In memoriam: Gone but not forgotten (MHS '68 deceased)

In memoriam:
Gone but not forgotten

From most recent back to 12th grade in high school, the following 97 from the MHS Class of 1968 are gone:

2024 (five deaths):

Keith Albright died August 13, 2024, in Mishawaka.

Jimita Baldoni (Mrs. Potter) died June 29, 2024, in Mishawaka.

Terry Schwier died May 2, 2024, in Skiatook, Oklahoma.

Steve Egendoerfer died April 11, 2024, in South Bend.

Linda DeMeulenaere (Mrs. Scott) died February 4, 2024. In early 2018, a hospital mistake left Linda with no functioning kidneys. After that, she was on dialysis three times a week. Yet she continued working part-time doing home health care.

2023 (five deaths):

Janet Johnson (Mrs. Daniel) died July 11, 2023, at St. Joseph Regional Hospital, in Mishawaka.

Harry Weaver died July 5, 2023, at his home, in Mishawaka.

Kerry Deardorff died June 19, 2023, in Vernon Hills, Illinois. He had a sudden and unexpected stroke.

Michael Merritt died March 5, 2023.

Mark Crocker died in early 2023, before February 11, 2023, in Carstairs, Mountain View County, Alberta, Canada.

2022 (four deaths):

Keith Cooper died December 11, 2022, in Mishawaka.

Sheryl Scott (Mrs. Pacelli) died August 4, 2022, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Spider Draves died June 20, 2022, in Mishawaka. He had been in ill health for many months. Spider was boots-on-the-ground in Vietnam.

Ron Mize died April 14, 2022, in Estero, Florida.

2021 (four deaths):

Debbie Claeys (Mrs. Vinson) died September 28, 2021, in Paradise, Pennsylvania.

Patricia Heston died in September 2021. For many years, she had lived in Decatur, Michigan, in a home on a lake.

Cheryl Sue Davis died June 11, 2021, in Rich Creek, Giles County, Virginia.

Cathy Cunningham (Mrs. Fox), R.N., died April 9, 2021, in Mishawaka.

2020 (three deaths):

Craig Salyer died December 16, 2020, in South Bend, after a long time of dealing with several health problems..

Joyce DeNeve (Mrs. Smigielski) died August 2, 2020, in South Bend.

Denny Cackowski died July 26, 2020, in Naples, Florida.

2019 (five deaths):

Mike DeVliegher died December 31, 2019, in Indianapolis.

Ron Hixenbaugh died December 7, 2019.

Rex Dickens died November 12, 2019.

Susan Lightner (Mrs. Bradshaw) died May 10, 2019, in Goshen.

Bobby Fisher died April 20, 2019, in Mishawaka.

2018 (four deaths):

Al Evarts died December 5, 2018, in South Bend. He became ill in summer of 2018, was hospitalized briefly in August 2018, was moved to a nursing home, and died in the nursing home.

Jerry Parrish died August 29, 2018, in Cassopolis, Michigan.

Randy Frederick died May 19, 2018, in North Manchester.

Kathy Goeller (Mrs. Agostino) died February 1, 2018, in St. Joseph County.

2017 (four deaths):

Pam Correll (Mrs. Hood) died December 29, 2017, in Chocowinity, North Carolina.

Greg Baldoni died December 20, 2017, in Mishawaka. Greg was boots-on-the-ground in Vietnam.

Peggy Huff (Mrs. Sanderson) died May 23, 2017, in the state of Washington.

Sue Ann Robinson (Mrs. Redman) died March 9, 2017, in Murphy, Cherokee County, North Carolina.

2016 (five deaths):

Connie Lively died November 22, 2016, in Dowagiac, Michigan, at Borgess Lee Memorial Hospital.

Leonard Vallance died November 4, 2016, in Mishawaka. He was survived by his wife of 48 years.

Alecia Brazeau (Mrs. Cottingham) died October 31, 2016, in Mishawaka, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.

Eva Dickerson (Mrs. Gormley) died May 3, 2016, in Moss Point, Kentucky.

Barb Hitchins (Mrs. Ledbetter) died March 19, 2016, in Florence, Arizona.

2015 (six deaths):

Don Nisley died December 6, 2015, at his home, in Greenville, South Carolina.

