Marcelo R. Gavilanez, MD
Sep 29, 2026
Marcelo R. Gavilanez, MD, 81, of Bluffton, passed away Tuesday morning, September 29, 2026, at Adams Woodcrest senior living community in Decatur.
Marcelo was born in Guaranda, Ecuador, on November 28, 1944, to Cesar “Ramiro” and Eloisa (Falconi) Gavilanes. Both parents preceded him in death. He married Joan P. Hankey in Butler on July 24, 1965; she survives.
A 1963 graduate of...
Ino Urzua
Sep 27, 2026
Ino Urzua, 85, of Bluffton, passed away Sunday afternoon, September 27, 2026, at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne.
Ino was born in Tlapacoyan, Mexico, on December 28, 1940, to Esteban Albino and Aurelia Cipriano. Both parents preceded her in death. She married Gregorio Urzua in Tlapacoyan, Mexico, on December 26, 1964. He preceded her in death on August 16, 2013.
Survivors include...
Sandra "Sandy" K. Martin
Sep 24, 2026
Sandra “Sandy” K. Martin, 65, of Bluffton, passed away Thursday morning, September 24, 2026.
Sandy was born in Bluffton on September 30, 1960, to Robert L. and Betty A. (McCarty) Ehrsam. Her mother survives in Bluffton.
A 1979 graduate of Bluffton High School, Sandy worked for Peyton’s Northern in Bluffton for several years before later going to work at Nestle in Fort...
Patricia Higgins
Sep 24, 2026
Patricia “Pat” L. Higgins, 96, of Bluffton, passed away Thursday evening, September 24, 2026, at the Waters of Dunkirk nursing home.
Pat was born in Fort Wayne on October 23, 1929, to Homer L. and Mary (Grissell) Ifer. She married James “Jim” H. Higgins in Bluffton on October 2, 1949. He preceded her in death on July 24, 2003.
A 1947 graduate...
William "Bill" L. Ringger
Sep 24, 2026
William “Bill” L. Ringger, 103, of rural Bluffton, passed away Thursday afternoon, September 24, 2026, at Christian Care Retirement Community.
Bill was born in Adams County on May 11, 1923, to George and Leah (Steffen) Ringger, Sr. He married Marjorie Jane Frauhiger at the Apostolic Christian Church on November 25, 1945. Bill and Marge were married for 71 years until she...
Macie Stiltner
Sep 20, 2026
Macie Stiltner, 93, of Keystone, passed away Sunday evening, September 20, 2026, at her residence.
Macie was born in Phelps, KY, to Lincoln and Ethel Mae (Wolford) Stiltner. She married Lonnie Lloyd Phillips, he preceded her in death on Apri 4, 1954. She later married Andrew F. Stiltner on July 29, 1955, in Ossian, he preceded her in death on June...
Kenneth "Ken" E. Steffen
Sep 19, 2026
Kenneth “Ken” E. Steffen, 89, of Bluffton, passed away Saturday evening, September 19, 2026, at his residence.
Ken was born in Wells County on February 14, 1937, to Tobias Louis and Martha (Baumgartner) Steffen. He married Roberta A. Holloway in Bluffton on January 1, 1961; she survives.
A 1955 graduate of Lancaster Central High School, Ken was a long-time member of the...
Robert "Bob" W. Troxel
Sep 19, 2026
Robert “Bob” W. Troxel, 81, of Bluffton, passed away Saturday evening, September 19, 2026, at his residence, surrounded by his family.
Bob was born in Bluffton on October 11, 1944, to Ralph W. and Elsie (Frautschi) Troxel. He married Mary Jo Kaehr at the National Guard Armory in Bluffton on October 4, 1964; she survives. Bob was born again and baptized...
William "Bill" J. Roughia Sr.
Sep 19, 2026
William “Bill” J. Roughia Sr., 65, of Bluffton, passed away Saturday morning, September 19, 2026, at StoryPoint Fort Wayne West.
Bill was born in Decatur on April 15, 1961, to William L. and Pauline (Roop) Roughia.
A 1979 Norwell High School graduate, Bill went on to work for Almco Steel for over 30 years. He was a member of the Bluffton Moose...
Anne M. Baumgartner
Sep 13, 2026
Anne M. Baumgartner, 91, of Bluffton, passed away Sunday evening, September 13, 2026, at Christian Care Retirement Community.
Anne was born in Adams County on July 19, 1935, to Samuel and Elma (Dubach) Kaehr. She married Harold “Bummie” E. Baumgartner in Adams County on May 11, 1958. He preceded her in death on December 24, 1994.
