Gary, 
Marion; her mother, Della Eiber, Gas City. Two sisters, Mrs. Lawrence (Maxine)Rhoades, 
Fairmount, and Lucille Caster, Anderson; a brother, Howard Eiber, San Diego, Calif.; 
and 11 grandchildren.  Services were held at the Hunt Funeral Home on Dec. 31 with the 
Rev. Greg Hiatt officiating.  Burial was in Park cemetery.


David Strand
David C. Strand, 33, 203 S. Buckeye street, Fairmount, died Dec. 28 at Ball Memorial 
Hospital, Muncie, after a long illness.  He was a member of the Shelby Auto Club and 
a retiree of Foster Forbes Glass Co., Marion.  He attended Union Chapel Baptist church.
He is survived by his parents, Mr. And Mrs. Carl E. Strand, Fairmount; a brother, Dan 
Strand, Puerto Rico; four sisters, Mrs. Karen Tegge and Mrs. David (Mary Joy) Mantor, 
both of Anderson; Mrs. Arlis (Pearl) Tetrick, Niles, Mich.,and Rebecca Strand, Swayzee.
Services were held Dec. 31 at the Union Chapel Baptist church with the Rev. Ralph 
Rickner officiating.  Burial was in Park cemetery.


Robert Heritage
Robert C. Heritage, 82, 116 N. Main street, Summitville, died at 9:45 p.m. Monday at 
Summit Convalescent Center in Summitville after a long illness. He was born in Madison 
county, son of Morton Heritage and Anna Carmony Heritage who were life-long residents 
of the Summitville area.  He was a retired farmer.  Survivors included two daughters, 
Annabelle McDaniel, Fallon, Nev.,and Roberta M. Idlewine, Fairmount; a sister, Vanchie 
Fisher, Muncie; six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.  Services were at 11 
a.m. Friday at Noffze Funeral Home, with the Rev. Riley Walker officiating.   Burial 
was in the Vinson cemetery.


Mary Barker
Mary E. Barker, 63, Marion, died Dec. 30 at St. Vincent's Hospital, Indianapolis.  She 
had been a patient at the hospital since Dec.19 and had been ill since September. Born 
in Goshen, she had lived most of her life in Marion.  She was a retired switchboard 
operator for more than 25 years at General Tire.  She was a member of the First Church 
of the Nazarene, Moose Lodge, Monday Night Plazaettes and Crest Lanes' Mixed Friday 
Night League, all of Marion. She is survived by her husband, William R.;three daughters, 
Mrs. Raymond (Sandra Lynn) Mittank, Upland;Mrs. Jan Freiburger, Marion and Mrs. Robert 
(Kay Dee) Richey, Anderson.  A stepdaughter, Mrs. Donald (Barbara) Sanders, Marion; a 
stepson, Larry Barker, Fairmount; a sister, Mrs.Thomas (Kate)Reily, Orange City, Fla.; 
nine grandchildren, nine step-grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Services were 
held Jan.3 at a Marion funeral home with the Rev. Preston J. Theall officiating. Burial 
was in the Gardens of Memory cemetery, Huntington county.


Barbara Poe
Barbara J. Poe, 51, Marion, died Dec. 31 at Marion General Hospital after an extended 
illness.   She lived all her life in Marion.  Survivors include her husband, Paul Poe; 
four sons, Edwin Havens, Fairmount; Paul Poe Jr., John Poe and Tom Poe, all at home. 
Four daughters, Mrs. Jerry (Sheila) Aidt, Upland; Mrs. Greg (Gladios)Stout, Albuquerque, 
N.M., Penny Poe, at home, and Mrs.Franklin (Rhonda) Mark, Marion. Four brothers, John 
and Bill Havens, Marion;Darl Havens, Michigan City; Joe Havens, Gas City, and 12 grand-
children.  Services were held Jan. 3 at a Marion funeral home with the Rev. Stephen 
Landis officiating.  Burial was in Grant Memorial Park cemetery.


