09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College
09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College
09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College
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OBITUARIES<br />
The ’30s<br />
W. Edwin Threlkeld ’39 died<br />
Sept. 12, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. During his<br />
<strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong> career, he was<br />
a member of Sigma Alpha<br />
Epsilon and lettered in football<br />
and baseball. He was employed<br />
as a metallurgist at American<br />
Bearing Corp., and he was<br />
consulted by the Secret Service<br />
regarding developing atomic<br />
energy. He was a member of<br />
Southport Presbyterian Church,<br />
Mystic Tie Lodge and<br />
Indianapolis Valley of Scottish<br />
Rite. He was an avid golfer and<br />
race fan. He was a resident of<br />
Greenwood, Ind. Survivors<br />
include his wife, Helen, a son,<br />
four grandchildren and five<br />
great-grandchildren.<br />
The ’40s<br />
Harry Bertram ’41 died<br />
Aug. 17, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He was a veteran,<br />
who served under Patton’s<br />
3rd Army. He was awarded the<br />
Bronze Star in the Battle of the<br />
Bulge. He worked for 33 years<br />
at Allison-GM as a tool and die<br />
maker. He was a member of<br />
Monument Lodge, the Scottish<br />
Rite and the Shrine Clown<br />
Association. He was a resident of<br />
Indianapolis. Survivors include<br />
his wife Roberta, four children,<br />
13 grandchildren and 16 greatgrandchildren.<br />
J.W. Patterson ’41 died July 5,<br />
<strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. While at <strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong>,<br />
he was a member of Sigma Alpha<br />
Epsilon. He worked for 45 years<br />
in retail credit and retired in<br />
1983 from Weinstock’s, a<br />
department store. He loved<br />
golfing, swimming, playing bridge<br />
and being with family. He was a<br />
resident of Sacramento, Calif.<br />
Survivors include his wife,<br />
Mary, two sons, two stepsons,<br />
six grandchildren and four<br />
great-grandchildren.<br />
John Richard “Dick” Russell ’46<br />
died July 11, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. While at<br />
<strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong>, he played<br />
football for the Grizzlies. He later<br />
owned and operated Dalmbert<br />
and Co. He was a member of the<br />
Kiwanis, Greensburg Country<br />
Club, Elks Club and Sons of<br />
the American Legion. He was a<br />
resident of Greensburg, Ind.<br />
Survivors include a sister, four<br />
stepdaughters, six grandchildren<br />
and four great-grandchildren.<br />
Barbara “Bobbie” (Harkless)<br />
Easterday ’47 died April 24, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>.<br />
She was an agent with 21st<br />
Century Realty Group. She was<br />
a member of the First United<br />
Methodist Church of Noblesville,<br />
where she participated in the<br />
bell and choral choirs. She was<br />
interested in scrapbooking,<br />
playing the accordion and<br />
making candy. She was a resident<br />
of Noblesville, Ind. Survivors<br />
include three daughters and<br />
five grandchildren.<br />
Phyllis Marie (Ester) Cummings<br />
’48 died April <strong>20</strong>, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. During<br />
her time at <strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong>, she<br />
was initiated into Zeta Tau Alpha;<br />
the organization awarded her a<br />
50-year membership pin in 1995.<br />
She graduated from <strong>Franklin</strong><br />
with a bachelor’s degree in<br />
sociology. She and her husband<br />
co-owned Cummings Standard<br />
and Cummings Auto Service for<br />
46 years. She was a resident of<br />
Boise, Idaho. Survivors include<br />
her two children, five grandchildren,<br />
two stepgrandchildren<br />
and 11 great-grandchildren.<br />
Leon Pacala ’49, Ph.D., died<br />
Sept. 9, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He was an<br />
ordained minister of the<br />
American Baptist Churches and<br />
had served 11 years as executive<br />
director of the Association of<br />
Theological Schools (ATS) until<br />
his retirement in 1991. Prior to<br />
accepting the leadership role<br />
at ATS he served in various<br />
leadership roles, including<br />
president of Colgate-Rochester<br />
