Sheets and Childs Funeral Home

Edna E. Goodyear, 91, a former resident of the Churubusco-area and widow of Leston E. Goodyear, died at 8:50 a. m. on Thursday, April 30, 2009, at The Cedars in Leo.  She had resided at the nursing home for the past six years. 

Mrs. Goodyear was born on February 22, 1918 in Fulton County, a daughter of Charles E. and Ada (Swartzlander) Wood, and spent her formative years there.  On April 9, 1939 she was married to Leston E. Goodyear in Fulton County, and lived there until moving to Whitley County in 1947, and later to the family farm in Green Township in 1951.

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Hobert Winebrenner, 88, a resident of Merriam, passed away at 8:45 a. m. on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne after an extended illness. 

He was born on April 14, 1921 to the late Opal Ressler.  His pride and joy was his family.  He is survived by his wife of 64 years Marian (Poppele) Winebrenner; children Steve (Valerie) Winebrenner of Fulton, Md., and George (Jill) Winebrenner and Jane Ann (Bill) Stroup, both of Columbia City; grandchildren Kristina Tsuleff, Sarah Ball, Kara Kehoe, Joshua Stroup, Eric Winebrenner, and Kathleen Heimann; and six great-grandchildren.

Hobert retired from General Electric in Fort Wayne after 40 years of service.  In his younger years he was a mail carrier for USPS.  He also worked for L. I. Griffith in construction. 

He was a World War II Army veteran, and served as a sergeant with the 358th regiment, 90th infantry division.  He served for three years overseas in the European theater including Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Bastogre.  He was honored with many medals including the purple heart with bronze cluster, silver star, five bronze stars, bronze arrowhead, French croix de guerre with Moselle-Saar Rivers Palm, and the POW medal.  He authored the book “Bootprints” which chronicled his experiences in the war. 

He was a member of the Albion American Legion Post 246, Ninetieth Division Association, and the General Electric Quarter Century Club.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a. m. Wednesday at St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, 315 S. Line St., Columbia City, with  Father Larry Kramer, the celebrant. 

The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 6-8 p. m. Tuesday at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco, or at the church one hour prior to the service.  A Vigil service will be held at 4 p. m. Tuesday at the mortuary. 

Burial with military graveside rites will be in the Christian Chapel Cemetery, Merriam. 

For those who wish, memorials may be directed to St. Labre Indian School, Ashland, MT  59004  

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Margaret A. “Marge” Heckman, 64, a resident of rural Albion, died at 6:00 p. m. on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at the family residence north of Wolf Lake.  She had been in failing health for the past two years, and had been seriously ill for the past month.

Mrs. Heckman was born in Salamanca, New York on March 2, 1945, a daughter of Ray and Ann (Smith) Shroyer.  She spent her formative years in Fort Wayne, and graduated from Central High School in 1963.  She attended IPFW and graduated from Indiana Tech in 1979.

Throughout her adult life she had always worked in the nursing home field, and was the office manager at the former Oak Leaf Village in Ligonier for six years.  After the nursing home changed ownership, she became the social services and admissions director of Avalon Village Nursing Home in Ligonier for a year, retiring due to ill health.

She was a member of Bear Lake Ministries, and was a past state nursing home activities director of the year.  In her leisure time she enjoyed camping, singing in church, and most especially loved and cherished her family.

The surviving relatives include her husband James W. Heckman; her children Darla Strowmatt of Churubusco, Mike (Sonya) Keller of Columbia City, David (Pam) Keller of Morganton, N.C., and Margie (John) Schwartz of Lake Elsinore, Calif; her mother Ann Shroyer of Albion; a sister Sharon Schaefer of Avilla; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her father on March 7, 1994.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a. m. on Monday, April 27, 2009, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Pastors Bill Cupp and Monte Harlan, officiating.

The family will receive friends at the mortuary on Saturday from 4 to 8 p. m. and on Sunday from 4 to 8 p. m.

