Obituaries

Mary Lou Barrett, 85, of Xenia, Ohio died Sunday, July 9, 2023, at 4:25 p.m. at Soin Medical Center in Beavercreek where she had been a patient since July 3.

Mary Lou was born July 22, 1937, in Pickaway County, Ohio to Earl and Anna Elizabeth Rowland Sowers.  She was a graduate of Clarksburg High School.  She moved to Xenia 13 years ago from Florida.

She formerly was a seamstress for Krohler’s in Xenia.  She had also worked at Jack’s Harness in Washington Court House and retired as a dietician and phone operator from Marietta Memorial Hospital.

Mary Lou had attended the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Xenia.  She enjoyed playing Bingo, going to the casinos, working jigsaw puzzles, coloring and playing poker and other games with her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Paul Barrett in 2002; a son-in-law, Richard Clark in 2015, and by ten siblings.

Mary Lou is survived by two daughters, Lori Clark of Sneads Ferry, NC and Wendy Gerhardt of Xenia; six grandchildren, Arin Elizabeth Gerhardt, Levi Sargent, Tiffany Hayes, Brittney Cummings, Jesse Clark and McKenzie Clark; seven great grandchildren; a sister, Laura Dumm of Circleville and numerous nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be observed Saturday, July 15, 2023, from 1-3 p.m. at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in New Holland.

Cremation will follow the visitation.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Duane Edward Litteral, 56, of New Holland, Ohio, died Monday, July 3, 2023, at 12:50 a.m. at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton where he had been a patient since June 29.

Duane was born April 17, 1967, in Washington Court House, Ohio.  He lived in Clinton County until moving to Fayette County in 1972.  He was a 1985 graduate of Miami Trace High School and received an associate degree in civil engineering from Clark State Community College in Springfield, OH.

Until 2020, he had been safety director and property manager for Sugar Creek Packing Company for 32 years.

Duane was a member of Ducks Unlimited and attended Grace Community Church.  He enjoyed sports, hunting, fishing, golfing, and watching Jeopardy, but especially loved spending time with his kids and grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his father, Edward George Litteral in 1988.

He is survived by his wife, the former Karin Elizabeth Klontz whom he married April 21, 2019.  He is also survived by his mom and dad, Kay and Larry Elliott of New Holland; his France mother, Isabelle Litteral; four children, Malcolm and Megan, Marissa and Ren, Allison and Alex and Gretchen and Russell; three grandchildren, Bohen, Hayes and Michaela; siblings, Jeffrey (Lisa) Litteral of Washington Court House, Brian (Cynthia) Elliott of Washington Court House, Brett (Sally) Elliott of Omaha, NE; JoEllen and Alex Offort of France, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends and his loyal fur babies, Ike and Josie.

To honor his wishes, cremation will take place.

A celebration of life service will be held Friday, July 7, 2023, at 11 a.m. at the Grace Community Church, 525 Glenn Avenue, Washington Court House, with the Rev. Becky Bernard officiating.  Burial of the cremains will follow in the Milledgeville-Plymouth Cemetery.

Friends may call at the church on Thursday from 4-7 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45420 or online at ohioshospice.org.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Ivanelle Pursell, 92, of Washington Court House, Ohio died Saturday, July 1, 2023, at 3:45 p.m. at Adena Fayette Medical Center where she had been a patient since June 29.

Ivanelle was born March 31, 1931, in Fayette County, Ohio to Leslie and Nellie Kruger Sollars.  She was a 1949 graduate of Washington High School and was a lifelong resident of this community.

She formerly was a salesclerk at J.C. Penney Co. in Washington Court House and a bank teller at the First National Bank of Washington Court House.

Ivanelle attended the New Holland United Methodist Church.  She was a seamstress and often made her own clothing.  She enjoyed crocheting, baking, cooking and oil painting.  She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and took pride in caring for her family.

On August 15, 1953, she married Harris Pursell.  He preceded her in death on May 15, 2014.  She was also preceded by her parents; an infant brother, Jimmy Sollars; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Jane and Lee Rowe and Doris and Lou Gantz; a brother-in-law, Charles Purcell and two sisters-in-law, Marjorie Batson and Jean Hoppes.

