Obituaries from March 2019

Toby Alan Higgins, 47, of Crawfordsville passed away on Friday, March 1, 2019 at home while surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Crawfordsville on Aug. 16, 1971 to Ron Higgins and Debra (Mitchell) Spillis. Toby graduated from North Putnam High School in 1989...

Charles L. “Chuck” Buis, age 56, Coatesville, passed away Saturday evening, March 2, 2019 at St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis. He was born in Greencastle on Sept. 16, 1962 the son of Gerald L. and Sandra Jo Coleman Buis. He married Rebecca Sue “Becky” Miller and she preceded him on October 20, 2016...

Garry J. McCullough, 60, of Terre Haute, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. He was born March 31, 1958 to the late Myron McCullough and Sue (Rollings) Baxter. He is survived by his siblings Melissa A. Kline (David), Michael McCullough, Sherry Drullinger (Dale), Tommy Baxter and Tony Baxter...

Jeffrey E. King, 49, of Greencastle, passed away suddenly Feb. 25, 2019. Jeffrey graduated from Greencastle High School, Class of 1988 with honors in both athletics and academics. He attended DePauw University. Most recently he was employed as a soil technician/soil scientist assistant. Jeff had many interests. He was a movie buff; he loved his cats, Ohio State Football; the Bible and a good debate...

Curtis M. Keesee, 37, of Poland, passed away Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. He was born Aug. 17, 1981 in Indianapolis to Mark Keesee and Grace Michelle (Arnold) Carr. He is survived by his wife of 14 years, Heather (McDougall) Keesee; children Mariah Jade Marie Keesee, Curtis Mitchell Keesee Jr., Levi Lane Keesee and Maddison Lynn Jean Keesee; sister Marsha Thomas; nephews Andrew Thomas and Noah Thomas; and his parents...

Rose Louise Jones, 90, passed away peacefully with family by her side Wednesday, March 6, 2019. Born and raised in Fillmore, Ind., she graduated from Fillmore High School in 1946. Rose was married to William (Bill) Stone from 1952 to February 1960. She married Robert (Bob) Jones on Jan. 28, 1961. The couple became a blended family with five children, married 53 years...

Opal Regina (Jean) Ader, 90, of Greencastle, went to be with the Lord Thursday, March 7, 2019. She was born Oct. 9, 1928 in Indianapolis to the late Attilio and Gladys (Smyser) Benassi. She graduated from Belle Union High School in 1947. She married Willis W. Ader on Dec. 31, 1950, and he preceded her in death Aug. 2, 2015...

James "Jim" Hill, 60, of Bedford, passed away on Sunday, March 3, 2019 in Granger, Ind., peacefully surrounded by his loving family after succumbing to his HPV-related head and neck cancer. Jim was preceded in death by his mother, Jeannean. He is survived by his wife, Teresa; father, Melvin; sister, Elizabeth Butts (Jerry); brother, Greg (Monica); sons, Zandariah, Nick Kerr (Jesse), A.J. Kerr (Megan); daughter, Talena; grandson, Eli Keller; and nieces and nephews...

Please join family, friends, colleagues and former students/debaters of Robert Orr Weiss (April 8, 1926 -- Jan. 31, 2019) for a memorial celebration, Reflections on a Lifetime, to be held 1-4 p.m. Saturday, March 23 (with speakers approximately 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.), at DePauw University's Prindle Institute for Ethics, 2961 County Road 225S, Greencastle...

Jesse Stephen Covert, 72, of Greencastle, passed away Sunday, March 10, 2019, at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. Jesse was born in Greencastle on Jan. 16, 1947, the son of Jesse Oliver and Mary Mildred (Williams) Covert. He was a graduate of Greencastle High School. He also had two years of schooling with IBM in Computer Processing and Data...

Hello All: This is a notice saying that I've passed on. I had a reasonably good life. Great families, that I loved very much, each and every one, no regrets. I had a lot of good times, and met a lot of good people along the way. Also witnessed as many sunrises and sunsets that I could've. I also had a firm belief in a Universal Force that controls all, and that my energy shall be recycled for good...

Donald Roger Steward, 84, Plainfield, passed away Wednesday, March 13 at Life's Journey Hospice in Avon. He was born August 18, 1934, in Lafayette, Ind., to the late Roger Malcolm Steward and Helen Virginia (Forbes) Steward. He was a 1952 graduate of Lafayette Jefferson High School. He received a BS in Industrial Education from Purdue University in 1965 and a Master of Science from Purdue in 1969...

Virgil Eugene Thompson, age 94, died on Friday, March 15, 2019. He was born in St. Marie, Ill., on Sept. 24, 1924. He was the son of the late Daisy Gerber Thompson and Edward Thompson. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Ellen Thompson, and his second wife, Madeline Thompson...

James Edward Adams, 71, of Greencastle, passed away on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at his residence, surrounded by his family. James was born in Greencastle on March 11, 1948 the son of Virgil and Virginia (Hayworth) Adams, and was a 1967 graduate of Greencastle High School...

Lynda A. Wright Knapp, 71, of Bloomington, died Friday, March 15, 2019 at Garden Villa following a lengthy, debilitating illness. Lynda was born on Sept. 27, 1947 in Greencastle and graduated from Greencastle High School. She was a receptionist and bookkeeper most of her life. She was married to Richard Knapp from April 6, 1968 to September 2000...