A 1953 graduate of Berne French...
Lynn E. Yager
Sep 6, 2026
Lynn E. Yager, 91, of Ossian, passed away Sunday evening, September 6, 2026, at Stillwater Hospice Home in Fort Wayne.
Lynn was born in rural Ossian on January 5, 1935, to Georgie and Martha (Heckley) Yager. He married Carolyn DeBolt at the Ossian United Methodist Church on March 17, 1956; she survives.
A 1953 graduate of Ossian High School, Lynn started working...
Sarah Renae (Barger) Towne
Sep 3, 2026
Sarah Renae (Barger) Towne, 38, of rural Bluffton, was surrounded by her family and passed away peacefully on Thursday morning, September 3, 2026. She fought a courageous one-year battle with brain cancer.
Sarah was born in Bluffton on February 1, 1988. She is survived by her mother, Renae L. (Robison) Barger of Decatur, and her father, James “Jim” D. (Mari) Barger...
Nadine M. Rudy
Sep 2, 2026
Nadine M. Rudy, 73, of Bluffton, passed away Wednesday morning, September 2, 2026, at Bluffton Regional Medical Center.
Nadine was born in Bluffton on October 23, 1952, to R. Harrold and Dorothy L. (Clark) Rudy. Both parents preceded her in death.
A 1971 Bluffton High School graduate, Nadine worked as a flag car driver for over 30 years, she also drove and...
Jeannine Engle
Aug 30, 2026
Jeannine Engle, 97, of Rockford, passed away Sunday afternoon, August 30, 2026, at her residence.
Jeannine was born in Berrien County, MI, on February 11, 1929, to Francis E. and Eunice “Ruth” (Johnson) Shull. She married Guy Edward Engle at the Rockford Seventh-day Adventist Church on June 30, 1957. He preceded her in death on March 23, 2017.
A 1947 graduate of...
Donald "Don" K. Springer
Aug 18, 2026
Donald “Don” K. Springer, 71, of Kingsland, passed away Tuesday morning, August 18, 2026, at his residence.
Don was born in Bluffton on September 6, 1954, to Charles B. and Dorothy J. (Witzeman) Springer. Both parents preceded him in death. He married Gladys A. Wyatt at the Salamonie Church of the Brethren in Huntington County on October 27, 1979; she survives.
A...
Cynthia "Cindy" J. Dillon
Aug 15, 2026
Cynthia “Cindy” J. Dillon, 80, of Bluffton, passed away on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at her residence.
Cindy was born in Portland on April 23, 1946. She is preceded in death by her parents, William Norris and Francis (Besser) Barber. She married Jerold “Jerry” L. Dillon in Columbus, OH, on July 12, 1964. Jerry preceded her in death on December 13,...
Rev. Stephen W. Austin
Aug 14, 2026
Rev. Stephen W. Austin Sr., 62, of Decatur, passed away Friday afternoon, August 14, 2026, at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne.
Steve was born in Muncie on July 9, 1964, to Kenneth M. and Carol Sue (Hartman) Austin. He married Sherry L. Brickey at the Epworth United Methodist Church in Bluffton on October 28, 1984; she survives.
A 1983 graduate...
Bill E. Brown
Aug 10, 2026
Bill E. Brown, 79, of Bluffton, passed away Monday afternoon, August 10, 2026, at his residence.
Bill was born in Portland on March 14, 1947, to Donald and Juanita (VanSkyock) Brown. He married Mona L. (Adkins) Shoemaker in Tennessee on March 24, 2006. She preceded him in death on April 18, 2024.
A 1966 graduate of Red Key High School, Bill worked...
Jo Ann Huffman
Aug 7, 2026
Jo Ann Huffman, age 94, of Fort Wayne, passed away peacefully on August 7, 2026, at Cedarhurst Senior Living of Fort Wayne.
Jo Ann was born on August 8, 1931, to the late Charles and Maida Schmoll of Bluffton, Indiana. Jo Ann graduated from Bluffton High School in 1949. She worked for Gordan’s Real Estate Company in Bluffton, Fruhoff’s in the...
Diane K. Pease
Aug 3, 2026
Diane K. Pease, 83, of rural Keystone, passed away Monday morning, August 3, 2026, at Swiss Village Retirement Facility in Berne.
Diane was born in Jackson, Michigan on November 21, 1942, to Robert Garrett and Eleanor (Jenkins) Garrett-Strahley. She married Carl W. Pease in Bluffton on August 21, 1960. He preceded her in death on July 3, 2017.
A 1960 graduate of...
