John W. Knepp, 81, of North Liberty, passed away at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, at his home.

He was born on October 29, 1933 in Lakeville, to the late Russell and Mary E. (Smith) Knepp.  On Oct. 24, 1954 in North Liberty, IN he was united in marriage to Mary A. (Weeden) Knepp who preceded him in death on Jan. 22, 2004. One son: Jeff Knepp also preceded in death in 2014.

Mr. Knepp is survived by his daughter: Jill (Chuck) Holmquest; Plymouth; three sons: Dan Knepp, North Liberty; Mickey Knepp; Plymouth; and Jack (Jacqueline) Knepp, Bremen; eight grandchildren: Jennifer Hunziker; Crystal Hutchings; Samara Knepp; Jesse Knepp; Chuck Holmquest; Alayna Holmquest; Roxanne Matthews; and Jacob Hull; six great grandchildren: Dakota; Kiley; Cooper; Tori; Skylla; and Kiya; brother: Eldon R. (Bernice) Knepp, South Bend; and aunt: Arlene Cohee of Lakeville.

Mr. Knepp was a lifelong resident.  He worked at Wells Aluminum in North Liberty from 1956 until 1998 and was self employed in farming.  He was a member of the First Baptist Church in North Liberty.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at  Palmer Funeral Home, 314 S. Michigan St. Lakeville. Pastor Wayne Joyner will officiate.  Graveside services and burial will follow at Fair Cemetery, North Liberty. Friends may visit with the family from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Friday, May 1,  in the funeral home.

Contributions in memory John Knepp may be offered to First Baptist Church, 407 Elm St., North Liberty.

Michael D. Gouker, 64, suddenly went to be with his Lord and Savior at 9:46 p.m. Tuesday April 28, in the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center- Plymouth Campus.

Mike was born the son of Dale Edward and Patsy Mae (Johnson) Gouker in Plymouth, on Nov. 9, 1950. His father would precede him in death in 1955.

He graduated from LaVille High School with the class of 1969. In 1971, Mike would join the National Guard.

In the Calvary Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Mike would take Barbara E. Daugherty, his high school sweetheart, as his beloved wife on Aug. 29, 1970.

Mike was a hard worker and showed it in his jobs and work ethics. He would work for United Foam in Bremen, Champion Homes in Bremen, Fairmont in Nappanee, Town of Bourbon, Ben Tire, Monaco Coach, and Thor Industries. Mike was currently a driver for the Marshall County Council on Aging.

He was a lifetime member of the Black Hawks motorcycle club. Mike participated in the Hare Scrambles and off-road Euduro’s. He was also an avid angler and a big Jeff Gordon fan. Mike played on the B-league fast-pitch softball team, where he was the catcher with his step-father the pitcher. He also played volleyball.

Mike is survived by his loving wife of 44 years: Barb, Plymouth; his mother: Patsy Mae Schlemmer, Bremen; his siblings: Cindy (Dave) Leavell, Plymouth; Pam Gouker, Plymouth; and Betsy Paul, Texas; as well as his nieces and nephews: Chad (Stephanie) Bishop, Plymouth; Aaron (Kerry) Bishop, Texas; Aaron (Kerry) Bishop, Texas; Abby Kinsley, North Carolina; Ashley Paul, Texas; four great-nieces and five great nephews. Numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and friends, especially Deb Hanson, also survive.

He was preceded in death by his father, step-father: Harold D. Schlemmer; sister: Peggy (Paul) Schlemmer; and his in-laws: Russell and Dorothy Daugherty.

A visitation will be held from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. Sunday, May 3, in the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth. Funeral services will immediately follow in the funeral home at 3 p.m. with Pastor Neil Wonnacott officiating.

Burial will be held at a later date.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Humane Society of Marshall County, Plymouth, or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

Marion Lavon (Snyder) Rude, age 89, died at Fawcett Memorial Hospital in Port Charlotte, Florida, on her birthday, Saturday, March 7, of natural causes. She was born in Elkhart on March 7, 1926, the daughter of Warren and Martha (Ball) Snyder. She graduated from Elkhart High School in 1943. Lavon was a long time member of the Good Shepherd Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband: Raymond Aldon Rude on March 15, 1996, and her son: John Scott Rude on June 21, 1974 and by two brothers: Warren Robert Snyder; and Max Duane Snyder.

Marion, who also went by “Lavon” or “Red” married Raymond Aldon Rude April 4, 1944 in Elkhart. She is survived by her four sons: Robert Aldon (Cynthia) Rude, Walkerton; Donald Ray (Irene) Rude, Mineral Bluff, Georgia; Garry Dale (Raynette) Rude, Kingwood, Texas; and Randy Dean (Dana Lynn) Rude, North Port, Florida.