Frances "Francie" Grisham (Mrs. Workman) died October 26, 2015, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. She spent her final months in a hospice house, sharing jokes and upbeat words with friends via computer.

Vicki Christman (Mrs. Custard) died August 12, 2015, in Spanaway, Washington.

Dennis Graham died April 28, 2015, in Mishawaka.

Danny Culp died February 6, 2015, in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Cheryl Ziegert (Mrs. Mark) died January 19, 2015, at home, in South Bend.

2014 (five deaths):

Pam McCarter (Mrs. Biscan) died September 25, 2014, in Cumming, Georgia.

Steve Hartley died in July 2014 in Hawaii.

Wava Sweet (Mrs. Tetzlaff) died April 12, 2014, in South Bend's Memorial Hospital. Wava's father died when she was nine years old, and she began waitressing when she was 14 to help support herself. In her final years, she supported herself as a taxi cab driver. Wava was a hobby genealogist.

Tim Przygocki died February 19, 2014, in San Francisco, California, after a long illness.

Karen Broomall (Mrs. Krassner) died February 6, 2014, in Camarillo, California, after a long illness.

2013 (five deaths):

Claude Rodgers died November 16, 2013, in Yuma, Arizona.

William Rupp died July 8, 2013, at his home, in South Bend. He was a U.S. Army veteran.

Terry Crothers died May 20, 2013, in Granger, Indiana.

Jack Wilson died May 6, 2013, at his home in Mishawaka, after an extended illness. Jack served in the U.S. Army and did two tours in Vietnam.

Rich Kunkle died January 28, 2013, in Jeannette, Pennsylvania.

2012 (two deaths):

Sandy O'Connell (Ms. Gosc) died September 4, 2012, in Brooksville, Florida. She died from complications of a hip replacement.

Gene DeFauw died July 5, 2012 in South Bend.

2011 (two deaths):

Judy Greenlee, Ph.D., died November 11, 2011, in Altadena, California. She had been physically ill and in extreme pain for several years. She did not always have it easy, but what Judy always had was a smile and concern for people around her.

Charlie Mott died August 5, 2011, in Rochester, Indiana. He died of lung cancer. Charlie was part of the print shop team that printed the ALLTOLD every week back in high school. He enlisted in the U.S. Army soon after high school and served in Vietnam. Charlie had four young children when both his wife and his mother were killed in an automobile accident when Charlie was only 31. He raised his children on his own, working and parenting to get his children to adulthood. Charlie's own father had died when Charlie was three years old; his father died after having been struck by a car.

2010 (three deaths):

Brenda Reynolds (Mrs. Kemble) died July 18, 2010, in Mountain View, Arkansas.

Paul Huyvaert died April 14, 2010, in South Bend. He'd had health problems for several years, caused by seizures that were the result of a birth injury and by heart valve problems.

Colleen Deal (Mrs. Seltzer) died January 4, 2010, in Rudyard, Michigan.

2009 (two deaths):

Judy Blankenhorn (Mrs. Hopper) died October 14, 2009, in Columbia, South Carolina. Cause of death was breast cancer and the chemotherapy used to try to beat the cancer. WoHeLo, old friend.

Steve Hazen died July 3, 2009, in Mishawaka. He died from congestive heart failure, the result of adult onset diabetes.

2008 (four deaths):

Richard Stuff died December 21, 2008, in South Bend. He died from a perforated colon.

Walt Eakins died October 11, 2008, in South Bend. He died of lung cancer.

Patricia Collins (Mrs. Fisher) died March 23, 2008, in South Bend. She died from complications of a viral respiratory infection.

Linda Jasiewicz (Mrs. Wiedlocher), R.N., died February 27, 2008, in El Paso County, Texas. She had been living in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

2007 (two deaths):

Jim Zeigler died July 19, 2007, in Goshen, Indiana. He died of cancer.

Bob Ruthrauff died July 13, 2007, in Mishawaka. Bob had dealt with juvenile diabetes for most of his life.

2005 (two deaths):

Maury Nisley died March 14, 2005, in Mishawaka. Cause of death was coronary artery disease.

Jackie Swonger (Mrs. Werner) died January 15, 2005, in South Bend. She died of lung cancer.

2002 (one death):

Sharon Johnson (Mrs. Ziegert) died June 19, 2002, in South Bend. She died from heart problems.