Divinity School, dean and<br />
professor of religion at Bucknell<br />
University and assistant professor<br />
of philosophy and religion at<br />
DePauw University. He had<br />
served on Union Theological<br />
Seminary’s Board of Trustees<br />
since <strong>20</strong>00, bringing his vast<br />
experience in theological<br />
education to Union’s educational<br />
policy committee. He also served<br />
on the <strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong> Board<br />
of Trustees from 1967–80 and<br />
1998–<strong>20</strong>01, and he received an<br />
honorary doctorate of letters<br />
from <strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong> in 1987.<br />
He was a resident of Rochester,<br />
N.Y. Survivors include his wife<br />
of 19 years, Virginia, three sons,<br />
two stepdaughters, one stepson,<br />
eight grandchildren, eight stepgrandchildren.<br />
His sister, Vera<br />
Evans ’54, is a current member<br />
of the <strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong> Alumni<br />
Council.<br />
Joseph Siegel ’49 died June 26,<br />
<strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He held a master’s in<br />
business administration from<br />
Miami of Ohio University. He<br />
joined RCA Corp., a predecessor<br />
to GE, in the early 1950s, and<br />
he retired from the company as<br />
a skilled-labor relations executive.<br />
He enjoyed playing tennis,<br />
balloon tossing with his beloved<br />
dog, J.R., and watching the<br />
Philadelphia Eagles play football.<br />
He was a resident of Medford<br />
Lakes, N.J. He was preceded in<br />
death by his wife, Marge, and<br />
son, Mike. Survivors include a<br />
son and a daughter and two<br />
grandchildren.<br />
The ’50s<br />
Worth Bennett ’50 died Jan. 28,<br />
<strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He was a member of Kappa<br />
Delta Rho. He also was a World<br />
War II veteran who served in<br />
India with the U.S. Army Air<br />
Forces. He worked at Farm<br />
Bureau Insurance for 37 years<br />
and retired as personnel director<br />
in 1987. He was a member of<br />
Hopewell Presbyterian Church<br />
and Hillview Country Club.<br />
He enjoyed gardening, golfing,<br />
fishing and spending time with<br />
his family and friends. He was<br />
a resident of Whiteland, Ind.<br />
Survivors include his wife,<br />
Marilyn, three children and<br />
four grandchildren.<br />
Robert J. Henselin ’50 died<br />
July 5, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He was a veteran of<br />
the U.S. Army. He made a career<br />
in the textile industry, retiring<br />
from Penn Emblem Co. in 1995.<br />
He and his family were founding<br />
members of All Saints Catholic<br />
Church in Dunwoody, Ga., and<br />
he worked tirelessly on the<br />
pastoral board and other<br />
committees. He also volunteered<br />
with the Meals on Wheels<br />
organization and the Atlanta<br />
Lawn Tennis Association. He<br />
was a resident of Dunwood, Ga.<br />
Survivors include his wife of 57<br />
years, Mary, two daughters and<br />
three grandchildren.<br />
William G. “Bill” Fateley ’51 died<br />
July 30, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. During his <strong>Franklin</strong><br />
<strong>College</strong> career, he was president<br />
of the Science Club and a<br />
member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon<br />
and Alpha Honorary Society.<br />
He also participated in track.<br />
He graduated from <strong>Franklin</strong> with<br />
a degree in biology. He pursued<br />
graduate studies at Northwestern<br />
University and received his<br />
doctorate in physical chemistry<br />
from Kansas State University.<br />
He also engaged in post-graduate<br />
studies at the University of<br />
Maryland and University of<br />
Minnesota. He was a research<br />
fellow at the Mellon Institute<br />
and later became a chemistry<br />
professor at Carnegie Mellon<br />
University. In 1965, he received<br />
an honorary doctorate of science<br />
from <strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong>. In 1972,<br />
he returned to Kansas State<br />
University as a chemistry professor<br />
and later became head of the<br />
department. He retired in 1997<br />
as a distinguished professor. He<br />
was well known in the academic<br />
community, having served as<br />
editor-in-chief of the Journal of<br />
68 FRANKLIN REPORTER WWW.FRANKLINCOLLEGE.EDU