Also surviving are a brother: Rev. John Lawrence Snyder, Huntington; and the following grandchildren and great grandchildren:
Bob and Cindy’s sons: Ryan Aldon (Kristy) Rude; and their children: Ethan Robert Rude; and Kaylee Ann Rude, South Lyon, Michigan; Robert Lewis (Brittany) Rude, LaPorte; Kendra Clingenpeel; Daniel and Marisa Clingenpee; their son: Liam; Don and Irene’s daughter: Heather Meria (George Michael) Pope Tammen, Blue Ridge, Georgia; their sons: Donald Calloway Pope; Jeremy Blake Tammen; and son: Donald Jacob Daugherty; and his son: Brandon, Albuquerque; Garry (Raynette) Rude, Kingwood, Texas; their children: Michael Eric Rude; his son: Michael Enrique Rude; two daughters: Erin Nicole Rude; and children: Nathan Keith White; Nevaeh Nicole White; and Garry’s daughter: Hayley Noel Rude; Nicolas Parks; Jonathan Parks; Amanda (Dustin) Veatch; their children: Kennedy Jaycee Veatch, Kingwood, Texas; Knox Joe Ray Veatch, Kingwood, Texas; Randy (Dana) Rude; and two children: Matthew Scott Rude, North Port, Florida; and Jessica D’anda Rude, Victorville, California; her children: Jordan; Jayden; Sophia; and Mason.

Lavon was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She enjoyed bowling, playing cards and gardening in her younger years. She also loved to cook for her family. We all have memories of some of her signature dishes. She continued to solve word puzzles and crosswords which kept her mind sharp as a tack until the end of her life.

Lavon was a long time member of the Women’s Moose in Plymouth, where she reached College of Regents which is based on merit. This prestigious personal honor rewards Past Regents for their outstanding accomplishments and services rendered on behalf of children and seniors.

Lavon and her husband Al raised most of their children in Plymouth. After that they moved to Lorena, Texas, Midland, Texas, Salisbury, North Carolina, Houston, Texas, Dixon, California, Moreno Valley, California and then Port Charlotte, Florida. Al spent a few years working in Saudi, Arabia, but Lavon stayed in the states during that time.

Lavon worked at the Old Barrel Restaurant, McCords and Kmart and a few other places, but she will be especially remembered for providing childcare to many children. Quite a few of the children she cared for stayed in touch long after they were grown.

There will be a memorial service held in the Chapel at Oak Hill Cemetery Monday, June 22. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. and a service will be performed at 11 a.m., officiated by Pastor Brian Baughman of Koontz Lake Missionary Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Association.

Terry Lynn McNeal, 57, passed away on Thursday, April 30, 2015, at I.U. Health-Laporte.

Terry was born the son of Woodward W. and Caroline M. (McNeal) McNeal in South Bend,  on July 23, 1957, but was raised by his grandmother, Goldie M. (Cudney).

He attended John glen High School, Walkerton. Terry did many odd jobs, such as working for the carnival, as well as working at local bars. He was a long time dedicated member of the House of the Lord. He enjoyed flea markets, watching baseball, football and was an avid White Sox fan.

Terry is survived by his son; Josh Wayne McNeal and fiancée Christina Burton, both of Muncie; six grandchildren; Leah, Brayden, Juan, Kaden, Zoey, and Chole; his mother Caroline McNeal of Plymouth; three brothers and two sisters-in-law Tony and Brenda McNeal, Plymouth, Gene and Shelia McNeal, Plymouth, Ralph Ward, Culver; two sisters and a brother-in-law; Shirley LaBere, Walkerton, Brenda and John Bone, St. Louis, Mo.

He was preceded in death by his father, grandmother who raised him, two sons; Brandon Troy McNeal and Terry Lee McNeal; two brothers; Melvin McNeal and Richard Wayne McNeal, and three sisters: Tammie Sue Clemons, Tina Marie LaViea, and Linda Kay Ward.

A visitation will be heldfrom 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, May 4, in the House of the Lord, 16493 Lincoln Highway, Plymouth. Funeral services will immediately follow in the church at 6 p.m. with Pastor Steven Patrick officiating.

Burial will be held at a later.

Memorial contributions can be made to the House of the Lord, 16493 Lincoln Highway, Plymouth, IN 46563.

Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, Plymouth, is in charge of arrangements.

Beverly J. Lampkins, 78, passed away peacefully with her loving husband and family by her side at 11:15 p.m. Saturday May 2, in the South Bend Hospice House.

Born on June 28, 1936 in Kewanna, Beverly was the daughter of Fred D. and Alice M. (Abbott) Fisher.

On Sept. 1, 1965, Beverly would become the bride of John F. Lampkins in Niles, Michigan. To this union six children were born: Mark, Rod, Pam, Kevin, John Jr. and Mike.

Bev’s love of animals was endless, and she worked as a dog groomer for many years. She was an original member involved in setting up the Marshall County Humane Society, and was active on the board for a few years. Bev worked for the Pilot News Newspaper in the circulation department for 11 years, and also for K-Mart for five years, until her retirement.

She enjoyed crafts, making many things including dream catchers for her family and crocheting. She loved to do puzzles and would spend weeks until she got one perfectly done. John and she cherished the motorcycle rides they would take every year, pulling their trailer and camping in all the states but Alaska and Hawaii. Bev was an excellent cook and baker, making delicious meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, and she always made enough so everyone had food to take home.

