Glatha Dee Neff
Glatha Dee (Ware) Neff, 91, passed peacefully to her eternal home, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, at Parkview Memorial Regional Hospital.
She was born in Huntington June 13, 1925, the daughter of the late Elmer and Blanche Ware. She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Harold Duane Neff; and brother, Max Ware.
Glatha was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She selflessly poured herself into her family. She also dedicated her entire life to helping people, whatever their need. Her tender, empathetic heart frequently prompted her to share a listening ear, meals, clothing, money, and even her home.
Glatha was a fervent prayer warrior and she boldly spoke about her faith. Her unwavering faith in Jesus was her guiding light each day. In times of hardship, her response was always “God plans my days.” Her dedication to each church she attended through the years showed her strong commitment.
Glatha had many hobbies and passions that she tirelessly pursued throughout her life. She loved sewing, notably making formal dresses and costumes for school plays for her grandchildren. She had her own sewing business for seven years, Dee’s Custom Sewing, before she closed it in 1970 to take care of grandchildren full time.
Glatha loved puzzles and games. She spent countless hours with her family and friends putting together jigsaw puzzles, which was a favorite past time of her mom’s. She learned to play Rummikub with her children and grandchildren and after moving to The Cedars with Harold in 2010 it became an almost nightly occurrence with two friends. Proving what an enthusiastic gamer she was, Glatha kept a record of each Rummikub game she played and logged over 5,000 games!
Glatha was a self-taught genealogist and spent years researching family connections for herself and anyone else who asked for her help. She was able to find connections to relatives for many people who knew little about their family history. Her legacy will live on in those she taught to appreciate and love the research.
Glatha was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, The Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter of Fort Wayne. She joined the organization in 1984 and was an active member for many years. During her time with the DAR, she organized and produced “We the People Celebrate” a Bicentennial celebration of the U.S. Constitution given at Foellinger Theatre on Sept. 12, 1987. She also served as Regent with the DAR from 1992 to 1994.
Music also played a major role in her life. She sang in various special programs, church choirs and was featured on a radio broadcast, The Back Home Hour, from the Gospel Temple in Fort Wayne in the 1950’s. In the later years of her life, she sang with the Southmoor Singers and Fort Wayne Senior Saints.
While Glatha’s commitment to her faith and her family and her numerous passions and hobbies are what she will be remembered for, she also had a few notable jobs early in her life. She worked at Sealtest Ice Cream (Huntington) from 1957-1965, Bennett’s Clothing (New Haven) from 1965-1966, and General Electric (Fort Wayne) from 1966-1970.
Surviving are her children Ladonna (Brint) Overholt, Connie (Thomas) Stemen Galloway, and Debra (Todd) Hutsell; five grandchildren Melanie (Doug) Carlin, Wendy (Justin) Hubbenette, Michael (Rebecca) Stemen, Laura (Matt) Caddell, and Christopher (Sandra) Smith; and seven great-grandchildren Sarah Carlin; Kenzie and Amber Hubbenette; Jonathan Stemen; and Kaitlyn, Derek, and Daniel Smith.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, 2016 at D.O. McComb & Sons, Maplewood Park Chapel, 4017 Maplecrest Rd, Fort Wayne with visitation from 2-4 p.m. prior to the memorial service.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Daughters of the American Revolution by going to the following website. http://www.dar.org/giving/ways-dive/donate-online. Burial will be at a later date in Shock Cemetery, Huntington