Nora M. (Holmes) Swank (Mericle), 93, died Oct. 26, 2017, at 12:35 a.m. at the Mennonite Memorial Home, Bluffton. Nora was born Oct. 19, 1924, in Bluffton to the late Roscoe I. and Eva (Eckenwiler) Holmes. On Nov. 28, 1944, she married Joseph H. Swank who preceded her in death on March 15, 1997. She then married William P. Mericle on Jan. 27, 2002, and he preceded her in death on March 15, 2005.
Dwight D. Bixel, 84, of Bluffton died at 10:26 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, at the Mennonite Memorial Home, Bluffton. He was born Jan. 22, 1933, in Putnam County to the late Stanley and Edith (Burkholder) Bixel. In 1955, he married Clarabeth (Diller) Bixel and she survives.
Dwight was a farmer, a former director of the Ohio Soybean Board and served as director for the G.W. Sugar Refinery. He had also been a member of the Lima Farmer’s Club.
Ray L. Wilch, 86, died Oct. 20, 2017, at Bluffton Hospital.
Ray was born Oct. 7, 1931, in Jenera, Ohio, to Harvey and Roma Wilch, who preceded him in death. On May 1, 1977, he married Raelene (Campbell - Balmer) Wilch who survives.
Ray graduated from Bluffton High school in the class of 1949. In high school he was very athletic and was the captain of the football and basketball team.
Ray retired from Tuttle Construction in Lima where he was a bricklayer.
Marilyn “Jeanne” Sumney died Monday, Oct. 16, 2017, at 3:04 p.m. Jeanne was born to Madge Shrider on July 26, 1926, in Lima, Ohio. She married Dallas Cheney in 1944. To this marriage their only child, Linda, was born. Following divorce, she married W. Fred Sumney in 1983 and he died in 2004.
Raymond "HooRay" Doyle Diller, 65, died October 13, 2017, at Bluffton Hospital. Raymond was born Sept. 16, 1952 in Bluffton to Robert and Burdella (Nusbaum) Diller who preceded him in death. On Sept. 27, 1986 he married Deborah Ruebush who survives.
Raymond was a 1970 graduate of Bluffton High School. He retired from Tower Automotive where he was a production technician. He had also worked for Maynard Badertscher Construction, Reichenbach Lumber, Steiner Lumber and Bluffton Precast Concrete.