Bev is survived by her adoring husband: John, Plymouth; their children: Mark A. (Becky) Anderson, Grovertown; Rod L. (Peggy) Dawson, Culver; Pam S. Schuler, North Webster; Kevin R. Lampkins, Warsaw; John F. (Candy) Lampkins Jr., Plymouth; Mike J. Lampkins, Plymouth; 15 grandchildren; soon to be 20 great grandchildren; and brother: Doyle (Donna) Fisher, Knox.

She was preceded in death by her parents: grandchildren: Tracey Anderson; Susan Schuler; Sarah Schuler; Kathy Lampkins; and Scott Schuler; and her siblings: Melvin; Clifford “Bill”; Evelyn; Ruby; Bonnie Jean; and Richard.

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, in the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, located at 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth. Services will be held immediately following at 7 p.m. in the funeral home, with Rev. Charles Krieg officiating. Family burial will be in the New Oakhill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5, 2015 in the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan Street, Plymouth. Funeral services will immediately follow in the funeral home at 7 p.m. with Rev. Charles Krieg officiating.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Center for Hospice Care, Plymouth.

SYRACUSE – Wet weather and a lot of talent from Goshen and Plymouth made it a long night for the Wawasee girls track team in its final home showing. Depth in the right places allowed Goshen to claim two wins Tuesday night, beating Wawasee 68-64 and Plymouth 73.5-58.5. Plymouth had too much in the arsenal to beat Wawasee 57.5-74.5.

The Lady Warriors had four event wins, two in the field and two on the track. On the rubber surface, Maddie Birch claimed her first-career win in the two-mile at 12:20.78. The 4×100 relay team of Leigh-Ann Shrack, Skylar Janda, Sarah Lancaster and Catherine Yankosky took honors at 52.62.

Throws continue to be a strength of the Lady Warriors, with Katlyn Kennedy taking shot put with a toss of 36-8 and Hannah Winters sending the discus 107-09.

Plymouth was led by the duo of Allie Wright and Kaydon Fosler. Wright won the 100 (13.31), 200 (26.89) and 400 (59.89) while Fosler jumped to 5-0 in high jump and 15-1 in long jump.

Goshen had Adrienne Henke take the one-mile race at 5:41.95, Nora Rangel take the 800 at 2:25.69, and the two help the 4×400 relay to a 4:12.46 win.

Wawasee finishes the NLC round robin 1-6.

“We lost two close meets to opponents who brought some very talented athletes to our place,” said Wawasee head coach Scott Lancaster. “Both our opponents were very strong in events where we count on scoring. On the more positive side, we had many girls set personal bests. We are beginning to peak at the right time.”

Wawasee will run Saturday at the Goshen Relays.

Thelma Rohrbaugh, 85, South Bend, passed away at 3:26 a.m. Monday, May 4, at Miller’s Merry Manor, Plymouth.

Thelma was born on Dec. 13, 1929, in Evansville, to Ora and Anna Mae (Hutchinson) Skelton. Thelma became the bride of Carl Rohrbaugh on Aug. 5, 1949. He preceded her in passing on Nov. 1, 1993. Thelma’s greatest joy was her family and friends. She will be fondly remembered by all of those who loved her. Thelma was a member of the Lydick United Methodist Church in South Bend.

Thelma is survived by her daughter: Sue (George Jr.) Holzwart, Plymouth; her son: Michael Rohrbaugh, South Bend; two sisters: Veta S. Kowalski, Mishawaka; and Jackie (Tom) Wheatbrook, Rolling Prairie; her granddaughters: Gretchen (Mike McIntyre) Turner; Chase Holzwart; and Sydney Holzwart; her grandsons: Justin Holzwart; Jordan (Molly) Holzwart; Spencer Holzwart; and Nolan Holzwart.

The family would like for memorials to be given to the choice of the donor.

Private family services will be held.

Billy J. Gross, 20, and Anthony S. Milton, 18, both of Plymouth, have been arrested by Plymouth Police.

Milton was booked on a charge of battery with  a deadly weapon. Gross has been booked for sexual misconduct with a minor. Both are being held on $5,000 cash.

Both men were located in Kosciusko County late Monday and taken to the Marshall County Jail. Milton, was located in Warsaw by Plymouth Detective Sgt. Leo Mangus. The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department located Gross later that evening.

On April 27 a 14-year-old female reported a sexual encounter had taken place with Gross and Milton at Milton’s residence on April 18. She additionally told police that Milton had cut her arm with a razor blade, on April 21, at her residence. The cut required 15 stitches.

Investigation by police revealed both men had let the Plymouth area. There was an arrest warrant for Gross on another case and Milton was on probation.

GOSHEN – The Northern Lakes Conference issued its 2014-15 list for the Academic All-Conference for the NLC’s 20 varsity sports and cheerleading. Each school had 10 student-athletes selected, with their participated sports listed with their names.

Concord
Tori Moore, soccer; Jared Long, soccer; Jenna Landis, tennis; Rae Ann Miller, softball; Alexa Klopfenstein, tennis; Brittney Eichorst, softball; Sydney Shuff, swimming; Heather Johnson, cross country, swimming and track; Kirt Matthews, track; and Jace Krull, football.

