MARTINSVILLE
Ernest Leroy Hochstetler, 93, Martinsville, passed peacefully Friday, March 15, 2019.
He was born Jan. 6, 1926 in Elkhart, to the late Levi G. & Ruth L. (Tyson) Hochstetler.
He was a member of Bean Blossom Community Church in Brown County. He received his chauffeurs license at age 17 and drove trucks most of his life. His career included driving for Wagler Dairy Farm and he was still driving to Milwaukee at the age of 81. He also worked for Indiana Farm Bureau in Goshen and became a field man for Watkins Products. He was former owner of Hochstetler Feed and Seed. He moved his family to Martinsville in 1961. He enjoyed humor and loved sharing jokes.
He married June (Mohler) Hochstetler; she preceded him in death in 1994. He later married Charlotte Chumley Hochstetler; she preceded him in death in 2019. He leaves behind his children, Duane (Melodee) Hochstetler of Martinsville; Glenn (Pam) Hochstetler of Brown County; Elaine (Melvin) Wright of Edwardsburg, MI; Karen (Kenny) Cadwell of Gosport and Rachel Ramer of Richmond; stepsons, Rick Hillman of Cloverdale and Terry (Rena) Hillman of Mooresville; stepdaughters, Diane (Lawrence) Bastin, Geri (Albert) Hickey and Sharon (Richard) Wilson, all of Martinsville; brother, Otis (Betty) Hochstetler of Brasilia, South America; sister, Faye (Don) Nyce of Pennsylvania; 20 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; numerous stepgrandchildren and stepgreat-grandchildren.
He was also preceded in death by one son, Robert Hochstetler; sisters, Gladys Hochstetler, Lois Miller and Fern Begley; and great-great-grandson, Tyler Nenedjian.
A celebration of life service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 30, with visitation from 1 p.m. at Bean Blossom Community Church, 5046 State Road 135 North.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Gideons International, P.O. Box 9725, Washington, DC 20090-7251; or to Lymphoma Research Foundation, Wall Street Plaza, 88 Pine St., Suite 2400, New York, NY 10005.
Neal & Summers Funeral and Cremation Center, Martinsville, has been entrusted with arrangements.
Online condolences may be shared with the family at nealandsummers.com.
