Sheets and Childs Funeral Home

James A. “Jim” Bearman, 68, a resident of rural Churubusco, passed away at 12:55 p. m. on Thursday, June 17, 2010, at Parkview North Hospital in Fort Wayne.  He had been in declining health since April.

Mr. Bearman was born in Fort Wayne on August 1, 1941, a son of Walter Louis and Dorothy Irene (Oehler) Bearman, and graduated from New Haven High School in 1959.  On April 28, 1962 he was married in New Haven to Kay Irvin.  The couple spent their married lives in Allen County until moving near Churubusco in 1988.

Employed as a truck driver for 53 years, he also served as terminal manager, sales representative, regional sales manager, and regional operations manager for C. W. Transport.  He retired in 2008 from Brother’s Express in Fort Wayne.

He was a member of Columbia City Lodge 639 F&AM, Scottish Rite, Valley of Fort Wayne, and Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne.  From 1956 to 1965 he played tenor saxophone and sang with the Tear Drops Band.  He loved to interact with children at the Shrine Circus, and enjoyed fishing and bowling.  One of his favorite things was “cheating” at Gin Rummy and Euchre.

The surviving relatives include his wife Kay; two daughters Kyla (Douglas) Kensill and Kimberly (Terry) Tombaugh, both of Churubusco; and a granddaughter Alta Marie Kensill of Churubusco.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters Judy Bearman and Janice Boby.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p. m. on Monday, June 21, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Pastor Steve Rayburn, officiating.

The family will receive friends at the mortuary on Monday after 10 a. m.  Columbia City Lodge 639 F&AM will conduct memorial services at 12:30 p. m. Monday at the mortuary.

Interment will be in the Eel River Cemetery, south of Churubusco.

For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Parkview Home Health & Hospice or Shriner’s Hospital.

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Charles D. Leffers, 63, a resident of rural Churubusco in Allen County, passed away on Tuesday afternoon, June 15, 2010, from the results of a two vehicle accident on U. S. 33, south of Churubusco.

Mr. Leffers was born in Fort Wayne on June 27, 1946, a son of Edward G. and Bertha C. (Buettner) Leffers.  He spent his formative years in Eel River Township in Allen County,  graduated from Huntertown High School in 1964, and as a young man served with the U. S. Army.

On April 1, 1966 he was married at Ege to Constance L. Foster-Sharp, and lived all of his life in the same home where he had resided since age four.    Employed as a general contractor, he was the owner and operator of C. Leffers Construction Company, and had also been engaged in farming.

He was a member of St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Churubusco, the Gilbert Davis American Legion Post 157 in Churubusco, and especially enjoyed his farming and construction work.

The surviving relatives include his wife Connie; two daughters Tamara (Gary) Leffers-Johnson of Arcola and Teresa Leffers-Fawcett of Churubusco; two sons Joseph (Trina) Leffers of LaOtto and Joshua Leffers of Churubusco; three brothers Paul E. (Mary) Leffers, Donald E. (Jean) Leffers, and Arthur J.  Leffers, all of Fort Wayne; two sisters Catherine “Kate” (Phillip) Riecke of Avilla and Ruth Ann Stapleton of Fort Wayne; and six grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and by an infant brother.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a. m. Saturday, June 19, 2010, at St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Churubusco with Father Danney Pinto, the celebrant.

The family will receive friends at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusc on Friday from 2-4 and from 6-8 p. m.

Interment with military graveside rites will be in St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery, Arcola.

The family requests that memorials be directed to St. John Bosco Catholic Church, 220 N. Main Street, Churubusco, IN  46723; or VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, 2121 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN  46805.

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Dennis L. Disler, age 63, a resident of McComb Road in rural Churubusco,  died unexpectedly at his residence on Friday June 11, 2010.  He was a life long resident of the community.

Dennis was born December 23, 1946 in Fort Wayne a son of the late Roger E. and Hilda Jayne (Knafel) Disler.  As a young man he graduated from Huntertown High School with the class of 1965. He greatly enjoyed fishing and hunting mushrooms. Dennis worked for International Harvester Company in Fort Wayne until the company relocated in Springfield, Ohio. As a faithful employee he commuted to Springfield with the Company and retired with 30 plus years of service.

His survivors include his son and daughter-in-law Rick A. and Christin Disler of Vonore, Tenn. , 5 grandchildren, Ryan, kaleigh, Shelby, Ashleigh, and Kyle, and a nephew Chris (Jordi) Disler of Fort Wayne

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday June 16, 2010 at 10:00 A.m. in the Sheets and Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco, with Mr. Rick A. Disler officiating. Burial will follow in the Eel River Cemetery South of Churubusco, in Allen County. The family will receive friends in the funeral home on Tuesday from 3:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M.