Elkhart Memorial
Daniel Asbury, tennis and baseball; Nicholas Brewers, tennis and baseball; Allyson Crane, football and soccer; Cameron Maxwell, basketball and baseball; Felix Mayorga, soccer; Taylor Musialik, swimming; Kyle Richards, cross country and track; Abigail Weaver, cheer and tennis; Corinn Whittaker, tennis; and Alisa Zoller, cross country and track.

Goshen
Joel Byler, cross country and wrestling; Beatriz Castillo, cross country and track; Brooks Chupp, golf; Logan Cross, football; Natalie Evans, volleyball and swimming; Jessica Oyer, soccer; Tricia Place, cross country, swimming and track; Bethany Pollock, cross country and track; Maggie Walters, swimming; and Olivia Wenger, swimming.

Northridge
Kelly Dodson, golf; Emily Hughes, swimming and tennis; Brennah Tadeo, soccer; Alexa Taylor, golf; Grant Miller, baseball; Ryan Haarer, soccer and track; Aaron Maas, soccer; Pete Smith, basketball; Tommy Morrison, basketball and golf; and Mitchell Slaven, football.

NorthWood
Quinn Stillson, tennis; Marisa Hochstetler, cheer; Morgan Resler, volleyball; Elizabeth Mikel, track; Devyn Maugel, tennis; Paige Hershberger, softball; Cooper Clark, tennis; Brianna Tuttle, soccer, swimming and track; Nolan McBride, swimming; and Rachel Beebe, golf.

Plymouth
Katelyn O’Neal, track; Libbie Portteus, volleyball and tennis; Kylee Rippy, golf; Haley Harrell, volleyball, basketball and tennis; Jessica Stillson, tennis; Abby Patrick, cross country, swimming and track; Megan Rust, wrestling manager; Kennedy Schnieders, cross country and track; Garrick Nate, cross country; and Andrew Gerard, soccer.

Warsaw
Jake Mangas, football and basketball; Ryan Cultice, golf; Jonny Hollar, golf; Josh Miller, swimming; Andrew Scheidt, cross country and track; Caleb Klusman, football, soccer and track; Katie Richard, gymnastics; Nicole Eckert, track; Tennie Worrell, track; and Jodie Carlson, basketball.

Wawasee
Brock Spangle, football; Kendra Miller, swimming; Courtney Linnemeier, cross country and track; Bre Robinson, swimming; Todd Hauser, tennis and baseball; Brandon Fox, football; Anna Park, swimming; Blake O’Connell, track manager; Paige Hlutke, softball; and Hannah Winters, swimming and track.

The New Plymouth Community Church

By BRYAN KOOREY
Campus Pastor, Plymouth Community Church

Beginning at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 10, Plymouth Community Church will hold its first Sunday service at 11802 Lincoln Highway in Plymouth.

Plymouth Community Church will meet at 10:30 a.m. Sundays with further ministry opportunities currently being planned. The church is the second location guided by the elders and staff of Warsaw Community Church. It is being started in the former facilities of Sunrise Chapel. In November of 2014, the elders and congregation of Sunrise Chapel donated all their assets and facilities to WCC.

“God has planted a small mustard seed called Plymouth Community Church. We believe it is His intention to cause this new seed to grow in maturity and usefulness so that the hungry, lost, and hurting can come and find shelter from a harsh world under the shade of God’s Kingdom,” said Bryan Koorey, campus pastor. “We look forward to getting to know our neighbors, fellow church’s and community, as we come together to care for and love each other the way Jesus loves us.”

Warsaw Community Church will plant Plymouth Community Church with over 100 people from WCC and Sunrise Chapel.

Warsaw Community Church was started in 1993 by Senior Pastor Denny Wilson along with approximately 100 people. WCC is now the church home for 2,800 people, gathering for three Sunday services in Warsaw and online.

Dollie E. Bair, age 93, of Plymouth, passed away at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 6, at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Plymouth.

Dollie was born on May 14, 1921, in Plymouth, to Wallace and Mary (Morris) Palmer. Dollie had been a resident of Marshall County her entire life. Frank Bair took Dollie to be his beloved wife on March 14, 1942. They shared 73 years of marriage. Together they raised their two children. Dollie’s greatest joy was spending time with her family and friends. She was a member of the Pretty Lake Trinity United Methodist Church.

Dollie is survived by husband: Frank E. Bair, Plymouth; their son: Larry F. (Bonnie) Bair, Atlanta; her sisters: Violet Grace, Florida; Viola Palm, Culver; and Betty Guyse, Plymouth; her brothers: Jerry Palmer, Plymouth; and Richard Palmer, Plymouth; four grandchildren; ten great grandchildren; two great great grandchildren. Dollie was preceded in passing by her daughter and son in law: Janet (Bair) and David Lee; and her brother: Bob Palmer.

Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday, May 11, at Van Gilder Funeral Home, Plymouth. Services are at 2 p.m. Monday, May 11, also at the funeral home, with Pastor Tamara Boggs officiating. Burial will be at a later date at New Oak Hill Cemetery, Plymouth.