2001 (two deaths):

Jimmie Trovatore died October 17, 2001, in South Bend. He died of liver cancer.

Jan Matz (Mrs. Renfroe) died February 25, 2001, in Lafayette, Indiana. She had multiple sclerosis and had been ill for many years.

2000 (two deaths):

Tom Smith died August 16, 2000, in South Bend. Tom had a heart attack, on top of heart disease and adult respiratory distress syndrome with pulmonary embolism. Tom became the Director of Instructional Technologies at IUSB. In the mid-1990s, he hooked up a video cam that allowed folks to see inside his office and watch him work.

Joe Klinedinst died May 18, 2000, in Walkerton, Indiana. He died from bladder cancer.

1998 (one death):

Linda Howe died June 16, 1998, in her home in Oceanside, California. She retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a Master Sergeant.

1996 (one death):

Ellie Allen (Mrs. Lawson) died October 14, 1996, in Escambia County, Florida. She died in an automobile accident.

1994 (one death):

Ronnie Williams died June 3, 1994, in South Bend. He died as the result of a brain bleed.

1993 (one death):

Mary Carter (Mrs. Pawlak) died August 31, 1993, in South Bend. She died of lung cancer.

1992 (one death):

Mike Stickles died October 22, 1992, in South Bend. He died as the result of a work-place injury. He fell from a landing, falling 30 feet, suffered a massive head injury, and died in the hospital about 15 hours later.

1991 (two deaths):

Bill Richter died July 18, 1991, in Elyria, Ohio. From his obit: "... died in his home, after an apparent heart attack."

Bev Vance (Mrs. Manly) died March 29, 1991, in Mishawaka. She died of a massive hemorrhage as a result of a cerebral artery rupture.

1988 (one death):

Tom Zimmerman died September 4, 1988, in Mishawaka. Tom died from Hodgkin's lymphoma.

1986 (one death):

Ron Wise died March 3, 1986, in South Bend. He died at his own hand.

1985 (two deaths):

Dave Anderson died September 7, 1985, in Plymouth, Indiana. He died from heart problems.

Jeff Barcus died August 11, 1985, in Mishawaka. He died from a heart attack, with the underlying problem of hypertention.

1983 (two deaths):

Linda Hatfield (Mrs. Latham) died June 1, 1983, in Bethesda, Maryland. She had lived in the Washington, D.C., area for 12 years and was traveling on the beltway that surrounds D.C. She lost control of her vehicle on the rain-slickened road; her vehicle overturned, and Linda died from injuries soon after the accident.

Jim Hallaert died May 19, 1983, in South Bend. Jim died at his own hand. He had served in Vietnam while in the U.S. Army.

1980 (one death):

Becky Greene died March 8, 1980, in South Bend. She died from cardiac failure which the doctor guessed was due to coronary artery disease.

1974 (one death):

Kris Knitter died March 28, 1974, in Mishawaka. Only months before her death, she had graduated from Indiana University (South Bend campus) with a bachelor's in elementary education. She died from complications of a viral cold, in her bed at home, and her mother found her in the morning.

1971 (one death):

Frances Fisher (Mrs. Sale) died July 16, 1971, in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She died from injuries sustained in an automobile crash. She was the passenger in a car driven by her husband. Their car was struck headon by an oncoming vehicle driven by a drunk driver. Her husband also died. They were survived by their three-month-old daughter.

1969 (one death):

Danny Joe Harbin died August 9, 1969, in South Bend. He died as a result of head injuries that happened in an accident. He was survived by his wife of one year and a baby daughter.

1968 (three deaths):

Jim Manis died August 9, 1968, in Mishawaka. He died from injuries caused by an auto collision on Fir Road, just north of Douglas Road. Death was immediate.

Tim Farr died March 3, 1968, in Mishawaka. He died as a result of an automobile crash in which he was a passenger. There was head trauma and severe brain damage. He was pronounced dead three hours after the accident.

Cheryl Frazier (Mrs. Randall Frederick) died February 22, 1968, in South Haven, Michigan. She died as a result of an auto accident; there was an ice-related two-car crash just south of Bangor, Michigan. Cheri was a passenger in one of the cars. The car she was in was being driven by a woman friend of Cheri, and Cheri's friend died also.

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