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Freddie "Jr." Fritter
ARGOS — Freddie “Jr.” Fritter, 63, of Argos, died at 10:20 a.m., Monday, Oct. 26, 2009, at his home.
He is survived by his sons: Rod (Sherri) Fritter of Bremen and Chris (Linda) Knill of Plymouth;
his daughter, Angie (Jim) Huff of Plymouth; brothers: Jack (Genie) Fritter of Fort Wayne, and
Tom Fritter of Argos; his mother, Florence Fritter of Argos; and sisters: Betty (Gail) Kaser of
Teegarden, and Barbara (Sam) Cook of Argos.
Visitation will take place Friday, Oct. 30, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Van Gilder Funeral Home, 300
W. Madison St. Plymouth, IN, 46563.
There will be no funeral services and cremation will take place. Memorials may be given to the
Fritter family.
Gilbert Max Jaeger
ROCHESTER — Gilbert Max Jaeger, 58, Rochester, died at 11:17 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, 2009
at Woodlawn Hospital, Rochester. He is survived by his wife, Linda Jaeger of Rochester;
mother, Rose Jaeger of Crown Point; son, Donald Jaeger of Las Vegas, Nev.; daughter, Julie
Jaeger of Las Vegas, Nev.; two grandchildren; brothers: Dennis Jaeger of Rochester and Greg
Jaeger of Orlando, Fla.; sisters: Deb Snyder of Peru and Pat Hayes of Crown Point. Services will
be at a later date.
Zimmerman Bros. Funeral Home, Rochester, was entrusted with arrangements.
Joseph W. VanVactor
PLYMOUTH — Joseph “Joe” W. VanVactor, age 90, of Michigan Road, Plymouth, passed away
at 6:50 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26, 2009, at the Hospice House, in Elkhart.
Joseph was born June 25, 1919, in Plymouth, to Clifford and Floe (Tracy) VanVactor. Joe and
the former Anna May Wagner, were united in marriage Dec. 27, 1938. She preceded him in
death June 19, 1982. On May 21, 1983 Joseph and the former Mardelle Kaufman, were united in
marriage.
Joe served as a Sgt. in the United States Army during WWII with the 41st Infantry Division. He
was stationed in the southwest Pacific from July of 1944 until February of 1946, when he was
honorably discharged. He returned home to work with his father, Clifford, at Van’s Transfer
Moving and Storage. He took over the family business, in 1962, and worked until his retirement,
in 1982.
Joe was very active in the LaSalle Council of Boy Scouts. During the 1950’s, he held training
sessions for the scout masters. He was a member of the V.F.W., the American Legion, and the
First United Methodist Church of Plymouth.
Joe is survived by his loving wife, Mardelle Kaufman VanVactor of Plymouth; his daughter,
Joanne I. VanVactor of Indianapolis; his sons: Jon (Ruth) VanVactor of Plymouth, Brent (Mary)
Kaufman of Rochester, and Gary (Ellen) Kaufman of Goshen; his daughter-in-law, Deloris
VanVactor of Knox; his step-sister, Betty Lou Warnock of California; 17 grandchildren; 26 great
grandchildren; and 27 great-great-grandchildren.
Joe was preceded in death by his sons: William “Bill” J. VanVactor, Sr. March 3, 2008 and
James “Jim” C. VanVactor June 24, 2008; his sisters: Dorothy Louise VanVactor and Helen
Virginia Banghart; and his brother, Robert Lewis VanVactor.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, 112 S.
Center St., Plymouth, IN, 46563 or to the First United Methodist Church, 400 N. Michigan St.,
Plymouth, IN, 46563.
VISITATION: THURSDAY, OCT. 29, 2009, 4 to 7 P.M.
VAN GILDER FUNERAL HOME, 300 W. MADISON ST., PLYMOUTH, IN, 46563
FUNERAL: FRIDAY, OCT. 30, 2009, 9:30 A.M.
VAN GILDER FUNERAL HOME
THE REV. DR. DEAN FAGER, OFFICIATING
BURIAL: NEW OAKHILL cemetery, PLYMOUTH
MILITARY GRAVESIDE SERVICES PRESENTED BY AMERICAN LEGION POST #27
Richard Jay “Dick” Houghton
INDIANAPOLIS — Richard Jay “Dick” Houghton, 60, Indianapolis, passed away Thursday,
October 29, 2009.
He was born in Plymouth, on March 1, 1949, the son of the late William Edward and Wanda
Jayne (Ward) Houghton.