She is survived by a daughter, Teresa Pursell of Columbus; a son and daughter-in-law, Anthony L. “Tony” and Rhonda Pursell of Washington Court House; three grandchildren, Troy, Trevor and Anita Pursell; special family friend, Deb Nelson of Columbus; several nieces and nephews and her longtime caregivers, Gloria Lewis and Patti Long.

A private graveside service will be held at the Good Hope Cemetery.  Burial will be under the direction of the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House.

There will be no calling hours.

Memorial contributions may be made to Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County, 222 North Oakland Avenue, Washington Court House, Ohio 43160.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Don Vernon Lusby, 82, of Washington Court House, Ohio died Sunday, June 25, 2023, at his home.

Don was born November 20,1940, in Prince Frederick, Maryland to Don Vernon and Irene Herring Lusby.  He moved to Hillsboro in 1991 and had been living in Fayette County the past eight years.

Before his retirement, he worked at Randall Textron in Wilmington.  Prior to that, he was a longtime carpenter.

Don was a U.S.  Air Force veteran.

He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, John G. and Stephanie Lusby; a daughter and son-in-law, April and Mike Elzey and three grandchildren, Jackie, John and Josie Lusby, all of Hillsboro.

Cremation will take place.

Arrangements for services are incomplete at this time and will be announced by the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House when finalized.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Jean Weyman Baker, age 103, who lived at the Bermuda Village retirement community near Winston-Salem, North Carolina, died on Feb. 23, 2023, in the presence of her son and his wife.

She was born on Oct. 17, 1919, in Middletown, Ohio, the daughter of a senior accounting executive at Armco, a major steel company, and the granddaughter of German immigrants. Jean earned a degree in economics from Duke University, where she met her husband, Frank W. Baker. Upon graduation they moved to his hometown of Washington Court House, Ohio, where their two children were born. The family later relocated to nearby Chillicothe. Jean and Frank moved next to St. Simons Island, Georgia, and finally to about 100 miles from their alma mater in North Carolina.

In Chillicothe she co-founded an investment club and was frequently called in as a substitute high school math teacher. She believed that if she had been born in a later era, she might have entered a career utilizing her economics degree. She loved to read, especially biographies, and often recommended books to family members. Along with her husband, she was known for hosting lively parties.

Jean excelled at games and puzzles. She was an exemplary bridge player and up to the age of 100 gave bridge lessons to friends at her retirement community, where she was widely known and respected for her intellect and wit. She knew obscure versions of solitaire and an apparent rummy version she called “soda” rum and enjoyed crossword puzzles and Sudoku.

She was preceded in death by her husband, their daughter Gretchen Baker and two sisters who also lived to be over 100. Jean is survived by son Damon Baker and his wife Ann Baker of Columbus, Ohio, grandson Nicholas Baker, his wife Melissa Baker and great-grandchildren Simon and Louisa.

In a 2021 conversation, Jean encouraged her grandson to pass along this lesson: “You’ve got two wonderful children to teach love to. So don’t let them discriminate against anyone because they might be a little different. Teach them to love, too.”

She requested that the 1834 poem “Abou Ben Adhem” by noted British poet and critic Leigh Hunt be read at her memorial, as it was at her mother’s funeral in 1963.

Interment will be at the Washington Cemetery in Washington Court House, Ohio under the auspices of the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home.

David Lee Hurley, 87, of Washington Court House, Ohio passed away at his residence on Saturday, June 17, 2023, from multiple health issues.

David was born to Harley and Ruby (Marasak) Hurley, on April 18, 1936.  He grew up in Portsmouth and Greenfield, Ohio and was a graduate of Edward Lee McClain High School in Greenfield.

He proudly served the U.S. Army, during the Korean Conflict, and took part of the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961. Fifty years after the 1961 invasion, the details about the classified project became public. That’s a day we can’t forget because how avidly he announced, “I can finally talk about this!” and we heard the stories numerous times and loved his passion. He was a devoted Patriot.

After serving his time in the military, he returned to Greenfield, where soon afterwards he was set up on a blind date with Bonnie Hauck. When they met, his words were, “As soon as I saw her and she smiled, I fell in love and the rest is history.”

