Celia Mae Blough, 93, of Bluffton died on March 24, 2016, at the Mennonite Memorial Home, Bluffton.  Celia was born on Dec. 15, 1922 on a farm in Wayne County, close to Dalton, Ohio. Her parents were Adam and Lydia (Sprunger) Amstutz.  In June, 1946, she married Robert J. Blough, M.D., and he died July 22, 2004.

Celia attended grade school for eight years at the Sonnenberg School. She graduated from Dalton High School in 1940 and Bluffton College in 1945. During her husband’s medical internship in Lima, Ohio, she taught at Lima Bath Elementary School. 

Robert and Celia moved to Deshler, Ohio, in 1953 where Robert practiced family medicine and Celia taught piano from her home and directed the choir at the First United Presbyterian Church for nearly 40 years.  During that time, she directed several Christmas and Easter cantatas.  She was also a Sunday School teacher, deacon and elder at the church. 

In 2001 Robert and Celia moved to Bluffton where they became members of the First Mennonite Church. Celia served on several church committees and volunteered in the Bluffton Elementary School for remedial work and also volunteered at the Ten Thousand Villages store until her health no longer permitted.

She is survived by two sons, Neal (Janie) Blough of Paris, France, Keith (Cyndy) Blough of Hilliard, Ohio; a daughter Laurie Blough of Goshen, Ind.; six grandchildren; five great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Celia was preceded in death by two sons Thomas Michael (1949) and Leslie James “Jamie” (1969); and three sisters Ethel Himes (1987), Effie Badertscher (1993) and Rose Marie Diller (2011).
Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 31, at Chiles-Laman Funeral & Cremation Services, Bluffton. Pastor Wanda Stopher officiating. Burial will be in Salem Mennonite Cemetery, Kidron, Ohio.  Visitation will be Wednesday from 6 – 8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Mennonite Church or Bluffton University.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.