Memorials may be given to the American Cancer Society.

Trey Angelo Thomas, the son of Trenton A. and Tonya N. (Fletcher) Thomas, Plymouth, passed away at 7:50 p.m. Thursday, May 7, 2015, at Memorial Hospital, South Bend, just two weeks from his first birthday. Even at such a young age, he became a hero to a number of families as he was enrolled in the Indiana Organ Donor Program.

Trey was born May 19, 2014, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center – Plymouth Campus. He was a very sweet, lovable baby and was always smiling.

He is survived by his loving parents; sister: Tasha Thomas; brother: Tyler Thomas, both at home; grandparents: Trenda and Roberto Garcia, Rochester, Chris and Gerald Miller, Plymouth, and Duane and Denise Fletcher, Medaryville. Also surviving are several aunts and uncles.

He was preceded in death by his maternal great-grandparents: Arpha and Earl Fletcher.

Visitation will be held from 4-6 p.m. Monday, May 11 in the Church of the Heartland, 705 E. Jefferson St., Plymouth. Funeral services will immediately follow in the church at 6 p.m. with Pastor Heath Hiatt officiating.

Family burial will be in the New Oakhill Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be given to the family.

Erin Hunter delivers a serve during her win on the No. 1 singles court in Plymouth’s 5-0 sweep of Wawasee Tuesday evening. (Photos by Nick Goralczyk)

SYRACUSE – It was a night for a little fine tuning on the tennis courts at Wawasee High School as Plymouth rolled into town to face the Lady Warriors in the final match before the Northern Lakes Conference tournament. Plymouth had little trouble continuing its conference success in a 5-0 sweep of Wawasee to move to 5-2 in the NLC.

The Lady Warriors were hard pressed to find any breaks on the court against the talented Plymouth squad. Nealy Thanasrivanitchai kept her match going the longest but would still suffer a 6-2, 6-1 loss to Lanae Singleton on the No. 2 singles court.

Jazlyn Gehlhausen and Kabrea Rostochak showed promise at two doubles against Plymouth’s Kendall Dreibelbis and McKenzie Scheetz with an entertaining match though it was the visitors that claimed a 6-0, 6-2 win. Charity Parker and Ashley Larson suffered a similar fate, losing 6-0, 6-1 at one doubles.

At three singles Chelsea Carolus took a 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Jess Stillson while Jada Antonides struggled to defend the No. 1 singles court, dropping a 6-1, 6-0 decision to Erin Hunter.

The loss drops Wawasee to 0-7 in the NLC and 2-10 overall. Tomorrow the ladies will travel to Plymouth for the opening rounds of the NLC tournament and head coach Shane Staley knows the road is not going to get much smoother as the season draws to a close.

“We’re still really inexperienced,” Staley began. “We’ve made a lot of strides this season but we knew it would be rough and we know the NLC tourney will be tough as well. We have some growing to do and we are looking forward to the future. We’re still a rebuilding project right now.”

While the immediate future for the Lady Warriors is not desirable, Staley sees the improvements his young team has made and looks forward to what should come next.

“We’ve seen a lot of our girls really improve from where we were at the beginning of the season,” said Staley. “At two doubles we’re really starting to see Jazlyn and Kabrea gel as a team. That’s good to see going into next season with Jazlyn as a junior and Kabrea being a freshman. We’ve seen the same kind of improvements with Charity Parker and Ashley Larson at one singles, but we lose Ashley to graduation.

“We have to continue to improve in the offseason with open courts and other workouts. We have a good group of freshmen coming in from the middle school and we’re starting to get this turned around the way we want it to.”

The Wawasee junior varsity falls to 1-9-1 with an 0-8 loss to Plymouth’s JV.

Smith Lifts Warsaw To Win Over NorthWood

In a match that was revisited from last Tuesday, Colette Smith broke a 2-2 team stalemate with a win and a 3-2 victory over NorthWood in Northern Lakes Conference girls tennis.

Smith pulled out a first set tiebreaker 7-3 to claim a 7-6 win then put away Hannah Walter, 6-2, in the second set of the two singles match to give her team the win.

Play was halted last Tuesday due to rain as the other four courts had all finished play while the two singles court was in the tiebreaker. Play resumed Tuesday, with Smith taking the win.

Warsaw’s other two court wins came at three singles from Liza Lewis in defeating Betsy Nunemaker 6-0, 6-1 and the two doubles team of Sydney Hartman and Athena Schlitt beating Mikayla Bley and Jama Rice 6-3, 6-0.

NorthWood got wins at one singles from Sydney Wysong over Ella Knight 6-1, 6-1 and the one doubles team of Tori Schwartz and Kennedy Wiens taking care of Camille Kerlin and Rosie Fleming 6-1, 6-0.

The win settles Warsaw at 4-3 in the NLC and 6-7 overall.

Warsaw and NorthWood with both enter the Northern Lakes Conference tournament Wednesday afternoon at Plymouth in the three-day tourney. Thursday’s bracket play will take place at Concord and Plymouth will host the final round Friday.

