Obituaries from October 2024

Daphne Jean Keller Brewer, 88, Crawfordsville, passed away Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. Daphne was born June 29, 1936 in Parkersburg in Montgomery County to the late Vernice E. Keller and Donna M. (Payne) Keller. Daphne was a 1954 graduate of Ladoga High School. On Feb. 27, 1955 in Ladoga, Daphne married Lawrence E. Brewer. They were approaching 70 years of marriage...

Michael Eugene Comer, 68, Greencastle, entered eternal rest on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. Born on March 10, 1956 in Putnam County. He was the son of the late Robert and Delores (Branham) Comer. He worked at Pingleton Sawmill Inc. since Sept. 15, 1990. Mike helped raise hay on the farm, ran equipment at the mill and always took pride in keeping the grounds looking pristine. ...

Karen Petite, 60, of Greencastle, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. Born Sept. 20, 1964 in New York, she was the daughter of Michael A. and Geraldine (Respole) Petite. Karen had recently worked in home health care. She had previously worked as a house manager with Putnam County Comprehensive Services, Chyoda, IAC and several years as an executive vice president in auto finance at Wachovia Financial...

Joyce Ann Hanlon was born on Aug. 5, 1938 to Dorothy (Balay) and Delbert Unversaw of Martinsville, the second of four children Maurice Unversaw (deceased), Donna Broadstreet (Jerry) of Fillmore and Phyllis Bundrick (John – deceased) of Marion.  Moving to Amo with her family in 1944, Joyce found her love of music and Bible studies at the First Baptist Church of Amo, where she sang her first solo at age seven. She gave her life to Jesus at the age of 11 and pursued her love of music with seven years of piano lessons, two years of vocal lessons and was a member of the four-handed piano players. ...

John Dennis “Denny” Fajt, 81, of Plainfield, passed peacefully away on Sept. 30, 2024. Denny was born in Latrobe, Pa., to John R and Mary M. Guzik Fajt. He married Patricia “Patty” Vadas on June 6, 1964, and she preceded him in death in 2016. Denny was chief executive officer at Paris Community Hospital in Paris, Ill., and had a 22-plus year career as the administrator of Putnam County Hospital in Greencastle...

Mary “Cheryl” (Vaughn) Lieske, age 76 of Roachdale, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024 at Ascension St. Vincent Indianapolis. She was born on Jan. 10, 1948 in Crawfordsville to the late Donald Vaughn and Betty (Biddle) West. Cheryl graduated from New Market High School in 1966. She then went on to attend cosmetology school, working in the industry for several years. Cheryl married Bradley Scott Lieske on June 18, 1967 in Crawfordsville...

Bradley Scott Lieske, 76, of Roachdale, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024 at Compassus Hospice House. He was born in Greencastle on Jan. 4, 1948. Brad’s parents were Harold and Flossie (Hanks) Lieske. Brad graduated from Russellville High School in 1967. He married Mary Cheryl Vaughn on June 18, 1967 in Crawfordsville. With a strong and loving bond of 57 years, Cheryl passed away four days after Brad...

Fred Allen Pursell, 86, of Greencastle, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 at Mill Pond Health Campus. Fred was born in Putnam County on July 22, 1938, the son of Carl and Dortha (Beck) Pursell. He was a 1957 graduate of Greencastle High School. Mr. Pursell was a member of the Storehouse Church. He worked for IBM for 26 years until his retirement in 1987. He also dealt and collected antiques and collectibles...

Richard Dean Rasnake, 80, of Fillmore, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 in Greencastle. Richard was born June 13, 1944 to Ralph and Valeria Rasnake (Reed) in Indianapolis. Richard was a graduate of Westfield Washington High School in Westfield. ...

Stephen Arthur Linton, 77, of Brazil, passed away at his home, surrounded by family on Oct. 6, 2024. Steve was born on Dec. 8, 1946, in Brazil, the son of Arthur and Doris (Tiefel) Linton. Steve graduated from Van Buren High School with the class of 1965. Much of his 30-year career, Steve worked for Allisons Gas Turbine, a division of General Motors. Following retirement, he worked several years for Emmert Property Management...

