Ada resident Donald “Don” Fleming, 77, died on Monday, Oct. 5, 2020.
Don was born on Feb, 9, 1943, in Liberty Township, Hardin County to Clarence and Geneva (Reichenbach) Fleming. He married Connie Fleming on June 19, 1976, and he raised two sons – Mark and Steve Browne.
He retired from the Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative after 22 years. Over his career, he also worked for Agro Sytems and the Ada Farmers Exchange Company. He was an active member of Ada First United Methodist Church where he served on various committees.
Betty "Fran" Frances Henderson, 85, died Oct. 4, 2020, at Willow Ridge - Betty House in Bluffton. Fran was born June 28, 1935, in Morristown, Tennessee, to the late Jack and Verdia (Wallace) Bryant. On Oct. 10, 1955, she married Homer Henderson who preceded her in death on Jan. 27, 2010.
Fran was a homemaker. She attended Gateway Church in Findlay. Fran enjoyed gardening and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
James A. “Jim” Brown, 68, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, at 7:17 a.m. at his residence in Harrod.
He was born on April 11, 1952, in Lima, Ohio to Ronald H. and Eleanor (Graham) Brown who survive in Lima. On Oct. 15, 1972, Jim married Jill C. Miller and she survives in Harrod.
Wilma Joan Kempf, 91 of Bluffton, died Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, at 6:29 a.m., Good Samaritan Nursing Home, Arlington.
Wilma was born Sept. 21, 1929, in Bluffton, to Earl and Alice (Ewing) Hamilton who preceded her in death. On she married Herbert Kempf who preceded her in death on Feb. 10, 1997.
Norma Jean Heinze, 91, of Bluffton, and formerly of Mattoon, Illinois died Oct. 2, 2020, at Mennonite Memorial Home. Norma was born Aug. 27, 1929, in Mattoon, Illinois, to the late William and Bertha (Mellondorf) Bareither. On Sept. 15, 1951, she married Norman Heinze who preceded her in death on May 27, 1994.
Former Bluffton resident Elaine Sommers Rich, 94, died on Sept. 27, 2020, in North Manchester, Indiana. She was born Feb. 8, 1926, to Monroe and Effie (Horner) Sommers in Plevna, Indiana. The children’s novel Hannah Elizabeth is semi-autobiographical about her childhood.
She graduated from Goshen College in 1947 and received a master’s degree from Michigan State University. She married Ronald Rich on June 14, 1953. Ronald died in 2014.