David and Bonnie married on June 1, 1962, and moved to Washington Court House where they bought an old house and together, turned it into their beautiful, forever home. David and Bonnie loved traveling, especially to Las Vegas.

David had worked for Coca-Cola Bottling Company and, for over 30 years, owned and operated Scioto Vending System and later Thunderbird Music and Games.  For the past 25 years, he owned multiple rental properties in Washington Court House.

He loved staying busy and had an artistic gift of building and fixing things.  He was a lifelong car and motorcycle enthusiast and had owned and restored several classic cars and motorcycles.   Known as “Big Dave,” he was the “go to guy” for anything that needed fixed or built.  He was also an animal lover, jokester, history enthusiast, smart businessman, and known to tell his lifelong stories to everyone. He always made people laugh with his clever and sarcastic personality.

It’s hard to sum David up in a few paragraphs, so we asked him, “What legacy do you want to leave behind?” His answer: “I love helping people. I want to be known as always being there to help people. I also never judged. I’d rather try to understand.”

He was a member of Fayette Lodge F. & A.M. #107 and the 32^nd Degree Masons, Valley of Columbus.  He was instrumental in the renovation and restoration of the Judy Chapel at the Washington Cemetery and was a primary donor to the Veterans Memorial there.

David was preceded in death by his parents; his loving wife, Bonnie, after of 38 years of marriage, and an infant son, David Ray Hurley.

He is survived by three daughters, Molly Hurley of Cornelia, NC; Heidi Ley and her husband, David, of Herriman, UT, Amy Hurley of Columbus, a grandson, Tyler Hurley and his wife, Jasmin, of Washington Court House; two great grandchildren, Charley Belle and Liam, and his beloved dog, Hanna, that never left his side.

A special thank you to Kristin Price, Joanie Price, Johanna Miller, and Carolyn Beverly, and the team at Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County for taking great care of David in his final months.  Also, a thank you to Nancy Davis, who gave him companionship for many years.

David was positively a wonderful father, grandfather, friend to all, and leaves behind a legacy of love and acceptance. His ability to embrace others with compassion will forever be remembered.

A Masonic service, which is open to the public, will be held Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 1 p.m. at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House.  The funeral will immediately follow the Masonic service with Todd Maurer, connections minister at the South Side Church of Christ, officiating.  Burial will be in the Washington Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home Thursday from 11 a.m. until time of the service.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Wanda Lozier, 77, of Atlanta, Ohio died Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 10:35 p.m. at her residence.  She had been in failing health.

Wanda was born July 5, 1945, in Fayette County, Ohio to Harold Brent and Bessie Louise Sheets Kingery.  She had formerly lived in Columbus and Waverly before moving to the Atlanta community in 1990.

She was a member of the Atlanta United Methodist Church.

Wanda was preceded in death by her husband, Walter James Lozier in 1996.  She was also preceded by three sisters, Dorothy Meadows, Shirley Exline and Mary Sizemore.

She is survived by a son, David; three stepchildren, David, Vicky and Kathy; several grandchildren and great grandchildren; six siblings, Harold Kingery of Atlanta, David Kingery of Washington Court House; Wanita Beckman of Columbus, Carol Sue (Susie) Sizemore of Washington Court House, Diane Berry of Frankfort and Wilma Showalter of Washington Court House, a host of nieces and nephews and her special longtime friends and caregivers, Alice Congrove and Michelle Lynch.

The funeral will be Monday, June 19, 2023, at 1 p.m. at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in New Holland with ProMedica Hospice Chaplain DeVon Davis, officiating.  Burial will follow in the Walnut Hill Cemetery near Lockbourne.

Friends may call at the funeral home in New Holland one hour prior to the service on Monday.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Garland Lee Fitzpatrick, 83, of Hillsboro, Ohio died Sunday, June 11, 2023, at 5:56 a.m. at the Adena Regional Medical Center in Chillicothe where he had been a patient since May 28.

Garland was born May 2, 1940, in Rarden Township in Scioto County, Ohio to Elmer Jay and Mary Mildred Wilson Fitzpatrick, both of whom preceded him in death.  He was a graduate of Rarden High School and had formerly lived in New Holland before moving to Hillsboro 40 years ago from Fayette County.

