SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Novella Louise (Fisher) Puterbaugh, 84, a resident of Springfield, Mo., since 1962, peacefully passed on to her new life after multiple illnesses on July 9, 2009.
She was born July 8, 1925, in Miami County.
She attended elementary and junior high school at Favorite Hill and South in Piqua, respectively. A 1943 graduate of Bradford High School, she was elected May Queen her sophomore year and marched in the band as majorette. After graduation, she worked as a telephone operator in Bradford and then in the correspondence department at WACO, a manufacturer of gliders, in Troy.
She studied nursing under the government's Cadet Nurse Program and proudly graduated in 1947 from Miami Valley School of Nursing in Dayton, with an RN degree. She practiced nursing after her marriage on April 18, 1947, at several hospitals - Miami Valley, Piqua Memorial and Dettmer in Ohio, and Burge in Springfield, Mo.
Known for her attention to detail and for "writing everything down," she was an expert cook and a passionate genealogist. She researched and wrote an account of the World War II Battan Death March in the Philippines describing the events in terms of her cousin Byran Fisher who perished there. An inveterate reader (she joined the book-of-the-month club with her first pay check), she especially relished the characters and language of Jane Austin. She also enjoyed sewing, quilting and collecting dolls. A loving and caring mother, she lived for her family and entertained them constantly with her acid wit.
She was preceded in death by parents Elsie Edith (Bodenmiller) and Jesse Lee Fisher; and parents-in-law, Hazel Angela (Noffsinger) and Forest T. Puterbaugh, all long-time residents of Miami County.
She is survived by her high-school sweetheart and loving husband, Forest J. Puterbaugh of Springfield, Mo., and daughters, Leslie (Puterbaugh) Blankenship and her partner, Sandoll A. Andromeda of Columbus and Sherry (Puterbaugh) Davison and her partner Ray Irwin of Springfield, Mo.; sisters and their spouses, Janice (Fisher) and C. J. Hocker of Bradford, Jewel (Fisher) and Bob Booghier (deceased) of Springfield and Joann (Fisher) and Ed Owen of Farmington, N.M.; brother, Chalmer and spouse June Fisher of Covington; brothers-in-law, Kenny and spouse Donna Puterbaugh of Livonia, Mich., and Harold (Joan, deceased) Schultz of Cincinnati; sisters-in-law, Helen (Paul, deceased) Puterbaugh of Bradford and Peg (Jim, deceased) Puterbaugh of Piqua; and many, many loving nieces and nephews, Chris Palsgrove, Jerry Hocker, Steve Hocker, Caren Cashell, Julie Lockard, Brad Coverdale, Curtiss Owen, Roger Owen, Steve Baker, Laura Baker, Scott Fisher and Jody Boehringer; and the children of deceased sisters-in-law and spouses, Cleata (Lester) Rhoades, Lenore (Paul) Finfrock, Evelyn (Waldo Rhoades, Morris Fine), Lois (Larry) Boyer and Joan (Harold) Schultz; and the children of deceased brothers-in-law and spouses, Stanley (Bert) Puterbaugh, Paul (Helen) Puterbaugh, Ivan "Buddy" (Pat) Puterbaugh, Jim (Peg) Puterbaugh and Joel (Karolyn) Puterbaugh.
Visitation was from 6-8 p.m. July 13, 2009, at Greenlawn South, Springfield, Mo., and from 6-8 p.m. July 16, 2009, at Stocker-Fraley, Covington. Services will be at 11 a.m. July 17, 2009, at Bridges-Stocker-Fraley Funeral Home, Covington. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery, Covington. The family suggests that memorial donations be made to the charity of the donor's choice.
