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Richard P. McKarns
(1935 - 2005)
MONTPELIER - Richard P. McKarns, 69, of Montpelier, died Monday, March 14, 2005, at the Inn at Fountain Park, Bryan.
Born July 30, 1935, in Jefferson Twp., Williams Co., to Kathryn Arlene (Wineland) and Rufus Pierre McKarns, he married Ruth Robeson on Jan. 14, 1956, in Mark Center and she survives. A 1953 graduate of Montpelier High School, he had retired in May 2001 after 30 years as manager of Corporate I.S.O. 9001-QS 9000 Ohio Art. For a number of years, he had also been a clerk for the Wabash and Norfolk and Western railroads.
A member of the original Montpelier E.M.S., he was on the very first E.M.S. run. He was also a member of "The Gospel Harmonaires" quartet for several years and had served on the board at Glenview Apartments.
A member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, he was very active in the music ministry. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Mrs. James (Pamela) Alpaugh of Bryan, Polly A. Crowl of Montpelier and Mrs. Ariel (Dr. Peggy) Macatangay of League City, Texas ; four grandchildren, Nathan, Mike and Rachel Alpaugh and Sarah Crowl; a brother, John McKarns of Montpelier; and a sister, Mrs. Loren (Judy) Moore of Bryan.
Preceding him in death were his parents and a son, Thomas J. McKarns in 1966.
Visitation will be held Wednesday from 2-8 p.m. in the Thompson Funeral Home-Montpelier. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. in St. Paul's United Methodist Church with Pastors Willard McKinley and Marlene LaChat to officiate. Interment will be in Shiffler Cemetery, Bryan. Memorials may be made to St. Paul's Building Fund.
Cathryn Speckbaugh
(1924 - 2005)
Cathryn Speckbaugh, 80, of Tipp City and formerly of Bryan, died Friday, March 11, 2005, at the Springmead Healthcare Center, Tipp City.
Born March 18, 1924, at Fulton County, to Nellie (Miller) and Alva D. Taylor, she was married to L.G. Speckbaugh who preceded her in death in July 1990.
Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. George (Susan) Pavlakos, and a granddaughter, Nicole Pavlakos, all of Vandalia.
Graveside services were held Monday in the Farmer Cemetery with Pastor John Exman officiating. Oberlin-Ford Funeral Home-Bryan was in charge of the services.
Vivien Louise (Gamble) Ford
(1910 - 2005)
Vivien Louise (GambIe) Ford, 94, passed away at the Bryan Community Hospital on Saturday morning, March 12, 2005. Vivien was an extraordinary person. She was a conservationist, a musician, a teacher, an educator, historian, and gardener, a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Vivien Ford was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Horace Ford, a daughter, Marcia Ann, and one sister, Carol Jean Gamble.
Vivien was born on December 11, 1910. Her parents were Burd and Carrie Jane (Phillips) Gamble of Fayette, Ohio. Vivien graduated Valedictorian from Fayette High School in 1928. She studied at Hiram College to become a teacher. She married Paul Ford on June 27, 1933. Vivien and Paul bought a residence at 204 S. Gorham Street, Fayette, where they spent 50 years of marriage. Vivien later graduated from Adrian College in 1963. She taught music at Morenci, Michigan; combination Third and Seventh Grades in Math, English and History at Pulaski, Ohio; and completed her teaching career with the Sixth Grade at Waldron, Michigan.
Vivien's accomplishments have been many. She and her husband, Paul, sang with the Toledo Choral Society under the direction of Lester McCoy. Vivien and Paul were life members of the Toledo Art Museum. Vivien was a pianist and organist. She maintained a life-long interest in the arts and area musical events. Vivien and Paul regularly attended the Toledo Opera productions and many of the gallery concerts at the Toledo Museum of Art. Vivien was a member of the Fayette Fine Arts Council. She was a life member of the Fayette Christian Church where she filled many roles as church historian, organist, Christian Women's Fellowship member, and Sunday School Teacher. In her later years, she played the piano for senior citizens, area nursing homes, and for dinner events at the Fayette Opera House. Vivien was Fayette's Citizen of the Year in 1993.
Vivien was first and foremost a conservationist, interested in the environment throughout her life. She was a very active member of the Tiffin River Scenic Historical Association, dedicated to the conservation of our scenic waterways in Northwest Ohio.
Vivien completed extensive work on family genealogy, taking the Ford side back twelve generations. She wrote The First One Hundred Years, a book about Fayette's history composed for the Centennial celebration in 1972. All of the proceeds from the book went to the Fayette Pool. Vivien also gathered, documented and filed a great deal of history about the Fayette Christian Church.
Through the years, Vivien maintained active memberships in the Northwest Ohio Rivers Organization, the Fulton County Historical Society, the Fayette Fine Arts Council, the Fayette Women's Club, the Eastern Stars, and the Fayette Christian Church.