Before his retirement, he was a heavy equipment operator for the John R. Jurgensen Company.

He was a member of Washington Lodge #129 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks and Fayette Aerie #423 of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles.

Garland enjoyed cooking, gardening and bargain shopping.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 33 years, Elaine Duncan Fitzpatrick, in 2016; a son, Garland Lee Fitzpatrick, Jr. in 2017, and a brother, Roger Fitzpatrick.

He is survived by three children, Gale A. Sholler of Lockbourne, OH, Ronda Balahtsis and her husband, Steve, and Andy Fitzpatrick and his wife, Stacey, all of New Holland; 12 grandchildren; numerous great grandchildren; three brothers, Ronnie, Dale and Elmer “Buddy” Fitzpatrick and a sister, Melody “Sis” Hieneman.

In keeping with his wishes, cremation took place.

A graveside service will be held Saturday, June 17, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at the Fairview Cemetery in Jeffersonville, Ohio.  Burial will be under the direction of the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in New Holland.

kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Donald Joseph Moore, 89, of Washington Court House, Ohio died peacefully at his home on Thursday, June 8, 2023.

Mr. Moore was born May 25, 1934, the son of Warren M. and Dona Clement Moore on the eighth-generation family farm of Walnut Hill in Wayne Township in Clinton County.

He was a 1952 graduate of Wayne Township School and matriculated from Miami University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, creating a thesis of study of “Clinton County, Ohio and the Civil War.”

Donald retired from the Washington City School system after 42 years as a teacher, counselor, and administrator.

He served as a Southern State Community College trustee during the creation of the Brown County campus and had been a trustee for the Carnegie Public Library in Washington Court House.  He also had served on the Washington Court House City Board of Appeals.

During 39 years of his more than half century as a trustee of the Fayette County Historical Society, he served as its secretary.  He was a member of St. Colman of Cloyne Catholic Church for 60 years, participating in its restoration and the building of the parish hall as a member of the parish council.

Donald was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Warren Samuel “Sam” Moore.

He is survived by his wife, the former Frances C. Hutchinson, whom he married on July 10,1968; a daughter, Diana (Aaron) Baines of Carlsbad, CA and their three children, Henry, Owen and Grace; his son, Alexander D. Moore of New York City and a special nephew, Steven S. Moore of Highland, OH.  Also surviving is his sister, Anne Janda of San Diego; sister-in-law, Mary Ann Moore of Highland; brother-in-law, David Hutchinson of Anderson, IN along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

The funeral mass will be celebrated Friday, June 16, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Colman of Cloyne Catholic Church by the Rev. Father Jan C. Sullivan.  Burial will follow in the St. Colman Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House Thursday from 4-8 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Colman of Cloyne Catholic Church, 219 South North Street or the Fayette County Historical Society, 517 Columbus Avenue, Washington Court House, Ohio 43160.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Mary Nancy Sizemore, 67, of Atlanta, Ohio died Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 4:37 a.m. at the Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus where she had been a patient since June 2.

Mary was born July 21, 1955, in Washington Court House, Ohio to Harold Brent and Bessie Sheets Kingery.  She was a graduate of Westfall High School and lived most of her life in the Atlanta community.

She loved cooking and baking, particularly at Christmas, when she would give her baked goods to many of her friends in Atlanta.  She enjoyed dirt bikes and four wheelers and particularly loved taking care of the children of her family members.

On May 21, 1977, she married Harold Wesley Sizemore.  He preceded her in death on May 7, 2021.  She was also preceded by two sisters, Dorothy Meadows and Shirley Exline.

She is survived by seven siblings, Harold Kingery of Atlanta, David Kingery of Washington Court House, Wanda Lozier of Atlanta, Wilma Showalter of Washington Court House, Wanita Beckman of Columbus, Diane Berry of Frankfort and Susie Sizemore of Washington Court House and a host of nieces and nephews.

The funeral will be Friday, June 9, 2023, at 1 p.m. at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in New Holland.  Burial will follow in the New Holland Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in New Holland from 11 a.m. Friday until time of the service.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com