Sheets and Childs Funeral Home

Grace L. Keister, a resident of rural Albion and wife of Lester “Pete” Keister, passed away at 1:15 p. m. on Sunday, July 31, 2011, at Parkview Whitley Hospital in Columbia City.  She had been a patient there for the past five days.

Mrs. Keister was born in Churubusco on November 26, 1930, a daughter of Ralph and Effie (Tarlton) Shanabarger.  She spent her formative years in Churubusco and graduated from Churubusco High School in 1948.

On July 7, 1951 she was united in marriage in Merriam to Lester “Pete” Keister, and lived all of her adult life in Noble County.  For 45 years she assisted her husband in the operation of the Merriam Feed Mill, retiring from there in 1993.

She was a member of the Merriam Christian Chapel, and was a former Sunday School teacher.  She was also a member of  the Noble County Home Economics Club, and had volunteered as a Noble Township 4-H leader for several years.

The surviving relatives include her husband Lester “Pete” Keister, to whom she was married for over 60 years; a son Gary (Norma) Keister of Goshen; two daughters Marcia (Steve) Provines of Auburn and Deb (Bill) Smith of Wawaka; a brother Morris “Bill” Shanabarger of Churubusco; her sister Norma Waters of Muldrow, Oklahoma; two sisters-in-law Joan Keller of Churubusco and Louise Shanabarger of Avilla; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by three brothers Robert Shanabarger, Lee Shanabarger, and Glenn Shanabarger; and a great-grandchild Adarah Grace Clark.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a. m. on Thursday, August 4, 2011, at the Merriam Christian Chapel with Pastor Terry L. Zolman, officiating.

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

Interment will be in the Christian Chapel Cemetery, Merriam.

For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Riley Hospital for Children, 705 Riley Hospital Dr., Indianapolis, IN  46202;  or American Cancer Society, 111 E. Ludwig Rd., #105, Fort Wayne, IN  46825

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Miranda Lewellyn, 16, a resident of rural LaOtto, passed away unexpectedly at 5:00 a. m. on Sunday, July 31, 2011 at the family residence in Noble County.

Miranda was born on April 26, 1995 in Fort Wayne, a daughter of John M. and Tracie M. (Campbell) Lewellyn, and was a lifelong resident of this area.  As a young girl she attended Churubusco Elementary School, and would have been a freshman at Carroll High School this fall.

She attended the Sugar Grove Church of God, north of Churubusco.  Miranda always had a smile on her face, loved to give hugs to others, and also loved to dance.

Her father preceded her in death on April 5, 1998.

The surviving relatives include her parents  Tracie and Daniel Brady of LaOtto; two brothers Johnathon Lewellyn and Jeremiah Lewellyn, both at home; a sister Jana Lewellyn, at home; two step-sisters Chantal (Roger) Riggins of Port Orange, Fla., and Melissa Brady of Jaffery, New Hampshire; the maternal grandparents Bill and Lana Campbell of Churubusco; the step-grandparents David and Sueanne Brady of Churubusco; an aunt Connie Buckmaster of Fort Wayne; three uncles Michael Campbell of Churubusco, Kevin (Melissa) Campbell of Mt. Vernon, Washington, and Matthew (Valerie) Campbell of Albion; and several cousins.

A memorial services will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Sugar Grove Church of God with Pastor Timothy Grable, officiating.

Friends may call at the church two hour prior to the service.

Memorial may be directed to the family or Childrens Memorial Hospital, Chicago, mail to: Children’s Memorial Foundation Department 4586 Carol Stream, IL 60122-4586.

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Edith M. (McCreery) Ritchie, 98, a resident of rural Gaston and widow of prominent Harrison Township farmer Otis P. Ritchie, went home to be with her Lord on Friday morning, July 29, 2011, at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie.

Mrs. Ritchie was born in Gaston on December 4, 1912, a daughter of Lloyd and Winona (Manring) McCreery, and moved to the McCreery farm in Harrison Township as a child with her parents.  She graduated from Harrison Township High School in 1930, and from Ball State Teachers College (now Ball State University) in 1934.

She taught for several years at Harrison Township High School and was married in Gaston on August 27, 1933 to Otis P. Ritchie.  The couple moved to their farm home in Harrison Township in 1935, and along with her husband she operated Ritchiedale Farms near Gaston and raised and showed Guernsey cattle for many years.

