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