Donald Maurice Phipps, 84, of Danville and formerly of Mansfield, passed away Friday, March 15, 2019. Born June 9, 1934 in Mansfield, he was the son of Lawrence and Ruth (Kemper) Phipps. Donald graduated from Bainbridge High School and was in the Army National Guard for four years. He worked on the farm, Handy’s Dairy, in Greencastle, the former Wishard Hospital and had a trucking business for 14 years...

Morgan N. Johnson, 20, of Reelsville, died from injuries sustained from an accident on Interstate 70 on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 9:45 a.m. He was born April 27, 1998 in Indianapolis, the son of Dale "J.B." Johnson and Laurie Sherwood Johnson. He graduated from South Putnam High School, Class of 2016...

Ruth Lee Vicars, 73, of Greencastle, passed away Monday, March 18, 2019, at Asbury Towers surrounded by her family. Ruth was born in Elmhurst, Ill., on June 25, 1945, the daughter of Marvin Albert and Grace R (Loomis) Rusteberg. She was a graduate of Fenton High School in Bensenville, Ill...

Dan Livingston, 82, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., passed away peacefully at his home on March 19, 2019. Florida was the last of his 23 residences across seven states, beginning with his Bloomington, Ind., birth on Nov. 24, 1936. His 40-plus year career in the trucking industry was marked by great personal gains and a well-respected legacy. He was proud to have been a 50-plus year member of the Ironton, Ohio, Masonic Lodge and a 32nd degree with the Valley of Cincinnati Chapter...

Darren G. Haler, 51, of Roachdale, passed away Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at his residence. He was born on Aug. 15, 1967 to the late Robert E. Haler, and his surviving mother, Carole (Whetstone) Cloncs. Darren was a graduate from North Putnam High School, Ball State University and University of Phoenix, where he received his master's degree...

Mary E. Boyette, 83, of Greencastle, went to be with the Lord Wednesday, March 20, 2019. She was born March 24, 1935 to the late Earl and Mary (Bourkis) Powell. Mary married William Boyette on Oct. 20, 1955, and he survives. She is also survived by her sons, Billy Boyette and Jesse "Karl" Boyette and his wife Anna; daughter Sandy Masten and her husband Brent; brother Walter Powell; sisters Jo Brewer and Polly Moore; 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren...

Cheryl Ann Stichter, 53, Evansville, went to the Lord on March 10, 2019. She fought a heroic fight against cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents Betty Jean Fox and Leslie Ray Fox. She is survived by daughters Tabitha Gibson and Callie Corbitt, brothers Mike and Steve Fox of Greencastle, brother Craig Fox of Beaumont, Texas, sister Deborah Davis and husband Mark Davis of Wichita, Kan...

John L. Franklin, 90 years young, most recently of Navarre, Fla., passed away on March 15, 2019 in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. A memorial service is being planned back home again in Indiana in the summer of 2019. John was born Jan. 16, 1929 in Worthington, Ind...

Donna Sue Gray, 81, of Greencastle, passed away on Saturday, March 23, 2019. She was born Jan. 3, 1938 in Putnam County, the daughter of Paul J. and Mary Ethel (Cox) Miller and was a 1956 graduate of Reelsville High School. Donna worked in customer service with Central National Bank for 30 years and later worked at the Kwik Mart at U.S. 40 and U.S. 231 for 20 years. She also enjoyed playing bingo at the Moose Lodge and various locations...

Tommy A. Clampitt, 70, of Danville, passed away on Friday, March 22, 2019 surrounded by family. He was born Jan. 29, 1949 in Indianapolis, the son of Harry and Birdie (Baire) Clampitt. He was a graduate of George Washington High School in Indianapolis...

Jackie "Jack" L. Steele, 86, of Ladoga, passed away at Franciscan Health Hospital in Crawfordsville, on Saturday, March 23, 2019 just 15 hours after his beloved daughter-in-law, Marie Steele, passed. He was born on Dec. 25, 1932 in Colfax, Ind., to the late William Earnest and Mary Evelyn (Maiden) Steele...

Shirley Jane Blackwell, 84, of Greencastle, passed away on Sunday, March 24, 2019. She was born Nov. 29, 1934 in Indianapolis, the daughter of William and Helen (Ballard) Garl. She attended Monrovia High School. Shirley was a homemaker and had worked in quality assurance at Walmart Distribution...

Carolyn Sue "Sissy" Rumple, 53, of Indianapolis, passed away on March 22, 2019. She was born on Dec. 20, 1965 to the late Jessie H. and Virginia L. Perdue. Carolyn was a Ball State graduate, where she met her loving husband of 26 years, Andy Rumple. She worked for Executive Media Communications Consultants in Indianapolis for several years...

Larry Jo Overshiner, 64, Greencastle, passed away on Thursday, March 7, 2019. He was born Feb. 27, 1955 in Greencastle, the son of Clyde and Dorothy (Poynter) Overshiner. Larry worked several years at Heartland Automotive as a material handler. He is survived by his son, Joseph (wife Amanda) Overshiner, of Brazil; a daughter, Tracy (husband Michael) Clarke, of San Francisco; sisters Teletha Pettit and Marilyn (husband Ron) Byrd, both of Greencastle; brothers Marvin (wife Kathy) Overshiner, Duane (wife Judy) Overshiner and Richard Overshiner; four grandchildren and great-nieces.. ...

The family of Richard “Dick” Sunkel announces his peaceful passing on the morning of Friday, March 29, 2019. He was born to Willard and Louise Sunkel on Oct. 11, 1931 and was raised in Greencastle. Richard studied business at Miami University in Ohio and was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity...