Cleora Mae Cauffman
April 25, 2017 at 3:26 p.m.
By -
Cleora was born the second of five children to Clarence Burr Ellenwood and Maggie Miller Ellenwood on June 2, 1924, in Wellsville, Kan. When Cleora was 13, her mother died and the family returned to Indiana to be nearer family.
She attended and graduated from Claypool High School with the class of 1942. It was here that she met her future husband, Dale E. Cauffman. Cleora and Dale faithfully attended alumni banquets throughout the following seven decades.
On Nov. 26, 1942, at Claypool Evangelical United Brethren Church, Dale and Cleora were married. They shared an enduring loving marriage for over 63 years before Dale’s passing on Feb. 19, 2006.
Cleora is survived by four children: Rebecca (John) Zimmerman, San Antonio, Texas; Rita Cauffman, Warsaw; Randall (Linda) Cauffman, Mountain Home, Idaho; and Rhonda (Jim) Rigney, Mishawaka. There are nine grandchildren who meant the world to Cleora: Marcus (Lisa) Zimmerman, San Antonio; Martha Jane (Rich) Ekstrom, Elkhart; Michael (Melissa) Zimmerman, New Paris; Nathaniel (Katlin) Cauffman, Nicholas Cauffman and Andrew (Amanda) Cauffman, all of Boise, Idaho; Zachary and Dane Rigney, both of Carmel; and Tyler Rigney, Akron, Ohio. There are 13 great-grandchildren, and much to Cleora’s delight a great-great-granddaughter was born this past October.
Cleora is also survived by sisters Mary Patterson, Warsaw, and Ida Helvey-Cripe, North Manchester.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, sister Burrlene Harris and brother Earl Ellenwood.
Cleora was the Wayne Township assessor for 24 years, retiring in 1992.
Cleora and Dale were inducted into the Republican Hall of Fame in 1987. She was past Woman of the Year for the GOP, a long-standing member of the Happy Homemakers Club, a member of Kosciusko Home Extension for over 70 years, and could be found displaying her flowers, vegetables and crocheted works at the fair every year. The spectacular garden you saw driving south of town on Ind. 15 belonged to them.
Cleora and Dale took their children on many adventures across the United States from one coast to the other in the family RV. They visited many family members on their travels. In time, the grandchildren got to be part of the adventures and loved camping with them.
Cleora was a member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church.
Visitation with the family will be from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, in McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel, Warsaw.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 27, at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, with Pastor Tom Miller officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw.
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Memorials to Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, IN 46590.
To sign the guestbook or send a condolence, go to www.mchattonsadlerfuneralchapels.com.
Cleora was born the second of five children to Clarence Burr Ellenwood and Maggie Miller Ellenwood on June 2, 1924, in Wellsville, Kan. When Cleora was 13, her mother died and the family returned to Indiana to be nearer family.
She attended and graduated from Claypool High School with the class of 1942. It was here that she met her future husband, Dale E. Cauffman. Cleora and Dale faithfully attended alumni banquets throughout the following seven decades.
On Nov. 26, 1942, at Claypool Evangelical United Brethren Church, Dale and Cleora were married. They shared an enduring loving marriage for over 63 years before Dale’s passing on Feb. 19, 2006.
Cleora is survived by four children: Rebecca (John) Zimmerman, San Antonio, Texas; Rita Cauffman, Warsaw; Randall (Linda) Cauffman, Mountain Home, Idaho; and Rhonda (Jim) Rigney, Mishawaka. There are nine grandchildren who meant the world to Cleora: Marcus (Lisa) Zimmerman, San Antonio; Martha Jane (Rich) Ekstrom, Elkhart; Michael (Melissa) Zimmerman, New Paris; Nathaniel (Katlin) Cauffman, Nicholas Cauffman and Andrew (Amanda) Cauffman, all of Boise, Idaho; Zachary and Dane Rigney, both of Carmel; and Tyler Rigney, Akron, Ohio. There are 13 great-grandchildren, and much to Cleora’s delight a great-great-granddaughter was born this past October.
Cleora is also survived by sisters Mary Patterson, Warsaw, and Ida Helvey-Cripe, North Manchester.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, sister Burrlene Harris and brother Earl Ellenwood.
Cleora was the Wayne Township assessor for 24 years, retiring in 1992.
Cleora and Dale were inducted into the Republican Hall of Fame in 1987. She was past Woman of the Year for the GOP, a long-standing member of the Happy Homemakers Club, a member of Kosciusko Home Extension for over 70 years, and could be found displaying her flowers, vegetables and crocheted works at the fair every year. The spectacular garden you saw driving south of town on Ind. 15 belonged to them.
Cleora and Dale took their children on many adventures across the United States from one coast to the other in the family RV. They visited many family members on their travels. In time, the grandchildren got to be part of the adventures and loved camping with them.
Cleora was a member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church.
Visitation with the family will be from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, in McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel, Warsaw.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 27, at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, with Pastor Tom Miller officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw.
*****
Memorials to Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, IN 46590.
To sign the guestbook or send a condolence, go to www.mchattonsadlerfuneralchapels.com.
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