Obituaries

John Edward Link, 82, of Washington Court House, Ohio passed away Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 3:45 a.m. at home, surrounded by his loving family. He had courageously fought cancer since 2017, rarely complaining, and always wearing that infamous smile, throughout his entire journey.

John was born January 8, 1942, in Chicago, IL the son of John Sebastian and June Veita (Marchand) Link. After Graduating from Arlington Heights High School in 1960, John attended the University of Wisconsin (Whitewater Division), then transferring to graduate from Michigan State University in 1965, with a BA in Restaurant and Hotel Management. John also proudly served in the Marines (Camp Lejeune) from 1965-1971 as a Sergeant; always living true to their creed “Conquering all obstacles, both large and small, I shall never quit.”

John met his “soulmate for life” while having a snowball fight at MSU; Mary Opdyke. “You know when you know” … they met in May 1965, were engaged in June of 1965, and married March 26, 1966. Fifty-eight years later, with multiple homes in multiple states, three children, an extraordinarily successful business, traveling from coast to coast and through it all a love for God and fulfilling his greatest dream, to have a family with love in it.

John was a member and started many committees throughout his years; always with a passion to “serve others”; St. Andrews Episcopal Church (All Saints) – Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Vestry Member, Treasurer, Eucharist Assistant, President of the Proctor Conference Center Board; Symposiarch’s (The Order); Fayette County Finance Club; Venison Deer Club; Washington Court House County Club.

John was most proud of his family and the business he had built through innovation, determination, and nurtured relationships over decades of tireless work. B & B Creative Marketing started as B & B Food Sales in 1978, in Detroit MI. After spending and seeing the tremendous amount of Pizza and Italian potential in the OH market, John and Mary moved their family to Washington Court House in 1984. At that point John became known for his bold ideas and “outside the box” thinking… building a legendary legacy that his children try to live up to. Over the years John brought PREMIUM Wisconsin cheese to the region, brought his concept of high-quality PREMADE pizza dough to life and was instrumental in helping to bring sliced pepperoni to the market as well. Thousands of customers have benefited from his tireless efforts over the years. The pride John’s family feels in his ground-breaking concepts for the Pizza/Italian industry over the past decades is untouchable.

He is survived by his wife; Mary (Opdyke) Link; daughter; Leah (Keith) Foster of Washington Court House; son, Jason (Carrie) Link of Powell OH; grandchildren; Lynn (Josh) Foster-Dawson; Erik (Zoe Miller) Foster, Elizabeth (Ella) Link; John Jason (JJ) Link and Alyson Foster; sister-in-law, Jean Link; nephew; Jeremy (Kaetlyn) Link; niece, Jessica (Sean) Duffy, a special “sister” by choice; Marilyn Wootton, God daughter Christin Bracken and NUMEROUS exceptional life-long friends and colleagues that helped mold him into the loyal, kind, determined and God Loving man he proudly was.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, James Link and his son, Eric Neil Link; his “brother” by choice; George Wootton and a lifetime of special furry family members; Pahoo, Magpie, Mandy, Molly and Largo.

In keeping with his wishes, cremation was observed,.

A celebration of Life service, to which all are  invited, will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 1 p.m. at Crossroads Christian Church, in Washington Court House, OH.  John’s family will greet friends at the church one hour prior to the service.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Fayette County Emergency Services, 115 East Temple Street, in appreciation for the many times they assisted John or the Crossroads Christian Church, 175 Halliday Drive, Washington Court House, Ohio  43160.

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

“Remember me with smiles and laughs for that is how I will remember all of you.”

SEMPER FI

Robert Michael “Mike” Hickle, 76, of Washington Court House, Ohio died Friday, April 5, 2024, at the Dayton VA Medical Center Hospice Unit.

Robert was born November 1, 1947, in Cambridge, Ohio to Robert Murray and Audrey Hope Hesson Hickle.  He moved to Washington Court House from Columbus in 2015.

After high school, he enlisted in the Air Force in 1966, where he served for more than 20 years. Upon retiring from the Air Force, he worked for the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) in Columbus in the maintenance department. He enjoyed fishing, bowling, camping, watching baseball and working on vehicles.

On December 26, 1975, he married the former Nancy Sue Hatfield.  She preceded him in death on February 18, 2022.  He was also preceded in death by his father.

