Obituary

Curtis Conley, 76, of Kendallville died Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at 11:34 p.m. in Lutheran Life Villages, Kendallville.

Mr. Conley graduated from Garrett High School, Garrett, Kentucky in 1952. He moved to this area in 1953, coming from Kentucky.

He was a pilot in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.

He had worked in maintenance at Newnam Foundry in Kendallville for many years. When the foundry workers went on strike, he moved his family to Kentucky and he worked in maintenance in the coal mines for a few years. He eventually moved back to this area and worked at Newell in Albion until 1993 when he suffered a stroke.

Curtis enjoyed fishing and spending time at Bixler Lake with his retired friends.

He was born February 8, 1935, in Gunlock, Kentucky, to Willis and Emily (Shepherd) Conley. On June 6, 1958, in Summersville, Ohio, he married Ellen Gibson.

Surviving are his wife, Ellen Conley of Kendallville; three daughters and a son-in-law, Emily and Bruce Andrews of Big Long Lake, Virginia Terry and her fiancé, Joe Gupton of Butler, and Waneta and Butch Percey of Beaumont, Texas; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Arnold Ray Gibson of Kendallville and Danny Ray and Sherry Conley of Cassopolis, Michigan; 14 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; four sisters and brothers-in-law, Thelma and Elmer Hoover of Wayne, Michigan, Ceila and Don Bolen of Destin, Florida, Margie and Doug Cook of Wayne, Michigan, and Lee and Freddie Tillman of Thousand Oaks, California; and a brother and sisters-in-law, Frank D and Reana Conley of Louisiana; and two sisters-in-law, Delores Conley of New Mexico and Nadine Conley of Wayland, Kentucky.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a granddaughter, Katlyn Shaylend Conley; four sisters, Elsie, Marie, Dorothy, and Ruthie; and four brothers, Lawrence, Lloyd, Arnold, and Clifford.

Funeral services will be Friday, March 4, 2011 at 1:30p.m. in Harbor of Love Baptist Church, 2353 South Lima Road, Kendallville, with Pastor Charles Mosley officiating. Burial will be in Orange Cemetery, Rome City.

Honorary casketbearers are Bill Moore, Willie Gose, and Bo Stevens. Active casketbearers are his grandsons, Donny Siples, Shane Knox, Adam Powers, Brandon Percey, Nathan Gibson, Jeremy Gibson, and Josh Conley.

Calling is Thursday, March 3, 2011 from 2 - 7 p.m. in the church where there will be an evening service at 7 p.m.

Preferred memorials are to Pancreatic Cancer Research.

Arrangements are by Young Family Funeral Home, Kendallville Chapel, 222 South State Street, Kendallville.

Send condolences to the family at www.youngfamilyfuneralhome.com