Local Obituaries

Dec 29, 2023

Norma R. Ochs, 90 of Port Clinton, OH died Friday, December 29, 2023 at Stein Hospice in Sandusky, OH. She was born February 27, 1933 in Fremont, OH to the late Edward and Rose (Beier) Hoelzle. In 1957 she married John Ochs who preceded her in death in 1991. She was a 1951 graduate of Fremont Saint Joseph High...

Dec 29, 2023

Dorothy June Buchman, 97 of Port Clinton, OH died Friday, December 29, 2023 at her home surrounded by her loving family. She was born August 19, 1926 in Toledo, OH to the late Ernest H. and Frances C. (Russert) Ganther. She was a 1944 graduate of Port Clinton High School. On May 10, 1947 she married Justin L. Buchman...

Dec 27, 2023

Margaret A. “Annie” Benton, 57 of Port Clinton, OH died Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at Stein Hospice in Sandusky, OH. She was born March 4, 1966 in Port Clinton, OH to the late Bobby and Mabel (Rister) Hopkins. She was a 1984 graduate of Port Clinton High School. She was currently working as a housekeeper for the White Caps...

Dec 23, 2023

Mary Frances Evans, 83, of Lakeside-Marblehead, OH passed away Saturday, December 23, 2023 at Magruder Hospital, Port Clinton, OH. She was born January 2, 1940 in Auburn, WV the daughter of William Hayward and Verna (Moore) Hall. She married Leonard Thomas Evans on

October 12, 1968 at Auburn United Methodist Church. Mary worked as a teacher’s aide...

Dec 21, 2023

Roger L. Smith, 76, of Port Clinton passed away Thursday, December 21, 2023 at his home. He was born April 26, 1947 in Port Clinton, OH the son of Joseph A. and Lavonne F. (Payne) Smith. Roger worked for GE Superabrasives. He was a United States Army Veteran serving in the Vietnam War. Roger loved riding his Harley.

Dec 17, 2023

Kenneth Podger of Marblehead, OH passed away December 17, 2023 at the age of 91. He was born September 11, 1932 in Syracuse, NY, the son of Harold and Florence

Podger, and the youngest of 9 children. Ken was a United States Marine serving in the Korean War. He had a long career as an engineer, building...

Dec 16, 2023

Wayne S. Dill, 77 of Oak Harbor, OH and Clarksville, TN, died Saturday, December 16, 2023 at Regency Hospital, Oregon, OH. He was born March 17, 1946 in Dover, Delaware to the late Paul R. and Beatrice N. (Hays) Dill. He was a 1964 graduate of Fremont Ross High School and attended Pennsylvania Military College. On January 6, 1966,...

Dec 15, 2023

Emma M. Wilburn, 96, of Oak Harbor, OH, passed away Friday, December 15, 2023 at Elmwood Skilled Nursing of Fremont, Fremont, OH. She was born in Carroll Township, Ottawa County on March 28, 1927, a daughter of the late Albert & Mattie (Hemminger) Rose. Emma was a graduate of Salem-Oak Harbor High School and was a lifelong member of...

Dec 13, 2023

Michael D. “Mike” “Frog” Murray, 70 of Elmore, OH died Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at his home under Hospice Care surrounded by his family. He was born November 1, 1953 in Fremont, OH to the late James M. “Cork” and Julia D. (Vargo) Murray. He was a 1972 graduate of Woodmore High School. On March 27, 1976 he married...

Dec 12, 2023

Gary L. Holmes, Jr. (51) passed away peacefully at home on December 12th, 2023, with his wife and daughter lovingly by his side. This followed a courageous 14-month battle with brain cancer.

Born March 24th, 1972, in Port Clinton, OH, the son of Gary L. Holmes Sr., birth mother, Denise Edwards. Eldest sibling to Thomas...

Dec 12, 2023

Lloyd John Dayton, 96 of Danbury, Ohio passed away December 12th, 2023, with family at his side at Valley View Health Campus in Fremont, Ohio.

Lloyd was born October 20th, 1927, as the 4th child of John and Lydia (Kihlken) Dayton. He graduated from Lakeside High School in 1945 and joined the Navy at the end of...

Dec 11, 2023

Joseph John Maurer, 81, of Marblehead, OH, and formerly of Ontario, OH, passed away December 11, 2023, at Riverview Healthcare Campus. He was born November 19, 1942, in Mansfield, OH, the son of John J. and Julia (Stehle) Maurer. He married Mary Colleen Corbin on April 20, 1968. He was a veteran of the United States Navy, serving during...

Dec 10, 2023

Ronald L. Pendleton, 82, passed away peacefully Sunday December 10th in his home watching Gunsmoke.

Born May 7th, 1941 in Ney Ohio, Defiance County. Son of the late Agnes (Pendleton) Mack and Ross Pendleton. His father, Ross, died in Italy serving our country during WWII in 1945.

Ron graduated from Sandusky High School...

Dec 10, 2023

Carol Ann Baker, 77 of Elmore, OH died Sunday, December 10, 2023 at Mercy -St. Vincent Medical Center, Toledo, OH. She was born April 14, 1946 in Toledo, OH to the late Edward and Elizabeth (Minor) Pietrzak. Carol earned a Masters degree in Education and touched the lives of many in her 32 years as an English teacher at...

Dec 9, 2023

Thomas L. Rhodes, 61, of Port Clinton, OH passed away Saturday, December 9, 2023 at Firelands Regional Medical Center, Sandusky, OH. He was born January 5, 1962 in Port Clinton, a son of Robert E. and Helen P. (Beckley) Rhodes, Sr. Tommy was a marine mechanic for 30+ years at Catawba Island Marina. He previously served on the Port ...

Dec 9, 2023

Rosalyn Naomi “Rose” Wozniak, 90, of Port Clinton, OH passed away Saturday, December 9, 2023 at Magruder Hospital, Port Clinton, OH. She was born June 3, 1933 in Port Clinton, the daughter of Louis and Pauline (Finken) Kuzma. She married Alfred J. Wozniak, Sr. on September 8, 1951 and together they have shared over 72 years of marriage. Alfred...

Dec 8, 2023

Donald C. Stephens, 89 of Put-in-Bay, OH passed away December 8, 2023 at Stein Hospice Care Center, Sandusky, OH. He was born January 27, 1934 in Lakewood, OH to the late Fred and Eleanor (Nutting) Stephens.

Some people have affectionately known him as “Grundoon”, a nickname given to him by his Army buddies while stationed...

Dec 7, 2023

Donald U. Kiser, 70, of Marblehead and formerly of Fremont passed away Thursday, December 7, 2023 at his home. He was born November 8, 1953 in Fremont, the son of Herbert and Felista “Smitty” (Smith) Kiser. He married Judy Boytim on November 30, 1985. Don and his brothers owned and operated Kiser Brothers Plumbing & Heating in Fremont, OH...

Dec 6, 2023

Stephan P. Heschel, 78, of Oak Harbor passed away Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at Bay Park Community Hospital, Oregon, Ohio. He was born December 10, 1944 in Fremont, OH the son of Jerald and Madonna (Cooper) Heschel, Sr. He married Mary Lucal on November 28, 1970. He retired from Management at Coca-Cola in 2002. He was a life member...

Dec 5, 2023

Ronald Lee Strause, 84, of Frisco, Texas, passed away December 5, 2023, surrounded by members of his family in McKinney, Texas.

Ron was born Oct 5, 1939, in Sandusky, Ohio to his proud parents, Kenneth Robert Strause and Thelma Madeline (Longberry) Strause of Lakeside, Ohio. The family moved to nearby Port Clinton, Ohio where Ron...