Arden Mantle

Arden D. Mantle, 61, a resident of rural Kendallville, died at 8:12 a. m. on Sunday, September 21, 2008, at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne following a lengthy illness. Mr. Mantle was born on January 25, 1947 in Wolf Lake, a son of Harley E. and Valetta (Morrissey) Mantle.e He spent his formative years in Eel River Township in Allen County, and graduated from Huntertown High School in 1965. On June 7, 1970 he was married at Bear Lake to Jean L. Peters, and spent all of his adult life in Noble County.e As a young man he was employed at Essex Wire in Kendallville, and later was a semi truck driver for several years.e He retired in 2005 from the maintenance department of the Indiana State Highway Department. A member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Albion, he enjoyed all sorts of outdoor activities, fishing, and was always known as a "people person." The surviving relatives include his wife Jean; his three children Martin (Kendra) Mantle of Kendallville, Aron (Carrie) Mantle of Orland, and Karla Mantle of Kendallville; his father Harley E. Mantle of Kendallville; a sister Ramonda (Hugh) DeLong of Albion; and three grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother Valetta Mantle; and by a sister Vickie Mantle. Funeral services will be held at 1 p. m. Thursday, September 25, 2008, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Pastors Brett Frymier and Austin Fergusson, officiating. The family will receive friends at the mortuary on Wednesday from 2 to 4 and from 6 to 8 p. m. Interment will be in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Noble County. For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Asbury United Methodist Church, 605 E. Main Street, Albion, INe 46701; or American Diabetes Association, P. O. Box 1130, Fairfax, VAe 22038-1130.e To leave a condolence for the family in Mr. Mantle's memory, please click on "Condolences" below. . .