She was a member of the Gaston United Methodist Church, served as its children’s church school superintendent for many years, and was a Sunday school teacher.  She was also a member of Upland Order of the Eastern Star 417, and the Alpha Tau Women’s Club.

Surviving are her son Donald P. (Phyllis) Ritchie of Gaston; four granddaughters Tammy (Rick) Samuel of New Knoxville, Oh., Conny Knight of Albany, Michelle (Bill) Back of Dunkirk, and Carrie (Greg) Newsome of Gaston; two grandson Timothy P. Ritchie and Jerry D. Knight, both of Dunkirk; 15 great-grandchildren Alex, Andrew, Connor, and Jessi Samuel, Meghan (Mike) Schuyler, Kadie and Courtney Knight,  Tyler, Emily and Samantha Back, Jacob, Keegan, and Kyann Newsome, and Peighton and Landon Ritchie; three great-grandchildren Brooklyn, Brayden, and Dylan Schuyler; a sister-in-law Pat Ritchie of Dunkirk; three nephews Dean McCreery of Greenville, SC., Steve (Jill) Ritchie of Bryant, and Tony (Melissa) Ritchie of Muncie; and two nieces Janet (Jerry) Thornburg of Bryant and Cathy Nauman of Muncie.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by three brothers Ralph McCreery, Paul McCreery, and C. Wayne McCreery; a brother-in-law Jerry Ritchie; and a sister-in-law Thelma Ritchie.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p. m. on Tuesday at Gaston United Methodist Church with Pastor John Long, officiating.  Interment will be in Gardens of Memory, north of Muncie.

The family will receive friends at the church on Monday from 4 to 8 p. m., or one hour prior to the service Tuesday afternoon.

For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Gaston United Methodist Church.

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Melvin J. Hinrichs (aka Nevaeh Blue), 44, a resident of Fort Wayne, passed away unexpectedly at 12:42 a.m. on July 24, 2011, at St. Joe Hospital.

Melvin was born on July 14, 1967 in Whitley County, a son of James and Pam (Wilson) Hinrichs. He spent his youth in Churubusco graduating from Churubusco High School in 1987.

He belonged to Fort Wayne Pride and was attending Brown Mackie College of Fort Wayne.

The surviving relatives include his mother; three children; two brothers Kent A. and Matthew D. Hinrichs both of Huntington; a sister Daylene Acthsion of Ossian; Several nieces and nephews; and one grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his father James Hinrichs on April 4, 2006.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m. on Friday, July 29, 2011, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Rev. Corinne K. Boruff, pastor of Churubusco United Methodist Church, officiating.

The family will receive friends from 1 to 8 p. m. on Thursday and from 11 to start of funeral service Friday at the mortuary.

For those who wish, memorials may be directed to the family.

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Elaine Carol Krider, 64, a resident of rural Churubusco in Allen County and wife of David R. Krider, passed away at 12:50 a.m. on Saturday, July 23, 2011, at the Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home in Fort Wayne, after a brief illness.

Elaine was born on November 20, 1946 in Decatur,  a daughter to Marcus and Marcella (Gehres) Reidenbach. She spent her youth in Monroeville and graduated from Monroeville High School.

On July 24, 1971 she married David R. Krider in Monroeville.  She spent the majority of her adult life in Eel River Township and had previously been employed at Edy’s Grand Ice Cream in Fort Wayne in the human resources office, retiring from there in 2006.

During her time at Edy’s she was a member of Executive Women’s International.

In addition to her husband the surviving relatives include her daughter Darlene (Andrew) Lee of Fort Wayne; three step – daughters Terri Bryan, Tammy (Scott) Raymer, and Tanya (Scott) St. Louis all of Fort Wayne; four brothers Dean (Bev) Reidenbach of Monroeville, Keith Reidenbach of Conroy, Ohio, Dale (Kim) Reidenbach of Woodburn, and Larry (Linda)  Reidenbach of Fremont; a sister Karen Reidenbach of Monroeville; several nieces and nephews; nine grandchildren and one great – grandson.

Mrs. Krider is preceded in death by her parents.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a. m. on Wednesday, July 27, 2011, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Rev. William Smith, pastor of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Monroeville, officiating.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p. m. on Tuesday at the mortuary.

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

For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home, 5910 Homestead Road Fort Wayne, IN 46814; or Easter Seals Arc of Northeast Indiana, 4919 N. Coldwater Rd., Fort Wayne, IN  46825

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