Mary Lynn Dale, Janet “Sue” Copas Logan, Roger L. Clark, Nila Jean Utterback, Nina Jean Ehrman, Rosanne Kemp Reed, Roberta Taylor, Ronald Major Shearer

Mary Lynn Dale

Mary Lynn Dale, age 80, passed peacefully into the loving arms of her Savior on Friday, August 28, 2026, surrounded by family.

She was born on January 13, 1946, in Kokomo, Indiana, to Charles and Goldie Kinzel.

Mary was a hard-working single mom of two sons James and John Pruitt. She raised and provided for them with much love and dedication. She always joked about her “little boys” who were both over 6 feet tall. She worked hard as a transmission technician at Chrysler Corporation, located in Kokomo, Indiana, for 27 years.

The greatest accomplishment in her life, besides her sons, was her love for her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She came to know the Lord later in life, but she gave Him her complete devotion every day since she made the commitment to follow Him. Through her love for Christ, she was dedicated in teaching Sunday School and helping in Vacation Bible School at her local church. She had a true love for children, and each one she taught brought her great joy.

Mary also loved birds and butterflies, and her family made sure her room was surrounded with both. They even provided a birdfeeder outside her window at the nursing home for her to enjoy watching the birds, which she took great pleasure in for many hours each day.

Mary is preceded in death by her grandparents, parents, siblings, and her loving husband Kent Dale. Mary is survived by her sons James (Tree) Pruitt and John (Rebecca) Pruitt, stepson Brian Dale, and stepdaughters, Lori (Paul) Oaks and Tammy (Terry) Ray, along with countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren whom she adored.

A private family service will be held on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, in the Quitman Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest next to her husband; forever in the arms of her Heavenly Father.

Janet “Sue” Copas Logan

Janet “Sue” Copas Logan, 89, of San Angelo, passed away on August 22, 2026.

She was born on March 30, 1937, to Lee Copas and Myrtle Sturgeon in Walton, Indiana.

Sue married the love of her life Don Logan on March 2, 1958, in Lafayette, Indiana. Her husband joined the Air Force, and together they traveled many places.

After graduating from Montmorenci High School in 1955, Sue began working for Sears and Robuck. She again worked for Sears while stationed in Alaska with Don.

Later, in 1968, she began working for the civil service as a clerk and retired while in San Angelo, Texas, in 1993.

Sue enjoyed a great game of cards, sharing her much loved memories of Alaska and Germany and enjoying a good glass of wine.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 60 years Don Richard Logan; her parents; and 11 brothers and sisters.

She is survived by her loving sister-in-law Dina Gifford of Galveston, IN, and numerous friends and relatives.

A graveside service will be held at Walton Cemetery in Walton, Indiana on Wednesday, September 2, at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Concho Hearts Hospice of San Angelo, Texas.

Roger L. Clark

Roger L. Clark, 74, of Claypool, passed away at 8:07 p.m. Tuesday, August 25, 2026. He was born October 24, 1950, in Kokomo, the son of Marshall and Phyllis (Napolitano) Clark.

Roger was a member of St. Patrick’s Church, where he also attended school through the eighth grade. His freshman year was spent at Lafayette Park School, and he graduated from Kokomo High School in 1968. Roger was a supervisor at Delphi Delco Electronics, where he retired in 1999 with 30 years of service. After retirement, Roger spent his summers at his lake home on Yellow Creek Lake in Claypool, IN, and he wintered at his condo in North Port, Florida. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Loyal Order of Moose, and Elks Lodge. Roger will forever be missed; his quick-witted humor was like no other. You could always count on him for a good laugh or much-needed advice.

Roger is survived by his sons Matthew Clark and Joshua (Amy) Clark; grandchildren Aaron Clark, Adam (Shaylee) Clark, Dylan (Keyton) Clark, Olivia Clark, and Abby Evans; and great-grandchildren Calypso (Sharky) Clark, Carmine Clark, Hudson Evans, and Hartley Evans. He also leaves behind his sisters Pam McCrumb and Paula Herr; and nieces and nephew Destiny Herr, Julie Williamson, and Scott McCrumb.