For those who wish memorials may be directed to the Voice of the Marters (supporting persecuted Christians),  P. O. Box 443,  Bartlesville, Oklahoma 74005.   Envelops will be available in the funeral home.

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Charles E. Childs, 88, a former resident of Gaston and widely acquainted Gaston businessman and community leader, passed away at 4:15 a. m. on Thursday, June 10, 2010, at the St. Anne Home in Fort Wayne.  He had been in decliing health for some time, and had been a resident there since December 2008.

Mr. Childs was born in Matthews on July 1, 1921, the youngest of 11 children born to Oliver Morton and Junietta Ruth (Morris) Childs.  He spent his formative years in that community, and graduated from Jefferson Township High School in 1939.  Upon his graduation he worked for a period in a grocery store and meat market in Muncie, and on his twenty first birthday, was inducted into the U. S. Army during World War II.

He served as an enlisted man, private 1st class, corporal, sergeant, and staff sergeant.  Initially discharged in Germany at the conclusion of the war, he was inducted back into the U. S. Army and received a battlefield commission upon the recommendation and under the command of General George S. Patton, Jr., and by an act of congress.  Serving in the European Theater and in the Battle of Germany, he was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service.

On September 9, 1945 he was married in Gaston to Barbara Ann Rench.  The couple lived in Columbia, South Carolina for a period, and following his military discharge in 1946, moved to Gaston where they spent all of their adult lives.  As a young man he joined his father-in-law A. M. Rench, in the family’s lumber and hardware business in Gaston.  Along with his wife, the couple owned and operated the former Gaston-Rench Lumber Company in Gaston for over 40 years until his retirement in 1990.

In addition to his family and business concerns, his life was marked by active participation in church and community affairs.  He was a member of the Gaston United Methodist Church, where he had held a variety of administrative positions, taught Church School, and sang in its Chancel Choir.  He was a member of Matthews Lodge 650 F&AM, Purity Order of the Eastern Star 126 in Hartford City, and had been an active volunteer in a variety of civic activities throughout his adult life.

In 1980 he and his wife were honored as the Gaston Citizens of the Year.  At that celebration he said, “The Lord has run my life far better than I could have.  I say it, I believe it, and I try to live by it.  I am far the richer, and I know the happier, for it.”

In his leisure time he found joy in lawn work, dining out, church activities, spending occasional weekends at Epworth Forest, and supporting Gaston and Wes-Del athletic teams.  Most of all he will be remembered as a patient man who never raised his voice, and was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and a friend to many.

Mrs. Childs preceded him in death on November 14, 2008.

The surviving relatives include his son and daughter-in-law C. Gregory and Dr Jeanine Childs of Churubusco; a brother Robert C. (Ruby) Childs of Warren; a sister Illon Freese of Hartford City; and three grandsons Drew (Becca) Childs of Indianapolis, Perry Childs of Churubusco, and Joel (Brittany) Childs of Huntington.

In addition to his parents and spouse, he was preceded in death by four brothers Earl O. W. Childs, Herman L. Childs, LD Childs, and O. Morris Childs; and by four sisters infants Neva and Nina Childs, Delight Gadbury, and Elizabeth Losh.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p. m. on Sunday, June 13, 2010, at the Gaston United Methodist Church, 107 N. Main Street, Gaston, with Rev. John Long, officiating.

The family will receive friends at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco on Saturday from 2 to 5 p. m., or at the church two hours prior to the service Sunday afternoon.

Interment will be in the Thompson Cemetery, west of Gaston.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the Gaston United Methodist Church, 107 N. Main Street, Gaston, IN  47342; or Taylor University Department of Music, 236 W. Reade Avenue, Upland, IN  46989.

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H. Naomi Frazier, 91, a resident of rural Churubusco in Allen County, passed away at 12:15 p. m. on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home in Fort Wayne.  She had been a patient there for the past two weeks.

Born on October 20, 1918 in Whitley County, she was a daughter of Charles and Dollie (Crabill) Gordon, and graduated from Churubusco High School.   She spent most of her adult life on the family farm in Eel River Township, and was a member of the Gilbert Davis American Legion Post 157 Ladies Auxiliary and the Ladies Auxiliary of Churubusco Veteran’s of Foreign Wars Turtle Post 3846.

The surviving relatives include her son and daughter-in-law Kenneth and Marilyn Frazier of Churubusco; a daughter and son-in-law Judy and Joe Clifford of Churubusco; four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother Sanford Gordon; and by two sisters Amber Loretta and Leona Gordon.

At the request of Mrs. Frazier, there will be private family services.  No public visitation is planned.

Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco is in charge of the arrangements.

For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home in Fort Wayne or the American Cancer Society.

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