Betty "Fran" Frances Henderson, 85, died Oct. 4, 2020, at Willow Ridge - Betty House in Bluffton. Fran was born June 28, 1935, in Morristown, Tennessee, to the late Jack and Verdia (Wallace) Bryant. On Oct. 10, 1955, she married Homer Henderson who preceded her in death on Jan. 27, 2010.
Fran was a homemaker. She attended Gateway Church in Findlay. Fran enjoyed gardening and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
James A. “Jim” Brown, 68, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, at 7:17 a.m. at his residence in Harrod.
He was born on April 11, 1952, in Lima, Ohio to Ronald H. and Eleanor (Graham) Brown who survive in Lima. On Oct. 15, 1972, Jim married Jill C. Miller and she survives in Harrod.
Wilma Joan Kempf, 91 of Bluffton, died Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, at 6:29 a.m., Good Samaritan Nursing Home, Arlington.
Wilma was born Sept. 21, 1929, in Bluffton, to Earl and Alice (Ewing) Hamilton who preceded her in death. On she married Herbert Kempf who preceded her in death on Feb. 10, 1997.
Norma Jean Heinze, 91, of Bluffton, and formerly of Mattoon, Illinois died Oct. 2, 2020, at Mennonite Memorial Home. Norma was born Aug. 27, 1929, in Mattoon, Illinois, to the late William and Bertha (Mellondorf) Bareither. On Sept. 15, 1951, she married Norman Heinze who preceded her in death on May 27, 1994.
Former Bluffton resident Elaine Sommers Rich, 94, died on Sept. 27, 2020, in North Manchester, Indiana. She was born Feb. 8, 1926, to Monroe and Effie (Horner) Sommers in Plevna, Indiana. The children’s novel Hannah Elizabeth is semi-autobiographical about her childhood.
She graduated from Goshen College in 1947 and received a master’s degree from Michigan State University. She married Ronald Rich on June 14, 1953. Ronald died in 2014.
Julie Ann Bormuth, 55, died Sept. 24, 2020, at her residence. Julie was born Feb. 27, 1965, in Lima to Herbert and Dallice (Newman) Carpenter. On Dec. 26, 2007, she married Brad Bormuth.
Julie graduated from Columbus Grove High School and the Ohio State Beauty Academy. She was a receptionist at Reineke Ford in Lima.
