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LaVon R. Balmer
May 21, 1916 - December 3, 2001
LaVon R. “Von” Balmer, 85, 406 E. Jefferson St., Bourbon, died suddenly of natural causes on Monday, Dec. 3, 2001. Von, a Bourbon resident for the past nine years, formerly of the Cass Lake, Minn. area for 20 years, died in the Bremen Community Hospital at 11:50 a.m.
Von was born in Plymouth on May 21, 1916. He was the son of Peter Balmer, Jr., and Marie Reneas Balmer. He attended Plymouth schools.
A United States Army veteran, Von was proud to have been a part of the Iwo Jima Campaign during World War II, serving from July 1943 to December 1945. He was decorated with the Bronze Star and was a member of the Disabled American Veterans.
On March 23, 1953, in Plymouth, Von and Eloise J. Beam were married.
A registered watchmaker, he was the proprietor of L.R. Balmer Jewelry on W. LaPorte St., Plymouth, from 1947 to 1957. For the next 15 years he farmed, retiring in 1971.
A consummate fisherman, he loved the sport. He was also known as a “tinkerer” and handyman.
Von is survived by his wife, Eloise, of Bourbon, and by two sons and two daughters.
His sons are Larry W. and Marsha Balmer, Plymouth, and Walter “Dick” R. and Jill Balmer, Bremen. Daughters Yvonne E. Balmer and spouse, Jim Shirley, Bloomington, Ind. and Darla Kaye and Patrick Finnegan, Bemidji, Minn., survive, together with seven grandchildren, three great-great-granddaughters and a sister, Bertha Balmer, Plymouth.
Von was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Ruth Balmer, and two brothers: Walter and Richard Balmer.
Friends may visit with the family at the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth, on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Funeral services by the Rev. John Hand, Von’s nephew, will follow visitation at 7 p.m. in the funeral home on Wednesday evening, Dec. 5, 2001. A second nephew, Denny Beam, will provide special music.
A graveside service with military honors, provided by VFW Post 1162 will be held at Oakhill Cemetery, Plymouth, on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2001, at 10 a.m.
Memorial gifts in Von’s memory may be made to the Disabled Veterans of America.
Mary Lou Balmer
February 28, 1921 - May 16, 2001
Mary Lou Balmer, 80, a resident at 900 W. Harrison St., Plymouth for 7 1/2 years, formerly of Conyers, Georgia, and Mesa, Arizona, died of natural causes following an illness in Miller’s Merry Manor on Wednesday, May 16, at 8:10 p.m.
Mary Lou was born in Fulton County, Ind., on Feb. 28, 1921. She was the daughter of Jesse W. and Ruth M. Allen Vice. She attended Rochester schools.
On Nov. 4, 1943, in Bremen, IN., Mary Lou and Kenneth L. Balmer were married. Ken died on Sept. 20, 1978.
Mary Lou was a homemaker. She read a lot, but crocheting was her main hobby. She fashioned lovely pieces and gave them and other craft handiwork to friends and family. She collected hummingbird pieces and solving word search puzzles. She also enjoyed playing bingo.
A great cook; she loved to bake for her family and devoted a lot of time to her nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Mary Lou attended a Methodist Church in Arizona and also was a member of an Arizona book club that exchanged books among themselves.
She is survived by four daughters and a son. Her daughters are Bonnie R. and Gary Veney, LaPaz, Ind., Kathryn L. Nine, Plymouth, Anna L. and George Christenson, Mesa, Ariz. and Cynthia L. Bunch, Charleston, S.C. Her son, James L. Balmer, lives in Peragon, Ind.
Nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews also survive together with two brothers, Jesse Vice, Jr., Leiters Ford, Ind., and L. Wayne Vice, Mesa, Ariz.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents, her spouse, a sister, Opal Warner and Wallace Vice, a brother.
Visitation with the family will be held Friday, May 18, 2001 from 5 – 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 – 11 a.m. in the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth. Funeral services will follow visitation Saturday at 11 a.m. in the funeral home, Rev. Charles Krieg, Pastor of Pretty Lake United Methodist Church will officiate.
Burial will be in the Green Acres Cemetery, 401 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, Ariz. where graveside services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 23, 2001.
Memorial gifts in Mary Lou’s name may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Bernard A. "Barney" Bannon
September 7, 1925 - May 1, 2002
Bernard A. “Barney” Bannon, 76, a former resident of Culver, Warsaw and South Bend, died at 10:14 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1, 2002 , at his residence, 14713 Acorn St. , Plymouth , where he had lived for the past 12 years. Barney had been ill with a cancer related illness.
