Gary L. Allen
MOUNT VERNON — Gary Lee Allen, 71, of Mount Vernon died May 1, 2005, at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus.

He was born Sept. 7, 1933, in Danville to Fordyce and Geneva Pearl (Sterett) Allen. He was a member of the AMVETS Post 95 and the Moose Lodge.

He is survived by a son, Chris (Angel) Allen of Mount Vernon; a brother, Terry Allen of Mount Vernon; two stepsons, Jeff (Cheri) Rine of Mount Vernon and Scott (Crissy) Rine of Fredericktown; a stepdaughter, Teresa (Jeff) Hawkins of Gambier; eight grandchildren, Rachel and Austin Allen, and Kayla, Ethan, Evan, Brandon, Hunter and Hope Rine.

Besides his parents he was preceded in death by a sister-in-law, Nora Jean Allen

A celebration of life service for Gary will be held Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. at AMVETS Post 95, 206 W. Ohio Ave., Mount Vernon. The North-Dilley Funeral Home assisted the family with the arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made in Gary’s name to Hospice of Knox County, 302 E. High St., Mount Vernon, OH 43050. This obituary, along with an online guest registry page, may be viewed at www.dilleyfuneralservice.com.

Claude W. Berger
BELOIT — Claude Wilson Berger, 86, of Beloit died Saturday, April 30, 2005, at his residence.

He was born June 16, 1918, in North Georgetown, Knox Township, to Peter and Rosetta (Stoller) Berger. He was a self-employed dairy farmer, retiring in 1989. Mr. Berger was a member of the North Georgetown Emmanuel Lutheran Church, where he was past council member, Sunday school teacher, Sunday school superintendent and committee member. He was a member of the Columbiana Farm Bureau.

He is survived by his wife, Edith (Starbuck) Berger, whom he married Nov. 27, 1938. Also surviving are daughters, Carol Iler of Salem, Sally (James Harder) Berger of Mount Vernon and Martha (Douglas) Dye of Beloit; sons, James (Louise) Berger of Erie, Pa., and John (Suzanne) Berger of Homeworth and Daniel (Beverly) Berger of Greenford; 29 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and sisters, Eva Barnett and Jane Griffith, both of Salem, and Evelyn Albright of Alliance.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a son-in-law, Larry Iler; and sisters, Birdena Berger and Bernice Woolf.

Calling hours will be today from 3 to 9 p.m. in the Gednetz Ruzek Funeral Home in Sebring, where the family will be present from 7 to 9 p.m. The funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the North Georgetown Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Pastor Walter Jordan will officiate. Burial will be in North Georgetown Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Emmanuel Lutheran Church, North Georgetown, OH 44665; or Hospice of the Valley, 5190 Market St., Youngstown, OH 44512.

Wendell Tiller
MOUNT VERNON — Wendell Tiller, 62, of Mount Vernon died Sunday, May 1, 2005, at his home after an extended illness.

He was owner of TNT Carpentry in Columbus, and an avid hunter and CB’er.

He is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Judy Tiller; children, Tammy (William) Bentley of Mount Vernon, Wendell T. (Stacey) Tiller of Newark and Donald (Sherry) Tiller of Howard; grandchildren, Mellissa “Missy,” Tiffany, Amber, Brittney, Morgan and Jake; son-in-law, Steve Albert; brothers, Virgil (Gloria) Tiller and Danny (Michelle) Tiller; sisters, Esclene (Dallas) Muncy, Judy Hilles and Christine DeBoard; sister-in-law, Martha Tiller; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Mary (Bell) Tiller; two brothers; and a sister.

Friends may call today from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Johnson-Melick-Moreland Funeral Home, 49 W. Church St., Centerburg, where service will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. The Rev. Jim Green will officiate. Interment will be in Brandon Cemetery.

The family would like to give special thanks to Lori Collins with Hospice of Knox County, for her loving care and support to Wendell and his family.

John R. Worner
BELLVILLE — John Richard Worner, 58, of Ohio 13, Bellville, died Monday afternoon, May 2, 2005, in Bennington Glen, Marengo, following a long series of illnesses.

He was born July 8, 1946, in Mansfield, and had been a lifelong Bellville area resident. John graduated from Clear Fork High School in 1964, and attended The Ohio State University. During the Vietnam War era he served with the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany. For the past 37 years he had worked with Shafer Valve, originally as a draftsman, but most of those years as a sales and customer service representative.

John was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Bellville, where he formerly served on church council. For 13 years, he served on the Bellville Agricultural Fair Board, and for six years on the Livestock Committee of the Richland County Fair. Over the years, John raised all manner of livestock: cows, hogs, sheep — and was active and supportive of his children’s 4-H animal projects. Their home was active with all sorts of animals: horses, pigs, more cats than you can count, and even opossum and a skunk.

Horsepower, not horses, would win his favor. Since the age of 15, he was active in tractor pulls — with about every group he could find: the Ohio State Tractor Pullers Association, Ohio State Antique Tractor Pullers Association, Central Ohio Antique Tractor Pullers Association and the Buckeye Iron Will Tractor Club, to name a few. He could most often be seen perched atop his 1954 Farmall Super MTA that had been his Dad’s, a 1948 Farmall, or a 1956 International T-340 Crawler bulldozer.

Strong in the work ethic department, John kept busy in his gardens and farming. Until 1990 he farmed his father’s land, and thereafter helped a cousin farm. He was most often found outside, and tilled, mowed and landscaped for others with his other (green) tractor. None of these activities kept him from his children’s school athletic activities, and playing with his grandkids.

He is survived by his wife, Malinda K. (Smith) Worner, whom he married Oct. 14, 1972; their children, Mike and Tobi Worner of Jeromesville, Misty Worner of Mansfield, and Marla and Warren Reynolds of Mansfield; three precious grandchildren, Kortney Morris, Kristopher Worner and Owen Reynolds; his father, Richard M. Worner of Bellville; two brothers and sisters-in-law, William and Paula Worner and Clifford and Lana Worner, all of Bellville; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Robert and Anna Hamilton of Bellville; several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; and numerous nieces and nephews; as well as a huge circle of friends.

His mother, Thelma Lucille (Russell) Worner, preceded him in death on May 28, 1988.

The family will receive friends Thursday, May 5, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. in the Bellville Snyder Funeral Home. A worship service, giving glory to God for the life of John R. Worner, will be held Friday at 11 a.m. in St. Paul Lutheran Church, 48 Church St., Bellville, with the Rev. Douglas J. Pretorius officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Memorial Park, where Irvin Hiskey Post 535, American Legion, will hold graveside military honors.

Memorial contributions to the John R. Worner Memorial Fund to benefit the Bellville community may be made at the funeral home. Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.