Ora Lehman

Ora D. "Lee" Lehman, 91, a former resident of Fort Wayne and also Whitley County, passed away at 1:40 p. m. on Monday, July 29, 2013, at Renaissance Village near Fort Wayne following an extended illness. Mr. Lehman was born in DeKalb County near Corunna on May 6, 1922, a son of Otto R. and Anna (Hasselman) Lehman. He spent his formative years in the Ashley-Hudson area, and graduated from Salem Center High School in 1940. As a young man he served with the U. S. Army Air Corps during World War II, and was married in 1945 to Florence Oakford in London, England. He lived most of his adult life in Fort Wayne and also in Coesse, east of Columbia City. He later lived in Florida for nine years and also lived in Churubusco for a period before entering the nursing home. Employed as a welder for Merkler Machine Works in Fort Wayne, he retired from there in 1988 after 27 years. "Lee" loved having fun, and in his leisure time enjoyed horseshoes, darts, bowling, dancing, and enjoyed all types of music. His first wife preceded him in death in 1981. On August 29, 1981 he was married in Fort Wayne to Thelma Jean (James) McFarren. She survives. Also surviving is his daughter Jacqueline (John) Barron of Columbia City; four step-daughters Roberta (Randy) Geisleman of Huntertown, Rosella (Don) Thatcher of Albion, Teresa (Larry) Elliott of Churubusco, and Anna Newman of Columbia City; a brother Martin (Nola) Lehman of Gabby Hills, Tenn; two sisters Pearl Guensehouser of Fort Wayne and Geraldine Stonebraker of Kendallville; three grandchildren, six step-grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and ten step-great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents and first wife, he was preceded in death by a sister Virginia Lyons. Funeral services will be held at 10 a. m. on Saturday, August 3, 2013, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Pastor Lane Burgland of Faith Lutheran Church, officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday from 2 to 8 p. m. Interment with military graveside rites will be in the Union Township Cemetery, Coesse. For those who wish, memorials may be directed to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, P. O. Box 515, Northamption, MA 01061-0515; or the donor's choice. *********************************************