Plymouth Outslugs Warsaw Softball

Plymouth used a 10-run inning to lift itself to an 18-8 Northern Lakes Conference softball win over Warsaw Tuesday afternoon in the Kosciusko County seat.

Plymouth scored 10 runs in the third inning to take a 12-1 lead before Warsaw answered with five runs in the bottom of the third. Four more runs in the fourth and two in the fifth were enough for Plymouth to make it a five-inning dime.

Hayley Brown had three hits and scored three times while Rachel Hilty and Mimi Southwell each drove in three for the Pilgrims.

Lauren Shaffner homered and drove in four runs to lead the Tigers while Abby Glass added a solo homer. Each of the roundtrippers were the first varsity home runs for the pair of sophomores.

Sarah Shoemaker and Heather Cox each had a hit and an RBI for the Tigers.

Glass, however, struggled in the pitching circle, allowing 12 hits, 13 earned runs, six walks and nary a strikeout in four-plus innings. Her counterpart, Zoe Keilman, wasn’t much better, giving up seven earned runs and walking 10. But the run support helped Keilman to the win.

Warsaw (2-12, 2-7 NLC) will visit NorthWood Wednesday.

Plymouth won the junior varsity contest 16-9. The Warsaw JV is now 2-10 overall and 1-8 in the NLC.

Pilgrims Steady In Baseball Win

Plymouth used a steady offensive attack to down Warsaw, 7-2, Tuesday evening at Bill Nixon Field.

George Stults paced Plymouth with three hits and an RBI and Cam Eveland and Elijah Nixon combined for three doubles and two RBIs. Four Plymouth runs in the bottom of the sixth inning was the dagger, fattening what was just a one-run Plymouth lead heading into the frame.

Ryan Marshall paced the Tigers with two hits and an RBI single in the fourth inning.

Plymouth pitcher Braydon Davidson was otherwise very effective, allowing just six hits, walking three and striking out three in the complete game win.

Warsaw starting pitcher Zach Witt was touched up for 10 hits and six earned runs in 5.1 innings of work, taking the loss.

The Tigers (5-12 overall, 3-6 NLC) will host NorthWood Wednesday.

Tuesday, the city of Plymouth broke ground on a $2.5 million runway improvement project at the Plymouth Municipal Airport. Scheduled for completion in late July, the project includes reconstruction and rehabilitation of the existing runway surface, widening of the runway from 60 ft. to 75 ft., reconstruction of the taxiways, and relocation and improvement of the runway lighting system.

The project is made possible by a more than $2.2 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as through matching funds from the Indiana Department of Transportation Office of Aviation and the city. In recent years, the city has invested approximately $500,000 in local funds to renovate 1960s era buildings and facilities at the airport. Airport Manager Dave Lattimer said, “The airport is thriving and it’s exciting to see this additional investment in our community. I’d particularly like to thank FAA Program Managers Michael Ferry and Robert Esquivel for their continued guidance and support for the airport,” said Lattimer.

The Plymouth Municipal Airport is home to 23 aircraft and to 4 businesses. Helicopter Online Ground School is the national leader in internet-based flight instruction and practical test preparation. Brian A. Smith A&P Mechanic provides all manner of maintenance services to area aircraft. Plymouth Sky Sports is the #1 rated skydiving experience in Indiana. And, the airport’s newest business is, Aeromotive, Inc., an innovative company which customizes aircraft interiors and upholstery. The airport is also the base for an active cadet squadron of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol.

Mayor Mark Senter said, “The Plymouth Municipal Airport is an important transportation gateway to our city and a key center of commerce and recreation for our region. The airport is another example of the positive growth underway in Plymouth and Marshall County,” the Mayor also stated.

Visit Plymouth on the web at www.plymouthin.com and on Facebook.

Source: The City of Plymouth; Inside INdiana Business

Scott G. Henry, 45, passed away after an extended illness with his family by his side on Tuesday night, May 12, 2015, in the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Plymouth.

The son of Charles Richard and Lonna Dee (Denney) Henry, Scott was born and raised all his life in Plymouth. He graduated from Plymouth High School with the class of 1987. He then attained his master of art degree and his bachelor’s in psychology from Ashford University.

In 1990, he enlisted and served our country in the U.S. Army.

Scott was an artist in his heart and soul. He enjoyed writing short stories and poems. He became ordained as a minister and married 4 couples, including his sister and brother-in-law. Scott also had dreams of opening his own church.

He was the kindest person you’d ever meet and had a love for everyone, but his dog, Buddy, had his special heart. Scott had the gentlest soul and was a bright light in his family. You could always go to him for advice about anything.

He is survived by his mother: Lonna, Plymouth; his sister: Lisa J. (Michael) Woods, Rochester; and his brother Chuck (Beth Wilcoxen) Henry, Mitchell. Also surviving are nieces and nephews: Ross Henry; Ciara Woods; Charlene Yarbough; Kayla Mesarosch; and Kevan Wilcoxen; and many aunts, uncles, and dear friends.