He was born on Sept. 7, 1925 , in South Bend , Ind. , the son of John M. and Margaret L. Holycross Bannon. A graduate of South Bend Central High School ’s Class of 1943, he graduated with a business degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1949. Barney was proud to display his Indiana license plates, ND 49 and Irish 49.
Barney served in the United States Navy during World War II.
On Nov. 4, 1989 , in Plymouth , he and Nancy J. Gullans were married.
For 18 years, he was a sales representative of the Continental Research Corp. of St. Louis , Mo. He loved his company and, at the time of his death, had not yet retired.
He enjoyed playing golf and following Notre Dame anything. Especially football. He attended all home games. At his home, he took great care of the yard and had a lovely flower garden.
A former member of the Knights of Columbus, Barney was a member of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, Plymouth .
He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and by his two sons, a daughter, four grandsons, and a granddaughter.
His sons are Patrick J. Bannon, Plymouth and his son, Delaney; Terry and Roxanne Bannon and their sons, Mackin and Riley, Warsaw , and Nancy Ann Bannon, Tucson , Ariz. and her children, Sean and Rory Hardy.
In addition two step-daughters and a step-son and their children survive. They are Deborah and Don Smith and children; Brandon, Christopher and Jennifer Jackson and Angela Smith, all of Mattawan, Mich.; Teresa and Clint Graham and children, Jason and Justin Buchtel, Chandler, Ariz., and James R. Campbell, Tempe, Ariz.
A sister, Loretta Planck, South Bend , also survives.
Barney was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, John and Mark Bannon and a sister, Patricia Jordon.
A Memorial Mass of the Resurrection will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, 2002, at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, 612 N. Center St . Father Anthony Gillespie will officiate. Interment will be in South Bend , Ind.
A time of sharing with family and friends will immediately follow services at the Christo’s Banquet Center , Plymouth . There will be no formal visitation.
Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth, is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial gifts, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Association or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Loreitta M. Beatty
April 8, 1935 - October 5, 2001
Loreitta M. “Rita” Beatty, 66, lost her five-year battle with cancer at 1:50 a.m. on Friday, October 5, 2001. Rita died in Pilgrim Manor Nursing Home. A former resident of Clark Ave., she made her residence with her son David at 11779 9th Rd., Plymouth.
She was born on April 8, 1935, in Guthrie, Minn., the daughter of Lawrence E. and Esther Schooley Guise. As a child her family lived in various northern Indiana communities before calling Plymouth their home.
On May 28, 1956, in Tyner, Ind., Rita and Norman W. Beatty were married. Norman died on April 12, 2000.
As a Certified Nurses Aide, Rita worked at Pilgrim Manor Nursing Home for over 20-years, and with other area nursing homes as well. She was first and foremost a full-time mother to her nine children.
She enjoyed flower gardening, embroidery, crocheting and giving wise and sage advice to her family.
Rita is survived by five sons and four daughters.
Her sons are: Michael W. and Shelley Beatty, Argos, David A. Beatty, Ronald E. and Cheryl Beatty, Larry N. Beatty and James E. Beatty, all of Plymouth.
Her daughters are: Evelyn J. and Steve Froeschke and Rhonda L. Sneed, all of Plymouth, Kathy S. Beatty, Argos, and Teresa A. and Jack Huffer, LaPaz.
Twenty-four grandchildren, one great-granddaughter and several nieces and nephews also survive, together with four sisters and a brother.
Her sisters are: Zella and Dale Mangun, Culver, Barbara Carey, Inwood, Pat and Earl Wright, South Bend and Betty Green, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Eugene “Butch” Guise, of Rochester, her brother, also survives.
Rita was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.
Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. on Monday, October 8, 2001, at the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth.
Funeral services, conducted by the Rev. David Kerchove, pastor of the Plymouth Church of the Brethren, will follow visitation at 2 p.m.
Burial will be in New Oakhill Cemetery.
Memorial gifts in Rita’s memory may be made to the Marshall County Hospice or the Marshall County Cancer Association.
Gerald D. 'Jerry' Benway
February 5,1943 - May 25, 2002
Gerald D. “Jerry” Benway, 59, a Marshall County resident for 25 years, coming from Vermont, died, following an illness, on Saturday, May 25, 2002. Jerry died at 8:30 p.m. at his residence, 404 Simon St., Plymouth, in the care of his family and the Marshall County Hospice.
Born the son of Donald and Pauline Thompson Benway on Feb. 5, 1943, in Hardwick, Vermont, Jerry attended Hardwick Academy.
