COLUMBIA CITY - Luella M. Hawk, 95, of Columbia City, died at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 1, 2010, in Sycamore Village, Fort Wayne.
She was born Oct. 24, 1914, in Meade County, Kan., to John Sherman and Ella May Landis Francis. On Dec. 22, 1935, in North West, she married Theodore "Ted" M. Hawk, who preceded her in death.
She lived in Kansas during her formative years. From 1932-35, she traveled with her career then moved to Fort Wayne, then to her and her husband's farm in Union Township in the mid to late 1950s. She graduated from Satana (Kan.) High School in 1932, and attended Friends University, Wichita, Kan., for two years, earning an associate's degree in business. She was a homemaker and a member of Whitley County Historical Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution, Columbia City Col. Augustin de la Balme Chapter, where she served as regeant from 1982-86. She was a semi-professional genealogist. She completed many genealogy records for the DAR, as well as completing a listing of all the cemeteries in Whitley County. She also created and set up the school library for the former Coesse School.
Surviving are three daughters: Electa Jane (and spouse Vern) Hawk-Hueske, Columbia City; Frances "Jackie" (and spouse Jerry) Long, Warsaw; and Jo Ann (and spouse James) Espich, Port Charlotte, Fla.; eight grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, E. Theodore Hawk; a grandson, William Stewart Long; four brothers, Carl, John, Frank and L.E. Francis; and a sister, Sadie Stepp.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at DeMoney-Grimes Countryside Park Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City, officiated by Pastor Paul Arnold of Columbia City United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Union Township (Coesse) Cemetery.
Calling is from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