Vivien is survived by two sons, Paul Ford (Carolyn) of Cold Springs, Kentucky, and John Ford (Cheryl), of Bryan, Ohio; her daughter, Kathleen Fix (Thomas) of Fayette, Ohio; one brother Harold Gamble (Vera) of Toledo, Ohio; one sister, Doris Randels, of Bryan, Ohio; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Vivien will be remembered by her friends and family for her love of the arts, her interest in education, history and conservation, for her love of family values and for the love she gave to her family. Viewing will be held at the Eagle Funeral Home in Fayette, Ohio, on Tuesday evening from 6-8 p.m. and Wednesday afternoon and evening, 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. A funeral service will be held at the Fayette Christian Church Thursday at 2 p.m. followed by burial services at the Union Cemetery of Fayette. Dinner will be served at the church following the burial.
The family requests that any tributes be made in the form of contributions to the Fayette Christian Church, the Fayette Fine Arts Council for the Fayette Opera House, or the Normal Memorial Library.
Obituary paid for by family
George R. Wisler
(1928 - 2005)
George R. Wisler, 76, of Bryan, died Saturday, March 12, 2005, at his residence following a short illness.
Born Nov. 2, 1928, in Galion, to Jeanette I. (Pennock) and Oscar H. Wisler, he married Maryalice 'Alice' Schill on June 21, 1952, at New Washington, Ohio, and she survives.
A Navy veteran, he was a pattenmaker for the former Wisler Pattern Works for over 30 years. He was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Bryan, and the Knights of Columbus Council 1915 of Bryan.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Mike (Jeanette M. 'Jenny') Sanders of Fort Wayne, Ind., Mrs. Bruce (Diane K.) Vincent of Schoolcraft, Mich. and Mrs. Todd (Marty W.) Swenson of Chicago, Ill.; three sons, Richard A. "Dick" (and wife, Ledung) Wisler of Bridgewater, N.J., John M. (Jeanne) Wisler of Billings, Mont., and Ken A. (Robyn) Wisler of Aurora, Colo.; 18 grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Joe (Helen) Henry and Ruth Cass, both of Galion; three brothers, Robert (Carol) Wisler of Bryan, Edward (Peggy) Wisler of Pennsylvania and William (Joanne) Wisler of Marion.
Preceding him in death were his parents; two grandsons, Eric J. and Nathan S. Vincent; and two brothers, Charles and John Wisler.
Visitation will be held Tuesday from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. in the Krill Funeral Home, Bryan, with a Rosary service to be held at 8 p.m. Additional visitation will be held Wednesday from 1:30-2:15 p.m. in St. Patrick Catholic Church.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in the church with Father Charles Ritter to officiate. Interment will follow in Fountain Grove Cemetery, Bryan.
Memorials may be made to Community Health and Wellness Centers-Hospice Care or St. Patrick Catholic Church.
Velma Rufenacht
(1908 - 2005)
ARCHBOLD - Velma Rufenacht, 96, of Archbold, died Saturday morning, March 12, 2006, in the home of her son in Archbold.
The daughter of Amanda (Schmucker) and Jacob Nafziger, she was born March 22, 1908, near Archbold. On Oct. 1, 1929, she married Jesse Rufenacht, and he preceded her in death on June 23, 1984.
A lifelong Archbold area resident, she was a homemaker and a member of the Central Mennonite Church.
Surviving are two sons, Donald (and wife, Carolyn) Rufenacht and Lowell (Velda) Rufenacht, all of Archbold; a daughter, Mrs. Merle (Virginia) Aeschliman of Wauseon; 12 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Mary Short of Archbold.
Preceding her in death, in addition to her husband, were her parents; and a brother, Orval Nafziger. Visitation will be from 2-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Short Funeral Home in Archbold.
Services will be Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home, with Pastors Jeffrey Smith, Rick Green and Dale Wyse officiating. Interment will follow in the Pettisville Cemetery.
Memorials may be given to the Billy Graham Crusade or to WPOS Radio Station.
Eugene S. Kimmel
(1915 - 2005)
MONTPELIER - Eugene S. Kimmel, 89, of Montpelier, died late Saturday night, March 12, 2005.
Born July 10, 1915, at Montpelier, to Gladys (Tressler) and Hiram J. Kimmel, he married Jayne A. Phillips and she preceded him in death in May of 1995.
A Montpelier resident all of his life, he graduated from Montpelier High School in 1933. He was a Merchant Marine during World War II and attended the University of Toledo School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1939.
The former owner and operator of Kimmel Drugs for 32 years, he was elected for two full terms as the Mayor of the Village of Montpelier, from 1965-1970. He was also a member of the Montpelier Village Council for four years; former Chamber of Commerce member and past president twice and executive secretary for three years.
He was involved in the Montpelier Rotary Club since 1958, past president from 1965-1966 and a Paul Harris Award recipient in 2004. In 2003, he received the Citizen of the Year award for Montpelier. He was a member of the Montpelier Moose Lodge.
Surviving are two sons, Gary Kimmel of Montpelier and Greg (and wife, Carolyn) Kimmel of Toledo; a daughter, Mrs. Richard (Meg Ann) Schmitt of Montpelier; four grandsons; eight granddaughters; four stepgrandsons; two great-grandchildren; and 13 stepgreat-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Tuesday from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. in the Thompson Funeral Home in Montpelier.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the funeral home with son, Greg E. Kimmel, to officiate. Interment will follow at the Riverside Cemetery with graveside military rites by the Montpelier Veterans.
Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Disease Research or American Heart Association.
