Submitted by: Dan Rich
Dec. 27, 1924 - June 29, 2008
South Bend Tribune 7/1/2008
SOUTH BEND - Cloyde Edwin Saunders, 83, residing in South
Bend, IN, passed away at 7:35 a.m. Sunday, June 29, 2008, in his
home following a courageous battle with cancer. He was born
December 27, 1924, in Grass Creek, IN, to Charles Rudolph and Eva
Icel (Douglass) Saunders, and had lived in South Bend
since 1952, coming from Logansport, IN.
On March 28, 1948, in Logansport, IN, he was
united in marriage to Virginia C. Nelson, who preceded him
in death on April 6, 1987. Then on August 30, 1992, in South
Bend, he was married to Maryannis B. Smock, who survives.
Also surviving are three daughters, Linda Carol (James) Emerick
of Mishawaka, Karen Sue (Dale) Rieder of Niles, MI, and
Debra Kay (Steven) Nimtz of Memphis, TN; a son, Charles
Jay (Elie) Saunders of Mt. Juliet, TN; a stepdaughter, Sandra
Lynn (James) Johnson of Columbia, MD; and a stepson,
Stuart B. (Phyllis) Smock of Theodore, AL. Four grandchildren and
five step-grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and two
brothers, Phillip Saunders and Cloyde's twin, Carl (Dortha)
Saunders, both of Logansport, IN, survive him as well. Mr.
Saunders retired in 1986 from the Bendix Corp. where he was
employed as an engineering designer. He proudly served his
country in the United States Army during WWII. He served in the
National Guard and Army Reserves. Cloyde was a member and Deacon
Emeritus at First Christian Church of South Bend, a 56-year
member of St. Joseph Lodge #45, F.&AM, where he also served
as chaplain, and received the Mason of the Year Award in 2003. He
was also a member of Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Valley of
South Bend, and received the Double Eagle Award in 2003, and the
Meritorious Service Award at the Council of Deliberation on June
26, 2004; York Rite Bodies of Elkhart; 54-year member of the
Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Indiana; Orak Shrine,
Michigan City, and its Temple Guard Unit; and the South Bend
Shrine Club.
Services for Mr. Saunders will be held at
7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 3rd, in the Palmer Funeral Home-River
Park, 2528 Mishawaka Ave., South Bend. Pastor Susie Beemer of
First Christian Church will officiate. Entombment will be at
Riverview Mausoleum. The family will receive friends from 5:00
p.m. until services on Thursday, where members of St. Joseph
Lodge 45, F.&AM, will conduct a memorial service at 7:15 p.m.
in the funeral home. Contributions in memory of Cloyde E.
Saunders may be made to the Shrine Hospital for Children, 2211
North Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60707-3392; or to the Masonic
Learning Center, 427 North Main Street, South Bend, IN 46601.