J. Norman Vercler died at 9:30 a.m. March 27, 2015, at the Mennonite Memorial Home in Bluffton after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease. He had been a resident of Bluffton for 58 years.
He was born March 14, 1925, in Meadows, Ill., to the late Elmer and Naomi (Claudon) Vercler. He graduated from Chenoa High School and went on for further studies at Illinois State Normal University where he majored in science. After graduation, he began work at Mennonite Hospital in Bloomington as head medical technician, a position he held until 1956.
The family then moved to Bluffton where he expanded the laboratory and X-ray capabilities of Bluffton Hospital. He was head technologist there for 22 years until retiring to capitalize on another of his interests - electronics. He opened Norm's Electronics in downtown Bluffton in 1978, keeping resident's radios and television sets well repaired until 2007 when he officially retired.
Coming from a family of Mennonites (his grandfather was a Mennonite minister in Illinois), he was a member of three Mennonite churches during his lifetime - Meadows and Normal Mennonite Churches in Illinois and First Mennonite Church in Bluffton.
He was also a musician throughout his life. When still in grade school he learned to play the marimba and entertained many central Illinois groups with his talent on marimba. He also played piano, organ and served his church and community in both Illinois and Ohio by willingly providing music whenever called on
Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Mary Louise (Baughman) Vercler; three daughters Martha (Barry) Dyck of Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, Carol (Seth) Bixel of Bluffton, Lisa (Jared) Diller of Archbold; grandchildren Bethany (Martin) Rose, Gregory (Kim) Dyck, Anna Vast, Alyssa (Jacob) Rowland, Alaina Bixel; Grace, Carissa, Bradley and Stephen Diller; great-grandchildren Freya and Isla Rose, Hannah and Aaron Dyck; and a sister Joanne Niswander of Bluffton.
Visitation will be held Sunday from 1- 4 p.m. at Chiles-Laman Funeral & Cremation Services, Bluffton. A private burial service will take place at Maple Grove Cemetery, Bluffton. A memorial service is planned for Sunday, April 19, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. at First Mennonite Church, Bluffton. Pastors Steve Yoder and Gloria Hernandez-Bucher officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Mennonite Church Sound System Fund, 101 S. Jackson St., Bluffton, OH 45817 or to Mennonite Central Committee World Relief, P.O. Box 500, Akron, Pa. 17501.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.