He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, and multiple aunts and uncles.

Friends are invited to visit with the family to celebrate Roger’s life from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Shirley & Stout Funeral Home, 1315 W. Lincoln Road, Kokomo, IN 46902. Messages of condolence may be left online at www.shirleyandstout.com.

Nila Jean Utterback

Nila Jean Utterback, 91 of Anderson, and formerly of Tipton, passed away on Sunday, August 30, 2026, in Anderson. Nila Jean was born in Paulding, Ohio, and raised in Payne, Ohio. She also lived in Willshire, Lakeview, and Gallipolis, all in Ohio, Highland, Indiana, and then to Tipton while moving her family as her husband John’s pastoral assignments changed. Nila Jean’s parents were Lewis H. and Bernice A. (Gebhart) Shaffer. She married John E. Utterback on September 5, 1953, and he preceded her in death on March 14, 2016.

Nila Jean had several different jobs throughout her life, including working as a model for L.S. Ayres, a retail display manager, restaurant hostess, high school supervisor aide, and she worked at the Emanuel Lutheran Church child care. She was a longtime member of the First Church of the Nazarene and a graduate of the Helen Wells Modeling Agency. Nila Jean enjoyed floral arranging and decorating. Nila also enjoyed collecting and restoring dolls. She loved watching Westerns on TV, especially John Wayne! But her No. 1 activity was shopping!

Survivors include her three children Jackie Greene and husband Eric of Alexandria, Jay Utterback and wife Karen of Indianapolis, and Amy Roberts and husband Wade of Anderson. Nila Jean has six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by one sister and brother-in-law Betty and David Barkley.

Nila Jean’s funeral will be held in Payne, Ohio. Her funeral will be at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, at the Dooley Funeral Home, 5761 State Route 500, Payne, Ohio, 45880 with Rev. David Stout presiding. Burial will follow in Wiltsie Cemetery, also in Payne. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Young-Nichols Funeral Home is assisting Nila Jean’s family with her arrangements. Online condolences may be left on her obituary page at www.young-nichols.com. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee, 38105.

Nina Jean Ehrman

Nina Jean Ehrman, 101, of Indianapolis, passed away peacefully at 7:42 a.m. Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at IU West Hospital in Avon.

Nina was born on August 18, 1925, in Ervin Township, Kokomo, Indiana, the daughter of Homer and Mabel (Harmon) Morrison. On April 14, 1946, she married J. Frank Ehrman in Burlington, Indiana. He preceded her in death on April 22, 2013.

Nina was a 1943 graduate of Burlington High School. Throughout her life, she worked in a variety of roles, including as a switchboard operator in Burlington, in production at Delco Radio, as a secretary for the Employment Security Division, a teller at AFNB, a secretary for Lincoln Life Insurance, and a sales representative at L.S. Ayres.

Nina’s greatest joy, however, was her family. She cared deeply for those she loved and treasured the time she spent with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchild. Her family was at the center of her life, and she will be remembered for the love, care, and presence she gave to the generations that followed her. The memories she created with them will remain a lasting part of her family’s story.

Nina was a member of Ben Davis Christian Church, where she sang in the choir. Her faith, her love of family, and her commitment to those around her were important parts of her life.

She is survived by her son Mark E. Ehrman (Gayanna) of Brownsburg; daughter Jan C. Kamplain (Bruce) of Carmel; grandchildren Stacy Hutson, Todd Ehrman (Ann Marie), Sarah West (Bryan), and Lauren Griffith (Patrick); great-grandchildren Paige Holder (Clayton), Cody Sampson (Cheyenne), Keegan Ehrman, Greyson West, Sloane West, Hollis Griffith, Harper Griffith, and Hazel Griffith; great-great-grandchild Iris Holder; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband J. Frank Ehrman; and her brothers and sisters.

A funeral service will be held at noon Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Ben Davis Christian Church, 701 S. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46241. Friends are invited to visit with the family from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Burial will follow at Burlington Cemetery.

Stout & Son Funeral Home in Russiaville has been entrusted with arrangements. Messages of condolence may be made at www.stoutandson.com.