He is survived by two daughters, Melissa Little of Roaring Spring, PA and Kathy Taylor (Ken) of McKean, PA, a stepdaughter, Patricia “Ayla” Hatfield of Spokane, Washington; a stepson, Bruce Butler of Columbus, Ohio; six grandchildren, a great-grandchild; his mother, Audrey Hickle of Naples, FL;  three brothers, David Hickle (Patsy) of Hebron, OH, Gene Hickle (Martha) of Pataskala, OH, Jeff Hickle (Raylene) of Ocala, FL and two sisters, Cathy Dotter of Naples, FL and Toni Burroughs (Jeff) of Columbus, OH.  He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Cremation will be observed and there will be no visitation or service at this time.

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

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Toni Marie Waters, 84, of Washington Court House, Ohio died Sunday, March 31, 2024, at 9:40 p.m. at St. Catherine’s Manor of Washington Court House where she had been a patient the past three months.

Toni was born April 18, 1939, in Washington Court House, Ohio to Alfred Ernest “Hap” and (Claudia) Wilma Boughton Weatherly.  She was a lifelong resident of this community.

She assisted her husband in the operation of Tower Mobile Home Park and had formerly worked at Craig’s Shoes and Sports for eight years.

Toni had been a member of the First Christian Church where she served as organist.  She was currently attending the Gathering Place Church.  She was also a member of Mother’s Circle and the Child Conservation League.  She enjoyed interior decorating and gardening but especially enjoyed being involved in the activities of her grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a son, Richard Sherrill Waters, III on July 23,1963.

Toni is survived by her husband, Richard S. Waters, Jr. whom she married May 5, 1956; three children, Stephen Waters and his wife, Catherine, of Washington Court House, Tina Harris and her husband, Matt, of Sarasota, FL and Jason Waters and his wife, Mandy, of Washington Court House; five grandchildren, Nathan (Dalanee) Waters, Krista Aills Whitt, Jacob (Mersades) Waters, Josh Waters and Jonah Waters; five great grandchildren, Maycee and Josiah Whitt,  Lindsy (Lyle) Sweeney, Riley and Addie Waters;  two great great grandchildren, Nora and Sloan Sweeney and a sister, Mila Schlichter of Washington Court House.

The funeral will be Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 1 p.m. at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House, Ohio with Pastor John Pfeifer, officiating.  Burial will follow in the Washington Cemetery

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

Memorial contributions may be made to Adena Hospice, 2077 Western Avenue, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com         

Joseph Wayne Seymour, 68, of New Holland, Ohio died Thursday, March 28, 2024, at 10:07 p.m. at his home.  He had been in failing health.

Joe was born January 11, 1956, in Fayette County, Ohio to David Eugene and (Grace) Alberta Paul Seymour.  He was a lifelong resident of Fayette County.

Before his retirement, he was a truck transporter for Local Teamsters Union #654 in Springfield.

Joe was a car enthusiast and loved restoring cars and spending time in his garage.  He was a longtime member of the Dragin’ Angels Car Club.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Larry E. Seymour and his wife, Sandy; a sister, Rebecca Blair and her husband, Bob, and his father-in-law, Paul Minshall.

He is survived by his wife, the former Kathy Jo Minshall whom he married December 28, 1996; five children, Crystal (Derek) Nixon of Grove City, Tiffany (Mark) Groves of Chillicothe, Melissa Seymour of Washington Court House, Trevor Seymour of New Holland and Makayla Seymour of Washington Court House; eight grandchildren; a brother David C. Seymour and his wife, Trudy, and a sister, Carolyn Shadley, all of Washington Court House; his mother-ion-law, Carol J. Minshall of New Holland and numerous nieces and nephews.

In keeping with his wishes, cremation was observed.

A memorial visitation will be held Wednesday, April 3, 2024, from 6-8 p.m. at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in New Holland.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Carolyn Sue McCoy, 87, of Washington Court House, Ohio died peacefully on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. at St. Catherine’s Manor of Washington Court House where she had been since March 21 for respite care.

Sue was born on August 24, 1936, in Washington Court House, Ohio to Earl and Dorothy Fletcher McNutt.  She was a 1954 graduate of Washington High School and was a life-long member of this community.

She had formerly worked at several area businesses, including the Fayette County American Automobile Association, Willis Insurance and Peebles.

Sue was a member of WCH Grace Methodist Church.

She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and attending their sporting events and activities.

Sue was preceded in death by her father in 1989 and her mother in 2013.