Walter Whybrew
Walter M. Whybrew, 75, Clearwater, Fla., died Jan. 5 at his home.
He is survived by his wife, Clara; a son, Larry, Atlanta, Ga.; and two grandchildren.
Mr. Whybrew owned and operated the Hockett Photo Studio in Fairmount for several 
years.  Services were held Tuesday at a funeral home in Steward, Ga. with burial in 
Vidalia, Ga.


Carrol Comer
Carrol G. Comer, 68, Orangevale, Calif., died at his home Jan. 6 following an extended 
illness.   He was a native of the Fairmount area residing at Radley until entering the 
Army during World War II.  After retirement he resided in the Orangevale area for 
several years.  Survivors include his wife,  Hester, and a sister, Mrs. Elva (Comer) 
Buffington, Fairmount.  Funeral services were held Jan. 9 in Folson, Calif.


The News-Sun—Wednesday—January 30, 1985

James Brewer
James A. Brewer, 64, 10080S 100W, Fairmount, died Saturday, Jan. 26.  He was driving 
home when his car became stuck in the snow and he walked a mile to his home.  Shortly 
after he became ill and was taken to Marion General Hospital by ambulance.  He was 
dead on arrival.  He was a veterinarian for the state Board of Health.  Survivors 
include a son, Randy, Fairmount; three daughters, Mrs. Bob (Nicola) Steinkamp, Fort 
Wayne; Sharon Haisley, Costa Mesa, Calif., and Mrs. Greg (Marisa) Doyle, Van Buren; a 
brother, two sisters, and one grandchild. Hunt Funeral Home was in charge of cremation 
arrangements.


Paul Yale
Paul A. Yale, 57, died Jan. 22 in an auto accident near Brownsville, Texas about noon.
A former resident of Fairmount who moved to Harlingen, Texas in 1952, he was a real 
estate agent and formerly operated the Solis-Yale Garage Co.   Mr. Yale was a member 
of the Harlingen, Texas Realtors and also was associated with a mobile home company.
Survivors include a son, Richard, Harlingen, Texas; three daughters, ? (paper torn)


Eileen Fontani
Eileen Fontani, 60, 324 W. Washington street, Fairmount, died at her home Friday, 
Jan. 18, of cardiac failure related problems, according to Grant County Coroner David 
Devine.  Mrs. Fontani's daughter, Carolyn, who lives at the same address, called an 
ambulance after finding her mother unconscious that morning.  Fairmount Marshal Bob 
Curtis said Mrs. Fontani was dead when he arrived at 10:55 a.m.  Mrs. Fontani was a 
resident of Fairmount for three years, moving here from Chicago.  Survivors include 
a daughter, Carolyn, 324 W. Washington street, and a son, Carl, Somonauk, Ill.  Grant 
County Coroner David Devine said funeral arrangements were made at a funeral home in 
Brookfield, Ill.


Arthur Pernod
Arthur Pernod Jr., 55, Fort Pierce, Fla., died Jan. 21 in Indian River Village Hospital, 
Vero Beach, after a short illness.  Mr. Pernod was a former resident of Fairmount and 
a graduate of Fairmount High School.  He was employed with the Fort Pierce utilities 
and was a former employee of Kaiser Heating and Plumbing, Marion. He was an Army 
veteran.  He is survived by his wife, Ferrell;two daughters, Carolyn, at home, and Mrs. 
Bill (Cheryl) Blotzer, Fort Pierce, Fla.;three brothers,Jim, Fairmount; Harold, Marion, 
and Charles, Warsaw. Four sisters, Norma Pernod, Fairmount; Mrs. Robert (Phyllis) West, 
Marion; Mrs. Charles (Martha) Medler and Mrs. Ruth O'Brien, both of Memphis, Tenn. 
Services were held Jan. 24 at the Hunt Funeral Home with the Rev. Stephen Beutler 
officiating. Burial was in Park cemetery.


