Ned A. Sowards

Ned Alan Sowards died January 25, 2015, at 12:43 p.m. at Goshen Hospital in Goshen, Indiana after a 2 ½ year battle with cancer. He was born in Bluffton, Indiana on January 9, 1941, the third child of Bertha (Baughman Wertzberger) and Joseph A. Sowards. He married Myrna Boren December 22, 1962, and they had one son, Michael Alan, of Clovis, California. Ned was a 1959 graduate of Allen High School in Bluffton, Indiana, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University in 1964. After graduating from Purdue, Ned worked at General Tire in Wabash, Indiana, until enlisting in the army in 1966. Ned had basic training in Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and AIT and Officer Candidate School in Fort Belvoir, Virginia where he received his commission as a Second Lieutenant. He was stationed in Dexheim, West Germany with the 12th Engineering Battalion, where he was made Company Commander of B Company. After leaving the army, Ned relocated to Sturgis, Michigan in 1969. He worked for Kirsch Drapery Hardware Co. in engineering, and remained with Kirsch Co. until his retirement in 1999. Wood carving and cooking were two of Ned’s hobbies. He made beautiful animal carvings, and in the last several years established the tradition of carving signs for weddings and other special occasions. Ned was active in Boy Scouts, and became an Eagle Scout and member of the Order of the Arrow while in Bluffton, Indiana. As an adult, he later became a board member for Boy Scout Troop 431 in Sturgis, and was very active. Ned took the scouts on many outings and outdoor adventures, including a trip to the Boy Scout High Adventure Base in the Florida Keyes. He recently became a member of the American Legion, Post 73 in Sturgis, Michigan. Ned had a quick wit, a sharp sense of humor, and a deep Christian faith. He was a follower of Christ and a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sturgis, Michigan. Ned was deeply loved by friends and family, and will be greatly missed. Ned was preceded in death by his parents, and his eldest sister, Arlene (Sowards) Harvey. Ned is survived by his wife Myrna (Boren), his son Michael, daughter in law Bernadette, sister Nancy (Sowards) Dunwiddie of Bluffton, Indiana, brother John Sowards of Fort Wayne, Indiana, brother in law John D. Boren of Martinsville, Indiana, and numerous nieces and nephews. People wishing to make a donation in Ned’s name can contribute to Trinity Lutheran Church in Sturgis, Michigan or with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews in Chicago, Illinois. Funeral services will be held at the Thoma/Rich Lemler funeral home in Bluffton, Indiana on Friday, January 30, 2015. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the funeral will begin at 1:00 p.m., in the funeral home. Pastor Calvin J. Kolzow, Jr. will officiate. Burial will follow at Six Mile Cemetery in Bluffton, Indiana. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home in Bluffton. Friends can send online condolences to the family at www.thomarich.com.

Ned A. Sowards

January 9, 1941 - January 25, 2015