Interment will be in the Christian Chapel Cemetery, Merriam.

For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Bear Lake Ministries Camp Fund.

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Jack Smith, 88, a resident of Fort Wayne, died at 7:25 a. m. on Thursday, April 23, 2009, at Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home in Fort Wayne.  He had been in failing health for some time and had entered the hospice home 13 days ago.

Mr. Smith was born in Ocone County, South Carolina on  October 5, 1920, a son of James Curtis and Mattilda (Burdett) Smith.  He spent his formative years in Spartanburg, South Carolina and as a young man served with the U. S. Army during World War II.

On October 12, 1943 he was married in Spartanburg to Mary D. Glander, and was employed as a quality control engineer at Dana Corporation in Fort Wayne for 40 years, retiring from there in 1985.  He spent most of his adult life in this area, and following his retirement lived in San Antonio, Texas for a period.

He had previously attended the Good News Baptist Church in Churubusco and while living in San Antonio, attended the Liberty Baptist Church.  He was a member of the Skyline Community Church in Fort Wayne.

Mrs. Smith preceded him in death on April 23, 2003.

The surviving relatives include a daughter Pamela (Kerry Bollinger) Targgart of Fort Wayne; two sons Dr. Steven A. (Lorraine) Smith of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Douglas B. (Deborah) Smith of San Antonio, Texas; a brother Herbert Smith of Spartanburg, South Carolina; three sisters Louise Tipton of Dalton, Georgia, Colleen Bagwell of Chesnee, South Carolina, and Lillian Carter of Boiling Springs, South Carolina; nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents and spouse, he was preceded in death by a son Kevin Michael Smith in 1965.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p. m. on Sunday, April 26, 2009, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Pastor Greg Patten of Skyline Community Church, officiating.

The family will receive friends at the mortuary on Saturday from 2 to 6 p. m., or one hour prior to the service.

Interment with military graveside rites will be in the Lindenwood Cemetery in Fort Wayne.

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Robert L. Fry, 91, a resident of Churubusco, died at 1:52 a. m. on Monday, April 20, 2009, at Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home in Fort Wayne.  He had been in failing health for the past three months.

Mr. Fry was born in Fort Wayne on December 11, 1917, a son of James M. and Emilie (Fuelling) Fry.  He spent his formative years in Lake Township in Allen County, and was married on April 5, 1941 in Churubusco to Evelyn L. Rapp.  He lived all of his adult life in Churubusco, and served with the U. S. Army during World War II.

Employed at General Electric in Fort Wayne for 37 years, he retired from there in 1979.  He was a member of the Churubusco United Methodist Church; was a 50-year member of both Churubusco Lodge 515 F&AM and Churubusco Order of the Eastern Star 136; was a member of the Scottish Rite, Valley of Fort Wayne; the General Electric Quarter Century Club, and was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans.

Mrs. Fry preceded him in death on March 28, 1992.

The surviving relatives include his daughters Rita (Jerry) Ransom of Churubusco and Lana (Ron) Rudolph of Rolling Meadows, Ill; six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents and spouse, he was preceded in death by four brothers Darwin Fry, Russell Fry, Albert Fry, and James W. Fry; and by a great-grandson Scott Coffey.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a. m. on Thursday, April 23, in the Churubusco United Methodist Church with Pastor Corinne K. Boruff, officiating.  

The family will receive friends at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco on Wednesday from 2 to 8 p. m., or one hour prior to the service.  Churubusco Lodge 515 F&AM will conduct memorial services at 8 p. m. Wednesday at the mortuary.

Interment with military graveside rites will be in the Riverview Cemetery, south of Churubusco. 

The family requests that memorials be directed to the Masonic Learning Center, 431 W. Berry St., Fort Wayne, IN  46802  [for children's dyslexia]

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To leave a condolence for the family in Mr. Fry’s memory, please click on “Condolences” below. . .