Dick graduated from Plymouth High School in the Class of 1967. He was a veteran of the United
States Army during the Vietnam War. After his discharge he attended Indiana University, in
Bloomington, where he graduated in 1975 with a degree in Business & Marketing. Dick currently
was a Realtor/Manager at ReMax Legends and had worked for FedEx for the past six years.
He was a member of St. Matthew Catholic Church, MIBOR, National Association of Realtors,
and the Indiana Association of Realtors.
Dick had a wonderful sense of humor and he loved to landscape, garden, kayak, fish, and most
of all spend time with his family.
He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Caryl (Hoskins) Houghton; six sons, Jon, Ted, Alex, Chris,
Jeff, and Matthew; two sisters, Pat (Gary) Crum of Plymouth, and Cathy (Mike) Osowski of
South Bend; and his step-sister, Marsha Martin of Plymouth.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents and his brother; William E. Houghton, Jr.
Friends are invited to call Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at St. Matthew Catholic
Church, 4100 E. 56th Street, Indianapolis. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St.
Matthew Catholic Church at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4, 2009.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Houghton Family Fund c/o ReMax
Legends Group at any KeyBank or by mail to 5645 Castle Creek Parkway North, Indianapolis, IN, 46250.
VAN GILDER FUNERAL HOME, 300 W. Madison St., Plymouth, IN 46563, has been entrusted
with the local arrangements.
Gertrude Ritter
NAPPANEE — Gertrude Ritter, 93, died Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 at LuAnn Nursing Home, Nappanee.
She is survived by grandsons Paul Evans Jr, John Claude Evans and Arthur Evans; two great grandchildren
and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation is Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Thompson-Lengacher & Yoder Funeral Home, Nappanee.
Services are Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home with Rev. Thelma Megill-Cobbler officiating.
Burial will be at Leesburg cemetery.
Memorials may be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church.
Billie Geraldine (Franger) Swank
BREMEN — Billie Geraldine (Franger) Swank died Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009.
She is survived by children: Sue (Dave) Lemler, Sharon (Marty) Luther, daughter Sheila (Jimmy)
Sowder, John (Katie) Swank, Patrick and Jeff (Kim) Swank.
Visitation will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5 at the Mishler Funeral Home in
Bremen.
Funeral services will take place at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6 at the funeral home.
Burial will follow at the Bremen cemetery with a luncheon to follow at Grace United Methodist
church fellowship hall. The Mishler Funeral Home, Bremen was entrusted with arrangements.
Betsy Mae Barnes
ZIONSVILLE — Betsy Mae Barnes age 70 of Zionsville, IN (formerly of Bourbon) passed away
unexpectedly Sunday, Nov. 1, in St. Vincent Hospital of Indianapolis.
Betsy was the daughter of Howard Dillingham and Esther Parks Dillingham born April 11, 1939
in Howard County, Ind. She was a resident of the Bourbon area and the past 20 years were at
Zionsville. She married
Ralph Barnes Oct. 30, 1989; he died in July of 2009. She was a retired
nurse working in Bremen, Warsaw and the Cleveland Clinic, a short time in Hawaii and most
recently in the Indianapolis area. She was a graduate of Bourbon High School class of 1958 and
later from Memorial Hospital of South Bend School of Nursing.
Betsy enjoyed being a seamstress, reading, knitting, crocheting and she had a love for her dogs.
She is survived by her four children: Lisa and husband Jeff Dormire of Etna Green, Kathi and
husband Seth Faulkner of Bourbon, Thomas and wife Amy Schaetzle of Knightstown and Marla
and husband James Hendrix of Bourbon; along with five step-children; Kathleen Barnes, Tim
Barnes, Beth Courtney, Julie Barnes and Jeff Barnes.
She also has nine grandchildren, one great-grandchild and a brother Jim & Sue Dillingham of
Shreveport, La.
She was preceded in death by a step-son Jon and a brother Bill Reese.
A celebration of Betsy’s life will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 in Deaton-Clemens Funeral Home
115 S. Main St. Bourbon. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until the time of servicess
Saturday in the funeral home. Burial will be in the Pleasant Hill cemetery at Bourbon.
The family request, because of her love for dogs, memorial contributions be made in her
memory to a Humane Society of your choice.
Theodore L. Linderman
PLYMOUTH — Theodore L. Linderman, 84, of Plymouth, died Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009 at 10:30
a.m. at his home.
