June 28, 2007

OBITUARIES

Robert Bittner Sr.

Robert J. Bittner Sr., of Clifton died on Monday June 18, at Community Hospital. He was 85.

He was born Feb. 19, 1922, in Greene County to John F. and Elsie T. (Heeg) Bittner. He retired in 1979 as a rural mail carrier with the U.S. Post Office after 31 years of service and more recently owned and operated Bittner Plumbing for a number of years.

Bob was a member of St. Paul Catholic Church, former chief of the Clifton Fire Department, member of Miami Township Fire Department, Old Timers Club, Clifton Cemetery Board, Clifton Senior Citizens and former council member of Clifton.

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Martha Belle (Hopping); five children and their spouses, Vickie Smith, Clifton, Robert and Sharon Bittner Jr., Springfield, Donald “Buck” and Cindy Bittner, Yellow Springs, R. Kent and Hilda Nicewaner, Springfield, and Joyce and Ed Dressler, Yellow Springs; six grandchildren, Christopher, Jodi, Cathi, Michelle, Jennifer and Lee; five great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews. Two brothers, John and Ralph, and a son-in-law, Richard Smith, preceded him in death.

A funeral mass was held at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 28, in St. Paul Catholic Church in Yellow Springs with the family receiving friends two hours prior in the church, beginning at 9 a.m. Burial was in Clifton Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to St. Paul Catholic Church, Clifton Presbyterian Church or the American Heart Association.

Mildred “Babe” Parkes

Mildred “Babe” Parkes of Xenia died at her home on June 8. She was 78.

She was born in Detroit, Mich., on April 28, 1929, the daughter of Margaret and Willis Smith. Most of the summers of her childhood and adult years were spent at Horseshoe Lake near Ann Arbor, Mich.

Mildred retired from Morris Bean & Company in 1994. She served her country during the Korean War as a WAF in the Air Force. She was a life member of Amvets Post 14 and the American legion Post 95 of Xenia.

Known by all of her friends as Babe, she was an avid motorcyclist, a certified motorcycle instructor, and she traveled across the country to motorcycle rallies each year.

Mildred was a very active dancer including ballroom, Western square dancing, line and round dancing. She belonged to a number of dance groups.

She was den mother for the Boy Scouts and a leader in the Girl Scouts for may years. She also volunteered for the Golden Age Senior Citizen Center and received many awards for her volunteer efforts.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and her brother, Edward Smith, all of Michigan.

She is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Bruce and Katherine Parkes of San Antonio, Texas, and Scot and Deborah Parkes of Norwood, Mo.; and one daughter and son-in-law, Lynne and Anthony Drumm of Rochester, Minn.; seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

There was no visitation. Per her request, Mildred’s body was donated to Wright State University. A memorial will be planned for July in Xenia.

Betty Lee O’Brien

Betty Lee O’Brien of Xenia died Wednesday morning at Greene Memorial Hospital. She was 86.

She was born in Jamestown, Ohio, Aug. 5, 1920, the daughter of Homer C. and Grace Edith (Fulton) Glass. Betty retired from Greene County where she worked as a stenographer for several years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Kevin Diehl O’Brien, in 1993; sister, Margaret Ann Sutton and infant brother, Charles.

She is survived by two sons, Pat and Joe O’Brien, both of Hillsboro; granddaughter, Stacey O’Brien-Elezra of California; sister-in-law, Loma Lee McCoy of Wilmington; nieces, Connie Downy of Xenia and Cindy Harris of South Solon; nephews, Jim Sutton of Jamestown and Dick Sutton of Xenia.

Graveside services were held Saturday, June 16, at Glen Forest Cemetery in Yellow Springs.

William Campbell

William R. “Bill” Campbell, Hillsboro, passed away at Hospice of Dayton on Friday, June 22, after a short battle with cancer. He was 66. Tobias Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Campbell was born in Cleburne County, Ala., Feb. 13, 1941, the son of George E. and Evelyn Rush Campbell, the third of eight children. He was a Navistar retiree.

He was proceeded in death by his parents and an infant brother, James D.

Mr. Campbell is survived by his wife, Bonnie, of Hillsboro; sons and daughters-in-law, Sean O. and Kara Campbell of Waynesville and Robert M. and Candy Campbell of Hillsboro; three grandchildren; sisters Nell R. Andrews of Hillsboro, V. Charlotte Price of Yellow Springs; and brothers George E. “Ed” of Yellow Springs, John L. “Larry” of South Charleston, Danny J. of Enon and Jerry M. Campbell of Hillsboro.

A celebration of Campbell’s life will take place at the family residence at 10255 State Route 124, Hillsboro, on Sunday, July 1.

Memorial planned for Harold N. Putnam

A memorial service will be held for Harold N. Putnam on Sunday, July 8, at 4 p.m., at the Yellow Springs Friends Meeting, Rockford Chapel on President Street, on the Antioch College campus. Putnam, a longtime resident of Yellow Springs, died on June 14, at Greene Memorial Hospital in Xenia. He was 87.