Rosanne Kemp Reed

Rosanne Kemp Reed, 75, of Indianapolis and Kempton, Indiana, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2026, at Community North Hospital in Indianapolis, with her husband at her side.

For more than two decades, Rosanne lived with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic disease that slowly narrowed her world, first through worsening COPD, later through liver cirrhosis. She never let it define her. Rosanne founded Hoosier Alphas, an Indianapolis support group affiliated with the Alpha-1 Foundation, and led it for years, showing up for other families navigating the same rare diagnosis long before most people had ever heard the words “alpha-1.” It was only the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic that finally kept her home.

Rosanne was born December 20, 1950, in Tipton, Indiana, to Col. Joseph A. Kemp and Canadian-born Gloria Cressey Kemp of Kempton, Indiana. Kempton in Tipton County was named after her Kemp ancestors, who donated much of the land on which the town was built. She was one of the first born in the Tipton hospital that opened in 1950.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Marvin Kemp. Surviving are three brothers Jay (Becky) Kemp of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Joe (Pearl) Kemp of Castaic, California, and Karl (Susie) Kemp of Reelsville, Indiana; husband Michael E. Reed; sons Jade Howard of Port Ste. Lucie, Florida, Paul LeRoy of Paris, France, and Will (Andrea) Watson of Thomasville, North Carolina; stepsons Eli (Natalie) Reed of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chris (Tish) Reed and Kyle (Sierra) Reed of Carmel, Indiana, 13 grandchildren; and one great grandchild. Grandchildren include Monty James, Cali Rose, Lydia Thomas, Gemma Watson, Rory Watson, Kai Watson, Caleb Reed, Aidan Reed, Scarlett Reed, Anaya Reed, Ari Reed, Kyla Reed, and Evangeline June Hart. Her great-grandchild is Lux Kyoko Rose.

Rosanne grew up as an Army brat, daughter of a veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. She lived on U.S. bases in Okinawa, France, Germany, and multiple bases in the U.S. She returned to Kempton regularly to stay with her grandmother Charlotte (Lottie) Kemp when her family could not join her father on assignments in Korea and Vietnam. Her high school years started in Kaiserslautern, Germany, where she sang in a local teen club band and showed off her Motown dance moves with her brother Marvin. She lived in Detroit in the early 1960s.

She finished her high school years in Fort Riley, Kansas, living in the officers’ circle that was once home of generals George Custer and George Patton. In 1968, she graduated from Junction City High School and enrolled in Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. After a year at IU, Rosanne transferred to Bauder College in Miami, Florida, to complete a merchandising degree.

Rosanne’s employment included wide variety from the Garden of the Gods Country Club in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to various jobs in Eagle Creek, Alaska, Huntington Beach, California, Phoenix, Arizona, and Montreal, Canada, returning to Indiana in 1986. She became Human Resources Manager for Exide Corporation in Frankfort, Indiana, where she met her future husband of 33 years Michael Reed, marrying at the Kemp Methodist Church in Tipton on December 5, 1992. The Reeds moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Rosanne became Director of Human Resources for the Grand Milwaukee Hotel. The Reeds moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil, Texas, and Connecticut with employment, then returned to Indiana to own and operate three Midas Auto Repair shops in Indianapolis and Lafayette. The Reeds sold their Midas shops and retired in 2024.

Rosanne was influenced by her cousin Gretchen Kemp, a distinguished Indiana University journalism professor. Along her journey, Rosanne drafted articles for Protect Yourself, a consumer magazine in Montreal, Canada, (as Rosanne LeRoy), and the Ozaukee County News Graphic and Inside Magazine in Cedarburg, Wisconsin (as Rosanne Reed).

Rosanne was a strong partner and maintained many lifelong friendships. She was an adventurer, a spiritual believer with a pure heart, a dreamer and devoted lover of people, and a born negotiator.

Visitation and a Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, September 19, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Kemp United Methodist Church, 228 N. Main Street, Tipton, Indiana, 46072. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Kemp United Methodist Church would be appreciated.