She is survived by her husband, Jerry Willard McCoy whom she married November 8, 1974; three children, Luanne Penwell and her husband, Jack, of Deland, FL; Jackie Myers of Columbus and Mike Smith of Washington Court House; three stepdaughters, Kim McCoy (Duke Willis) and Mikki Hunter Smith (George) of Washington Court House and Toni Miller (Terry) of Chillicothe; four grandchildren, Alexis (J.R.) Meredith, Tyler (Kyra) Rood, Jennifer (Brandon) Steen and Justin Penwell;  five great grandchildren, Logan Meredith, Jace, Nash and Tori Steen and River Rood; five step grandchildren, Derek Miller, Caitie (Cory) Huffman, Jessie (Adam) Baldwin, Ryan Simmons and Sara Simmons, five step great grandchildren: Daniel Miller, Reese and Kip Huffman, Claire and Jedd Baldwin and a brother, Randy L. McNutt of Michigan

To honor her wishes, cremation was observed.

A graveside service will be held Friday, April 5, 2024, at 11 a.m. in the Washington Cemetery with the Rev. DeVon Davis, chaplain for Heartland Hospice, officiating.  Burial will be under the direction of the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House.

Immediately following the graveside service, a time of food and fellowship will be held at the McCoy residence.

Memorial contributions may be made to the downtown “Sponsor-A-Pot” project.  Please make checks payable to the Fayette County Master Gardeners Volunteers and send to 1415 U.S. Route 22-SW, Washington Court House, Ohio 43160.

Luella Louise Puckett, 96, of Washington Court House, Ohio died Friday, March 22, 2024, at 1:17 p.m. at Carriage Court Assisted Living in Washington Court House.

Luella was born June 21, 1927, in Union County, Ohio to Gerhard and Minnie Scheiderer Rausch. She was a graduate of Chuckery Darby High School in Unionville Center, Ohio and had lived in this community since 1962.

Before her retirement in 2007, she had been officer manager at Korn-O’Neill Insurance Agency for over 25 years.

She was a member of All Saints Church; was a volunteer with Hospice of Fayette County for 29 years; was a member of the ladies’ auxiliary of Burnett-Ducey Post #4964 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and also volunteered with the American Red Cross in Fayette County and the local blood bank.

Luella was preceded in death by her husband, James W. Puckett on March 9, 1983; her parents; a daughter-in-law, Alice Puckett; a brother, Carlton Rausch and his wife, Margaret, and a brother-in-law, Lewis Sale.

She is survived by five children, Charles (Marsha) Puckett of Louisville, KY; David Puckett of Xenia, OH, Loren (Carolyn) Puckett of Washington Court House; Elaine (Don Kincaid) Puckett of Hilliard, OH and Lloyd (Venus) Puckett of Aiea, Hawaii; four grandchildren; William Puckett, Clistie (Spencer) Pollock, Dan (Nina) Vest and Tyler Klopfstein; six great grandchildren, Carter and Hayes Vest, Matthew and Joanna Puckett and Knox and Ezra Pollock; two sisters, Eleanor Sale of Columbus and Margaret (Don) Bailey of Marysville and several nieces and nephews.

The funeral will be Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 1 p.m. at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House with the Rev. Ken Castor, pastor at the Wilmington Lutheran Mission Church, officiating.  Burial will follow in the Highland Cemetery in Highland, Ohio.

Friends may call at the funeral home Monday, April 1, 2024, from 6-8 p.m.

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

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Mary Mildred Hall Ellett, 99, of Washington Court House, Ohio died Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. at Four Seasons of Washington Nursing and Rehabilitation where she had been residing since May of 2023.

Mary was born November 25, 1924, in Highland County, Ohio to Elijah Moore and Josephine Nuvella Morrow Hall.  She was a graduate of Edward Lee McClain High School in Greenfield and lived most of her life in Worthington, Ohio before moving to Washington Court House in 2020.

She had formerly been employed at the Columbus Dispatch and The Ohio State University.

Mary was a member of the Overbrook Presbyterian Church in Columbus.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. C. Wayne Ellett; a daughter, Rebecca Sloan; two brothers and a sister.

Mary is survived by two grandsons, Brandt McCorkle of Maryland and Christopher Sloan and his wife, Becka, of Georgia; two great grandchildren, Briana and Kaylee Sloan; three sisters, Wanda Robinson, Judith Fabb and Jane Beatty and her husband, Bill, all of Washington Court House and many nieces and nephews.

In keeping with her wishes, cremation will be observed, and a graveside service will be held at a later date in the Greenfield Cemetery.