Phillip George Gibbs Jr., 71, died on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at the Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kan. Phil was born on Dec. 16, 1952, in Jamestown, N.Y., the son of Phillip George Sr. and Betty Jane (Mason) Gibbs. He grew up in Frewsburg, N.Y., and graduated from Frewsburg High School. He also lived in Cloverdale and Indianapolis for many years before moving to Russell, Kan., in 2019, working as a heavy machinery mover and millwright...

Ronald Gene Allgood, 86, of Veedersburg and formerly of Lawrenceburg, Ky., passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024 at home while surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Russellville on Feb. 19, 1938 to the late Leland Forest and Effie Mae (Cloncs) Allgood...

Sharon Kay St. John, 77, of Bainbridge, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 at her residence surrounded by her family. Born Aug. 30, 1947 in Indianapolis, she was the daughter of Harold and Opal (Martin) Baire. She was a 1965 graduate of Bainbridge High School. She married Phillip St. John on Aug. 7, 1971...

Martha J. (Williamson) Wallace, 88, of Plainfield, went home to be with the Lord on Oct. 10, 2024. Martha was the daughter of the late Forrest and Myrth Williamson. She was born June 12, 1936 in Hendricks County. She graduated from Fillmore High School in 1954 and then attended the Royal Beauty Academy, graduating in December 1954. ...

Claude Junior Fowler (Whitey), 88, of Bainbridge passed away peacefully on Oct. 13, 2024. Claude was born in Greencastle to Floyd and Hallie Fowler on June 26, 1936. He was a 1954 graduate of Bainbridge High School, after spending his primary years at Clinton Falls schools...

Martha A. O’Neal, 94, of Greencastle, passed away Oct. 14, 2024. With deep sadness, we announce the passing of Martha O'Neal of Greencastle. She was the beloved wife of the late Archie O'Neal, a devoted mother to John O'Neal (May) and Polly Carter (Marvin), and a cherished grandmother to Dana and Thomas Carter (Allison) and Ryan O'Neal and Angie Potter.
Martha’s sharp wit and dry sense of humor endeared her to everyone who knew her. ...

Born Oct. 29, 1959, Robert Ray Norman, 64, of Cloverdale, passed away on Oct. 2, 2024, surrounded by family. He was the son of Charles Earl Norman Sr and Dorothy Frances (Cross) Norman. He was predeceased by his parents; his brothers, Charles Earl Norman Jr. “Spike”, Jerry Ryan, Perry Bryan Norman, Tony Bee and Troy Lee Norman; and his sister, Angela Ellen Norman...

Virginia W. (Renn) Schindler, a beloved matriarch, passed away peacefully on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 at the age of 97. Born on July 25, 1927 to Raymond and Bertha (Roberts) Renn, Ginnie embraced life with an open heart and a generous spirit, leaving a legacy enriched by love, creativity and cherished memories...

Glen William Oney, 83, passed away Saturday, Oct. 12 after a short battle with cancer. He was residing at the Village of Avon in Avon. Glen was born in Hazard, Ky., on June 16, 1941. He was a 1959 graduate of Greencastle High School. As a teenager he worked at RR Donnelly’s in Crawfordsville and Warsaw. He then worked on the family farm before starting a job at the Xerox Corp. as a service technician. He later retired from Xerox in 1994...

Robert Louis Parsons, 99, died Sept. 18, 2024 in Auburn, Maine, with family at his side from prostate cancer. A morning service is set for Aug. 16, 2025 at Park United Presbyterian Church in Streator, Ill. Born Dec. 25, 1924 in Lewiston, Maine, to Irene and William, Robert grew up on the Parsons farm under the watchful eye of Mount Abram in East New Portland, Maine, where he graduated from the Pines and Central High School in 1942, a year after the death of his father...

Robert L. Gray, 89, of Sebring, Fla., passed away peacefully on Sept. 8, 2024, surrounded by the love of his family. Born on Dec. 17, 1934, in Brown County, Ind., Robert was the son of the late Louis Garfield Gray and Mabel Maude Hines Gray. On July 26, 1972, Robert married Carol Ann Early, his beloved wife of nearly 45 years until her passing on June 9, 2017...

Chaplain (Maj.) Ben Stallings (U.S. Army, Ret.) passed away Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, at 73 years of age from complications related to dementia. He was born Dec. 5, 1950, in Tampa, Fla., to Eugene Zollie Stallings and Sarah Myrtice McMillan Stallings. ...