He was born Sept. 23, 1925 in Plymouth, to Frank and Cloe (Hall) Linderman.
He retired from Rockwell Standard in Knox where he was employed for 17 years. Theodore
enjoyed fixing TVs and fishing.
He is survived by sons: Frank (Glendora) Linderman of Argos, Rick Linderman of Plymouth,
Darwin Linderman of Plymouth, Patrick Linderman of Indianapolis and Jeff Linderman of
Rockville, Ind.; daughters: Leora (Albert) Hertzel of Fla., Karla (Roger) Bradley of Knox and
Bessie Jackson of Plymouth; 18 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; brothers: Milton
Linderman of Plymouth and Orville (Deloris) Linderman of Martin, Ind.; and sisters: Elizabeth
Gross of Plymouth and Dorothy (Charles) Wagers of Koontz Lake.
Preceding her in death were two grandchildren.
There will be no services.
Cremation will take place with burial at a later date in Oakhill cemetery, Plymouth.
Elkhart Cremation Services is assisting the family with arrangements.
Genevieve L. Ousnamer
PLYMOUTH — Genevieve L. Ousnamer, 80, formerly of W. 5D Road, Plymouth, passed away
Sunday morning in the Catherine Kasper Life Center, Donaldson, where she has made her
home since January of 2006.
Genevieve was born Oct. 5, 1929, the daughter of Evert and Oma (Berger) Thornton in
Lakeville, having lived in the area all of her life; she was a graduate of Lakeville High School in
1947.
On February 15, 1948 she became the bride of Jack J. Ousnamer and together they enjoyed the
next 55 years together before his passing in 2003. Family was all-important to the two of them;
they enjoyed every moment together and captured nearly all in a vast collection of photo albums.
They liked familiar surroundings and she and Jack spent more than 25 years traveling to the
same hotel in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
A caring person to all, Genevieve spent special moments with grandchildren and many many
hours as a Lutheran Braille Worker at the local Work Center within Calvary Lutheran Church of
which she has held membership for more than 50 years.
Outside the home, Gen worked with Frank Leachman as a bookkeeper at Local Finance. After
which she worked for Norcen Insurance nearly 20 years and retired in 1994.
Her family consists of a son, Robert D. and Carol A. Ousnamer of Casselberry, Fla. and their
children: Ben (Jade) Ousnamer, Jackie Ousnamer, Michael LaMott and Nikki LaMott; daughter,
Janet L. and Ken R. Houin of Plymouth and their children: Jeffery (Alinda) Houin, Christy (Bart)
Sharp, Kurt Houin, and Lori (Travis) Smith; daughter, Peggy S. and Mike A. Reynolds of
Plymouth and daughter, Andrea Reynolds; and Honorary Daughter, Linda Ousnamer of Palmer
Lake, Colo. Ten great-grandchildren and one on the way complete her immediate family today. A
sister-in-law Jean Ann Thornton of Mishawaka and several nieces and nephews also survive.
She was preceded in death by her parents; spouse Jack; and two brothers: Kenneth Thornton
and Harold Thornton.
The family will receive friends from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4 in the Johnson-Danielson
Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth. Calling will continue after 8:30 a.m. until time of
services at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5 in the Catherine Kasper Chapel on the Campus of Ancilla
Domini located at 9601 Union Road, Donaldson. Fr. Robert Bower of St. Nectarios Orthodox
Church, South Bend will officiate.
Burial will follow in the New Oakhill cemetery, Plymouth.
Memorial gifts may be made in Gen’s name to Operation Quiet Comfort c/o 17671 13th Road,
Plymouth, IN, 46563 or to Catherine Kasper Life Center, 9601 Union Road, Donaldson, IN, 46513.
Joy L. Duzy
ELKHART — Joy L. Duzy, 87, of Elkhart, died Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 at Memorial Hospital,
South Bend at 11:59 p.m. after a short illness.
She is survived by daughters: Cindy Duzy and Sherrill Duzy, both of Elkhart; a son, Ron Duzy of
Elkhart; a granddaughter and two great-grandsons.
Visitation will take place Thursday, Nov. 5 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at at Thompson-Lengacher
& Yoder Funeral Home, 950 N. Main St., Nappanee and one hour prior to services Friday at the church.
Funeral services will take place Friday, Nov. 6 at 10 a.m at First Church of God, Nappanee.
Burial will follow at Hepton Union cemetery.
Memorials may be made to First Church of God, Nappanee or the Elkhart County Humane Society.
