Dan Willis and the former Dorothy Thompson Rogers were married April 12, 1969, at the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church by the Rev. Kenneth Overmeyer.
Dan graduated from St. Joseph’s High School, South Bend, in 1956. Dorothy graduated from Claypool High School in 1958.
He proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy on the USS Delong, a destroyer in the North Atlantic Destroyer Force. He was honorably discharged in 1961.
Dan retired from Tool Specialties Inc. in Warsaw as co-owner and president. Dorothy was a housewife and part-time secretary at the business.
The Willises have seven children: William Duane Rogers, deceased; Sharissa (Hugh) Hazeltine of St. Petersburg Fla.; the Rev. Dan A. (Beth) Willis of Terre Haute; Shawnita Steffen of Goshen; Shartrina (Matt, recently deceased) White of Cape Haze, Fla.; Susan (Steve) Patterson of Albuquerque, N.M.; and Sheila (Rich) Groninger of Warsaw.
They have 15 grandchildren: Christina (Randy) Bechtel, Sam Groninger, Rilee Groninger, Amanda (Adam) Harkness, Michelle (Dusty) Kingen, Carol (Joshua) Moore, Ian Patterson, Myles Robinson, DeAndre Robinson, Jessica (Kris) Robinson, Brandon (Bay) Steffen, Kyla (Nick) Tartaglia, Frank (Kate) Willis, Jeffrey Willis and Timothy (Suzanne) Willis.
They also have 19 great- grandchildren.
They will celebrate with a family dinner at Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury.
Cards may be sent to the Willises at 1187 E. 800 S., Claypool IN 46510.