Scott was preceded in death by his father: Charles; his maternal grandparents: Joseph and Cora Denney; and paternal grandparents: Kenneth and Mildred Henry.

Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until noon Saturday, May 16, in the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, Plymouth. Funeral services will immediately follow at noon at the funeral home. Private family burial will take place in the New Oakhill Cemetery.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Humane Society of Marshall County.

Jeffrey Moore was Thursday’s medalist with a round of 35. (Photos by Nick Goralczyk)

SYRACUSE – The Wawasee golf team finally found the win column in Northern Lakes Conference play Thursday night. The Warriors hosted Plymouth and NorthWood at South Shore Golf Club and split the triangular with a 156, downing NorthWood (164) while Plymouth swept the match with a 153.

Though splitting was not the goal for Wawasee, the scores from the Warriors were much more acceptable than the terrible NLC opener at Maplecrest in Goshen Tuesday night. In that match, Wawasee shot 176 to lose to both host Goshen and Northridge.

“We didn’t play bad tonight,” began Wawasee head coach Steve Coverstone. “We’re not disappointed. High score was 41, low was 35. That’s acceptable.

“What sticks in out craw is our performance at Goshen. We had a lot of poor decisions and mental mistakes that led to scores that we should never have shot.”

Jeffrey Moore, who shot a self-described “worst nine ever” at Maplecrest, rebounded to be the medalist in Thursday’s match with a 35. Moore had six pars and birdies on four and eight to highlight his night.

Cal Heinisch and Kaleb Perry each finished with a 40. Perry’s round featured a birdie on No. 4 while Heinisch parred seven holes. Tristen Atwood and Mason Germonprez also matched scores, both turning in a 41. Atwood birdied No. 1 as Germonprez shot par on four holes.

Alec Dutkowski had a 40 for NorthWood.

Ben Schenk and Reis Yoder helped Plymouth grab the sweep by turning in a 37 and 36, respectively. Caleb Lung and Nick Myers led NorthWood with a 39 each.

Wawasee (11-5, 1-3) will break away from the NLC heat this weekend as it travels to compete in the Culver Academy Invite.

Tournaments have been both great and harsh for the Warriors so far this season. Wawasee placed second at the Northrop Invite, fell apart at its own invite then won the Joe Harris Shootout in Warsaw. Coverstone knows anything could happen, he’s just hoping that anything is a win.

“We just have to go out and do the best we can,” Coverstone said. “We really haven’t been the model of consistency and part of that is inexperience. We have upperclassmen but they don’t play a lot of tournaments and it shows at times. We just have to find a level of consistency moving forward.”

Maclain Herr and Cameron Adams led the Warrior JV with a 45 each. No JV team scores were reported for any team.

Dustin Brown hits out of a bunker on No. 5 for Wawasee’s JV.

Phyllis J. Weaver, 76, of Royal Center passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family at 5:45 p.m., Thursday, May 14, 2015, at her residence.

Born on Sept. 29, 1938, in Pulaski County, she was the daughter of the late Dale and Jennie (Davis) Bucks.

On Dec. 2, 1956, she married Robert L. Weaver. He preceded her in death on April 12, 2014.

She was a Royal Center High School graduate.

Phyllis retired from the Thornhope Elevator where she was employed for over 40 years.

She enjoyed playing bunco, watching her calves in the pasture in the springtime and most of all spending time with her family and friends.

Survivors include her sons: Dale (Lori) Weaver, Royal Center; Jeffrey (Tonya) Weaver, Royal Center; grandchildren: Natasha (George) Juniper; Dale (Callie) Weaver Jr.; Brent Weaver; Brittany Weaver; Robert Weaver; great-grandchildren: Brooke Weaver; Bailey Weaver; Addisyn Juniper; Mason Juniper; Carter Wayne Waver Carmichael; and Graysee Weaver; brother: Ronald (Trish) Bucks, Star City; sister: Barbara (Kenneth) Miller, Plymouth; brother-in-law: William (Beverly) Weaver, Royal Center; sister-in-law: Dorothy Garr, Fort Wayne; and special friends: Doris Kistler; and Frances Kiser, both of Royal Center.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 19, at Harrison-Metzger-Rans Funeral Home, Royal Center Chapel with Pastor Adrian Curtis and Kevin Kiser officiating.

Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, May 18, at the funeral home.

Burial will be at Kistler Cemetery, Royal Center.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cass County 4-H Fair Association and/or Guardian Angel Hospice.

Pilgrims Use Big Inning For Win

Plymouth an 8-0 lead through three innings to breeze past Wawasee, 9-2, Friday evening in Syracuse in varsity baseball.

The Pilgrims jumped out front early, scoring six runs in the second inning and adding a pair in the third to overwhelm starting pitcher Sam Rookstool and Wawasee. Rookstool wasn’t helped in the field, as four of the eight runs were unearned, part of a trio of Wawasee errors.

Drew Wright was the offensive star for Wawasee, going 2-for-2 with a double and RBI. Wright also drew a walk. Nate Prescott added a double and RBI for the Warriors.

