September 2024

James M. “Jim” Bird, 68, of Celina, passed away September 5, 2024, at Celina Manor. He was born September 23, 1955, in Van Wert, to Lloyde & Helen (Railing) Bird. His father preceded him in death in 1985, his mother in 1988, and brother, Richard D. “Dick” Bird, in 1999. Jim is survived by his sister-in-law, Darlene Bird of Celina, and nephews: Duane Bird and his children of Longmont,

Mark W. Smith, of Warsaw, IN, passed away at the age of 65 on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at Stillwater Hospice Home in Fort Wayne after suffering a debilitating stroke. Born on October 17, 1958, in Van Wert, OH, he was the son of the late Richard and Karen (Brockert) Smith. After graduating from Lincolnview High School in 1977, Mark married the love of his life, Sheila Smith, on July 7, 1983. His career in the RV industry was just as sturdy as the vehicles he helped produce. Starting at Fleetwood RV, he climbed the ladder at companies like Dutchman RV and Keystone RV, retiring as the Director of Manufacturing at Forest River RV in 2023. His passion for building RVs was unmatched, and his colleagues will remember him as a dedicated and knowledgeable plant manager. Mark was a devoted Ohio State Buckeyes fan. In his leisure time, he found solace in the pleasures of lake life, enjoying moments spent fishing and boating. Mark even dabbled in woodworking for a time. However, Mark’s greatest joy came from supporting his grandchildren at their games, always cheering them on from the sidelines. Mark is survived by his wife, Sheila Smith of Warsaw; children: Jeremy (Allie) Huston of Perrysburg; Cortney (Mandy) Smith of Rockford; Lydon Smith of Warsaw; sisters: Vicki (Ted) Dunno of AZ; Diane (Jeff) Unterbrink of IN; brothers: Rick (Kathy) Smith of Monroeville, IN; Jon (Trisha) Smith of Van Wert; mother-in-law, Freda Smith of Monroeville, IN; grandchildren: Fletcher Smith, Braxton Smith, Colbie Smith, Graham Huston, Harlie Huston, as well as many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 4:00 PM Friday, September 13, 2024, at Alspach-Gearhart Funeral Home & Crematory, 722 S. Washington St, Van Wert, OH 45891 where the family will receive friends prior to the service from 2 to 4 PM. Memorial contributions may be directed to a charity of the donor’s choice. Arrangements have been entrusted to Alspach- Gearhart Funeral Home & Crematory. To share in Mark’s onli

Robert C. Young, 86, of Van Wert passed away Sunday evening at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. He was born on November 25, 1937, in Van Wert the son of the late Harley Howard and Bernice (Stetler) Young. On August 17, 1958, he married the former Sue (Williman) Young who survives. Other family members include his daughter, Lalisa Hurless of Van Wert; three grandchildren, Aleyna Hurless and her children Noa and Kai, Chandler Hurless (Abby Werling) and their children Sawyer, Lucas and Weston; and Caden Hurless. Besides his parents, he is preceded in death by a brother, Charles J. Young, and a sister, Joy Grace Demidovich. Young was born on Thanksgiving Day in November of 1937. He was the middle child of Harley H. and Bernice Stetler Young. Harley spent 37 years at Borden’s and was one of the keepers of the Liederkranz cheese recipe. His mother was a homemaker and worked as a secretary for Gribler’s Dairy. “Mom and Dad gave us kids a good work ethic,” said Young. “Neither went to college but their children were their number-one priority. They encouraged us to set our goals high and then focus our energy on reaching them.” While he was growing up, he spent a good deal of time with his first cousin, Jim Young. The two farmed together in high school. They worked on the farm of S. J. Young, Jim’s father. “Jim was like an older brother to me. When Jim went off to play football at Ohio State, I was a sophomore at Van Wert,” said Young. His cousin would go on to become the head football coach at the University of Arizona, Purdue University, and the Army’s Military Academy at West Point. “It is not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.” That statement really applies to a 160-pound fullback who graduated from Van Wert High School in 1956. Robert C. Young was the fullback, and in his senior year, he was an All-Ohioan who played in the All-Star game in Canton. He was also picked for the baseball game. Mr. Young took his par

Marlene Helen (Garey) McDaniel, 83, of Findlay, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on August 22, 2024. Marlene was born January 5th, 1941, on a small farm east of Tiffin, Ohio, to the late Floyd and Evelyn (Stone) Garey. She moved with her family to Mount Blanchard, Ohio, at fourteen months old. She married John McDaniel and became Mrs. Marlene McDaniel at the Mount Blanchard United Methodist Church on October 24th, 1959. Marlene and John were married for 36 years. John preceded Marlene in death on October 30th, 1997. Together, Marlene and John had four children. Marlene is survived by daughters Dawn (Don) Kramer of VanWert, Denise (Dave) Mitchell of Findlay, and her son Doug (Jenny) McDaniel, also of Findlay. Marlene’s surviving siblings are Edward (Linda) Garey and Louise Gorman. She was preceded in death by her daughter Debra Smith, grandson Ian Lafferty, and sisters Joan Wilber and Joyce Barger. The family of Marlene McDaniel wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the doctors and nurses at Blanchard Valley Hospital, Bridge Hospice, and Kim at Palliative Care for their loving care and constant, delicate touch. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Bridge Home Health and