On Nov. 14, 1986, in Plymouth, Margaret A. Vervynckt and Gerald D. Benway were united in marriage.
Jerry was a truck driver for 17 years and then a fork lift driver for the Lear Corp., Bourbon, Ind.
He loved driving truck and traveling over the road. He was an avid cribbage player and enjoyed gardening, especially the growing of flowers.
A member of the Plymouth Moose and Eagles’ Lodges, Jerry was a parishioner of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church.
He is survived by his wife and their three children, all of Plymouth . The daughters are: Rebecca S., and Melissa L. Benway. His son is Joshua D. Benway.
A sister, Jane A. and Ralph Devenger, Hardwick , Vt. , and a brother, Robert C. and Wendy Benway, Cavot , Vt. , also survive, together with a special niece, Cori Devenger.
August Vervynckt, Jerry’s father-in-law, of Plymouth, and several uncles, nephews, brother and sisters-in-law, survive as well.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Visitation with the family will be held on Monday, May 27, 2002, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth. A rosary will be said at 8 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Jerry at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28, 2002, in St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, 625 N. Center St., Plymouth. Father Anthony Gillespie, pastor of St. Michael’s Church, will officiate.
Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, Hardwick, Vt.
Memorial gifts in Jerry’s memory may be made to the Marshall County Hospice.
Robert L. Berger
October 19, 1938 - November 28, 2001
Lifetime Marshall County resident, Robert L. “Bob” Berger, 63, was diagnosed with a cancer related illness in the spring of 2001. Bob died at home in the loving care of his family and the Marshall County Hospice at 8:35 a.m. on Wednesday, November 28, 2001.
He died at 7439 Jarrah Road, Plymouth, in the home once belonging to his late grandmother, Clara Berger, where he and his wife have resided for the past 15 years. It has been a family homestead for over 100 years.
Bob was born in Bourbon, Ind. on October 19, 1938, the son of Paul Alfred and Dorothy Ritchey Berger. He was raised in Bourbon Township and graduated from Bourbon High School with the class of 1956.
He entered Radiology training at Memorial Hospital and later, St. Joseph’s Hospital; he received his continuing education in such places as New York and Texas.
In August of 1956, until October of 1959, Bob served in the United States Army: two years were spent overseas in Germany.
Esther F. Warren became his bride on August 24, 1957. The couple was married in the United Methodist Church of Bourbon by the Rev. Ross Ritchey.
For nearly 38 years Bob was a Radiology Technologist with St. Joseph Medical Center, South Bend. He retired in October of 1999. He then worked for 1 1/2 years with Titus, Inc. For 15 of those years, he had also farmed.
Known as “Happy Bob,” he was a man of many interests.
He liked fishing in the local lakes. In the year 2000, he and his wife, Esther, caught over 500 fish in Cook Lake alone. Being a nature lover, he also enjoyed deer and squirrel hunting. He liked most sports for many years and was a Green Bay Packer football and an Indiana University basketball fan. In earlier years he coached and umpired Little League baseball.
Raised in the United Methodist Church of Bourbon, Bob was a joyful member of the Inwood United Methodist Church. He was a soloist and sang in the “Willing Singers” Choir of the church. He served on the Pastor/Parish Committee and could be counted on to help with all things regarding his church.
During his treatment in the cancer unit, he was “just Bob.” Despite his own illness, He worked at making things more pleasant for other patients, lifting their spirits and making them smile.
Bob is survived and will be greatly missed by his wife, Esther, and by their three sons and their families : Paul A. and Debbie Berger, and their children, Brandon, Phillip and Bryan, Plymouth; Robert D. Berger, Plymouth; and James D. and Debbie Berger and their children: Kyle, Jimmy, Emily, Jacob, all of Argos.
Also surviving is his step-mother, Mary Berger, of Bourbon, a sister, Carol and Carl Butgeriet, Churubusco, Ind., and two brothers: Mike and Linda Berger, Warsaw and Kris and Kim Berger, Bourbon.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents.
Friends may call at the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth, on Friday, Nov. 30, 2001, from 2 to 5 and 6 to 8 p.m.
Funeral services will be held in the funeral home on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2001, at 10:30 a.m. The Rev. P. Michael Dixon, pastor of the Inwood United Methodist Church will officiate.
The VFW Post 1162 will conduct graveside services at the Parks Cemetery, Bourbon.
Memorial gifts may be made in Bob’s memory to the Inwood United Methodist Church “ New Building Fund,” to Marshall County Hospice or to the St. Joseph Cancer Center.
