All Obituaries

HARTFORD CITY, IN— Lee Hess, Jr., 68, passed away Tuesday evening, June 23, 2020 at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie. Lee was born and raised in Hartford City, the only son of three children born to Lee Earl and Anna B. (Hall) Hess. He retired from Gripco in 2006 after several years of employment and had previously worked for Premix of Hartford City and Indiana Glass of Dunkirk. On December 27, 1988 he married Tina Hamilton in Hartford City.  Lee had a passion for...

MILLGROVE—    Norma G. Donathan, 88, passed away early Sunday morning, June 14, 2020 at Albany Health Care, after an extended illness.    She was born in Monterey, TN, on September 17, 1931 to James H. and Mary Alice (Wilson) Brown and married Fred A. Donathan in Dunkirk on her twentieth birthday.  He passed away on March 23, 2014.    Norma had a passion for vegetable gardening and canning.  She especially enjoyed going to rummage sales with...

HARTFORD CITY, IN—   Virginia A. Ridgeway, 94 of Hartford City, passed away Friday evening, June 5, 2020 in the Golden Living Center, Muncie after a long illness.      A life resident of Hartford City, she was born April 14, 1926 the daughter of Frank L. and Edna Ethel (Johnson) Everhart-Landis, graduating from Hartford City High School in 1944.  She married Herbert Vaughn Ridgeway on Aug. 4, 1946, in the E.U.B. Church.  He preceded her in death on...

Gas City, IN Peggy M. Cansler, 81, of Gas City, passed away Thursday, June 4, 2020 in Parkview Regional Medical Center, Fort Wayne. She was born in Portland on February 13, 1939 to George Washington and Priscilla (Hastings) Hummer. She married Eddie L. Cansler on September 8, 1956. Peggy’s first job, which she loved, was at Pierce Governor, Upland. She was a licensed insurance agent for Western Southern Life for many years and retired from Key Plastics of Hartford City.  After...

Berne, IN Brian Christopher Fights (Woodchuck) age 61, of Berne, Indiana, died May 26, 2020 from a work-related accident in Huntington County, IN.  He was born to Robert Lugene and Virginia Ruth (Maddy) Fights on November 5, 1958. When young he sang with his family at churches and fairs. He graduated from Blackford County High School in 1978. He worked for R. L. McCoy for the past 18 years.  Brian was a kind and helpful man who loved God’s word. He enjoyed camping with his...

  HARTFORD CITY, IN – Margaret A. “Margie” Twibell, 80, passed away Sunday afternoon, May 24, 2020 in I.U. Health Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie. A native and life resident of Hartford City, she was born October 30, 1939, the only daughter of five children born to James William and Mary E. (Gilbert) Landon, Jr.  She graduated from Hartford City High School in 1958 and married Max W. Twibell on November 6, 1958. Margie worked at Parkside Elementary School for...

HARTFORD CITY, IN— Earl Ernest “Bud” Conner, 87, passed away at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, May 10, 2020 in IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie. Earl was born in Muncie on April 16, 1933, the only child of Loran and M. Pearl (Sites)Conner, was a 1952 graduate of Jefferson Twp. High School in Upland and also attended Ball State University. He also served his country in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of corporal. On June 17, 1951 he married Wanda L. McCollum in the Trinity...

Helen Frances Carmichael, 90, of Hartford City passed away peacefully, Friday morning, May 1, 2020 at Miller’s Merry Manor in Hartford City. She was born January 3, 1930 in Big Stone Gap, Virginia to Clarence and Mary Ayles. She graduated from high school in Middlesboro, KY and married Bob Gene Carmichael on September 20, 1957 in Hartford City. Helen was predeceased by her parents, Clarence and Mary, her husband Bob, June 12, 2017, her son Bernard W. (Stoppie) Stopinski, Jr., May 2,...

HARTFORD CITY James T. Yencer, 75, passed away April 8, 2020 at his home. Jim was born in Hartford City on July 29, 1944 to Thomas A. and Delilah (Fear) Yencer. He graduated from Hartford City High School in 1962. He served in the Navy and attended Ball State University. He worked at 3-M for 39 years retiring in 2001. On September 29, 1972, he married Rita A. (Brown) in Hartford City.  She precedes him in death on December 17, 2009 He was a member of the Elks #625 for thirty-seven...

Hartford City Joe M. Smith, 83, passed away Sunday, March 22, 2020 in Miller’s Merry Manor. He was born in Hartford City on January 7, 1937 to Audley and Mary (Yount) Smith and graduated from Hartford City High School in 1955. He married Janet Douglas on July 25, 1958 in Fort Wayne. Her death occurred March 28, 2014. Joe was a member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Hartford City and had retired from General Motors/Delco in Kokomo, after thirty years of...