Section E of cemetery by water tower

From the Obituaries of DeKalb County, Indiana 1988 by Troas Wise and Arlene Goodwin

RALPH E. SECHLER, 68, prominent St. Joe resident and president of Sechler and Son Inc, pickle manufacturers, died at 8pm Sunday in his home. He had been ill three weeks.

Mr. Sechler was active in community affairs. He served on the school reorganization committee and was a past president of the DeKalb County Welfare Board. He was a WWI Veteran, and a member of the Masonic Lodge, the American Legion post at St. Joe and the Lions Club.

Mr. Sechler was born June 12, 1894 in Concord Township, and was the son of the late Franklin and Mary (Widney) Sechler. He was a lifelong resident of the St. Joe community.

On Aug 6, 1917, he and Anna Martindale of Greenfield, Ind were united in marriage in Greenfield. Surviving are the wife and one son, Franklyn, and one daughter, Mrs. Carlos Church of St. Joe; five grandchildren; and one sister, Mrs. William Staman of St. Joe.

Mr. Sechler started working in a pickle manufacturing firm in Fort Wayne while he was still in high school, and in 1922 he became engaged in the business of contracting with farmers, salting the pickles and selling them to processors.

In 1931 he opened his own business to manufacture the pickles and to distribute them. When he started his own business, only he and his wife were engaged in the work, but now there is a yearly average of 50-55 persons engaged in the business. His son became associated with the business in 1948 and in 1950 a corporation was formed with the elder Mr. Sechler being president and the son as vice president.

Services will be at 2pm Wednesday in St. Mark's Lutheran Church at St. Joe, of which he was a member. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery. Friends may call after 7pm Monday at the Baidinger & Walter Funeral Home at Spencerville. Officiating at the services will be the Rev. Ivan O. Miller, pastor of the church.

Section E of cemetery by water tower

From the Obituaries of DeKalb County, Indiana 1988 by Troas Wise and Arlene Goodwin

RALPH E. SECHLER, 68, prominent St. Joe resident and president of Sechler and Son Inc, pickle manufacturers, died at 8pm Sunday in his home. He had been ill three weeks.

Mr. Sechler was active in community affairs. He served on the school reorganization committee and was a past president of the DeKalb County Welfare Board. He was a WWI Veteran, and a member of the Masonic Lodge, the American Legion post at St. Joe and the Lions Club.

Mr. Sechler was born June 12, 1894 in Concord Township, and was the son of the late Franklin and Mary (Widney) Sechler. He was a lifelong resident of the St. Joe community.

On Aug 6, 1917, he and Anna Martindale of Greenfield, Ind were united in marriage in Greenfield. Surviving are the wife and one son, Franklyn, and one daughter, Mrs. Carlos Church of St. Joe; five grandchildren; and one sister, Mrs. William Staman of St. Joe.

Mr. Sechler started working in a pickle manufacturing firm in Fort Wayne while he was still in high school, and in 1922 he became engaged in the business of contracting with farmers, salting the pickles and selling them to processors.

In 1931 he opened his own business to manufacture the pickles and to distribute them. When he started his own business, only he and his wife were engaged in the work, but now there is a yearly average of 50-55 persons engaged in the business. His son became associated with the business in 1948 and in 1950 a corporation was formed with the elder Mr. Sechler being president and the son as vice president.

Services will be at 2pm Wednesday in St. Mark's Lutheran Church at St. Joe, of which he was a member. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery. Friends may call after 7pm Monday at the Baidinger & Walter Funeral Home at Spencerville. Officiating at the services will be the Rev. Ivan O. Miller, pastor of the church.