Albert Cline
Albert A. Cline, 56, Montpelier, died Jan. 22 at Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie. Mr. 
Cline was an employee of Dana Corp., Marion, and a veteran of the Korean War.  He was 
a member of the Dunkirk Church of the Nazarene and the VFW.  Survivors include his wife, 
Hazel; a son, Phillip, Jonesboro; two stepdaughters, Mrs. Janet Jackson, Glencove, Ky., 
and Mrs. Caroline Moore, Hanover; two stepsons, Daniel Cooley, Fort Belavoir, Va., and 
Steven Cooley, Hartford City.  Two brothers, William, Fairmount, and Robert, Chester-
field; two sisters, Mrs. Lucille Dunning, Columbus, Ohio, and Mrs. Christina McCoy, 
Anderson; one grandchild and 16 step-grandchildren.  Services were held Jan. 25 at a 
funeral home in Hartford City with the Rev. Carl Dawson officiating.  Burial was in the 
South Mound cemetery, New Castle.


Mildred Woodruff
Mildred E. Woodruff, 74, Van Buren, died Jan. 21 at Marion General Hospital.  She had 
been ill for one week.  A former resident of Fairmount, Mrs. Woodruff moved to the Van 
Buren area in 1957.  She worked for Moon's Catering Service.  She was a member of 
Central Christian church, Van Buren; the Christian Women's Fellowship of which she was 
treasurer, and the church choir.  A member of the Northside Extension Homemakers Club 
she belonged to the Grant County Kitchen Band.  Survivors include two sons, Charles, 
Fairmount, and Jim, West Lafayette; a daughter, Mrs. Marvin (Jackie) Harvey, Van Buren; 
two sisters, Mrs. Helen Hazelbaker and Mrs. Karl (Faith) Parsons, both of Fairmount; 
six grandchildren, and one great grandchild.  Services were held Jan. 24 at a Van Buren 
funeral home with the Rev. Wayne Markward officiating.  Burial was in Park cemetery.


Caroline Belmore
Caroline Belmore, 85, died Monday at St. John's Medical Center, Anderson, after a brief 
illness.  She was born in Muskegon Mich. And lived in Alexandria from 1937 to 1953, 
moving to Anderson in 1953.  She was employed in the Guide Division cafeteria for 10 
years, retiring in 1962.  She was a member of St. Ambrose Catholic church.  Survivors 
include three daughters, Mrs. Edward (Evelyn) Wood and Mrs. Elinor Broshar, both of 
Anderson, and Mrs. Gene (Berniece) Allen, Summitville.  Four sisters, Lillian Snyder 
and Maxine Willard, both of Florida; Helen Thorne and Ardith Austin, both of Michigan; 
a brother, Henry Meil of Michigan, 10 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and several 
nieces and nephews.  Mass of Christian burial was conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 
24 at St. Ambrose Catholic church with the Rev. Robert Bernotas officiating. Burial was 
a Park View cemetery, in Alexandria.


Elenora Oyler
Elenora Oyler, 97, Indianapolis, died early Monday morning, Jan. 14, after an extended 
illness.  She was born in Covington, KY,the daughter of Bernard and Elizabeth Prieshoff.  
She moved with her family to Indiana as a child and lived in Elwood where she attended 
St. Joseph school.  She was married to Raymond Oyler and lived in Alexandria for many 
years before making her home in Indianapolis.  Survivors include three children, Mrs. 
Georgianna Miller and Mrs. Dorothy Tinsel, both of Indianapolis, and Raymond (Buss) 
Oyler of Greenwood.  One sister, Mrs. Louise Matney, Summitville; several nieces and 
nephews in the Alexandria, Summitville, Fairmount and Marion areas. A mass of Christian 
burial was held Wednesday, Jan. 16 at St. Philip Neri Catholic church, Indianapolis.  
Burial was in Indianapolis.