Mrs. Dorothea M. Flaningam-Muir

Dorothea Flaningam Muir, 93, left this world and went peacefully to be with her Lord and Savior at 9:05 p.m. on Thursday, October 25, 2012. As a devout Christian, she anticipated meeting her Heavenly Father with great joy. Dorothea was the daughter of Amos and Marianne Rupp Neuhauser and entered this world on March 11, 1919. She was united in marriage to John T. Flaningam, a business owner and former mayor of Bluffton, in 1941. They shared 44 years of marriage before his death. She is survived by her second husband, Alexander (Sandy) Muir who has enjoyed these last 22 golden years with her traveling, swimming, and riding their tandem bicycle. Other survivors include her son, Dr. John P. Flaningam of California, and her daughter Ann Flaningam Salscheider (Kurt) of Bluffton. Dorothea was the loving grandmother of four grandchildren. Dr. Michael Flaningam and Jill Flaningam Miller (Matthew) of California, Shannon Scott Wanner (Dr. Matthew) of Zionsville, IN, and Dr.Hilary Scott Buchanan (Dr. Deans) of Perth Scotland. She found great joy in her eight great grandchildren. Her 3 week old great granddaughter in Scotland now proudly carries her name. She was a kind and loving stepmother to three step children and to several step grandchildren and step great grandchildren in Virginia. She was preceded in death by her two brothers, Dr. Maurice and Paul Neuhauser, and by her two sisters, Mildred Weilemann (Luzerne) and Lucille Venis (Harold) and by her beloved daughter-in-law, Christine Flaningam, of California who died in April of this year.As a child, Dorothea knew that she had a passion to be a teacher and fulfilled that dream for 28 years as a 2nd grade teacher in the Bluffton Harrison MSD. She received her education at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky and at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta at IU, a member of the First United Methodist Church for over 75 years where she served in many roles as a Sunday School teacher, a Sunday School Superintendent of the children’s ministries, a high school youth group leader, a Bible school director and teacher, president of The United Methodist Women’s Society, and she was in charge of bereavement meals. A woman of indefatigable energy, she was president of the Indiana Northeast State Teachers’ Association, a past president of Psi Iota Xi, a member of Bay View Reading Club, a member of Bluffton Kiwanis Club, a faithful member of a Wells County Bible Study, served Meals on Wheels, and volunteered over 2000 hours at Caylor-Nickel Clinic. Visitation will be from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Sunday, October 28, 2012 at the Thoma/Rich, Chaney & Lemler Funeral Home on 308 Washington Street, Bluffton, IN. Her life will be honored and celebrated at her funeral which will immediately follow the visitation on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. at the funeral home with Certified Funeral Celebrant Jeff Lemler officiating. Burial will be at Elm Grove Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church in Bluffton or to Family LifeCare in Berne, IN. Online condolences may be made at www.thomarich.com.

Mrs. Dorothea M. Flaningam-Muir

March 11, 1919 - October 25, 2012