Wawasee falls to 7-12 overall. Friday’s contest was the fourth consecutive game in four days for the Warriors in the Northern Lakes Conference, and all four contests came up ‘L’s dropping Wawasee to 2-10 in conference play.

Plymouth and Wawasee got into a scoring contest in the JV game, with Plymouth coming out ahead, 13-10, Friday. Jarius Boyer had three hits and a run while Jacob Garcia, Rhett Coblentz, Gavin Bontrager and Rylan Kuhn each had two hits for Wawasee. The five Warriors combined to score seven of Wawasee’s runs. The Warriors are 5-10 overall.

Wawasee will visit Ligonier for a date with West Noble Saturday.

Softball Jumps All Over Plymouth

Danielle Gunkel pitched her finest game as a starter, allowing just three Plymouth hits in her first career shutout, 13-0, Friday in Blueberry Festival country.

Gunkel, who is still mending from a shoulder injury, walked none and struck out two. The junior helped her own cause with a hit, RBI and two runs scored on offense.

Wawasee hammered out 12 hits and all nine starters had at least a hit or run scored. Paige Hlutke had a triple and scored twice, Allissa Flores had two hits and two RBIs, and Kylee Rostochak scored three runs.

The win pushes Wawasee to 17-5 overall and 10-2 in the NLC, maintaining a first-place tie with Northridge and Concord, both winners Friday in conference action.

Megan Bray ripped a triple and Lexi Young had a key single as Wawasee got past Plymouth in the JV game, 7-3. The Lady Warriors improve its junior record to 9-8 this season with the win.

After four straight NLC games in four days, Wawasee will take the weekend off before visiting Goshen Monday.

GOSHEN – With both the Warsaw boys and girls track teams rolling to 7-0 dual seasons and team titles in the Northern Lakes Conference track championships, the Tigers and Lady Tigers were both well represented in the All-NLC lists for both sports.

Warsaw’s boys won its fifth consecutive conference championship and continue on with 34 straight NLC dual wins, taking down the conference last Tuesday with 146.5 points to runner-up Goshen’s 130 points. The Tigers won six events, and rightly, all were on the list. All-Northern Lakes Conference athletes included Daniel Messenger, Ross Armey, Owen Glogovsky, Riley Rhoades, Landan Perry and Brock Riley. Earning Honorable Mention All-NLC for Warsaw was Brandon Reinholt.

Wawasee didn’t have a regular season to remember from a record standpoint, going 0-7 in dual meets, but finished fourth at the NLC Championships with the man of the match.

Clayton Cook won two events and helped the 4×100 relay to another title. The relay members were Cook, JJ Gilmer, Tyler Courter and Cole VanLue, who all earned All-NLC nods.

Goshen’s 6-1 regular season and runner-up place at the NLC were aided by the showings of Jacob Isnogle, Gerardo Abad and Abe Medellin, each earning All-NLC awards. Nick Gerber and Andrew Pillow were Honorable Mention All-NLC for the Redskins.

Northridge had six on the All-NLC list including Nathan Blyly, Kurtis Hochstetler, Andy Kauffman, Conner Sandt, Austin Healey and Michael Fickert.

NorthWood’s Bailey Gessinger was All-NLC and teammate Derek Parker was Honorable Mention All-NLC. Concord also had one each in Dominic Proffitt on the All-NLC list and Jerell Pointdexter on the Honorable Mention All-NLC list.

Plymouth’s duo of Kennedy Schneiders and Taylor Fulton were Honorable Mention All-NLC as was Memorial’s David Doyle.

The Lady Tigers took up a lot of real estate on the All-NLC lists, having 10 athletes make the sheet. Warsaw won its 10th straight NLC title and have run off 47 straight dual wins in a row.

In Warsaw scoring 169 points at the NLC meet, Memorial’s 110 was the next closest total. The Lady Tigers won seven events in its show of force.

Taking All-NLC nods for the Lady Tigers were Sam Alexander, Abbi Curtis, Mariah Harter, Allison Miller, Audrey Rich, Jazzmine Brown, Nicole Eckert, Rebecca Lemon and Brooke Rhodes. Tennie Worrell was named Honorable Mention All-NLC to round out the Warsaw listings.

Wawasee went 1-6 in the conference, and had just one athlete make the cut in Katlyn Kennedy as an Honorable Mention All-NLC.

Memorial and Plymouth were both 5-2 in the conference, the Lady Pilgrims earning seven total nods in Kaydon Fosler, Cassi Quissell, Allie Wright, Libby Read and Katelyn O’Neal taking All-NLC and Sammi Davis and Casey Buchanon Honorable Mention All-NLC. Memorial had Deanna Cornelius and Sierra Moore as All-NLC and Tailor Schultheis Honorable Mention All-NLC.

Goshen had Adrienne Henke, Hannah Kurtz, Jillian Kissinger and Nora Rangel all named All-NLC and Tricia Place Honorable Mention All-NLC.

Concord’s Ciana Bonfiglio was All-NLC and NorthWood’s Brianna Tuttle was Honorable Mention All-NLC.

Warsaw’s Matt Thacker for the boys and Scott Erba for the girls were named Coaches of the Year for the conference.