All Obituaries

Arrangements pending.

  Jerry Wayne Beaird 76, Rochester, Indiana, passed away at 10:07 P.M. Saturday, January 28, 2023 at Memorial Hospital, South Bend, Indiana. He was born on September 5, 1946 in Rochester, Indiana, the son of Chance Edward and Bertha Mae (McGee) Beaird. On November 21, 1964 in Rochester, Indiana, he married Janet Thomas and she survives. Jerry retired from Rochester Metals and was a member of the Omega Church and Old Crossroad Baptist Church. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and spending...

  Ralph L. Gunter 89, Rochester, Indiana, passed away at 9:30 P.M. Friday, January 27, 2023 at his residence. He was born on October 1, 1933 in Grass Creek, Indiana, the son of Cecil and Ruth (Ford) Gunter. On July 18, 1954 at the Fulton United Methodist Church, Fulton, Indiana, he married Janet Dillman and she survives. Mr. Gunter had served with the United States Army from 1955 to 1963.  He retired from Kaiser Chemical in Fulton, Indiana and worked with the startup of Buckeye...

  Michael “ Mike” L. Grable 67, Logansport, Indiana, passed away at 6:00 A.M. Thursday, January 19, 2023, at Vernon Health and Rehabilitation, Wabash, Indiana. He was born on October 11, 1955 in Rochester, Indiana, the son of Leonard L. and Betty Jean (Metz) Grable. He graduated from Caston High School, Fulton, Indiana. Mike was the owner and operator of Grable Burial Vault, Logansport, Indiana, for over thirty years. He had also operated a Taekwondo Academy in...

  Wendell L. Grass 96, Rochester, Indiana, passed away at 6:55 P.M. Friday, January 13, 2023 at Wynnfield Crossing, Rochester. He was born on June 29, 1926 in Elkhart, Indiana, the son of Joseph and Blanche (Coplen) Grass. On November 21, 1947 in Elkhart, Indiana, he married Arlene McClintic.  Wendell and Arlene were married for almost seventy- five years until her death on August 16, 2022. Wendell served with the United States Navy at the end of World War II and also served with...

  June E. Lee 92, Rochester, Indiana, passed away at 4:27 P.M. Saturday, January 7, 2023, at her residence. She was born on June 17, 1930 in Shaftsburg, Michigan, the daughter of Roy and Lavasta (Cramer) Baumgras. On December 27, 1946, in Lansing, Michigan, she married William Gene Lee. He preceded her in death on October 18, 1996. Mrs. Lee had worked for Oldsmobile and worked many years as a journeyman printer at John Henry both in Lansing, Michigan. She enjoyed sewing, gardening,...

  Sharon K. Van Meter Jones 81, Rochester, Indiana, passed away at 1:52 A.M. Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at her residence. She was born on November 21, 1941 in Rochester, Indiana, the daughter of Lewis J. and Louise (Woodcox) Polk. On June 18, 1960 in Rochester, Indiana, she married Robert E. Van Meter Jr. He preceded her in death on August 9, 2000. On May 28, 2004 in Rochester, Indiana, she married Darrell M. Jones. He preceded her in death on February 11, 2011. Sharon had worked at...

  Joyce A. Perdue 88, Rochester, Indiana, passed away at 1:42 A.M. Saturday, December 24, 2022, at Hickory Creek of Rochester. She was born on July 1, 1934 in Church Hill, Tennessee, the daughter of Atly H. and Lillie B. (Arnold) Cencion. On January 23, 1954 in Lansing, Illinois, she married Dean L. Perdue. He preceded her in death on January 27, 2016. Mrs. Perdue had worked as a bookkeeper most of her life, having been employed by the family business, Gilliland Auto Machine Company...

Jackie (Jack) Lee Nickels 80, San Antonio, Texas, formerly of Fulton County, Indiana, died of COVID on Dec 16, 2022, at Northeast Methodist Hospital in Live Oak, Texas. He was born on December 3, 1942, to Berneice (Conrad) and Lora Nickels, in Rochester, Indiana. He married Marian Kastner on Dec 19, 1964, in South Bend, Indiana. She preceded him in death on September 16, 2008. Jack graduated from Fulton High School in 1960, and Tri-State College in 1967 with a degree in Chemical...

  Stephen Patrick Biggs 51, Rochester, Indiana, passed into eternal life on December 15, 2022 in Rochester. He was born on June 12, 1971 in Highland Park, Illinois, the son of Louis and Juanita (Yarbrough) Biggs. Stephen grew up in Deerfield, Illinois and was a graduate of Deerfield High School. Stephen had an unapologetic character with a unique take on life. He always had a strong opinion and wasn’t afraid to voice it. He knew how to make you angry and happy at the same time,...