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Judith “Judy” D. Mericle, 71 died at 11:45 p.m. March 13, 2013. at Lima Memorial Health System.  She was born July 6, 194,1 in Putnam County, Ohio to Grenfall and Geraldine “Jerry” (Stirn) Mericle.  Her mother survives in Bluffton.

She was retired as a legal secretary for Mike Bender Attorney. She was a member of Pandora Missionary Church. She was a Pandora-Gilboa graduate.

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Gretchen O. Lehman, 91, of Pandora, died at 7:50 pm March 8, 2013, at St. Rita’s Medical Center, Lima.  She was born Aug. 21, 1921, in Berne, Indiana, to the late B. Franklin and Nan Marie (Eckrote) Sprunger. On June 28, 1942 she married Richard B. Lehman and he died June 19, 1991.

Mrs. Lehman was a homemaker and had also worked as a cook at Hilty Memorial Home, Pandora. She was a member of the Pandora Missionary Church, the International Missionary Women, and was a charter member of Asi-No-Mas Club. She volunteered at Et Cetera Shop, Bluffton, and Hilty Memorial Home. 

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Jeffrey Scott Graham, 45, passed away at 6:20 p.m. March 1, 2013 at Richland Manor Nursing Home. He was born on April 23, 1967, in Lakewood, to Robert B. & Karen L. Eke Graham.

He was a 1985 graduate of Bluffton High School. He then entered the United States Navy, where he had top-secret clearance, received the National Defense Service Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal, worked in Electronic Warfare, and was honorably discharged in 1991, as an EW3.

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James E. Bertsche, 91, of Goshen, Ind., died at 9:55 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, at Greencroft Health Care after a three month illness.

He was born June 20, 1921 in Bluffton, Ohio to Harry and Emma Steiner Bertsche. He married Genevieve “Jenny” Shuppert June 9, 1946, in South Bend, Ind.

She survives along with three children, Sandra (Rod King) of Goshen, Linda (Jim Yoder) of Port au Prince, Haiti and Tim (Laura Gilbertson) of Morton, Illinois; a sister, Ruth Covington, and seven grandchildren. Local survivers include two first-cousins, Alice Niswander and Fred Steiner.

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Lola May Basinger, 96 died at 1:20 p.m. March 3, 2013 at Willow Ridge, Bluffton. She was born Sept. 27, 1916, in Roanoke, Illinois, to the late Rudolph and Matilda (Stalter) Schertz. 

On July 8, 1948, she married L. Eugene Basinger and he died July 1, 2011. 

She retired from Lima Convalescent Home as a registered nurse.  She had also nursed in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Virginia and Ohio.  She served as a camp nurse Civilian Public Service in World War II, which is where she met her husband, Gene. 

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Marvin M. "Bud" Miller, 85, died at 5:48 p.m. Feb. 27, 2013, at Lima Memorial Health Systems. He was born on Aug. 25, 1927, in Lima, to Winson J. and Bernice L. Ackerman Miller, who have preceded him in death. On Nov. 4, 1951, he married Bernita L. Winget, who survives in Bluffton.

Mr. Miller served in the United States Army from 1945-47. He was a lifelong farmer, who also retired in 1983 from the Allen County Engineer's Office. He was a member of the Bluffton First United Methodist Church and the Farm Bureau. .

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