Young-Nichols Funeral Home is honored to assist the Reed family at this time. Online condolences for the family may be left on Rosanne’s obituary page at www.young-nichols.com.

Roberta Taylor

Roberta Taylor, 95, of South Bend, Indiana, formerly of Greentown, passed away on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at Memorial Hospital of South Bend. She was born on January 15, 1931, in Kentucky, the daughter of Ezekiel Thomas Payne and Gertie Ann (Spicer) Payne. On January 10, 1948, she married Paskel J. Taylor in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and he preceded her in death on February 3, 2000.

Roberta and her husband owned and operated the fruit stand near the fairgrounds in Greentown for many years. She enjoyed attending church, caring for her grandchildren, and writing poetry.

She is survived by her son-in-law Phillip Johnson; grandchildren Callie Riggs, Mary (Billy) McLaurine, Ashleigh Davis, Eli Riggs, Josh (Meredith) Riggs, and Brant Johnson; brother Lester (Lena) Payne; seven great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and husband, Roberta was preceded in death by two daughters Cindy Taylor and Barbara Johnson and several siblings.

Messages of condolence may be made at www.hasler-stout.com.

Ronald Major Shearer

Ronald Major Shearer, known to many as Ron, passed away on August 23, 2026, in Kokomo, Indiana, at the age of 75.

Ron was born on June 28, 1951, in Frankfort, Indiana, to Lee and Pearl Shearer. He was raised with the values of hard work, honesty, and perseverance that would guide him throughout his life. A Christian by faith, Ron lived with quiet strength, a generous spirit, and a steady devotion to the people and work he loved.

Ron graduated from Frankfort High School with the Class of 1969 and went on to complete the Purdue University Engineering program with honors. His education reflected both his natural intelligence and his determination to excel. He had a lifelong curiosity and a remarkable ability to understand how things worked. If something was broken, Ron made it his mission to figure out how to fix it, and he was rarely satisfied until he had learned something new in the process.

He built a distinguished career in engineering and held many patents throughout his professional life. Ron worked for GM/Delco for many years, where his skill, creativity, and problem-solving ability were deeply valued. It was there where he developed many friendships with coworkers that he continued to enjoy through retirement. He was known for approaching complex engineering challenges with patience and precision. His mind was always active, and he enjoyed working with computer programs, researching ideas, and finding practical solutions to difficult problems. His work reflected both his talent and his dedication, and he took great pride in the contributions he made over the years.

Ron grew up as a farmer on his family farm, and that early life shaped much of who he became. He loved working outdoors and found satisfaction in staying busy with meaningful tasks. He also enjoyed carpentry, music, and learning new skills. In recent years, he found great enjoyment in 3D printing, which gave him another way to explore his creativity and technical interests. He especially loved beach vacations, bowling, and golfing, and he took great pride in the accomplishments of his children and the life he shared with his wife.

Ron was a friendly, funny, and intelligent man who made an impression on those around him. He had a warm presence, a quick wit, and a genuine way of connecting with others. He was devoted to his family and especially cherished his wife Sharon Ward Shearer, with whom he shared 53 years of marriage. Their life together was built on love, loyalty, and companionship. He is also survived by his daughter Kristie Raine Shearer, his son Ronald William Ty Shearer, and his grandson Kyler William Ty Shearer.

He was preceded in death by his parents Lee and Pearl Shearer. The family extends heartfelt thanks to the nurses and staff at Compassus Hospice and Wellbrooke of Kokomo, as well as Dr. Hayek in Oncology and the nurses in the Cancer Center for their compassionate care and support.

Ron will be remembered for his intelligence, his humor, his friendliness, and the many ways he used his gifts to help others. His life was marked by hard work, curiosity, and love for his family, and his memory will remain a lasting blessing to all who knew him.

He is missed but will never be forgotten.

Per Ron’s wishes there will not be a funeral. If you wish to leave a contribution in his memory, please consider donating to the Kokomo Humane Society.

City of Firsts Cremation and Funeral Services by Rose and Geiger was entrusted with the arrangements. www.cityoffirstscremations.com