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

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.comMAR

Linda Jean Stinson, 82, of New Holland, Ohio died Sunday, March 3, 2024, at 9:07 p.m. at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Linda was born August 11, 1941, in Ross County, Ohio to Russell and Ruth Cozad Morris.  She lived most of her life in Ross and Pickaway Counties.

On April 26, 1976, she married Eugene Thomas Stinson, Jr.  He preceded her in death on November 23, 2009.  She was also preceded by two brothers and a sister.

Linda is survived by four children, Christina Waugh and her husband, Tim, of Ostrander, OH, Timothy Landman of Clarksburg, OH; John Russell “Rusty” Landman of New Holland and Lori Rubel and her husband, Mike, of Yorba Linda, CA; eight grandchildren, Erin, Tiffany, Zachary, Timi, Carlee, C.J., Rayder and Eli; several great grandchildren and a sister, Judy Zimmerman of Circleville.

To honor her wishes, cremation will take place.  There will be no visitation or service.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in New Holland.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Louise Peters Cruse, 81, of Washington Court House, Ohio died Friday, March 1, 2024, at 6:34 a.m. at her residence.

Louise was born December 19, 1942, in Mount Vernon, Ohio to Joshua and Ora Edith Everhart Peters.  She was a 1960 graduate of Washington High School and lived most of her life in this community.

Before her retirement, she had been a quality assurance employee at Calmar in Washington Court House for over 25 years.

On March 15, 1961, she married Clarence Lee Cruse.  He preceded her in death on June 16, 2019.  She was also preceded in death by a daughter, Carmen Lorraine Cruse Daily, on July 21, 2015; two brothers, Lawrence (Butch) Peters and Elmer Junior Peters and four sisters, Donna and Ruth Peters, Genevieve Smith and Barbara Rhoads.

She is survived by three children and their spouses, Clifford Lee and Marti Cruse of Jacksonville, FL, Christopher Lyn and Nola Cruse of Washington Court House and Crystal Louise and Troy Monroe of Washington Court House; ten grandchildren, Candace (Jason) Daugherty, Carrie (James) Shephard, Cameron Cruse, Chadd (Gabrielle) Cruse, Coty (Stefane) Cruse, Zachary (Mackenzie Bowes) Monroe, Caitlyn Cruse, Joshua (Hannah Caldwell) Monroe, Betsy (Tommy Jenkins) Daily and Curtis (Jessica) Conley, Jr.; 15 great grandchildren, Chase, Aliyah and Asher Daugherty, Hayden Mercer, Devin and Marina Shephard, Emerick and Isabelle Jenkins, Elijah Hall, MacKenzie, Emma, Eleanor and Madline Cruse, Lucian Conley and Madison Gregg; a brother, John Peters of Springfield, Ohio; a sister, Joan Bills of Washington Court House and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The funeral will be Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at 1 p.m. at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House with Christopher Conley, pastor at the Harvest Life Assemblies of God Church, and Randy Lee, pastor at Center Christian Church, officiating. Burial will follow in Washington Cemetery.

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

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Adena Health System, 111 West Water Street, Chillicothe, Ohio  45601.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com

Lester G. Moore, 76, of Washington Court House, Ohio died Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 10:25 a.m. at his home.

Lester was born June 21, 1947, in Lebanon, Ohio to Melvin and Ida Ethel Fitch Moore.  He lived most of his life in this community.

He was a 21-year employee of MacTools and retired in 2010, from Candle-lite Company after 7 years of service.

Lester enjoyed woodworking, fishing and repairing and talking on CB radios.  He particularly liked spending time with his grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and was the last of nine siblings.

Lester is survived by his wife, the former Shirley Ann Mongold whom he married January 28, 1971.  He is also survived by three children, Ricky Moore and his wife, Billie, of Bloomingburg, Jeremy Moore of Washington Court House and Tammy Knisley and her husband, Richard, of Washington Court House; 12 grandchildren, Chelsea Moore, Michael Moore, Mitchell Gordon, Emily Gordon, Tori Moore, Gage Gordon, Jennifer (Casey) Woods, Dusty Knisley, Richie Knisley, Amber Hyer, Katie Hyer and Mika Ingram; several great grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

The funeral will be Monday, March 4, 2024, at 11 a.m. at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Washington Court House. Burial will follow in the Highlawn Cemetery.

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

Following the graveside service, a reception will be held at the Bloomingburg Town Hall, 62 MainStreet, Bloomingburg, Ohio.

www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com